My experience at holland enterprises

Thanks for yours and everyone else's detailed responses.

I think the main thing holding me back is the hometime and no idle policy. Like I said hometime might not be as big of a deal if regularly running coast to coast runs though.

But the no idle policy, that's fine 95% of the time, but I really need that truck to be able to idle in extreme temperatures when the APU can't keep up, when the APU is broken and to keep the fuel tanks from gelling up.

I have plenty of experience driving in the Upper Midwest and it's crazy to me that a ND company doesn't allow idling below certain temperatures. MN and ND get those arctic blasts at least once every winter season, I know what those are all about and I really need the truck to be able to idle if I need it.

Is Holland reimbursing drivers for hotel rooms or something every time the temps get below 0 degrees before windchill? Which is a regular occurrence in MN and ND winters (and MT and SD as well, though to a lesser extent and depending on the regions of the states).

Are your trucks not gelling up during your 10 hour break (since you can't idle them) during those arctic blasts in MN/ND where you don't get above 0 for a week at a time?

I'm really trying to think whether I would feel safe operating equipment in ND/MN with a truck that won't idle when I need it to during those deadly cold stretches.

I'll give it some more thought but anyways, thanks again for the detailed responses everybody.

 

The idle question: They have (had) ParkSmart when I was there about a year before I left. They will teach you how to use it the right way and it WILL keep up. IF your truck is wont or can’t use that, then yes they will provide a hotel room for you until it can be fixed.

They won’t let you freeze to death or cook to death in the truck.
If those are the only things holding you back, make the call and get in there.

 

I don't remember seeing anything for sure about a no idle policy at Holland. Is it absolutely no idling period or is there a certain temperature range where the truck will idle?

 

The trucks do idle when the temp is 100F — 0F. The ParkSmart actually does a decent job keeping the sleeper cool, and the bunk heater does a good job as well. There isn’t any APUs
In the fleet.

 

exactly. Of course sometimes a shipper or broker can throw a wrench into things. I was originally scheduled to swap with a driver for a load going home when the broker abruptly decided to cancel the load(let’s just say the dispatcher was not happy with that particular broker lol) I did get a load delivering near home, and I was able to get the home time shifted off a day since it wouldn’t interfere with what my plans were..otherwise they’re very good about getting drivers home and getting the driver layover and detention if needed.

another thing I’ve noticed with the equipment… with the oos rate I get bypassed through the scales a lot which is nice…. Of course that only happens easier if drivers especially “newbies” get out and do the pre-trip. Don’t be afraid to nit-pick on the trailers because if the drivers doesn’t the DOT certainly will. I haven’t had to fight the shop about getting that stuff corrected either.

Also the huge difference between this company and its former “sister company” Great Plains which is making like the Titanic on its final death plunge… while Holland has been expanding, trading out the old worn out equipment, keeping maintenance up and a no-drama approach with good runs…

people might groan about the pay rate but I doubt those companies with the .70 - 1.00 per mile or salary will have the miles or as much benefits… and more than likely the micromanagement at those places is nightmare fuel. And that’s if those places last long considering the current “freight recession” going on.

 

I don’t think I miss the diesel APU’s. Last couple years the reliability of those things was horrible along with trying to get a dealership to get them fixed in a timely manner, especially thermo king or carrier.

 

About the cameras… it’s a standard Samsara unit but the drivers side stays covered up… they WILL NOT require it to be uncovered unless the driver wants to uncover it. However if a driver is caught and ticketed by the cops for holding their phone, texting or any distracted driving or there’s valid complaints a driver is doing something blatantly unsafe, then that cover might come off… but more than likely the offending driver will be sent home on a bus if they get cell phone/distracted driving tickets. They won’t bother you unless you get caught doing something stupid like weaving all over the road, running stop signs/red lights or blowing open scales. Just don’t be “that guy”.

Like I said they don’t micromanage or bug the drivers but they are not shy about bringing the hammer down if a driver is in the habit of doing blatantly unsafe crap. As long you’re doing your job, getting stops stops on time, communicating when you can’t be on time, being safe & legal (common sense basically) they’ll treat you like gold. There’s non of the Mickey Mouse garbage that the “mega” companies like to shove at drivers.

 

Yeah, I’ve never really cared for the diesel powered APU’s myself. The ParkSmart works well IMO and keeps me comfortable. I know many prefer the APU’s but to me, they’re just another thing to worry about failing or malfunctioning.

 

Do the ParkSmart batteries last a whole 10hr break with the AC running in really hot weather? And does the truck start automatically if they don't?

 

Basically it has opti idle. If you’re parked maybe up to 3-4 hours or so you can get away just using the park smart… basically it’s additional set of betteries, its own a/c system built into the existing sleeper HVAC and a bunk heater. It parked for a full 10 you can engage the option-idle and put it into battery mode. There is a “comfort mode” which uses the main engine for heat & cooling but it’s not recommended unless the parksmart a/c developes a problem or won’t keep up. As for how much it will start up depends on how much electrical power is being used. The fridge operates off the inverter/shore power, which will use a bit.

there’s outlets and cords on the south end of the shop and a couple light poles on the south east corner of the yard where you can plug in the shore power so you can stay comfortable without idling at all, even with using a microwave.