Warning signs

Nowadays I bet most don’t know what a gold bulldog means..

 

If you work for a massive company, its possible they dont have enough freight to keep everyone busy, then comes seniority, brown noses, whatever. I've waited on a load for a few days before. Wherever you off loaded could be the issue too. For instance, if you're in Florida, it isn't uncommon to wait a day or 2 for a load. You should see about layover pay

 

In this economic environment....being a newer driver who signed for a big bonus that’s coming due. Sorry to say, but they’ll dump you right now over that. And the worst part is they’ll create a reason to fire you over it too. Seen it happen a few times. One driver had $8000 coming and was two weeks from getting it. Company called him in and fired him for running a stop sign on camera that has happened THREE MONTHS EARLIER.

He looked at the safety director, leaned forward and said, “we both know what’s up, shove your $8000 up you ***, I dare you to touch my DAC, I’m gonna sue”
This was someone I just ran into and he was out with a new company already,

 

Pure Breed Mack

Engine Trans and Rears

 

Youre probably not being paranoid, these are uncharted waters. Just the things that I know that are facts, trucking companies don’t “furlough or lay people off“. So you can collect unemployment until you find something else. They just make up a reason to fire you. Think of all the variables that go into truck driving. You can be the perfect driver in there still a technical reason to get fired if they wanted to. It’s wrong, but it’s how it is.

I’m with you on loads. I’ve sat more than I’ve driven the past 4 weeks now. I went from $1250-$1500 checks almost automatically, to $600-$900. Thats before deductions. I haven’t decided yet if they’re trying to “starve me out” or it’s like this for everyone. That said, slow economy or not I’m not gonna live on a truck for 30 to 40 days at a time to take home around $500 a week. I don’t care what the economy situation is, I can find something to make more than that and be home every day.

Another thing companies are doing is using every dirty trick in the book to get out of paying detention.
. This past eight days, I’ve sat literally 4.5 of those days And not been “technically eligible” for even a penny of detention pay. It’s because of the way they’re dispatching the loads and also the way they’re having me haul an empty in between.

 

Naw.... a supertrucker would bump into neutral and let it do what it's gonna do.......

 

This is a rather funny question. Outside of a binding CBA with a union, a carrier will not try to do anything. When they determine your services are no longer needed they will direct you to a terminal then tell you to clean out the truck. Trust me on this! In most cases, you have that little voice inside that knows you screwed up. That trip to the terminal knowing what is coming is one that many drivers have made. Just clean out the truck and find another job. This is the long and short of it.

This question goes back to something I have said many times in here. Develop a relationship with your FM/DM/Dispatcher and simply ask them what is going on. Sometimes for operational needs or emergencies, they may give a load to another unit. In these cases speak to that person! This does not mean you are in trouble. In fact, if you are out and not being told they are routing you in, relax your OK!