KLLM and Lease Purchase

Discussion in 'KLLM' started by landy77, Jan 31, 2011.

  1. RoadToad69

    RoadToad69 Mistress of Mayhem

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    BFE, TX
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    I, myself, am in the process of trying to wrangle my own departure from KLLM. The issues with the company shop and the bullying/intimidation used to force you to have repairs done in the company shop have reached ridiculous levels.
    The middle of January, I took my truck to the Atlanta shop where they fixed a leak in my transmission coolant lines. When I got the truck back I WAS TOLD BY THE COMPANY MECHANIC that it had an injector problem but was "ready to go". Approx ONE WEEK later my truck was AGAIN in the shop due to the injector cups leaking. This time, because I called on a weekend to complain about it, I was able to take it to Freightliner. I went home and waited for my truck to be repaired. In the meantime, I got snowed/iced in and was unable to get out of my property until yesterday.
    SO...yesterday, I drive 80 miles down to Dallas to go pick up my truck to find that while the injector cups had been repaired, they had found a MAJOR oil leak in the rear structure that had leaked large amounts of oil all over my clutch. Freightliner had advised the company of this and KLLM declined to have it repaired. According to Freightliner, this is a MAJOR problem as your clutch works off of friction...which mine no longer has because of the oil all over it. They told me flat out that 2-4 more loads and my clutch would burn out completely.
    I call KLLM where the head of maintenance tells me he wasn't approving the repair because that is not what I took the truck in there for. They want me to AGAIN bring it to the company shop (who gave it back to me with the injector cups leaking and stated that they were aware there was an injector problem, who completely missed this MAJOR oil leak, who missed the hole in the coupling of my air charger that was top center and the air leak could be HEARD, who told me that the major issue I took my truck in for previously was "nothing...probably just because it's getting older.."). This means MORE lost days....this time with me having to pay for a hotel room on top of everything else...when the #### truck is sitting in a shop right now and could have been fixed already.
    I refused to take the truck and drive it out on a public roadway with what Freightliner tells me is a MAJOR mechanical problem. I turned around and went home...after retrieving my contract from the truck.
    I have a call in to an attorney and an appointment to speak with the finance department at Freightliner tomorrow (finance person wasn't able to make it in today due to the weather) to talk about refinancing my truck to pay off KLLM and get my truck out of their hands. If/when that is done then I will be taking my truck and myself elsewhere and ending my association with KLLM.

    RT
     
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  3. Jarhed1964

    Jarhed1964 Road Train Member

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    Sorry to hear that RT. Gotta do what ya gotta do though. If you can get that truck away from them and leased onto someone who will PAY you, do it!
     
  4. RoadToad69

    RoadToad69 Mistress of Mayhem

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    Sep 20, 2007
    BFE, TX
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    It's not the pay that is the problem Jarhed. The problem that has developed is an atmosphere of intimidation and bullying tactics.
    My L/P contract says absolutely NOTHING about my being required to have my repairs done at a company shop yet when I raise the subject of taking my truck to an outside shop for repair I get threatened with them declining repairs. On one instance, when I had an issue with the shop and was going all over the company trying to get it resolved, I did not get someone responding in an effort to resolve the issue....I got the head of safety and the head of maintenance showing up at my truck demanding to know if I had TWO dogs in my truck. The clear implication was that they were on a witch hunt to distract me into defending myself so that I'd give up on the shop issue.
    Then there is the GROSS incompetence of the company shop. When the company started cutting back, one of the things they did was to fire most, if not all, of the shop personnel that had experience and hired a bunch of wet behind the ears rookies. This has resulted in my truck being returned to me REPEATEDLY either with the problem not fixed, accompanying problems overlooked or ignored, or with a whole NEW problem....OBVIOUS and MAJOR problems. I have been forced to diagnose my own truck problems when I am NOT a diesel mechanic. When I made a wild guess of it being the EGR valve, that was ALL they checked....completely overlooking a blatantly obvious leak in the coupling on my air charger that a Freightliner mechanic stated should have been "quickly and easily" not only seen but also HEARD "by any competent mechanic" (this guy found the problem via WEBCAM).
    I don't know....I *may* stay, depending on their attitudes, after I get the truck refinanced...because then I won't be under the umbrella of that stupid "guaranteed maintenance" plan (which is anything BUT...) and the shop will become a non-issue because they will NEVER touch my truck again....EVER. BUT...if they want to play the retaliation game then I'll go elsewhere. I'm here to drive...not play bulls**t games. I have better things to do with my time.

