For you rookies out there - how to spot a sorry company:

1. Any company with Quallcom or Peoplenet. If you can't trust me to drive safely, be on time, and stay out of trouble, you can kiss my fat hairy white #####!

2. Any company that sets the top speed on their trucks at or below 65 MPH, that is just cruel and unusual punishment.

3. Any company that forces per diem, or offers different pay packages based on per diem.

4. Any company that imposes idle restrictions with no way to overcome them (ie rigmaster/espar heater), and no regard for the current weather conditions. ( I was parked next to a Stevens truck at a truck stop in ND a few weeks back, the temp was -25 F without the wind chill. I was eating in the truck stop next to him and he was talking about how Stevens was sending him a messages over the QUALLCOM every few hours telling him to shut his truck off, that he's idling too much)

5. Any Company with electronic logs.

6. Any company that puts dinky, 400 nothing HP engines in their trucks, along with tall, high gears, making it impossible to climb hills in a timely or safe manner.

7. Any Company that threatens you with fines or penalties at orientation due to the above or following rules, or threatens you with anything at orientation.

8. Any company that has an orientation longer than 1 day. You give me a load, I get it there in the most timely manner possible and stay out of trouble. I don't need a week of watching safety vidoes and signing forms.

9. Any company that hires teams and solos, and plays favorites with teams.

10. Any company that has a unrealistic driver simulator machine. If I wanted to play video games, i would stay home. Ride with me in a truck and I'll show you what I can do. Or watch me on my sony playstaion, that only cost me a few hundred dollars vs. 10,000+ for the idiotic simulator.

11. Any company that forces a truck to sit with no freight for days on end with no pay or shoddy detention pay.

12. Any company that will not cover lumper fees/unloading fees.

13. Any company that believes global warming is a reality and they must "all do their part"

14. Any company that can't or won't get you home for more than 48 hours every 7 days or 96 hours every 14 days if you so choose.

15. Any Company that forces or believes its ok for a driver to suffer because of the companies poor planning or judgement.

16. Any company that offers low pay along with bonus programs. The bonus is simply money that you should be paid in the first place that they are holding hostage. For example, a base rate of $ 0.30 per mile with half penny and quarter penny idle, mileage, safety, etc bonus.

17. Any company listed under the forum "report a bad trucking company" on this website

18. Any company with over 200 trucks. The bigger they are, the greedier and more ignorant they become.

19. Any company that uses fraud to swindle and coax ex-military drivers into using their GI Bill to cover worthless, shoddy training.

20. I should be promoted to 5-STAR TRUCKER FORUM STAFF for this useful post

**Note, Wal-mart company drivers and drivers who actually make more than $35,000 their rookie year with a salary that keeps climbing for at least a few more years are exempt from the above rules. Wal-mart drivers get paid to eat, sleep, poop, pee, and breathe, and they make over 80,000 a year without even trying**

So, Until then rookies, my advice is that if you can't find a good company just boycott the industry, work at Mc Donald's or join the military until they shape up, otherwise it ain't worth it starting a new trucking career in this day and age.

 

Wow deisel weasel
with that post you have just eliminated around 90 percent of all trucking companies. So maybe you could enlighten the rest of us expirenced drivers and rookies WHO should we work for then.

 

For those that haven't read other perdium threads, if injured? You get paid 60% of what your TAXABLE INCOME is on your check. Another money saving thing for the company!

 

read the last part of my post. You said it yourself I singled out 90% of the companies out there. If you can't find an outfit that acts decent and treats a driver with diginity and respect, don't drive a truck. it ain't worth it. that's my point. I refuse to abide by this "it's the only option I have, all companies are like that" garbage. If you simply need money to keep from starving to death, Well then settle for one of these shoddy outfits if you're a rookie or need cash that bad. Anyone who's been in a truck more than 2 years should know better.

 

Well me personaly work for a great little company. However it took years to get it. If you will notice I have over 20 years under my belt. No offence to you I have a hard time having a rookie (5 or less years expirence) Advising me on this indusrt. who hasn't paid his dues in this industry. To earn his way up to a company that doesn't fit your description of a bad company. My son will be entering this industry later in the year, and I can assure you he knows fully well he will not start off at the top. He understands he will have to pay his dues and knows it will take several years to do so. He is willing to do that and eventually EARN his way in to an ideal situation. Unlike you he has positive attitude to succeed. I wish you the best as you fullfill your dreams working at McDonalds.

 

No offence to you I have a hard time having a rookie (5 or less years expirence) Advising me on this indusrt. who hasn't paid his dues in this industry. To earn his way up to a company that doesn't fit your description of a bad company.

 

Well its a good thing I have 7 years in the industry instead of 5 then, otherwise I wouldn't be worthy to stand in your almighty presence. Since you have 20 yrs under your belt you should know this thread is not to advise you, but rookies. And FYI, I have paid my dues.

I started out in a 65 MPH truck, but I also cleared $44,000 my FIRST full YEAR, in 2003!

I recently left a "smaller" (but still nearly 400 trucks) "our family cares about your family" Quallcom Company. They were great when I started but used the bad economy as an excuse to be greedy. But I have never worked for a company with over 500 trucks, nor will I (maybe Wal-Mart but that's a long-shot).

I now also work for an small outfit that is great, very good, but not perfect. I know I will never find perfect, so this is as close as I can get for now and i am content. I've left for greener pastures a few times before and learned the hard way, You don't need to tell me how it is.

So you say "no offense" to me, yet you passive-aggressivley wish me the best of luck working at Mc Donalds? And imply that I have a negative attitude? I am not working at MC Donald's, I am a driver for now. There may soon come a point when my body and nerves say enough is enough, but not yet. But I do have other options besides Mc Donald's.

So I have a negative attitude why, because I expect mutual repect and dignity from a place I work at? Sorry, but I just view Quallcomm among other things as a way to question my integrity on a daily basis. As well as the indusrty caving in and not standing up to lawyers and the government.

No one in their right mind can deny that the trucking industry has become worse and worse, even 7 years is long enough to realize that.

I will continue to bash 90% of all of these large garbage outfits, because that's all they are, garbage. People have become softened to these idiotic rules and regulations because they have come on slowly. Honestly, what would you have thought 20 years ago if suddenly an outfit like Modern Werner became big, rich and famous?

At least be thankful that your son has you and your 20yrs. to enlighten him and give advice.

One thing I WILL advise you on is to lighten up and have a sense of humor. It makes the day go much easier.

God bless!

 

Oddly enough, the guys that deliver to McDonalds make #### good money.