Magnum ltd - fargo, nd

Discussion in 'Discuss Your Favorite Trucking Company Here' started by Interplanet Janet, Nov 17, 2014.

  1. MaineRoad96

    MaineRoad96 Light Load Member

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    I'll just chime in with my experience, as I work at Magnum for the OTR division. I'll number my comments based on what you just wrote.

    1. Your complaints about waiting for 2 hours for free are valid, as I would guess 90% of my loads have been lives (for both loading and unloading). And yes normally it takes 2 hours at minimum to live load/unload, not including the 30 minutes - 1 hour you have to get there before the appointment time for check in to make sure you're not late. So really it's probably more like 2-3 hours minimum when you include getting there early/checking in/docking.

    I'm torn as to whether or not it's a good thing that we do way more live loads than drop and hooks. On the one hand live loads take longer. On the other hand, on average no matter where I go the fastest drop and hooks that I do are 30 minutes minimum and 1 hour maximum. Keeping in mind that drop and hooks include checking in, getting paperwork, pre tripping the trailer, finding a trailer that doesn't have defects, having to sweep out dirty trailers, etc. etc. So really the difference in the time that it takes to do a drop and hook versus live loads isn't as much as you'de think.

    Also, I've never had problems finding an empty trailer the few times I've done drop and hooks with Magnum, but I have read reports on here (post 2020) about drivers not being able to find empty trailers at the warehouse where they're supposed to be picking up trailers because warehouses are short staffed or whatever and aren't getting the trailers empty in time. Thus forcing the drivers to have to drive empty miles to go looking for empties, which you don't get paid for that time either.

    Last, I do think it's a positive when you can keep the same trailer and not have to worry about the trailer having defects or not being cleaned out properly by the previous driver. It might sound kind of dumb but Magnum gets 1 free truck & trailer (outside of the trailer) wash per month, so it's kind of nice keeping a nice and shiny truck and trailer on you.

    I guess I should also mention that I probably average around 1200-1500 miles per load, and I've had quite a few 2500+ and even 3000+ mile loads since I've been here. It's rare that I finish and start new loads everyday, at minimum it's almost always a day for ending/start a new load, then a full day of driving, then the next day starting/ending a load. So for example deliver and pickup on Monday + drive 400 miles or so, drive all day Tuesday, deliver and pickup Wednesday + drive 400 miles or so. etc. etc. And that's at minimum. Plenty of times I go 2-3 days with just having to drive.

    So, it's not like you're going to be loading/unloading every single day. At least that hasn't been my experience here at Magnum. But again, I can see both sides of the argument as to whether or not live unloads/loads are better or worse than drop and hooks.

    2. As for 34 hour resets, I think I've only taken them when I do the loads from the Midwest to out West, because I know I'm going to need a full clock coming back West to the Midwest. The thing about that is you don't have to take 34 hour resets. Normally they give you enough time on the loads where you can either drive 8.5 hours per day and just run on resets coming back from the West to the Midwest, or you can run hard and run 10.5 - 11 hours per day and get in a 34 hour reset, so that you can have a full clock on the backload from the West to the Midwest. Your choice. As long as you make the delivery on time, they don't care.

    I don't think I've ever done a reset if it wasn't because I had a load going out West, at least none that I can remember. The good thing is that if you WANT a 34 hour reset, I know I could just ask my driver manager and they would be 100% okay with it. So it's nice to have that option if you're staying out a while and start getting burned out. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I've never taken a 34 hour reset because I'm not getting enough miles, I've only taken 34 hour resets when I'm running hard and pushing up against my 70 clock.

    3. As for Swift, is Swift paying detention before 2 hours after the appointment time? I thought they were about the same as Magnum and the same as most other carriers. Obviously I wish all drivers got detention pay starting immediately when our appointment times start, but I'm surprised if Swift starts paying detention 1 hour after appointment time or immediately when the appointment time starts. Also, is Swift paying more than $18 per hour after the first 2 hours past appointment time? Because that's what Magnum pays.

    4. I know everyone's experience is different and please if any current or former Magnum drivers want to chime in and give differing perspectives as to what I just wrote, please feel free to let the forum and everyone else know. I've only been here about a year so things could have been different in the past, I don't know.

