Avoid Marten Transport LTD.

I see no reason to apologize to someone who started out with pre-emptive name calling and insults towards anyone who might disagree with him. It was childish and unprofessional, at best. And, whatever posts others or myself made in rebuttal to such a post were made based on our experiences at the time, so again, no reason to apologize.

As for those seeking information on the so-called "Fair Pay" plan, your FM is required to email a copy to you at your request, and it has already been mailed to your home (or should have been by now). I've checked it out, and it appears Marten is trying to turn into Knight, which makes sense since the masterminds behind the whole per diem and fair pay schemes came over from Knight. Seems, from what they stated, that Marten is going strictly intermodal (rail) and regional, but keeping OTR drivers to move about and fill in the holes of such a plan as are inevitable.

 

As a team, we started shopping around for a company that we could stay with until retirement. After doing our research, we thought Marten would be the one. Our first load was a dream - coast-to-coast with plenty of margin for safe driving. We were thrilled and thought we had made the right choice in coming to Marten. However, with subsequent loads, it became apparent that we were mistaken.

After picking up a load we receive a QC requesting that we calculate an early ETA. Before we could reply, the delivery appt. time would be changed to something earlier than originally scheduled. Immediately following, a pre-plan was sent for a load that was picking up BEFORE the newly scheduled delivery time. We ran to the point of exhaustion with loads stacking up on loads - obviously we were going to be late for a pick-up that is scheduled before the previous delivery. We pointed this out, however, we were told we didn't need to be concerned, we weren't getting a service failure because we were picking up spot loaded trailers and then dropping them at a receiver and that we should be grateful to them because we were getting the easy stuff.

Still concerned for the lack of time alloted to do our job safely and professionally, we called Marten safety and were told that the team managers had a reputation for doing that kind of stuff and we needed to "push back". So we tried to push back - we told them we needed time to eat, shower, and rest if needed - we needed a safety margin. We were told in no uncertain terms, that personal needs (showers, etc) should be "fit in" and we would have to "make up the time". Furthermore, because we were a team we could drive AT LEAST 1000 miles per day, and if we tried, we should be able to do 600 per day/per driver. We were even told we could go twice as fast because there were two of us. Twice as fast??? Nothing less than OTD was acceptable, even when they readily admitted there was no way for the truck to move fast enough to make an OTD.

After three months of this, we were finally told (by another driver as the fleet mgr supervisor would not return our calls) to contact Jason Martin (Marten?). Upon speaking with Mr. Martin, we were told that several other teams had called him (same day we did) with the same complaint and that the managers on the team board had been previously warned they couldn't run team drivers in this manner. The end result of our conversation was that Mr. Martin would address the issue and the situation would change.

However, our next load was the same deal. When we complained, we were demoted from the team board and put on a solo board. OK...we were actually cool with that. No more running 5 days without a shower (WOOHOO!!!) so that we wouldn't get a service failure. But, since being put on a solo board it is pretty obvious that we are being "punished" for rocking the boat. We get nothing but short hauls (approx 400-600 miles) with delivery appts that are 2-3 days after the pickup. A new twist is we are getting put on loads that are overweight. We do not run illegal, and made that perfectly clear from day one. For example, we spent 3 days hauling a load that was right at 80,000 from Ohio to Missouri. The load assignment said the load was 36000+ but when we got to the shipper they added 200 pieces and it topped out at 80,080 with 3/4 tank of fuel. We hauled it because we knew we could get it legal by letting the fuel level drop. We really aren't lazy jerks and want to be team players, but we run by the book.

We delivered it this morning and when we received our new load assignment, the weight of the product was just over 46,000. We advised the fleet manager that we couldn't handle a load of that weight. We were told to just pick it up and after getting it scaled, IF we were over gross, they would decide what to do. We couldn't get them to stop and do the math - if we had a load at 42,500 and it put us over 80,000, then how are we going to take one that is over 46,000? The spot load that was to be ready at 18:00, turned into a live load which was not completed until 21:00. After scaling, with 1/8 tank of fuel, we are well over gross. Our fleet manager, who said it would be handled if we were over gross, has now gone home and Marten night dispatch is fuming mad because we can't run with it. This is what we are experiencing with Marten - what a waste of everyone's time and company resources, not to mention the stress it creates for everyone. Nobody makes money when the load sits, but it seems the priority is to get the load assigned and to hell with the details.

