John Christner Rude to Drivers!!

In 13 yrs of OTR, I have never experienced such rude and demeaning behavior, directed at truck drivers, as I have with John Christner Trucking. From the initial orientation, when the presenters were condescending, impatient, and disdainful to the tentative drivers, to the shop, to the driver managers, this place is the truck driver's enemy and should be avoided AT ALL COSTS!! I consider myself a mature, professional, and experienced driver, with a great safety record, as well as someone with a customer service background, with a lot of PR training. Yet, even with all the efforts I made to try and fit in and get along with the staff here, it proved in vain. I believe, if a person like me cannot coexist with these people, no one can!!! I am very laid back and easy going, however, when I have a complaint, or an issue that needs to be resolved, a company, worth it's oats, should help me to do so. It's one thing to say you have an "open door" policy. It's quite another to act as if you do. John Christner Trucking does not have this!! They treat drivers like children. They take your complaints as if they were winings from a cry baby. They have a good old boys club here, that only serves to support their own, circle the wagons, and protect each other to all extents of their power. If you have any complaints or issues that you are bothered with and would like to address them with your driver manager, or even go further up the ladder, they will pull out the, "well I have known this person for 22 yrs, and have never had a single complaint about him" card!! Names to remember, who will screw you any chance they get here: Keith Salley(DM Supervisor), Royce Sharpe(Personal Driver Liason to/from the Shop), Sheila Bane(LP Contracts), Jim Gomez(VP Operations), and Marty Means(Keith's Supervisor). In addition, as if that's not enough, their lease sucks!! For a truck I had, that they even agreed was appraised at $85, 000, after my lease would be up in 4.5 yrs, would have cost me $132, 000!!! Most drivers don't count up the annotated payments and total the cost out, but I did. Additionally, my truck, which their budget chart on their website bases itself as getting 6 mpg, for all the other figures to fall in line, only got 4.5-5.0 mpg, and that's with my averaging 60 mph. Thus, on a 3200 mi week, in which they promised a take home of $1225, after all expenses, I was lucky to get $700, and that's with my not withholding taxes for quarterly filing. Also, my truck, a 2007 International 9300, had ac failure within 2 wks of being issued to me, and last week had all my coolant leak out of a gigantic hole in the engine block!! They are consummate con artists!!!!

 

I am well aware of the pitfalls of lease purchase programs. However, not everyone has the opportunity to save a down payment(because they are too busy raising a family, paying bills, you know?), to put down on a truck. The key is to research the program offered by the company and check all the details. A lease purchase program can still be a good option, if everything checks out ok. I was not surprised, only trying to warn other drivers about this specific company. But, as usual, you get responses from drivers who think they know everything, and think all drivers have the same options as you do. Like I said, I was trying to convey the message that John Christner is a company that is extremely driver un-friendly. The additional part about the lease program was just to make that point clear. And, I've been driving OTR for 13 yrs, not 11. I am not a newbie in the trucking business. I am trying to warn other drivers!! Don't you get it?