Maverick Transportation

Hey notarps,

Don't mean to get personal. I was just curious why you quit Maverick. If you can't say I understand. I was just wondering if it was because maybe the company was starting to treat its drivers bad or something like that. I don't know much about them but I am interested in them. From what I am reading they sound pretty good.

Thanks. RD68

 

No, it wasn't nothing to do with that. They always treated me well. They even paid for my way home and took me to the bus stop when I quit. It was back when freight got real bad. I usually took home 800-1200 a week and was home most weekends. Got to where I was staying out a month at a time and taking home 600-800 a week. I still speak very highly of them. They are a good company. If I had problems I would have no problem saying what is on my mind.

They had to cut some of their bennies to survive. They kept their good drivers and started weeding out the ones that was costing them. I decided to leave and did it on good terms. I am re-hireable with them. They are a very good company. You won't find more honest people to deal with. They won't lie to you. Might not always tell you what you want hear, but they are big on integrity from drivers and all staff.

 

So in your professional opinion, is this a bad time to get into the trucking industry? I know things are slow right now but I sure see a lot of trucks on the road so I know some of these companies are staying busy. Just not sure which one would be the best to work for.

 

There is always a lot of trucks on the road. That does not mean the paychecks are good. It is hard to go by what a lot of truckers say. You will always hear I am running hard,,, making the big bucks,,,etc. Problem is how much of that is true? For me in what I have seen in the past and my anticipation of what the future holds for trucking I see it getting worse. Keep in mind that as of this very day I have been off the road exactly 11 months, so things from my perspective may be off.

The last year I ran I had never in my life see trucking stumble like it did. I had a job that most drivers new and old would kill for. I had a nice truck. No qualcomm. Nobody telling me where to run. When to run and what to haul. My truck was a triple digit truck.(fast not governed) 18 speed long nose pete. I chose my own loads. Nobody looking over my shoulder telling me what to do. With the way freight was and the problems today's driver faces. I just decided I had enough. Trucking schools are spitting out drivers left and right. There was 3 million some trucks out there competing for freight, parking, etc. I just got tired of the game.

The cvsa 2010 was the icing on the cake. It is just too easy anymore to gouge the driver. There are too many LEO's out there that enjoy taking down another driver. Anymore it is too easy to get put out. Some people drive for companies that take advantage of the driver. They are going to push and fight around all of the issues that the driver will be held accountable for. I see the future as drivers like me bailing after stricter guidelines are enforced. Companies will have a harder time getting the loads there on time which will create the need for more drivers because they will have to repower a lot of loads to make the delivery. In the end more drivers paid to deliver the load will not open a door for better wages.

Making money and getting home on a regular basis will get scarce. If you want to go home that is going to cost you. You are going to lose miles, etc. I just don't like the way the future looks for driving anymore. Times are tough. A newbie has to be very careful. One bad move or mistake can very easily cost you hundreds of more dollars than you make in a week. Nothing like going into the negative and having to budget to survive until you see a positive paycheck again. Not to mention if you have a family to care for or a mortgage or other things to worry about.

People hear what truckers make and think that is good money. It sounds good, but most people think of a 40 hour week. Trucking on avg is 70 hours a week. Many go beyond that, but juggle the books to get the miles and see home. Matching qualcomm and enforcing it will burn the clock. You will no longer run over 70 hours which is good, but will also create a window for not getting home and getting fewer paid miles. Before you think that I am talking about running wild on logging. I am talking about some drivers that take 7 hours to load when they would normally show 1-2 hours to do it in.

If newbies were running the way a trainer will teach them to log and are struggling to make ends meet what will happen when they get a couple hundred bucks less a week? Also some companies keep their drivers out a month or better at a time. Will that get worse? Even if the driver is told to go home can he afford it? There are so many things that may or may not happen. I myself know when I am safe to run. I have shut down when I still had legal time to run, because I was tired. I was even 60 miles from home one time and had the hours to run, but was tired and laid down for a nap.

I like the idea of cracking down on unsafe equipment. Make the companies fix their junk equipment, but if I am wide awake and capable of running safely why stop because someone thinks I am tired? I know what my body needs. If I can run I want to run. If I am tired I am going to shut down. That is my outlook on driving safely. Companies that will have to enforce 70 hours will want you to max it. If you are tired and have hours available they are going to want you to run. To me that is not safe.

 

I think I just got my bubble busted

 

Thanks for all the info, I am monotoring Maverick and TMC, I am an older person who accepted a voluntary separation package from s supposed leader in its industry, but I tell you they are a sad example of what this countrys leadership and supposed education have brought us.
Bottom line is i am really trying to get a local job even for less pay driving or not driving. I am fortunate, as soon as I was unemployed i made arrangements to get My cdl A Tanker hazmat and Twic card, I have just recieved all of those things.
My CDL school was paid for so I have no pressure on me to take a job and get school reimbursement. I live in NC and am interested in running glass out of laurinburg if I get no other local work. I am about 100 miles from Laurinburg , by accident I would get close to home a lot.
I have interviewed at coke and am on the short list of poss hires.
Monday the 27th i have an interview for local delivery of LP Bobtail Tanker, if it goes well I'll take it. It is only 2 miles from my house. My family really does not realize what I do for them and I need to be at home for another 4 years if poss.
Even though the money would be probably less than what I am collecting Unemployment, but after 90 days Id get more pay and benefits . I am thankful for Notarps4me 's insight and willingness to teach us.

I have a dream that I hold in my heart and I won't let go , welcome tomorrow, I'm on my way, so goodbye yesterday!!!!!!! From a song from Sergio mendez written by Don Freeman and David Batteau

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpODUoWilbE

 

Bush since you have a tanker and haz-mat you might also look at superior carriers.

 

How are they about hiring older drivers? I've always been interested in them.

 

When I was there they had a driver that had been flatbedding over 40 years.

 

I currently drive for Maverick. I have been with them since last December so I am coming up on a year.

Your Mileage may vary but: I like it. They have been good to me and I don't have any real complaints. The first few months I must have quit a hundred times in my head because it aint easy!

The first few months I was out more than I was home, that seems to be a trend with the people who have gotten hired since I did. You get a temp FM whose job isn't so much to get you home, but to make sure you are doing all of your stuff right. Once I got my permanent FM things smoothed out considerably.

Some things are cool, some are not. It is like any other job. With the right attitude and expectations it will work.

It's easy to find a trucking job, the hard part it finding one you like.

Dave