Indian River

Ok sounds good thinking about going through they're driver academy

 

Heard of them, see them all over incl Canada but no personal knowledge about the company.

 

Thanks

 

What kinds of loads come from the ports? Juices?

 

Just spoke with IRT recruiter, detention pay for washouts are coming.

 

OJ is about the only juice I have hauled from the ports, don't know if there is any other kind that comes through there. There is other stuff like milk and some oil we haul in this area, but OJ is the main commodity mostly to dedicated customers in NJ and Canada. I like going to the dedicated customers as once you learn where they and the procedures involved with them it makes for a pretty easy run. Never have to worry about where to park etc. They often wind up being a loaded out and empty back to Bensalem run too.

 

That's good to hear for those truly doing OTR, won't make any difference to me though as I can't remember the last time I had to wait for a washout. Bensalem has it's own tank wash so many times dirty tanks come back to the terminal to be dropped and washed. The main tank washes we use in NY, NJ and DE are drop and hook setups too. They are usually notified ahead of time what type of wash is needed and the tank is almost always ready by time you get there.

 

Sounds like IRT has improved on it's efficiency, at least up where you are running. Having that PA terminal appears to be a blessing.

I've lived in the Lakeland/Winter Haven area my whole life. And been trucking for 10 years. I never could pull the trigger on going with IRT due to their drivers constantly complaining about the no pay for sitting.

 

It is annoying/frustrating to sit waiting without pay when it is pretty much an industry standard to pay detention, breakdown etc. The key, for me anyway, was finding the region/lanes where you do the least amount of sitting.

There are still instances where I may wind up at a shipper or consignee for hours without detention pay, but overall the load pay more than compensates for that.

To put it simply, I look at my gross weekly average and as long as I meet my minimum, and it's rare that I don't exceed it, I don't sweat the individual loads or the occasional "wasted" day. I still make way more than I did working for a company that paid detention and layover etc or the local job that paid by the hour for all on duty work.

 

Reading the above back it may seem to others that I am saying IRT does not pay detention or breakdown. They do, I have received it, they just don't have a fixed rate that they pay or a set time period for which they will pay.

The amounts I have received are way below what most others pay and what drivers typically expect so it's best that prospective drivers be aware of that upfront so they don't get disappointed and wind up complaining as xlsdraw mentioned.

I really want anyone thinking of working here to know what to expect. I freely give anyone who wants it, the information I would have liked to receive before I came here.