Things I do not like about ATS

That's cool. I guess I can't whine too much. They paid me the deadhead miles to come up, and had me a load for the weekend before I was even done with the #### class.

I've got one of those colds where you feel like a zombie, everything echoes, you can hardly stay awake, so I ended up not thinking straight on two of the three scenarios, and got two out of three wrong...LOL...

 

I guess I should have told you they were all preventable.

The one I marked not preventable, Then reread it and changed my answer.

I read it to fast and said yep not their fault. Opps sorry yep you made a error in your timing on the left turn.

Glad they had work for you.
Me I sat at the port of Savannah 4 1/2 waiting to unld.
Even had crane appt.
The poor company guy was still there when we left at 5:30.
We ended up leaving the trl. there as it was to dark to bring it out. Plus I have to stack it up yet.

Well have a good wkend. 16 days til the plane ride home and NO SNOW

 

Left the house after bouncing all the way home from Indy last Friday after a late unload and no offers which was no surprise...so then right away Monday I get a load out of Manitowoc that's Class 3 heavy going to Houston.

I race over to Manitowoc wondering the whole time why there's no word on a trailer number.

I sat there - 150 miles from my house for over 24 hours.

Once again, I'm pretty sure they knew what was going on over there, and could have let me stay home, and just come over Tuesday morning. But No, ATS has a serious aversion to people having home time. I honestly think that.

They said I'll get some sort of detention for that little deal. I got that load delivered this morning in Houston, then accepted another one to Chicago for Monday (safest way to get home on time, even though not the best load, not enough miles, money, too much time) but it was all downhill from there.

As soon as I got the load info, a message says I need 8 4x4's and and 12 straps. Okay, 12 straps not a problem. I absolutely HATE having to chase lumber to load a load on a flatbed, and had I known this, I may not have accepted this load. I'd rather tarp dogcrap at the arctic circle than to go to home depot to buy lumber. In flatbedding, I've learned that that is an automatic sign you are in for a world of hurt.

But whatever, the load goes toward home, so I'll do it.

So, a little while later, I realize I am not going to make the 2pm cutoff to load. I ask if loading in the morning is acceptable, and at first I'm told yes. I figure, okay, I can buy that #### dunnage (they say they'll reimburse) and take my time loading and getting to Chicago.

Then the broker throws a fit and yanks me off the load.

My fleet manager then gets pissed, and says "We asked you to do your best."

Had I been standing there, they'd be removing his ######### headset with a scalpel.
DO NOT insult my character when it comes to doing my job, especially when I've told you for several hours I am not going to make this cutoff time. Doing my best at this ###### place is all I have. I'm certainly not making any money. If I'm going to walk away with a clean conscience at the end of the lease, I'm going to at least be able to say I did my damndest to make it work.

"I'll work on other stuff." He tells me.

Ten minutes later, I get 3 load offers.

One of them IS THE EXACT SAME LOAD I JUST GOT PULLED OFF OF only loading the next morning.

I accept another load going up near home instead (screw those people, I ain't pulling crap for 'em EVER), but now have to go BACK to Houston 100 miles to swap out my flat for a step, and fight rush hour traffic all the way back up near Paris, TX to load tomorrow.

They said I'll get all the miles paid, but fuel surcharge only pays on loaded miles, so I still shudder to think what I ended up eating in fuel today, because of other people's ########.

Right now, I think I can say objectively, and without even whining, that this is one of the worst experiences I've had in trucking, and I can't wait for it to end. Too much time gone, not nearly enough money going home, and games at the company level.

What else could go wrong...hmmm...OH YES, last week was my VERY FIRST $0.00 paycheck! YES! It finally happened! Lots of guys tell me it won't be my last either.

I honestly cannot believe anyone thinks this is a good deal. I'll still say it's not the worst, but "good"? No. Absolutely not.

Stop with the friggin games already, I just want to make a #### living.

