marten transport

So what do you think? Did I just have the REALLY bad luck of getting a crappy dispatcher? M. Rud dang near starved me out when I first got out of the trainer's truck. I put up a bit of a stink and got put with C. Senti. GREAT miles for two years. I could actually AFFORD my hometime. I avgd 12k miles a month with one day home for 5.5 worked with her.

Then one day, after 17 years she up and QUIT out of the blue. Someone in their brilliance put me back with M. Rud. I went back to an avg of 8.5k miles a month with one day home per 6.6 worked. Too many 72 hour 700 mile trips to Wal-Mart with one or two days in between them. I'd ask for a preplan and I'd be told "You'll get planned when I plan you." I'd ask for more miles, and she'd give me unpaid trailer shuttles, unpaid unrelated yard checks (yd check to a location NOT related to current trip, I.E. On a hershey load, go to Gen Mills 78 miles out of route and do a yard check unpaid.) Getting detention out of her was like pulling teeth. Getting approval for a washout was worse than pulling teeth and took twice as long. Usually a 2-3 hour ordeal to get approval and t-check with her. Never answered her phone, which turned something that could have been solved in 15 seconds into a two hour hassle. Then had the brass balls to hag about not answering my qcomm msgs when I was driving. (I refused to answer them til *I* needed to stop) I would send my check calls when I got up in the morning (5-6am) and she "wouldn't get them" and try to make me resend them. I only did THAT twice, and then got wise and just gave her time sent and message number.

Final question... HOW THE H%LL are you putting in 3500 mile weeks back to back with electronic logs? Why wouldn't you drive for werner? There's no difference now, except one has dry vans and the other has refers.

 

I don't appreciate the attitude that some of these fleet managers have. In fact, thats what I dislike most about this job.

 

I had a codriver that did EXACTLY THAT with a CRST truck. Didn't get canned either. What a moron.
And no offense, but marten has a lot of brain dead drivers. I remember a while back i saw a marten truck with placards stuck on next to the holders. What the hell.

Hey i remember a while back i was talking about our new sattelite tracked trailers to another werner driver, hes like..then whats that WHITE BOX? he pointed at the registration holder on the front of every trailer. WTF

 

Theres two kinds of placards. Thick cardboard placards with no adhesive, these go inside the holders if the trailer is equipped with them. Then there are thin ones with adhesive backing. If you put the thin ones into a holder it will eventually work it's way out blow away. That's why you see drivers disregard the placard holders and affix the placard directly to the trailer.

 

I will agree that there are good FM's and bad ones. Just like there are good drivers and bad ones. Question is, Why did you put up with that B/S? Why did you fight with her instead of tell them you want some one else. Don't tell me they wouldn't let you.

As for the 3500 a week I'm not the only one. It can be done if you have an FM that will work with. It also helps if you are still on the paper log.


As for you wbyers, I could care less what you think. You wouldn't know a real truck driver if I passed by you.

 

I left Marten at the end of April after being with them for just over 6 months. My stress level dropped dramatically once I got to the Irving terminal, removed my belongings from the truck, handed them their keys, and then got into my pickup to drive home.

I went back to work for Crete (who isn't perfect but far better than Marten will ever be any more) and am much happier now. Less stress, more money, better medical insurance coverage for less money, and equipment that is maintained much better than the junk that Marten has on the road.

With CSA 2010 about to get rolling, making sure you're with an outfit that takes care of their equipment will be to your benefit. If you're working for a shoddy outfit that doesn't take good care of their equipment you will be going down the crapper with them if you don't get out of that undesirable situation soon enough.

 

I agree, You should not work where you fill stressed out. I don't find them this way. I also find that most of the euipment is in good shap and I have no problem getting my truck worked on when I need it.

 

I can get 3000 miles with the E-log, I went 650 miles in one day recently. Was going flat out through Iowa, Nebraska. I took it to 10 hrs and 57 minutes when i finally pulled it over in some small town. It can get tight. :smt021

 

Capt., i thought you were doing the O/O thing? What have you been doing lately? Also thanks for the headsup about marten; They were on my list, but i'm not so sure anymore.