Marten Transportation SUCKS!!!!!

Discussion in 'Report A BAD Trucking Company Here' started by shdwman, Feb 24, 2009.

  1. skibum_63

    skibum_63 Road Train Member

    2,176
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    Oct 12, 2007
    somewhere, USA
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    Go read the other pages under this thread.
     
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  3. mightymike

    mightymike Light Load Member

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    Jul 17, 2010
    Southeast,USA
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    I wish my average haul is 600 miles. Chances are when you do get a 600 mile run it delivers in 2 days, for a nice 300 mile a day run.

    Lose the rail runs, or jack the pay up for the drivers. Simple as that. These rail runs are not making the drivers any money. There is plenty of freight. This is a red herring.

    This is very deceptive, because this poster is leaving out the fact that Marten is charging .3 per mile as a fee for figuring out your per diem (which is automatically done with their computer payroll software , and doesn't take them anymore time than to do your payroll without it. I don't know how many miles a week he's basing that $22 dollars a week, but let's just say it was 2000 miles a week, which most Marten driver don't get. They actually get on average 1600 miles a week. But lets go with 2000 for argument sake. At 2000 miles per week they would be deducting $60 dollars a week from your paycheck to benefit you $22. That's $3120 dollars a year if you average more than 2000 miles a week it get's worse the more you make.

    I made about 55k last year at my previous job, and was on track to make over 60k this year. I didn't have per diem, because I was local. I filed based on 2 kids deductions, and had about 5500 taken out of my check, and got about 2000 back in my tax return. So I basically paid about 3500 in taxes. We had over the road guys at my last job, and our boss would give them $20 per day for perdiem. As long as we showed receipts for food, we would get to keep it. That's per diem as a benefit, as it should be.

    Now let's see what it would take to make 55k a year at Marten to match my 2008 taxes. I was hourly, but to match that 55000,I would need to make .40 a mile with a 2700 mile a week average to get me close at $55160.

    You with me so far? Ok

    So 3 cent a mile fee time 2700 miles a week = $71 dollars a week fee
    $71 x 52 = $3692 in fees paid to Marten for doing nothing more than pressing a button on an accounting software program.

    Remember I only paid $3000 year in taxes when I made 55K in 2008. That was just straight up regular taxes with no per diem filling. My Uncle Pete does my taxes for free, I could save the $22 a week without Marten, So my question is Why in the world would I want to Pay $71 a week for nothing?

    On a side note: If you're one of the lucky few averaging 2700 miles a week working for Marten, that .40 cents a mile would be a lot less, because you know you wouldn't be at the top of your sliding scale, you'd probably be making closer to .35 a mile.

    A law should be passed making it illegal for a company to charge you a fee to do your per diem, or to make enrolling in it mandatory.
    This is not a benefit.. Oh wait it is a benefit...To Marten, because the big carriers make about 15k per truck, this adds at least 2k profit per truck. It's what's building all their new terminals, and buying their fancy rigs. I'm sure the CEO is getting a fat bonus for increasing profits on our backs.

    When I went to orientation, I was under the impression that per diem would be like my last company. A benefit. Then once I realized it wasn't, it was too late, because if I turned down this job I would lose my unemployment (which comes close to as much as a Marten Check), and then I would would have owed them for Orientation, Bus Fare, and Hotel.

    Marten is very clever. They know that most people would high tail it out of there once they figured out the Per Diem Scam, so they are very vague in their descriptions, and charge you for orientation because they know they will have a high turn over rate.


    The fact that it is mandatory should have to be on the advertisement.

    There are other benefits to Marten, in that they don't have to pay as much payroll, and SS deduction per employee, so in the end they are probably making closer to 5 to 6k a year more per truck with this.

    It's almost as if they are in the per diem business.
    Martens version of per diem benefits Marten.
    To call it a benefit, is like peeing down my back and saying it's raining.

    Marten pays the driver Rand Mcnally or Actual miles which ever is less. I've worked for carriers that paid Rand Mac b4, sometimes it works in your favor, but with Marten it never works in my favor. It's always 50 to 60 miles less than actual driven miles, or it is is the exact miles. This has brung me to the conclusion that they must pay which ever is less. On the occasion that Ran McNally pays more, then they pay you the exact miles.

    Marten has you coming and going. Add this little gimmick to their perdiem game, and it's another couple grand to theire pockets.
     
  4. mightymike

    mightymike Light Load Member

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    Jul 17, 2010
    Southeast,USA
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    I didn't know about the $75 RAIL LOAD CHARGE. These laods usually don't pay squat. So hen next time I have to p/u or drop off at one, do I just send in a QC message for a $75 rail load PO?

    I was never told about the hourly drop yard pay.

    I'm going to remember this stuff.
     
  5. rachi

    rachi Road Train Member

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    mightymike..you hit the nail on the head regarding martens perdiem. I don't like it and don't want it. On the rail load ask your fm for a po for $75.00. Also, any load that you p/u and deliver thats 150 miles or less pays 20% of the load. You don't need a po for this, but make a note of it on your cover sheet when you scan it.
     
  6. mightymike

    mightymike Light Load Member

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    Southeast,USA
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    So the total P/u and delv has to be less than 150 combined? If so, under reimbursements just write less than 150 miles, load pays 20%?
     
  7. rachi

    rachi Road Train Member

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    150 or less from shipper to receiver pays 20%. Just write it on the coversheet. I had a 130 mile load recently that paid me 20%, and if I remember correctly I got $90.
     
    Last edited: Jan 24, 2011
  8. Drive-a-Mack

    Drive-a-Mack Light Load Member

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    Aug 13, 2007
    Eugene, OR via Lincoln, NE
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    ..and so was Bernie Madoff.. :mlaugh:
     
  9. mightymike

    mightymike Light Load Member

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    I'm so glad I finally escaped the Marten Nightmare. I had 2 jobs lined up the day I resigned, and was extra coopperative so as to not give them any excuse to try and destroy me. My last day on the job I worked 18 hours and made only $60. I already had 1 job offer, but wasn't my first choice. On my way home from resigning, I was called by my first choice and was in orientation within 4 days. I have a life now. I still don't make as much as the job I had before Marten, but I make double what I did with Marten. It was so hard to stick it out till I got a new job, but when you have kids, and child support, you just have to. I letraly would have made more money staying on unemployment, than working for Marten. I hope they get sued out of business for their corrupt practices.
     
  10. rachi

    rachi Road Train Member

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    Did you give marten a two week notice when you quit?
     
  11. mightymike

    mightymike Light Load Member

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    Jul 17, 2010
    Southeast,USA
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    I originally planned to give 2 weeks notice, but after reading about people having to take a Greyhound home and ship their personal belongings from halfway across the country when giving a 2 weeks notice, I just waited till I was at my home terminal for home time, and scheduled repair. . I wasn't under a load, so I cleaned out my truck, and resigned. I was very nice about it, and made sure I got a qualcom message saying I wasn't under a load and in the shop. My truck was spotless when I got out, and I had and excellent reputation with the guys in the shop for taking good care of my equipment inside and out.

    Even though I had some arguments with my Fleet Manager, it was only about getting more miles, so when I resigned I kept it about that, and not personal. You can't fault a guy for wanting to work hard. I was never late for a load the whole time I was there, and never had a complaint. Never damaged any equipment. We shook hands. I told him about what I heard about people having to ride the Greyhound, ship their personal stuff, and having bad stuff put on their Dac, and how that worried me. He laughed and said that was when drivers quit under a load, or did something wrong, and that I did nothing wrong, and had nothing to worry about. Boy was I relieved to hear that, and get the hell out of there with my career intact.
     
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