 

So, Sinester, what do you look like? I, too was at Manitowoc Crane on Monday, loaded on Tuesday and delivered today in Houston at Manchester Terminal.

I loaded first thing on Tuesday and had to go by Gary for my in person. I delivered after lunch.

I had at least five offers, maybe six. I took comm towers to Seattle.

 

I got empty in Houston at about 10 am on Thursday and was pretty happy to get 3 or 4 load offers right away, but it was all downhill from there. I did not see the comm towers load to Seattle, and probably wouldn't have taken it anyway, as I don't think I'd have gotten home for the holiday on time.

Don't know if you saw me at either end of that trip, but I had the crawler that was heavy. Class 3, grossed out at 86000. Paid an extra .12cpm straight to the truck. A staggering blow to logic when you consider that wide load crane booms usually only pay .10cpm extra, and you only get 65% of that. Duh.

Not too bad because I was able to get 6.7 mpg's. Now I have a load of these utility trailers that only weighs 35000, but all I can get is 5.2. These things pull like a drag chute. I did a repower of these out of cloud once, but they were lighter. Still a teeter tottering mess on the trailer though, and I'm not sure I'm going to take another one.

You probably didn't see me in Manitowoc. I was parked right in front of the building the whole time, bobtail, with my curtains closed, and really didn't want to talk to anyone.

I walked inside a few times, and there were a few heavy haulers staring blank faced at an infomercial about Humana Health Care. If that's exciting TV to those folks, I'll take strangers on the internet over conversation with that anyday.

 

I was in Houston same time you were.Down off of Federal,had tracks and side frames off a D-11.Then over to Laredo to load 777 bed.

 

I think I was parked right next to you. Remember the blue Pete 387 that was parked at an angle, with the trailer close to your truck? That was me.

PJ Trailers out of Sumner? I've hauled them a few times. The last time I delivered to Calgary. I try to be there at lunch. There is a Mexican lady that delivers lunches. Reasonably priced and oh so good.

I took the Seattle load, I don't care if I am home for Christmas or not. Actually, there is no was I can make it home in time.

The other driver that had the other crawler was up in the drivers room. I had met him a few months back. He's on the TAP program.

 

I think you may have helped me get unstuck in the lot earlier in the day also. Somebody did anyway.

I've noticed a pattern in the guys who are happy at this place, and those who are not so...

If they don't need to be home for anything, at any time, and don't care where they spend weekends, or how long they have to live in a truck, or whether they are really making any money or not (if Anderson tells them they are, it must be so), then they are happy.

Since I've been here, I've spent way too much time gone, for what I think to me way too little take home money (I think I'm grossing close to 90 now...where is it?), and I'v eseen way too much that leads me to think that ATS steers me in the direction they want me...while telling me I have choices...

I guess if you're a person who doesn't need things to make sense to you...you're fine here. For example...your fleet manager has "no control" over which loads are offered to you and when...but that's the person with whom you're supposed to work to get good loads.

Something with that just hasn't connected with me from day 1.

 

1/20 Hey guys, first time on after starting on 12/6 O'Boy what a great 6wks this has been Its great being a newbie to a company Left home day after xmass and been trucking the whole time loaded every day, most I've sat after empty was 7 hrs and only time havent worked is on my re-starts this co is great my FM is great always gives me load offers at least 4-6 at a time what great choices I have I'm so exicited Im hear. And for my hard work ATS has deposited in my checking account this mo a whole $89.00 Yes $ 89.00 This is great. The best thing is how all the loads dont matter where they go or pick up at always pays same just around that great .80 cpm I wonder how that works being a percentage guy and nowmy FM had me sign a guarantee that I will get me paid .80cpm no matter how cheap it was quoted O'Boy now I dont need to even look to see if Im getting Fxxxed I can just load and go.

 

You mean to tell us that for 6 weeks running you have only a total of 89.00 put into your bank acct.?