Stevens Transport - Dallas, Tx.?

i know you can't take your truck home. but, i have heard a few good things about them

 

I have not worked for them, nor would I ever. Not a very good company in my opinion.

 

As far as I know they keep their drivers in a trip for 2-3 weeks at a time(on their website it said 3-5 weeks!!!).

 

The complaints I have gotten from some of their drivers is the hotel is a crime scene. Bullet holes in the wall. Part of their training is pairing 2 newbies together in a truck to run teams after they have been with seperate trainers. (program called dumb and dumber) One told me they was going down a mountain at the speed of sound because the other newbie did not know how to descend a mountain and got the truck out of gear. (Georgia Overdrive) No jake brakes for newbies. The ones I talked with said they don't want you to shower until you are waiting on loads somewhere. They keep you out sometimes for a month or two. Those are some of the better things I have heard about them.

 

I worked for them between 1998 and 2000 so any info I have will be grossly outdated.

 

I currently am employed with Stevens Transport out of Dallas, TX. Here's the scoop. I have been driving for them for 14 months now and have no complaints compared to some of the other stories I hear about other companies. I will give you both the good and bad.

The good includes:
VERY good miles. I avg 3100+ a week. If you are just coming out of school you will avg about 2800/wk for the first 2 months or so. Avg length of trip is 1450 miles.

Rider and pet Program

Not a Mega company

Never a problem with payroll. Get paid 1-2 days after you scan your trip.

100% Reefer Fleet (Always good freight with long miles)

99% No touch

Very extensive training and safety program prior to going "Solo".

Direct Deposit, tuition reimbursement, TransFlo, Health, Dental and a few more decent benefits.

2005 or newer Kenworth T2000. trucks get turned in @ 300k miles.

Has it's own school, shop, body shop, trl shop, free laundry

The bad includes:
No jake for six months. (reasoning is it teaches a new driver to shift well while in mountains if jake was to go out).

Out for 3-5 weeks at a time, although you can get through the house a little more often with good planning

Regular fleet drivers stay at a crappy hotel called Big Town Inn. (Although you can stay where you want if you pay in advance and scan the reciept with your next trip as long as it does not exceed $50).

While in orientation and/or training you stay at HoJo's Dallas which is pretty decent

Most times when you come to the yard you have to see Safety Dept for a safety and compliance review. Sometimes it can be quite a wait (4 hrs or more).

A lot of pickups and deliveries take place at a grocery warehouses at odd hours of the morning like 3 and 4am. (get used to sleeping in the day or be willing to crawl out of bed at 2am)

If you are fresh out of school, for the first 90 days you get a lot of loads on the "meat wheel" (load in the midwest meat patch, most likely, Tyson or IBP and run it to NY back and forth) after 6 months no more forced NYC

Pay is low for drivers just starting out but it gradually increases every 3 months starting @ .26/mi at 3mos.anniversary go to .28/mi 6 mos go to .29/mi and .30/mi. at 1yr
but you kinda make up for it with the consistent miles

That's my version of Stevens and will be happy to answer any detailed questions about them. Overall, it's a good company if you can afford to be away from home for long lengths of time but if you need to get home every weekend this company won't work unless you work in one of the dedicated lanes (NY,CA,TX, IL) mostly Kraft and difficult to get as a newbie.

Hope this helps,
Lostnjax

 

thanks for the detailed info!! would having a background in HVAC help at all with working for a reefr. Co. ?

 

No, not really...If the unit has problems, they send someone out to where you are to repair it or if it can wait they will route you to the nearest ThermoKing dealer.

 

cool (no pun intended LOL) they are one of the Co's that hire from the school i will be attending.
are they really that bothersome (the noise, i guess) to drive?

 

Actually, while you are driving you don't hear it at all. At night you rarely hear it due to the type of unit it is. I think it is referred to as a whisper unit. It cuts on and off automatically and while it's cycling (on) it kinda sounds like if you were in your bedroom at home and your neighbor across the street decided to cut the grass. It's not loud at all but it does take some getting used to.