    But I've really enjoyed my time here at Magnum. I just took 23 days off (yes, count them, 23 days off in a row) because I took a vacation over to Europe for a couple of weeks. Before I took the vacation I had only been out on the road for 15 days, so it wasn't like I had to spend months out over the road to get a huge vacation in.

    And no I didn't get paid for the 23 days that I'm off because I don't have vacation time built up yet, but it was something that I wanted to do. And guess what? My brand new 2023 Peterbilt, that only has about 15k miles on it (had a mere 35 miles on it when I got into) is still waiting for me to get back into. I didn't have to give my brand new truck to anybody else. It's still there waiting for me, 23 days later.

    Finally, one last interesting note: When I got back into the US from Europe a few days ago and took my phone off airplane mode, I saw I had a voicemail from my Driver Manager. You know what she had to say to me, after I'de been off work for about 19 days?

    She asked me what size shirt and what color shirt I wanted for driver appreciation week. She also emailed me and told me she was happy that I had a great time in Europe, and welcome back to the USA and back to Magnum.

    A 23 day vacation to Europe, their brand new 2023 Peterbilt just sat there not making money, and instead of getting angry or firing me or giving my truck away to somebody else, they tell me welcome back home and here's a new shirt as a small way of saying thank you.

    Magnum isn't for everybody, but they have earned my loyalty. Unless I move out of their hiring zone or go local, or I guess if upper management completely changes for whatever reason like maybe they go public on the stock market or something, I think I'm with these guys for life. By far the best EMPLOYER, trucking or non trucking, that I have worked for. They have earned my loyalty and trust and I appreciate them as much as they have appreciated me in the past year that I've been here.
     
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  3. REO6205

    REO6205 Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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  4. radioshark

    radioshark Road Train Member

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    Don’t forget it’s non forced dispatch out of MN-ND. You choose of what’s available
     
  5. mud23609

    mud23609 Medium Load Member

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    Magnum really is what you make of it. If you learn the system and the lanes, you can manipulate them to your advantage. Depending on how I was feeling I could very easily average 2900 to 3000 a week when I felt like running hard, or by picking shorter loads on my outbound have more leisurely 2000 mile weeks when I wanted. I got to know which outbound loads put me in the position I wanted for certain backhaul loads that would allow me to run in the manner I felt like at any given time. Its OTR, and its Reefer. Sometimes it's going to suck. But taking that into account, it's one of the better OTR companies out there.

    P.s. If you make your deliveries on time, drive responsibly, don't tear up equipment, and act like an adult at shippers and receivers, they pretty much leave you alone to do your job. That in itself has great value to me.
     
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  6. cdavis188

    cdavis188 Road Train Member

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    I'll add my two cents as well. I started at the end of November last year and got my truck shortly before Christmas time. I researched countless carriers before I contacted Magnum about driving for them. Everyone's needs are different. For me, I don't need a six figure income to be happy. Especially now since I have the experience, there a lot of driving jobs that would pay me much more, but I'm happy with what I'm making right now. The number one reason why I got into the trucking industry was because I love to travel. Before trucking there were countless times where I would fill up my car and drive with no particular destination in mind. Magnum lets me travel across the vast majority of the nation. The intermountain west is stunning during any season, particularly the winter, and I wish I had more time on my loads in order to stop to explore and take a bunch of pictures. For me it's about the exploration of the open road, not money. Do other drivers make more money in the company than I do? Absolutely. The month of July I took home $4200 and drove a little over 9100 miles. For me, that's more than enough. But I'm also single, have no kids, and share bills and rent with a roommate. All the people are friendly in the company, they give us exceptional equipment to drive, and not to mention that their hometime policy is one of the best in the industry. 8 months in and I've yet to crack 10k miles in a month, but that's because I take longer hometime than most other drivers are allowed. It's not uncommon for me to work 3-3.5 weeks and take 5-7 days off. I've said time and time again, quality of employment, the people you meet, the sights you see, means so much more to me than what I take home at the end of the week.
     
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  7. cdavis188

    cdavis188 Road Train Member

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    On the other side of the coin, here's some things that I don't like about Magnum. Yes there's two sides to every coin.

