Heading For Little Rock! Maverick

Thanks for the input on loads out of/near Grenada MS!! Ended up in Memphis, taking down the a-frames down wind of a sewage treatment plant, and hauling 90 pallets & 6 crates of jigging equipment back to Charlotte NC. Work assignment said "tarp" the entire load, I had Fleet Manager call CSR, they said yes, tarp the pallets, I talked to the supervisor # the power plant I picked the load up at & he said to tarp only the crates....sometimes questioning authority has benefits! Tarp used pallets---duh! Anyway, made it back to Laurinburg, have my first student with me & it's going well...2 glass loads & under 2nd steel load now. I'm trying to let him do all the driving--hard for me, but good for him!
I was taught to stick the toe of my shoe under landing gear bottom plate when dropping a trailer, wish more drivers would do the same, makes for an easier couple. We've got the same problem on the glass side too--drivers need to write up bad/malfunctioning equipmennt, so next driver can get under his load & go, they hate to see me in the shop---asking for more red tags & writing up trailers I've dropped!!

 

Reread my post this am, and yes, let me clarify the foot under the landing gear thing...I made it sound like one should leave their shoe under plate when dropping trailer! Use toe of boot, then another turn or two down on crank handle, and that should leave about the right height for dropping your trailer. Use this technique when empty or loaded, as it allows for you to "get under" the trailer easier when coupling up. It's always a pain when drivers drop the trailers too high or too low and you have to crank up or down to get the proper height needed.

 

you said it. Like you told me a while ago, you know its bad when the service manager at the TA in Seymour not only knows your first name but when you arrive with a trailer you picked up from Ghent a day earlier than the previous three weeks.

 

Mcghee, some of Mavericks trucks have apu, and some do not. Pretty much the luck of the draw with what tractors are available for you after you eval out.

As far as idling policies, none that i know of BUT (and some buts are bigger than others) Maverick is big into MPG, lemmie type that again MAVERICK IS BIG INTO MPG. The company goal is 6.8 MPG. The trucks are governed based on your MPG, meaning by your right foot and or your driving, idling habits.

If you are the type that starts the truck up on a Sunday and doesn't turn it off until you park it for the weekend, and feels they have to drive whatever truck they are assigned as fast as it will possibly go Let me tell you about your future career (if you choose to do so) with Maverick. YOU WONT LAST. There you have it. . .sugar free. Remember the type of driver i'm describing now and read on. You'll be assigned a truck and haul butt wherever you go, you'll leave the truck idle the enitre time your waiting to load, while loading, securing, and tarping then haul butt to your delivery. You probably wont bother to check on the qualcom as to what your MPG is so once your fleet manager contacts you about your MPG being so low and your idling percentage being 50% or more possibly and "asks" you to work on it and gives you some possible suggestions as to how to improve your MPG you'll totally ignore any and all suggestions from him or her cause after all, you drive the truck, they drive a desk. By now, the fastest your truck will run is probably 60mph. Remember what kind of driver I'm describing is completely hypothetical. lol

Lets say you're with Maverick for a half of a year before they require you to come to HQ in Little Rock, Ar where they'll have you drive a simulator to show what you know about efficiency vs effectiveness while they pull a report on your truck and possibly give it a once over to make sure that the MPG problem is truly the drivers fault rather than a mechanical problem with the truck. Once they find your right foot is a bit heavy they may once again ask the driver to work on their MPG, and for the 2nd time give them an actual list of ways how to improve their MPG. but this time, the driver is informed he is now on probation because his MPG is too low. (remember what kind of driver i'm describing) also remember, the driver drives the truck and the fleet managers drive a desk. (in this hypothetical drivers mind) So the driver pulls out of HQ at a snails pace then hammers down all the way to the curve before the stoplight at the Pilot. Old habits die hard even when your job is on the line.

For the next quarter year or 6mos perhaps, the driver turns the truck off once or twice, or drives a bit slower for an hour or two, but now he (or she) informs every driver within earshot how he is now going to lose his or her job because his MPG is too low after only having "one bad quarter" and how "those people at HQ" dont know what its like out on the road, and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Just one excuse after another how he's tried everything they suggested to improve his MPG. He'll even tell other drivers how he reduced his idle time and it's not helping his MPG. (What he doesn't tell them is he doesn't idle while he's fueling the truck but other than that, he hasn't changed his idling habits or driving habits)

Finally "after one quarter of MPG below the company goal", the driver is asked to return the truck to the nearest terminal where a bus ticket will be waiting for him to get him back home. Thus ends his job with Maverick

What did you say about this thread and Jim the Hut's description of his experience? "not sugar coated, that's the way I like it" then you asked if Maverick had an idling policy. Well the answer to your question is no,
buuuUUUUUUuuuut. . . .there you have it a no sugar coating description of Mavericks idling policy.

 

Jimthehut i just spent a couple of hours reading what you have written about Mverick. They were one of the companies I'm looking at. Just wondering when I looked at thier hiring arear looks like I'm right on the edge. Are they good at not overloading you that you cant get your home time? Do they expect you to bend the rules to make your deliveries? I really want to tell you how much I appreciate what you have been thru it really helps the wannabes out there. Hoping to start driving school in August. once again God Bless and thanks!

Notarps4me I also want to thank you for your input. I was also lookin at BTC and MTC as possible employers. I want to try and get the home time. I know it may cost me but I will be makin much more than I do if I only get 2000 miles a week. My question to you is has MTC changed over the past years? I read were they expected 5 loads a week and wanted it done no matter what. Has it changed? I wanted to find out what they expect from thier drivers now a days? I was in the military and actually like the structure idea! I just can't stand when someone doesnt do their part. Thanks and I look forard to your reply! And God Bless!

Thanks

 

sarge26044, thanks alot thats is want kind of answer i was looking for. but the drive slow part at about 55-60 is ok with me.

 

Thats great Jim! I work for Maverick in North Little Rock. If anyone is interested in getting a job with Maverick send me a message. Thanks

 

You think I can get on there?