Stevens Transport aviary

My answers in red

 

Lastly, let me say that I have found Stevens to be upfront and honest in all their dealings with me.
But trucking is hard and it's very unforgiving. People will not hold your hand or molly coddle you.
It can be brutal.
Listen to what the recruiter says, repeat your understanding and get it in writing. With all that, and your willingness, you should be able to come thru without many scars.

 

well Clegg...you must have been tapping out the keys at the same time!

As an update, we repowered a load in NC and are heading to upstate NY for a delivery at midnight thirty.
Before finding out Campbells soup receiving was closed until tuesday morning, we waited out at the BP around the corner from the plant, hoping to slip in at 2300 and deliver.
Holy cow, I haven't had so many hookers knock on my door in a short four hour span in my life! More in that four hours than combined in the last 30 years!
When we went over to the plant to deliver, Security gave us the news (receiving closed) but suggested we go over and park behind Hardees (left out the gate) so we won't be bothered anymore.
I've not had to spend the night there, but if any of you do...head for Hardees.
Unless you like the company.

 

I really appreciate hearing from you two. I'm going to unemployment office tomorrow to see if I can get tuition assistance! wish me luck! As I would feel much better getting my CDL on my own and then seeing if I can make more than $500 gross (after taxes, health ins, etc.).

Another question is why is there such a wide spread opinion as to how much a new driver makes? why do companies say $30-$40k when it sounds like $20-$30k either due to not having enough miles or your just getting paid at a very low rate?
I have the dream of making $1k a wk gross by 6 months driving.....not gonna happen huh? I'd rather go into it with realistic expectations than not.
another question is about the leasing program....they dont say how much the leasing payments approximately are but i imagine they must be huge ti have leasing terms 23-36 months... can you talk about this more...because i read that stevens was trying to get newbies to lease but my question would be at $500/wk you could not afford such leasing terms. Something is not adding up to me. I could see if I could make $1k/wk it making more sense to get me to try to lease.

Thanks!

 

If you have the time I would suggest going back and reading all of the posts in the Aviary. They will answer many of the questions that you have. I know that the cost of the lease for a truck is around 800.00 a week and that the alliance drivers make .85 per mile. You have to pay for the cost of the truck the insurance and fuel, maintenance on the truck and any other associated costs. Then if you pay attention to your miles per gallon use you get a fuel bonus. All told after everything you get about .32 to .37 cents a mile net.

 

I hate to say it, but recruiters might not tell the whole truth.
I would suggest you will earn in the low to mid 30's your first year.
Yes, you can make a thousand per week gross, but not your first year.
I exceed that number now, but it took me until midway thru the third year to get there.
Others may do it faster, but I am conservative with numbers.
Better to expect less and end up with more.

 

Oh, I understand what you are saying and I didnt mean that I was just going to up and quit without having something else lined up, although it probably sounded this way.

First thing this morning I left a message for Valerie (I think) in payroll to call me back. Nada, nothing, zilch. Never got a return call. I was busy and didnt get to call back. I will be on the road the next few days so I will call every 30 mins if I have to.

And its more than just the .02 raise. My last check was $0.00. This included my $75 NYC pay as well. The only thing that I can come up with is I wasnt reimbursed the $300 for the lumper. There is also a $136 deduction for something that I have no clue as to what it is.

About 3 weeks ago I was in the NE and couldnt find a place to scan trips. I turned in over 1800 miles for 8 days and my bring home was $83. Apparently they "double deducted" me because of the time span between scans.

These are my 2 worst checks. Normally I bring home about $400 a week.

I cant live on this kind of pay. I can work McDonalds or WalMart, be home every night and make just as much as Im making with Stevens.

I hate to sound negative and like I am complaining (but I am ) but I am so frustrated right now.

I have a new DM since coming out of grad fleet and he seems to be doing pretty good. My average trip now is around 2000 miles where in grad it was maybe 1000. I just need to get payroll straightened out!

 

(Emulsified replies in red)

Originally Posted by tarheelblau

<snipped>

There website states that offer the best equipment where the average age in 12 months and they are all under warranty. So the feedback from one student that the trucks were old and smelly...is that a thing of the past?
Everyone has an opinion. My wife says I couldn't smell the carcass of a rotting elephant in the same room with me. She can smell odors that I swear are figments of imagination.
I do know that the oldest trucks...those in excess of 400,000 miles are the ones assigned to new drivers when they get their first truck. There is a complete detail department at Stevens that cleans these trucks thru and thru.
Are there odors? I don't smell any (other than the cleaning agents used) but my wife might. Do you understand what I'm saying?
By the way, my truck is a 2010 and I am just approaching 400,000 miles now. Stevens usually gets rid of the trucks at 500,000.

Out of my class I got the oldest truck that I am aware of. Mine is a 10 T-2000 and had 270,000 miles on it when I got it. I know one guy got an 11 Freightliner with less than 150,000, another got an 11 T-660 and an 11 T-700. They are handing out some newer, lower mileage trucks lately. Like Emulsified said, they are clean when you get them. Detail shop does a great job.

I also saw someone post if someone else has ran a truck hard, damaged it any way and then you get it as a new student you will be responsible for the repair, that they will take the money out of your check (T-card)?
I always wonder where these urban legends start.
No, you are not charged for damage to a truck that you didn't do. When you get your truck, you do a walk around with the truck manager who notes every ding, scratch, etc. He'll find more than you will.
If you damage it later, it comes out of your check, but thats for 'chargeable' incidents.
For instance, if you back into a wall..your fault. If another truck backs into you, not your fault.

Apparently now they just hand you the checklist and you make the walk around your self. Shop personnel do not do it with you. Might be a good idea to take pics of any damage to CYA.

Do they make you sign something making you responsible for tickets? tolls?
As a company driver, you are assigned a route to run for each load. If that includes tollways, the company pays the tolls. If you vary from the route, say you take a tollway instead of the route assigned, you will be charged the tolls.
If you join Alliance, the tolls are usually (but not always) your cost.
As for tickets? Traffic tickets? Overweight tickets? Of course they're your cost. You're not suppose to get tickets!

As a company driver you do not necessarily get a route other than your fuel stops. I know that gives you the basic route, but a paper log truck gets the actual recommended route from start to finish. An e-log truck only gets fuel stops. You have to plan the route your self.

<snip>

 

Yea dude, that sounds pretty F'd up. I would be all over them to get that straight.

How do you look at your statement? Do you get the PDF emailed to you? Do you look at it on webntransit? or just on the QC? the webntransit is pretty detailed so you can see whats going on better.

 

But hearing the same answers from two separate, uncoordinated sources lends credence to them.