    RT
     
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  5. Poobah

    Poobah Light Load Member

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    Jun 23, 2009
    Arizona
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    While it is great to see you posting again, I think I speak for many here in saying that it's a shame to hear of your difficulties with KLLM's handling of the maintenance/repair issues. You've been a real advocate for the company and the lease/purchase program in the past and it would seem only prudent and wise that the company should be eagar to expeditiously attend to the concerns of such a loyal associate as yourself. Perhaps if Mr. Richards (or Blankenship) were diplomatically brought into the loop, and were aware of how many potential L/O's are watching and following the experience of you and several others, you might be treated more favorably.

    I think you are definitely pursuing the proper course of action to deal with this situation by contacting a good attorney who specializes in contract law. For whatever it may be worth here is a list that may be of use: http://www.lawyers.com/Contracts/Texas/Dallas/law-firms.html . Also I suspect that the company may be a little more responsive in dealing with a good contracts lawyer than someone they might otherwise dismiss as 'just another disgruntled driver'.

    It is a 'bugger' to have to deal with something like this in addition to all the other challenges of running your own trucking business -- and horse breeding enterprise too if I remember correctly. However, from previous posts you've presented yourself as a very capable and resourceful woman. Coping with these kinds of situations, and prevailing, is probably nothing new for you.

    So get in there LADY and "start kicking some biscuits and taking names!"
    Know that you have a number of cyber-friends here all rooting for you.
     
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  6. 123456

    123456 Road Train Member

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    Been enjoying all your posts for quite a while.

    KLLM USED to be a good outfit, what a shame !!

    http://www.truckersjustice.com/

    Paul Taylor is a very decent guy, give him a shot !!!
     
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  7. Jarhed1964

    Jarhed1964 Road Train Member

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    :biggrin_2556:


    Wow! In 2007 I chatted with a KLLM trainer out in Fontana, CA around the corner from my house. She swore that after 10 years driving for KLLM, she was perfectly happy, making plenty of money, and loved training. Had a male student on their truck. She encouraged me to give them a call. Never once asked me to give her truck number. The posts on the KLLM forum also were very positive. Now, it is painfully apparent that their maintenance plan on the lease is a fraud. I truly hope they figure it out.

    Just my opinion, RT, but you might want to pay that baby off and lease onto JCT. They are taking owner-ops again and apparently they have more reefer freight than they can handle.
     
  8. 123456

    123456 Road Train Member

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    3-4 years ago,

    alot of these trucking outfits were alot better ......
     
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  9. Jarhed1964

    Jarhed1964 Road Train Member

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    Yep! No doubt about that!!
     
  10. RoadToad69

    RoadToad69 Mistress of Mayhem

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    BFE, TX
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    I most definitely will! I plan to call him today! I did fax my L/P contract to a Mississippi attorney yesterday but I like the idea of Paul having more trucking specific experience.

    Turns out that I have to have around $3000 to refinance my truck even though I owe about $10,000 less on it than what it is worth. So, at this point, that is not an option.

    RT
     
  11. biker dave

    biker dave Medium Load Member

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    pittsburgh,pa
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    all trucking companys are losing money do to low freight rates, therefore to lower the costs of doing buisness, you get the driver to pay for the truck, tires, mantainance, oil, and repairs, now the company is nothing more than brokers that make extra money seviceing trucks, and on top of that the drivers don't even now they are on the HOOK for paying 100 percent on social security that they used to pay only half of when you where company drivers, but yens won't now this till you get your 1099 at tax time, also don't forget the fuel surcharge is income you pay tax on that to
     
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