What Would You Do if this was your OTR job?

I would go drive for someone who has their $### together.

 

I agree 100% with you. Only been in this game just under a year and I’ve come to realize “stuff” happens in trucking. I wouldn’t get too worked up if this was a once in a blue moon deal.

If it becomes standard operating procedure, well I’m going to deem the company incompetent in their business practices and I would be gone. Way too many other companies that won’t play games willing to hire a good driver.

 

Things go wrong,that’s understandable, but to basically call you a crybaby, is inexcusable. You’ve helped this idiot out and He takes you for granted.I would try to make my case with his Supervisor, after I had a back up plan in place. Maybe the problem starts at the top and it’s time to move on.Remember after they waste your time and send you out they go home to dinner and whatever.Ignoring your hometime is wrong.

 

Make notes on where empties can be found so next time you don't have to ask. One time on Easter, with a skeleton crew working the home terminal, I waited hours without getting an answer on where to find an empty. I got on Google Maps, typed "distribution center" and it showed every DC in the area. I got on the phone and started calling and found a DC that had empties. Sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands.

 

Didn’t realize you had secured an empty before heading for the repower. In any case, you sitiuation blows. It is to be expected when working for large company’s tho. Look when i joined Landstar it took them almost 2 weeks to find me a van trailer. I only got one when i told them how bad their 1st impression was in my eyes. I very politely explained that neither of us were making money, & i was going to have to cancel my lease before i even pull my 1st load.

I feel for you, but rolling with the punches until you are able to improve your situation is always the best plan.

Like you say about amount of jobs.... i’ve been trucking since ‘04. I’ve had 4 company jobs. Each one a step up from the last. Then i bought my truck. I’ve watched guys switch jobs because of the dumbest of things ticked them off. The ones i still talk to, well they aren’t any better off today then they were back when.

 

if brakes will hold air. i would have been to ca then posted it on ttr. i picked up a trl the other day with a 2 year old inspection sticker in va. it had a turn light that was missing a lens and was rusted threw. one of them double turn signal trailers. i took my hammer and knock it off as hard as i could. had shop put new sticker on and took off. had to take empty trl to sc to be chipped up

 

I'm glad my drop and hook days are over. It's pretty common for customers to use trailers for storage like that. Dispatch doesn't find out they are still full until somebody goes to pick them up.

I used to stress about that stuff until I realized it's not my problem.

 

The problem is u are in texas headed to california, if hell was a state it would be both of those, sounds like u had a bad day. Them empty trailer searches is a pita , i pull flatbed but when flatbed gets sloe they put me on dry van and i hate every second of it, with flatbed most the shippers and recievers are actually nice to you, usually when u show up to a jobsite the forklift guy is warmin that thing up waitin on u to get ur straps off.. Can u even imagine such a thing happening with dry box? Sounds like u need a switch

 

Driver, mad props to ya for thinking outside the box and making it happen. That's a great idea, and I hope others can use this strategy to get out of a similar situation.

But it begs the question: Why are we out there doing our jobs, and then having to do the desk jockeys' jobs for them on top of it? If you're gonna have to do everything yourself anyway, you might as well get your own authority and put the money in your pocket.

 

it hasn't happened to me very often (too many "run arounds" or extended periods of sitting), but when it does, I put in applications and talk to recruiters and the potential new employers contact my current employer then we find out if my current employer is interested in retaining my services

if they don't want me the issues will persist and I'll jump ship. if the issues are addresed I stay put. fortunately I am still on my first job as I'd like to make it at least a year with them

i like the battered spouse analogy earlier in the thread. if I am abused and keep coming back for more, I'm actually abusing myself (to my way of thinking, not speaking for others)