mcp 200 QC and E log (marten)

How are you staying busy with Marten? I'm averaging about 1700 miles a week this year and steadily averaged about 1800 a week last year.

Some people are running and some of us are sitting like there's no tomorrow to be concerned with. It's got me looking at other alternatives...

 

6 week average with Marten was 1926 miles...a year ago this time I was on a dedicated account with a 3000 mile a week guarantee, so this has sucked huge. My FM tried to get me another dedicated lane that would average 2600/week and I'd be home on the weekends which would've been OK with me. But they couldn't go 1 week without the load planners screwing that pooch. Now I just left the Richmond yard after a PM which ended up sitting me 4 days (with some layover). Now on my way home for the weekend, have to see what next week brings. But if this keeps up like this I'll be an ex-Marten driver long before year's end (and I've been there 6.5 years). It's like amateur hour up there.

 

It's worse than Amateur Hr there.

Nov 2nd on the Dave Nemo show, Tim Norlan from Marten Recruting will be guest host 630am to 1030am
Burn up the phone lines sirius 143 xm 171

 

I'd like to thank those driver's who ABUSED this. You just screwed the poooch for the rest who used it , just to get to safe haven, or personal conveyance.

 

I can tell you that fleet managers get little to no training before being set loose. I know because I was one, until this afternoon. They hired me, had me watch another FM push buttons on a computer for a week and a half, and then said, "It's all on you now. Sink or swim."

I lasted almost three weeks. So, your FM might not have the training to know how to properly pre-plan a load on you based on the hours you have. A crummy situation for both the driver and FM.

 

As I said earlier....amateur hour. Did manage to get on another dedicated account, so at least I'm not at the mercy of the planners anymore. So far...so good.

 

In my short time there, I never completely understood the relationship between the planners and fleet managers. All I know was the planners would screw up everything I had set up to accomplish a certain goal. For instance, I had a driver up in the NE that wanted to get home by a certain date. I found loads that would do just that, he was happy, I was happy, I dispatched the loads to him and he sent in a 32 for both of them. Then, without letting me know, the planner for the region he was currently in pulled him off the loads. He didn't get home and since I wasn't made aware of the fact that he was pulled off those plans, he ended up sitting.

There was a huge amount of bickering and general lack of communication among planners, fleet managers and the various terminals.

 

jp were your / are you a dispatcher ? if so what fleet?
You hit the nail on the head, Planners don't read the msg, or check on if a ceratin truck has the hours, to do the load, before they send out the preplan. Dispatchers see the info on the drivers screen in front of them. But it doesn't matter, planners want the load covered no matter what. So they end up causing dispatchers and drivers at each other throats, for something neither has any control of.
When i quit Monday, i wrote on the qc to my dispatcher, it is no way ,shape or form your fault for why i'm quitting. I blame the planners and managment. Your just the midlle man and your hands are tied. The reply i got back, was, Thank you for saying that.