    1. The Coon Rapids, MN truck shop. They take forever to get anything done. I understand that they're understaffed, but also please understand that when our truck sits in the lot waiting to be worked on for hours or even a day or two you're costing both me and the company time and money. Please don't overbook past your limits. I understand that if I just walk in and say that I need something fixed, it'll take awhile to be worked in. But don't schedule me to come in at 6 am for an oil change just for my truck to sit until 3 pm before someone even touches it. The Fargo shop is much better with this, but since I'm rarely ever up there, I kinda have no choice. That being said I need to give the Coon Rapids shop some credit. At least they fix it right the first time unlike some other company I can mention.

    2. I get that Magnum is an aero-conscious company and tries to save as much fuel as they can, but I find some of the aero package things installed on their trucks to be more of an expensive gimmick than an effort to save pennies on the dollar. That and they give our trucks almost zero ground clearance. My 1st truck with my last company was a 2017 Cascadia. It had none of those plastic pieces and nothing ever got broke. I got a 2020 Cascadia at that company and it had the plastic bits on it. 2 of the 3 pieces of the front aero either broke off or got torn away. Magnum is no different, plus they use the flow below stuff, which is even more infuriating. Both flow below pieces on the right side of my tractor are completely gone. The back piece was missing when I got the truck. The middle piece between the drives got torn off in who knows where in South Dakota due to some persistent and high crosswinds. A couple months later I found that the back section of one of the aero pieces on the right side had come lose and was just dangling and dragging along the ground. Thankfully the front aero pieces have remained largely intact. I've never said anything to maintenance about it, and they haven't said anything to me. I know I'm not the only one who has torn off this aero stuff.

    3. Peterbilt trucks. To say I'm not a fan of them (the 587/579 in particular) is an understatement. I specifically asked for anything but a 579 during orientation. My trainer had a 2021 579 that I drove for a couple weeks and boy did it not disappoint (am I detecting some sarcasm here?). The ergonomics are trash, the turning radius is a joke, that Paccar engine is more like a brick on wheels, and it felt very flimsy while driving. The only good thing I have to say about it is that it rode quite good. From the way I understand from other drivers and what I researched, Peterbilt has a rather notorious reputation for poor quality control, and it shows. It felt like a cheap truck that was hastily slapped together. I didn't enjoy driving it one bit. Unless something drastically changed with the next gen 579, it could be a potential deal breaker for me with Magnum. As I said in my previous post, I love driving on the open road. There's a reason why I've only owned plush, body-on-frame, rear wheel drive sedans (grandpa cars in English). They're solid built cars with great highway manners that I enjoy, and that enhances my love for the road. Peterbilt just doesn't fit that ticket. If they ordered T680's I'd be gung ho for them but I'm only one person. If Magnum forces me into a new 579 and I don't like it, I'll have to seriously consider setting up shop somewhere else, and I don't really want to because I love this company otherwise. It might sound dumb but I don't want to be stuck driving equipment that I hate. Also whoever thought that those mirrors on the 2023 579's were a great idea should be fired.


    Please excuse the slight ranting (i get carried away sometimes LOL) but that's the other side of the coin for me. Also please note that most of this is just my opinion. Overall I still think Magnum is a great company and I enjoy working here. I just thought that other people deserved to see both good and bad.
     
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  8. Winnyf1

    Winnyf1 Road Train Member

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    Lol good review, the Cascadia’s would perhaps be better for you so long as you don’t need the room. Almost all new trucks have quality issues now, the fleets are screaming for fuel savings and they are of course behind in production.

    When I worked there after the DM’s got to know you better they could help you get to Fargo for work, sometimes you would take a trailer up, even at times a dry van.

    I hope things work out for you, run safe!
     
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  9. cdavis188

    cdavis188 Road Train Member

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    I have a friday 3 am appointment at McClane in Concord, NC. Do they offer overnight parking? If not i can split log it and make the delivery, but I'd rather not if i can help it. It's a truck stop desert in that area and the only thing i saw was a rest area that's 9 miles away, which may be more than i can use PC for safely
     
  10. radioshark

    radioshark Road Train Member

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    Before yes, after no. 1000 Stanley drive about 5 miles away legal street parking, nice and quiet.
     
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  11. 40AcreMule

    40AcreMule Light Load Member

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    Be careful with the Stanley parking. If the court has dropped trailers or goofy Parking trucks you will have to back quite a distance. You can still park on the street if the court is full.

    If I remember correctly, you can kill a 10 at that mclane.
     
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