Groundhog day!

They believe they can do better.

 

Because for most companies there are as many post praising that company as there are downgrading them. IMHO the smaller companies are usually the better ones to work for but you rarely seem them on the boards.

 

people believe that the ones who are complaining are just whiners with a bad attitude. "I have a positive attitude and therefor will do well no matter how bad the company is...." they say to themselves. then, after a few weeks or months, reality sets in. then they quit, their DAC report is trashed, and they're labeled a "job hopper" for working somewhere for only a month. then the next bright eyed, fresh out of school, full of pisss and vinegar student comes along to fill their seat, ready to grab the world by the tail, tour the country and make $70G a year.... and the cycle continues.

 

I'll admit I was skeptical(still am) about the ability to make decent money in this business. I wanted to know why all my instructors(all former drivers) were teaching instead of driving if it was such a good profession.


Still, there have to be SOME good companies to work for, some that treat drivers well, pay well, etc....


We are being told to get that year of OTR in and bite the bullet, and then with that experience the opportunities become more numerous and you can begin looking for a job that suits you if you choose to do so.


Is being a Wal-Mart driver the top of the heap?

 

The problem is these new drivers have to end up somewhere! The better companies don't normally hire students. Recruiters come to the schools, promise great things, the schools play them up because they have a 'placement' program. 20% of these guys wash out in orientation due to not revealing things like tickets, felonies or whatever. Then another 35% washout in the training period due to so many things like, "I didn't know I'd be gone for weeks at a time. The school recruiter never told me that!"
Finally, of those that last from 90 days to one year, another 50% give up because they didn't make $50,000 their first year!
So that leaves about 20% (if we're lucky) that make the first year and many of those didn't learn a whole lot because they worked for a training company that doesn't train well!
Right now, unemployement is very high all over. States, trying to mitigate the costs are paying schools to train drivers. Companies get tax monies for hiring them and it's a vicious circle.
My son is going to a (private) driving company right now. Should graduate next week. Told me the first week, "Pop, you won't believe what this class has. I'd bet one other (out of 8) will make it. Two are workers comp cases being trained as part of the settlement. Both have back injuries and can't sit longer than 2 hours at a time. One told me he just wants a long haul job with weekends off, preferably early friday nights. Another two have recent felonies."
My son has ridden with me countless miles and knows what it's about. Want's to run team with me to pick up as much experience as he can, then get his own rig.
So that's the reason so many people come and go.
Ain't pretty, is it!

 

After reading countless threads about how bad this company is and how bad that company is, it occurred to me that most of the posters have three things in common.

1. Most have little or no experience. (the ones that have years of experience and still fall prey to these companies I have little sympathy for)

2. Most but not all of the bad experiences are with the big companies. I guess that these drivers feel that they will be more secure or make more with a mega carrier. If you go to the Best companies thread many of the same companies are there with drivers singing their praises, what gives? In my opinion it is all in expectations and when they are not meet for what ever reason it must be the sorry company.

3. It seems that many of these new drivers come into the industry expecting to start at top pay with the newest trucks in the fleet. I have read numerous threads with new drivers complaining about having to drive a truck with 3,4,or 5 hundred thousand miles on them. I have driven more then one truck with more then a million miles on them and made just as much money as I would have with a new truck. I have only worked for one company where I started at top pay and that was negotiated before I took the job.

I have never been a job hopper, I have only left a job when I could better myself at another job. Many of the complaints you read about companies here ARE of the drivers own making. If they have a problem the go to the wrong person to get the problem resolved. You have to go too the right person to get your problem solved know matter where you work or what line of work you do. A lot also has to do with attitude. I have yet had a problem that if I went to the right person with the right attitude that I couldn't get my problem solved.

How many times have you read I made great miles when I started but for the last 3 or 4 weeks I've only been running 1500miles or less? Well you are going to have slow weeks, it sux when they are strung together but it's the nature of the business, it happens. Then you hear the "my fleet manager or my dispatcher could careless" Well if you think it more of just being in the wrong place then go to the Operations manager or his boss, and with the right attitude and clearly explaining yourself you will be surprised how fast you can solve most problem.

 

So,

how does THIS movie end ???????

Only the driving schools come out ahead !!!!!

 

Hey Dryver,

I am about to go to a CDL school. I have been reading post on this site for about a month and a half. I just would like to know, how I am supposed to know what company to start with, there are threads saying that xxxx company is great and the next thing you read says they suck. Then I read your Groundhogs day (love the reference BTW), so how do I choose?

Thanks in advance,

BPD3