Marten Transport, the good and bad

Amazing, simply amazing!

During my entire driving career, I have never heard or read about company drivers NOT being subject to "forced dispatch," at least not with any company that is still in business. It would be like the period when I took a break from trucking to work as a nurse and in EMS refusing to take care of a patient or pull someone out of a burning car. Indeed, every job I've held since age 14 (which, if you check, was quite some time ago), in which I was an employee, involved having to do things I didn't like, going to work when I wasn't up to it, etc. Even when I owned my own business, I had to do things I didn't want to do (especially the paperwork and dealing with difficult clients), if I wanted to stay in business (I later sold it). This is truly amazing!

Yes, the steering gear lock is a PITA, but well worth the hassle. It protects their equipment, your belongings, and your career. They supply it, and it is the best device I've seen to keep the rig from getting stolen. Truck and freight theft is very high right now. Coming out of the truck stop with a giant mug of coffee and a sack of food is a really bad time to find out your rig has been stolen, and you are now fired in place as a result. I used mine religiously, except when requested by the shop to leave it off so they can service or repair my rig.

BTW, you aren't going to get a brand new shiny truck when you first hire on, you're going to get the oldest POS they have available. That's been my experience with every carrier I've ever worked for. With Marten, I got a new truck within two months of working for them, by running my POS a total of 13,200 paid miles, in February 2006, nearly beating every other driver in the company (including a few teams). That includes my truck being down for 6 days because of repeated EGR failures. I walked into the terminal manager's office at the end of that month, told him what I managed to do, and asked him what he thought I would be able to do with a truck that wasn't in the shop all the time. I proved myself, and got the rig I deserved for my hard work, one with only about 5,000 miles on it.

You went out and got into a preventable accident, either because you got in a hurry, weren't paying attention to your surroundings, are inexperienced, or some combination of all of them. I suspect lack of experience played a big part, given the way you think you will somehow get a non-forced dispatch job as a company driver. You want a new truck and to pick and choose your freight and when you work? Go buy your own rig, get your own operating authority, and your own customers to haul for, because that's the only way that is going to happen!

As for Marten's way of scoring accidents and determining what if anything to do about a driver who has an at-fault accident, that was not only detailed ad nauseum during orientation, it was in your driver manual. You start out with a set number of points. Every year you drive safe, you earn points. Every time you have an accident that was your fault, points are deducted based on the nature of the accident and the resulting cost to pay for what you did. Get to zero points or lower, and you are gone. Have an accident, no matter how minor, during the first year with Marten, and you are gone, period.

Many of us who have been driving for a while remember the way it use to be, where drivers who went out and killed a family of four got to keep their jobs, while others were fired for breaking a blade of grass going one inch off the pavement in a customer lot. The point system Marten uses (and they are hardly the only ones) helps a larger carrier like Marten eliminate bias when it comes to determining the appropriate disciplinary action to take based only on the accident type and severity. You're the one who dragged your trailer across another PARKED rig, no one else did that. That's expensive, not to mention totally preventable (meaning there's no excuse).

I do thank you for a good chuckle, and wish you all the best in your search for a company that doesn't have forced-dispatch for company drivers (especially in dry vans, roflmao).

 

I've been making decent money since 1997 running 100% compliant. I may have had to change jobs to keep that record a couple of times, but I've done it, repeatedly. As a result, I have a perfect CSA score. And, when you factor in fines, out of service orders, and periods of unemployment for too many tickets, I'd bet dollars to donuts my actual net pay annually is much higher than those who insist on "running cowboy" and "outlaw." It's a simple matter of keeping that left door shut, not to mention proper trip planning (which includes planning for the unexpected to happen).

Most of us can do it, easily. The ones that can't will be out of the industry in a few years, thanks to CSA. The USMC has a motto for how to approach a particularly difficult task, ADAPT, IMPROVISE, OVERCOME. Those who can will survive. Those who can't better save what money they have left after fines to pay for retraining into another career, which is what you claim to have done.



And I call BS on the claims that you watched 6 guys cleaning out there trucks while their wives were waiting, all PO'd. Orientation is in a different location, a couple of miles away, with lots of trees and a few houses making it impossible to see one location from another while on the ground, or even standing on the roof.

 

I learned when I enlisted in the US Army back in 1979 to never EVER believe a recruiter, unless they give you everything in writing. Every recruiter in every industry gets paid commission (which is why I refer to them as head-hunters) for every qualified employee that walks in the door and gets employed (usually a couple of hundred dollars per person). They'll do and say whatever it takes to make that happen. Most are about as honest as a politician, and I would trust a drug addict behind the counter of a pharmacy before trusting anything a recruiter tells me.

Get any promises in writing, including any conditions those promises are based upon.

BTW, realistically, in this economy you can expect about 2,000-2,200 miles per week on average, less in the winter due to a number of factors that always result in crappy freight after the holidays for a couple of months (especially weather).

Marten isn't for everyone, trust me. But, for some it is a good fit. Like with every other company, learn how things work, and always CYA.

 

Sounds like Ca medicine woman has drank the medicinal marten kool-aid

 

It's not. Typical miles are 2,000-2,200 right now, according to some friends I have who still work there. The recruiter is telling you the base rate of $0.38/mile. Actual mileage rates are sliding scale, and will vary significantly (much lower). They also have a forced per-diem payroll scheme that takes back $0.03/mile.

If the quoted you $0.38/mile, expect an actual average of $0.32/mile, with a half cent raise annually (based on average length of haul last I heard of 600 miles). Expect a take-home of about $500-$600/week, depending on your state's income tax rate and what benefits you sign up for. Short-haul loads are rare, and are usually reserved for local and intermodal drivers (who are paid hourly or salary). A couple of those a day would, however, increase your take-home significantly, which is why I never understood why people balked at doing them.

But, the more miles you run per load, the less per mile you get paid. The pay rate is based upon the combined empty and loaded miles, from first pickup to last drop. If you do a load that originates in Chicago and delivers in Atlanta, that as the rate you get paid for, even if you got the load in Nashville.

Yeah, I know, the recruiter didn't tell you about that, and from what I've seen, many aren't even made clear on this during orientation. If those involved in that had their bonuses based upon you completing six months, rather than your first load, I suspect more care would be taken to insure you were very clear on what and how you are paid works.

 

Ok let's call a spade a spade. I don't think Ca medicine woman is a driver. She's either a recruiter or marten management. There. I said it

 

I agree. I worked there 2 years and they are horrible.

 

Been here at marten 3.5 years. Im on western regional and average 2,500 miles/week. We do alot of local stuff picking up or delierving to the rail.I would rather not mess with the local loads. They pay $12.00 ph. Alot of new guys get newer trucks right from the start, just depends whats avaliable. One guy might get a 'pete' with 25,000 miles on it, and another gets a freight liner with 500,000 on the odo. Out here western regional gets home every other weekend for two days off, sometimes three. Don't be shocked when you get to the "terminal" in ontario, its a small cluster f##k with hardly anywhere to park your rig.

If you can get in and out of there without hitting anything you can consider yourself a expert driver. As for parking your car there all i can say is good luck finding a parking spot. Rumor is that there starting to look for another terminal. If you come on the western fleet I hope you can sleep during the day cause your'e gonna do a good amount of overnite runs. As for trucks, Im in a brand new cascadia. Overall, after being here a few years I still like working for marten.

 

Wth, Sounds like a company to work for if you only need exp. I applyed for a position their. longterm i have a local company with union benifits in mind. whoop whoop

 

I got my truck out of the ontario shop and truck only goes 64mph now. I wander if they reset the governor down from 65. Now it takes a little longer passing the slow pokes.