We agree that every story has two sides, but there are too many accounts of the same thing happening to other drivers - and it's not just at Marten. We drive a truck because like duma$$es we read an article about how middle-age couples were leaving their corporate gigs and driving a truck once the kids left the nest. It was like the answer to a prayer - time together, no more commuting, and we could explore the country to find out if we wanted to retire someplace other than our current location. DUMB US! We are both educated in business and know what it takes to to run and efficient/profitable organization. It seems like these companies are so comfortable with "business as usual" they will not look at new ways of doing business and moving ahead. There is no real competition between companies to motivate anyone toward change - in fact, it seems that change is out of the question. Most importantly, what seems to be missing is that trucking companies (in general - not just Marten) have forgotten that the employee is the most valuable asset they have. This is true in ANY business. In all fairness, I'm quite certain that considering some of the drivers we've met and some of the conversations we've heard out here, that there are a bunch of drivers on the road who have created the perception that truck drivers are a miserable lot not to be trusted or allowed to have independent thought - anyone else hear the term "trucker scum"?? In some cases I would have to agree - we've all seen drivers that I wouldn't want to flip my burger, let alone be charged with the responsibility of moving thousands of $$$ in cargo that is inside an 80,000 guided missile. But we are all being painted with the same brush (tarred & feathered perhaps?) and the drivers who possess the talent, abilities, and responsibility to take their job to the next level are being ran out of the industry because they don't want/need to put up with being lied to, cheated, etc.

We aren't here to get rich (big duh). We are here to do this job to the best of our ability while protecting ourselves, our company, the assets we are charged with, and the other people we share the road with while perhaps finding a bit of enjoyment and job satisfaction along the route.

As said earlier, we researched Marten (we thought thoroughly, but you never know for certain until you get there). We planned on staying with Marten until we were ready to retire and despite the issues outlined above, we really don't want to leave Marten. Unfortunately, we may have no option since it looks as though we're going to be starved out. Such a shame - we've heard from Marten old-timers that it used to be a great place to work, but in the past few years it has changed dramatically for the worse.

If you are looking for a company recommendation, here it is. If you need respect for a job well done, if you want to be part of a team that makes something positive happen, if you want job satisfaction, then stay in school. Become a doctor, lawyer, teacher. Sadly, you won't find any of it in this industry's current environment. Be safe out there Drivers.

 

Seems most OTR companies are in this arena and should spend the money they use recruiting new drivers to treat the drivers they have with respect. It is amazing that these companies stay in business when their treatment of their employees is less than human. But then humans are now expected to sleep in extreme temperatures w/o idling to save a few bucks.

 

You might try Empire Express Inc in Memphis Tn for a refreshing change. This is a small 162 driver company, family owned. All drivers are treated as family, truely strange to walk in and hear other drivers talk about how many years they have been with the company and how much they love the company. They usually only hire about two new drivers per month. Good Luck.

 

You are a nasty, hateful person aren't you. Talk about no diplomacy! I feel sorry for your spouse, if anyone was ignorant enough to marry you.

 

Alot of companies are practicing the per diem pay schedule. Just remember, when you start collecting social security once retired-that your SSI amount is based on your reported earnings. Per diem drastically lowers the amount reported for those purposes. Hope we all have 401's to live off as well!

 

I think I'm having a blonde moment..... Who are you talking about?

 

Thanks for the tip. We are currently being starved - one load, going 268 miles in 5 days.

We won our battle, but are being slaughtered in the war.

 

Been watching this Marten thing play out with their new "Fair Pay" package. Drivers are not receiving this well at all--especially when juxtaposed to the very slow miles at Marten since the new management team took over.

