Starting new driving job the 29th. Going with Marten.

3200-3500 is what I like to get and was until things went south in '08. Been running 25-2700 a week sense i come over to Marten. This week just lined up right. I hope it continues but if they keep me at 2700 ave a week I'll be happy.

What LT said about pay is right. It's on a sliding scale depending on length of haul. I get between .35-.40

 

Very nice post and attitude LT. I'll have to say I was apalled at first. Reading on into page 2 and 3 it became apparent that you hit the nail right on the head, and everyone that was quick to say otherwise is mostly gone. Between that and the moderator saying to leave the flames on the cars

I worked for a company and was home under load for thanksgiving of 2008. I got really sick back to back so was on meds for two weeks that you wouldn't drive on. Due to this I failed to deliver the load on time and was unable to get ahold of someone at my terminal. In retrospect if I had remembered to do the macro stating I would not be able to deliver despite how I was feeling then I would probably be at that company still. Yes I was at fault but I disagree with losing my job over it. They told me to bring the truck to the terminal so we could talk. I took the truck home as it was about 5 hours to the terminal. I get there, and tell them I'm not signing any paperwork because I wasn't going to drive when it wasn't safe to do so. Took in doctor notes and prescriptions. They mentioned the date on the bottle but didn't take into account how many days to take it for. So they told me I'd be on the bottom of a waiting list for a truck and maybe I'd be serious about driving. In January 2009 I got a letter stating I had quit or was terminted (forget which) for not checking in. Granted they never told me this, they just said they would contact me when there was a truck ready. I also had to find my own way home.

When I was working for the company, any time I sat more than a day I was on the qualcomm to my DM. When he couldn't get results I contacted planners. They told me I need to go through my DM and I would always respond with I tried. Usually within a few hours I had a preplan. I was always fighting and pushing for the miles. I wasn't one complaining in the truck stop how I had been sitting for two days waiting. Granted when I really needed the break I would wait it out but I didn't complain in the process.

Correct me if I'm wrong but per diem taken out means you can't claim the tax write-off at the end of the year for the number of days you were out on the road. So you end up with not as big of a tax return but as many have said, not every company is perfect.

I have seven months driving experiance and enjoy driving. I have two kids and a very understanding wife and she is pushing for me to get back out on the road. I had the mentallity I want to be home and be there for the kids. It's not worth it if I cannot make the money to support them for the things they will need.

After going through all 18 pages onto the 19th, reading every post (ones not deleted by moderator), Marten sounds like a very plausable option for me. I have been out of a truck for over a year, and look to go back into it with a completely new attitude.

I really like the fact that there are APU's. With those there is no reason someone shouldn't be able to meet the 4% idle. Realisticly 1-2% should be obtainable.

LT and Kabar, thanks for your input on this very active thread.

 

OK..... Where did Clint Eastwood go? Crossing into Canada and changing identity, probably a good idea, if they knew who you really were they would never let you in!

 

Referring to me? ... and if so why not? Was on meds that basically put me to sleep if the effects from being really sick didn't.

 

No, LooneyTune used to have a picture of Clint Eastwood on his avatar/pic, now it looks like 007.

 

Hey Looney, isn't that Paul Michael Glaser....aka Starsky...of Starsky and Hutch fame?

 

I'm more of a Sean Connery bond guy, though this Daniel Craig isn't too shabby either