Perkins Specialized Transportation, Inc. - Indianapolis, In.?

Well how quickly things can change in just a couple weeks. Good or bad I don't know yet but just in the past couple weeks we gained a brand new operations director, a safety director plus added a new driver manager in the flatbed division. Where I was concerned before that things were falling apart in short order, just that quickly we gained 3 new people with more than 30 years experience between them and these people all hail from major carrier 1,000+ truck fleets.

For now I'll stay put and watch how the new talent directs the future of this company. It appears that our flatbed division will stay put for now which is good because a little birdy tell's me the grass isn't so green at that other company where most of our office talent and drivers went to. I've heard that some want to return to Perkins but the answer is NO. That's not too hard to figure out.

I'm happy about this news because I was only one of twenty something drivers from the flatbed division who stayed put and now I'm seeing that this was an excellent move. Listen up, if you are a flatbed specialist either as a company driver, leased operator, owner-operator, and independent operator with own authority if you want to signup for Perkins Specialized Flatbed Division come on over and give it a try. I am not aware of how our van division is doing but flatbed is hot. While Perkins hires from across the country, personally I think flatbed division drivers should come from around the midwest region because you'll get home more than drivers who live farther away from Indiana. Unless you insist on living in your truck, this is what I believe is best. With all this new talent from major carriers now playing for our team I can't see how this can fail, simple as that. Just call (800) 428-3762 and press the prompt for the recruiter and tell them Jim sent ya. This invitation for flatbed operators is only for those with a minimum current experience of 3 years or more. We are not a training company and do not provide flatbed training. Once you are hired and attend 3-days orientation training and assigned your unit you are expected to already know the job and go right to work. Therefore drivers coming from current flatbed carriers with minimum 3-years experience are preferred. We have very nice trucks and trailers and you will not be given a piece of junk to work with, that just doesn't happen here. I have one of the oldest trucks in our fleet and even it is in near new condition and runs tops. I'm very happy here and you will be too.

 

Perkins are a bunch of ### hats!!!!!!!

Tey are crap stay away far away!!!!

jab8283
Is a fake Perkins are crooks dam crooks soon to be prosecuted and Jab I believe is Steve in real life, Haa Haa J-### NO ONE MAKES $ at Perkins No One!

At Perkins you do not get paid the only thing they pull is your leg , they are a Criminal Enterprise set up to steal labor from tier drivers by false claims, money lundering and more! They have the worst safe stat rating in the U.S. of any company and you will be checked by D.O.T. if you are driving free for them , trust me stay away!

Perkins
Criminal Enterprise
The FBI defines a criminal enterprise as a group of individuals with an identified hierarchy, or comparable structure, engaged in significant criminal activity. These organizations often engage in multiple criminal activities and have extensive supporting networks. The terms Organized Crime and Criminal Enterprise are similar and often used synonymously. However, various federal criminal statutes specifically define the elements of an enterprise that need to be proven in order to convict individuals or groups of individuals under those statutes.

If you are one who has been ripped off by Perkins here is some info for you.

(k) Escrow funds— If escrow funds are required, the lease shall specify:
(k)(1) The amount of any escrow fund or performance bond required to be paid by the lessor to the authorized carrier or to a third party.
(k)(2) The specific items to which the escrow fund can be applied.
(k)(3) That while the escrow fund is under the control of the authorized carrier, the authorized carrier shall provide an accounting to the lessor of any transactions involving such fund. The carrier shall perform this accounting in one of the following ways:
(k)(3)(i) By clearly indicating in individual settlement sheets the amount and description of any deduction or addition made to the escrow fund; or
(k)(3)(ii) By providing a separate accounting to the lessor of any transactions involving the escrow fund. This separate accounting shall be done on a monthly basis.
(k)(4) The right of the lessor to demand to have an accounting for transactions involving the escrow fund at any time.
(k)(5) That while the escrow fund is under the control of the carrier, the carrier shall pay interest on the escrow fund on at least a quarterly basis. For purposes of calculating the balance of the escrow fund on which interest must be paid, the carrier may deduct a sum equal to the average advance made to the individual lessor during the period of time for which interest is paid. The interest rate shall be established on the date the interest period begins and shall be at least equal to the average yield or equivalent coupon issue yield on 91-day, 13-week Treasury bills as established in the weekly auction by the Department of Treasury.
(k)(6) The conditions the lessor must fulfill in order to have the escrow fund returned. At the time of the return of the escrow fund, the authorized carrier may deduct monies for those obligations incurred by the lessor which have been previously specified in the lease, and shall provide a final accounting to the lessor of all such final deductions made to the escrow fund. The lease shall further specify thatin no event shall the escrow fund be returned later than 45 days from the date of termination.

If you are one who has been ripped off by Perkins here is some info for you.