I'm no fan of a mandatory per diem either and have made that fact known in the halls of Mondovi. An optional per diem is one thing; it's another all together to force an entire fleet on it and then charge 2 1/2 cents (yes, that's right, an administrative fee of $0.025/mile lopped off a driver's base pay to cover the "cost" of entering another line item in the accounting department). This reads to me as a charge to me as an employee of giving me the courtesy of under-reporting my income, swiping my daily IRS standard deduction of $52.00 and replacing it with my own money at $0.14 cents per mile for EVERY DAY I RUN (not every day I'm away from my tax base as is the standard deduction), giving the company the ability to pay less payroll taxes, and then swearing that the whole thing is NOT a pay cut.

A turd by any other name is still a turd. The question is how well one can cope with the effervescent scent of $&##.

For the drivers talking about mileages here at Marten, I'll put my numbers up to back my position and then you can discern for yourself.

From my own stats here's how my year is shaping up at Marten:

First: All miles are based on the dispatched miles not odometer miles. Some dispatches they send over the total trip (linehaul) miles, others it's the drivers paid miles and some trips there are no miles listed if the data entry person is in a hurry. In some instances I had to turn to Microsoft Streets and Trips always set to the SHORTEST miles and I found this usually fell to within +/- 1% or there about of pay/linehaul miles.

Starting January 1, 2009 to August 31, 2009 I have had:

Exactly 91 trips totalling 64,780 miles. As my pay rate changed a couple of times during the year due to increases this netted in mileage pay $26,406. This works out to a calendar year average of 1,866 miles per week or 8,098 miles per calendar month; and 711.8 miles per trip.

Under Marten's hometime policy (1 day off for every 5 out) I've earned 41 days off and taken 36. If it weren't for the pay issue I'd go home and take those as well.

If I weight the miles and deduct non-productive home time my average weekly miles reads 2,191 per week.

Bonuses are out the window with Marten since my average monthly miles fall far short of the required 10,000 per month to qualify.

Just thought I'd pitch that out and put some real numbers to the debate.

Also, let me finalize by putting this comment in also: Where I live jobs are few and far between and $8 to $9 an hour is a safe bet--and a regionally common income. The bottom line is my wife and I could make ends meet on two $9 an hour jobs. But even in the worst of it all for the hours I put in I'm still running in the neighborhood of about $19 an hour factoring only working hours. The other alternative is working in a hole in the ground for about the same rate of pay and a lot less job security/availablity overall.

At least I haven't seen a bill for a company truck repair vis-a-vis a former employer...

 

I went home for 10 weeks with the worst case of colitis you could imagine. Just goes to show what ignoring a serious medical problem will do for you. My truck got reassigned, I wasn't surprised about that. What I WAS surprised about was that after I went back to the terminal to clean her out (during sick leave) and packed at much of my stuff as would possibly fit into my car (my wife is a master of space usage) I had no choice but to leave some things behind. All was neat and tidy and in two cardboard boxes. An xbox 360, two cobra 450 inverters, a cheapie uniden 40 channel with no bells or whistles, and some odds and ends like trip paks and old log books. I went to the shop and told them that there was simply no more room for my stuff, and could they plz hold it for me.

The jerks threw it all away, or STOLE it. Yes, MARTEN TRANSPORT's shop ppl in Mondovi, WI are malicious THIEVES. This behavior is CONDONED, or maybe just ignored by the management of this company. Which in my book makes them just as bad. It's kinda hypocritical and slimy to expect 100% integrity from ppl to whom you show NONE. I hope the buttscrewing they're doing to drivers right now comes back to bite them in their collective rear ends in two to three years when the economy has come around and thing pick back up. I don't know about you guys, but I can hold a grudge for a VERY long time. I will spend the rest of my career, and heck, days, badmouthing them for their poor treatment of drivers.

I don't think being treated with respect is too much to ask. I don't think that thinking of my time as valuable is wrong. I don't think expecting to get paid for working is bad. I don't think requiring a dispatch to leave the house rather than enabling them to waste three of your days at a terminal is bad. But, I guess that's just me.