Former May Drivers Lounge...

If you are interested in doing flatbed with no tarping, give me a shout. The company I am with runs conestoga trailers with the rolling tarp system. Great company based out of Minnesota, but hires all 48.

 

I for one don't miss May.

 

talked to one of their recruiters the other day.

$0.31 a mile to start ($0.05 more than i am making at werner)
$0.05 per mile raise after 6 months to $0.36 a mile
half cent raise every year after that.
$5,000 sign on bonus (payable over 6 months)
after one year you receive a $4,000 retention bonus (one time)
if you want to be a trainer they pay you an extra $.10 per mile on top of your current cpm (team style training not allowed, your student drives their hours, then if you have any remaining hours on your 14 hr clock you can drive those for some extra miles).
quarterly fuel bonuses if you are running efficiently.



their health insurance package is outstanding and cheaply priced. comes with vision. dental pkg is separate i think or might be included cant remember.
401K/stock option

they are governed at 60 or 61 mph but thats not too bad.

i hear complaints about the micromanaging aspect of it but after talking to their safety dept I see why they do it. Fuel efficiency, reduce accidents and save money. for some people they cant handle that. for others its more of a challenge to perfect their driving habits and to take their driving to a different level. everyone is different.

havent made a decision yet but still looking at and exploring other options.

 

You sure about all of that? Fuel bonus? Sign on bonus? Never heard of them. If that's the case then I got screwed worst than I thought.

 

I used to get a very minor fuel bonus, but haven't seen one since last summer. It was never more than about $15.00 or so.

If you are not a chronic idler, you would get it.
("Chronic idler" sounds like me in high school)

 

Only bonus I've seen so far is $8.21 for going over 10,000 miles in March. That tells you how many miles they run you.

I get about 2000 miles a week and I only take 2 days off a month.

 

Well, I've accepted a position with ETS Transport out of Hillsborough, OR, running mainly I-5, with some variation. Home for resets (where-ever I decide home might be that week, as I have family from Seattle to the Bay Area). They are going to the dealership Thursday to pick up my truck, a brand new Volvo VNL670, which I'm excited about. I'll be starting at $.40/mi, and will be at $.46/mi by 6 months, with no cap (also includes stop/drop pay and bonuses). They have basically said, do my thing and if I'm as good as I say and they think, it will benefit us all. We run curtain vans, usually taking typical flatbed loads south, and returning with a mix of things, including beverages and non-perishable food stuffs. I sat down with the "fleet" manager/dispatcher (my truck will be #4 of a planned 10 by the end of next year), as well as the owner, and I think this is going to be a *very good thing*. They have been around many years, and also run a trucking school. And they are not interested in growing at the expense of their customer relations and driver retention.

It's apparent that they value their drivers, understanding they have nothing without us (they are even going to buy me a nice memory foam mattress-topper for my bed!!!). I'm looking forward to being well rewarded for my time and efforts! Oh, and no stinkin' QUALCOMM (paper, for now)!!! WooHoo!!!! I can take the truck "home" with me, as it is mine, and they didn't even have it until they hired me. I'm sure they will be open to improvements in their operations, as well as being able to grow in whichever way I would like with the company. And if I want to install a new stereo system, I'm sure they won't mind... Sometimes holding out for the ideal job pays off, and I am very much looking forward to this.

 

Congratulations spokester, good for you.

 

Welcome back!