(k) Escrow funds— If escrow funds are required, the lease shall specify:
(k)(1) The amount of any escrow fund or performance bond required to be paid by the lessor to the authorized carrier or to a third party.
(k)(2) The specific items to which the escrow fund can be applied.
(k)(3) That while the escrow fund is under the control of the authorized carrier, the authorized carrier shall provide an accounting to the lessor of any transactions involving such fund. The carrier shall perform this accounting in one of the following ways:
(k)(3)(i) By clearly indicating in individual settlement sheets the amount and description of any deduction or addition made to the escrow fund; or
(k)(3)(ii) By providing a separate accounting to the lessor of any transactions involving the escrow fund. This separate accounting shall be done on a monthly basis.
(k)(4) The right of the lessor to demand to have an accounting for transactions involving the escrow fund at any time.
(k)(5) That while the escrow fund is under the control of the carrier, the carrier shall pay interest on the escrow fund on at least a quarterly basis. For purposes of calculating the balance of the escrow fund on which interest must be paid, the carrier may deduct a sum equal to the average advance made to the individual lessor during the period of time for which interest is paid. The interest rate shall be established on the date the interest period begins and shall be at least equal to the average yield or equivalent coupon issue yield on 91-day, 13-week Treasury bills as established in the weekly auction by the Department of Treasury.
(k)(6) The conditions the lessor must fulfill in order to have the escrow fund returned. At the time of the return of the escrow fund, the authorized carrier may deduct monies for those obligations incurred by the lessor which have been previously specified in the lease, and shall provide a final accounting to the lessor of all such final deductions made to the escrow fund. The lease shall further specify thatin no event shall the escrow fund be returned later than 45 days from the date of termination.

 

Been with Perkins 2 months. Solid company. No company is perfect, but I like what I have seen so far.

Goods: good miles at 2500+/week. freight pays well, except for the broker freight, but I seem to always get good reloads to help. I do go to the east coast quite a bit, but I manage that. I make about $800/week net after all my expenses. My truck is a good truck. I get hometime regularly, but I don't take a ton of hometime. 2-3 days a month works for me. Small company so no problems you get witht he big boys.

Bads: tolls for the east coast runs. they are changing their pay system to 70%, which will be a huge bonus. I should make a little more than now. my deadhead is a little farther than I would like, but that is part of being with a smaller company.

I'm pleased with the move to Perkins. I haven't had any problems the others complained about. I work hard, but you have to work hard in trucking to make money. The ones that don't make money are probably making bad decisions and not being a manager of their business. It will kill you every time.

I've heard about Tony Mann since I have been here. As for truckerjo, just sounds like rotten tomatos. Sorry for your bad experience, but I have met dozens of drivers doing well here. I recommend them.

 

To whom it may concern: I have read some neg reports here on this site but if this and other companies are so terrible, please tell me which ones are great, and why are you not working there?.

 

I am ready to head for Perkins myself. I do believe I WILL make money. If not I will let you all know but I will do so in a "non-######## non-whining" fashion. Much of the neg reports I read on all companies seem unrealistic; these folks would have already made the news and be out of business if things were really that bad.

 

headed for Perkins in the next few days

 

I am going to run hard and I'll let you all know how it goes. I will report back both positive and negative information fairly. After all, with the exception of Heaven and Hell; nothing is either that bad or that good!

 

Mark, for one the customers who's product I carry on my truck are very important to me therefore I do everything I can to make sure they get the best service possible. True I don't like every customer in the world but the ones I do that I hang on to, I kiss their ### every way I can to keep their business then it's up to me to get the job done. No excuses. If you always remember that the customer is the reason we are in business and without them we are nothing, then you'll do good. In my case I've had the same driver manager since day one and we have a really good working relationship and he knows the type of work I like and don't like to do so he does a really good job of keeping me away from loads which I don't like or loads that would cause me further physical harm. As for the vast majority of office personnel there has never once been an issue about anything. I get along real well with 99% of the people I work with which makes my job great.

Sure trucking isn't the best job in the world and there will be problems or issues that will pop up on occasion whether it be customer related, equipment or driver related or any number of things can go wrong but the way you handle the situation determines it's outcome. Keeping a cool head usually prevails.

Ironically as I'm typing this I received a direct phone call from a customer who claims they are in a pickle and will be short trailers next week. Since I had just verified with my D-M that we have an excess of trailers up in storage I was able to inform the customer there is no problem at all as I have as many trailers as he needs. Within one phone call I was able to handle a panic situation and restore calm to the customer and we all live to see another day.

