Big company training and big scams associated with them !!!

O.k. I observe a problem: Quality control.

And it comes down to a simple transitive property...


I have seen, first hand, the limited incentives for new drivers (mind you, new drivers are highly necessary; old drivers retire, and demand for shippers goes up over the decades, also there would be a select few drivers quiting as natural turn-over... However, trucking actually has a very high turn-over rate, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Furthermore, this post had pointed out that; New drivers consider new company practices as normal (such as the Prime Inc. example of company drivers buying equipment).

I get the feeling that experienced truckers dislike the market trends of lax carrier employment practices (outrage at new polices, like the DAC, "fleeces", and lack of reimbursements; outrage from the old-guard).

I also get the sense (from youtube videos and posts on this site) that the quality of today's driver is going down. Disgraces, such as; "dirty dans", "trucker-bombs", "newbies not helping out a broken down brother", "new guys being told to forget the pre-trip", etc. are things of concern to multiple parties (other drivers, carriers, the public, insurance companies, just to name a few...).

Simplified solution: reduce job turn over.

Fewer new drivers will receive fewer bad habits from fewer driver mills, cause fewer accidents, cause fewer claims (reducing insurance prices), and fewer workers will increase demand and increase workers' wages.

So, either price out new applicants from the field (i.e. gentrify and make trucking an upper-class job) by increasing tuition rates for schools and over-regulating company training programs (vote for stricter regulations), or offer retention programs for current drivers (to reduce turn-over), perhaps through union action or lobbying efforts. Entice those who have a job, to keep their job.

I'm an outsider desperately trying to become a trucker... I am part of your problems...

But I'm telling you, make it harder for me to get a job, then lobby to increase your benefits and wages to lock me out of a job that would otherwise be opened by turn-over, and you'll solve these problems.

As much as it hurts my own self interest, I would suggest concerned truckers rally together, unionize, or perhaps elect to pay into a general fund going toward lobbying efforts to reduce job turn-over.

Just an idea.

 

I can clear up a few things about Prime training.

1 year employment required
3500 if you quit before 6 months
1750 if you quit before a year.
Free and clear after 1 year.
If you take the weekly $200 loan during CDL instruction to live off of on the road, its payed back at $25/week. no intrest. Student can take as little or as much of the $200. Other than that no weekly tuition payments.

Students can expect to be out for 8 to 10 weeks initially. (4-5 CDL instruction and a week or two to get moving with a trainer before they get you home)

Honestly, any student and or trainee cannot expect to be home as regularly as a normal employee. No matter how big your head gets, a student/trainee doesnt have the same rights or responsibilities as the "A" seat driver. But if you havent been home by that 8th week(and you have been requesting it) you will find very little resistance to keep you out longer than the couple days needed to get you routed home.

My current trainee got home a couple times during instruction (his first 4 weeks passing thru with a few hours here and there) He got a couple days before I came and picked him up. He requested and got 5 days after being out with me for 5-6 weeks.

Initially I told him he could request days after giving me 3 full weeks, and every 3 full work weeks after that. He indicated he wanted to get through his training quickly. He is currently in his 3rd full week since his last hometime, but since we estimate 3 weeks to 4 weeks more before his training is done, he wants me to drop him off at his house before he picks up his own truck.

As for purchasing equipment... Its 2 load locks, a heavy duty lock set with an air cuff lock, 2 thermometers, and jumper cables... you can buy them through the company store under a payment plan with your FM, OR you can buy them yourself... I agree that purchasing these items inherently instills a bit of responsibility and care of these items.

Locks arent easy to lose or break... Keys are.

Leave a load lock in a sealed trailer at a drop location, just note your FM and note it on the drop trailer macro. Purchase a new one, submit your reciept and get re-imbursed. If your load is re-powered and sealed, be smart and have the re-power driver give you replacement load locks.

They give you seals, log books, lumper reciepts, scan sheets.

Company Drivers: fluids (oil, coolant, grease etc)can be purchased along with fuel. lights, wiper blades etc will be re-imbursed with submitted reciepts and a PO number.

Oh, and its going to get real hard for anyone to claim that Prime pushes people to run illegal. Ive been on Electronic Q-Com logs now for 8 months as a test fleet.(was never asked to run illegal before the e-log)

Prime is getting ready to announce that all trucks fleetwide will be on E-Logs by early next year. We (test trucks) were messaged this week (my trainee is on here "EMTON" and he can back me up on the msg) that it IS happening and that us test guys need to take a proactive approach to relate our experiances to the other drivers.

 

Great thread, very informative.

Knowing pretty much nothing about the industry here, its hard for me to comment accurately on what might happen in the future.

My only speculation is that when freight picks up again and if CSA 2010 kicks in then driving professionals will become a more valuable commodity, and the companies who evolve their policies to acommodate them will be more successful. Maybe idealistic.

Being an immigrant myself i can also testify to the difficulty of just getting off the boat (or plane) and starting a trucking career, so maybe no quick fix for the #### companies there.

Anyway there is an education to be had n this thread and i'm following intently.

All the best.

 

As we leave the business or accumulate more years that's all we can do. But I'm afraid the "Rat Companies" have a better enticement than those of us with some years behind us and personal experiences. The new driver will always go for the $50K a year with tons of benefits. Then when they get stuck they either leave owing tons of money or a bad name that will follow them for along time. Every once in awhile a good one will come out in the right direction and end up retiring plus making good investments along the way.

The days of starting at the bottom and moving up are gone. Making a game plan and setting goals do not exist anymore. The new driver has no idea where he or she will be in 5, 10, or 20 years from now. Of course we all know things change but to sit there and think all you have to do is complete CDL school and put up with a driver trainer is beyond stupidity. You can never blame a person for wanting a better job. So information is golden from the people that have been there and done that. Thanks.

 

Dam this thread is depressing!



I visited Millis and Roehl this week up here in Wisconsin. Both are excellent companies I feel. However I felt Millis was more 'up front' with me and straight up. No fluff and told me just like it was and will be for at least early 2010. MTI is resuming normal routine CDL school starting in 2010 and supposedly doing some aggressive advertising - whatever that means..



Roehl, The recruiter could have sold ice to an Eskimo. She sure drinks the company Kool-Aid and has the ability to turn anything negative into a positive spin. Of course recruiters are salespeople..right? - So this would be expected. Turnover rate at Roehl was stated to me at 74%. I think Millis is around 65% but both appear to be lower than the industry average...something like 97% ?? - For every 100 drivers that start, only 3 are left at the 1yr point. That's amazing....

Home time if important, is likely more possible with Roehl. Millis states that when you head out with a trainer for 5-8 weeks there is NO home time promised to the student at all. However, they attempt to pair you with a trainer that lives in your area so you can both share home time, but while it's not a guarantee - it is the exception that students do NOT see some home time during training....Roehl says home every 11 days (on average) during EVO stages. Might be at the 8th day and might be at the 13th day....blah blah blah...



-H

PS. This thread is awesome and should be required reading for ANYONE looking to enter trucking-

 

I wouldn't go on and believe any recruiter or anyone that tells you that the normal turnover rate is 97%. There are companies that ARE out there that do care and they have drivers that retire not turnover. A good company does not need to advertise or recruit drivers. They will take a driver and invest time in that driver and believe he or she is an asset to the company and would hate to see that driver go somewhere else. A new driver needs to find out where these companies are and work towards working for them. Since they do not advertise you have to go out and find them. Use all the tools you can to find a good company. Don't just relay on one source like the computer.