The way I handle my job is I treat it like I own it, I run it as if it were my own business. Since I am buying my truck with it soon to be paid off, literally it is my business. And my business is to make sure the customer is happy and that, I am very good at. When you treat the customer with respect and you give all you've got to give and more then that becomes repeat business. I don't work a day without knowing that if I don't do the job right the first time, every time, then there are a few dozen other trucking companies out there the customer can run to. I don't allow that to be an option. And I am aware that other companies out there would love to cut my rates (or my throat) in order to get the business but as I maintain, quality of service beats out a cheaper rate nearly every time. If you will just remember that the customer always has options, the freight is either gonna move on your truck or someone else's truck. You as a driver are the key to that answer, so don't ever give the customer the reason to ask that question. Give 110% and treat your job as if you own it and you'll no doubt come out on top because that is what I do and it just plain works.

As I have said before and I continue to say, I am very happy here at Perkins and regardless of anything negative I have heard before, I cannot prove any wrong doing here. This is still by far the best trucking company I have ever in 26 yrs either worked for or been leased to. While I thought things were going sour here a few months ago within my division, things have quickly turned around and business is booming. I'm just glad that I had the sense to stay put and ride out the bad part because now all the bad apples are gone and drivers have been staying busy all around. Mark, you will like working here and I can't see how you can fail unless you allow that to happen. If you want to run a successful business and work hard, then you will reap the rewards. Let me know how things work out here and how your doing. If you ever have any questions, just ask because either your D-M, myself or someone else in this company will have an answer for you. Welcome to Perkins.

 

Just a quick note to the person(s) spewing filth about Perkins Specialized Transportation, either you have never worked for our company or you did work here and you failed. Perkins didn't fail you, you failed yourself. For all our drivers whether company driver, leased operator, owner-operator and independents, every option is given every driver in this company to succeed and if you failed, just admit it and move on. Don't bash the Perkins company here on this site if you failed to take advantage of all the tools of the trade available to you as a driver at this company because it's not Perkins fault if you didn't make it. You failed because either your work ethics are wrong, or you were not smart enough to figure out how to use the tools of the trade to build a successful business.

Perkins handed you the keys to a truck loaded with all the tools of the trade you need including your driver manager to begin building a successful business. Usually the first three weeks are upside down (this is normal) but then there should have been a sharp up turn after that which you must maintain every week there after in order to be a success and receive and continue to receive a positive settlements. The work is there, and you must keep your truck loaded and running as much as possible and legally as possible but if your hanging out in truckstops or wherever and not running a your business then you won't make it. There is no time for playing when you should be working, so if you fail to have positive settlements every week after the first three then it's because your not trying.

In the 10 months I've now been here, there are only 5 weeks where my settlements were negative and those are the first three, and two others later on for personal reasons which had nothing to do with Perkins. All the rest of the time I have been making money usually in the $1,000 - $2,000 a week range after all my business deductions. Only three times to my knowledge did my settlements dip below $1,000 and that was due to Memorial weekend (I didn't work by choice), July 4th, (same thing, didn't want to work) and lastly Labor Day Weekend (again, didn't want to work). Those were my choices and I can live with that because now at least I have a life and I enjoy taking extra time away from work when I can to do things that I want to do. The work was available if I wanted to run but why would I work on a Federal Holiday? Don't need to. I am succeeding because I chose to succeed as I don't see failure as an option. My leased truck is within 8-months of being paid off with title in hand. That is what I wanted and what I am getting. The only failures I see at Perkins are those drivers or people who chose to fail. It's as simple as that.

 

Well, jab is on the flatbed side, so I cannot speak to that extent. All I can say, is that I met a couple of snobby, self-righteous ########## at headquarters this past weekend, that were flatbed draggers.
I'm glad you're doing so good on the flatbed side and making tons of money. Though it begs the question of why most of the flatbed division bailed on Perkins, if things were so rosy.

On the blanket-wrap side, things aren't so grand and I'm not gonna BS anyone. You've got to maximize efficiency, be extremely frugal, and scratch most concepts of hometime.
You might see a $1700 settlement this week, go in the hole the next week, and spend the following two weeks digging out, followed by A $100-$200 settlement.

They are, by no means, back on track.

They're starting a new pay scale on November 1st that I think is crappy. But we'll see how it pans out.
Like the previous driver said, they're going to 70%. But it's ACTUALLY 70% of 96.1% of the line haul.
So, if the line haul averaged $1 per mile, you'd get $.673 per mile of that.

That doesn't sound too bad, except for when they send you a C.H. Robinson load to the northeast.

On the down side, they're eliminating toll reimbursement. they used to pay 80% of EZPASS rates.
They're also doing away with paid deadhead miles. Right now they pay for anything over 100 miles deadhead.
Finally, they're cutting our stop pay in half.

They used to pay for fuel taxes above and beyond what you paid at the pump. Last year, they lifted that and made it our responsibility......costing the o/o and lp driver an extra $300-$400 per month.

Since we do blanket-wrap, they used to pay us for thing like folding and stacking the pads and moving equipment. Not anymore.

The newest trucks in the fleet, are 2007. they use Columbia and 9400i.


Personally, the longer I stay with Perkins, the more I see them making it LESS attractive to come work here.