Heading For Little Rock! Maverick

Hi all Mavericks!

My husband and I share this account and I have really enjoyed reading everyone's posts, so informative and helpful!! My husband has been a driver for about 14 years now, with 16 months of flatbed experience.

He just got hired on with Maverick, he completed 5 days of orientation and was job offered at that point and the trainers told him he was ready to hit the road. He elected to stay for an additional 6 days to learn their securement/tarping techniques, even with all his experience (let's just say the former flatbed operator he contracted with is one of the worst in the business, which we had to learn the hard way), so he felt that taking the extra training would highly benefit him in the long run.

My question for anyone who can help, has to do with home time. I see that Maverick is very good about getting drivers home on the weekend, but how does it work once you leave orientation?? Do you have to be out for another 2 weeks? He is allowed to go out on his own without a trainer, he will be assigned his truck on Thursday of this week. What is the possibility that they will allow him to get a load delivering near home (if possible), as he would be gone for 2 weeks, come this weekend. I am just curious about how Maverick works this process. I am so used to him being gone, but in jobs of years prior, he either had control of his load choices or had a regular schedule weekly (Former YRC LTL, local intermodal, etc. driver), this way I could plan out our life a little better. We are both having to adjust to him being a company driver again! Thanks for all your help in answering, it is very much appreciated.

 

If they can get him a load home after getting his truck they will. I was home my first weekend.

 

I didn't get home my first weekend...

They came out there are said "We have load going to Oklahoma..." and I said "I'll take it" before she even finished her sentence.

A driver had quit under a load there in Little Rock, and I knew as soon as I heard "We have a load" that one of us wasn't going home that weekend...all the other guys were wanting to get home real bad...and I wanted some $$$...it was a win for all of us, LOL.


Yep...they'll get him home as soon as possible.

 

Thanks Dan! That is very reassuring, but, did you have to request a load going home or did Maverick just automatically get that for you?

On a second note, I see you are an L/P with Mav. As I stated before, my husband was with another carrier as an L/P, he worked his ### off and did an awesome job, made some nice $$$, but they screwed him in the end. It was all over some craziness that was out of his control and not his fault, one of the craziest stories you would ever hear, which we have legal litigation going on right now with. It seems you love your position there, you are clearly a seasoned driver, what makes you love the L/P with Mav so much?? I really respect that Maverick makes the drivers wait to have the opportunity to lease on. Other companies just want to take advantage of drivers form the get go, in an L/P situation.

 

First,no I didnt have to ask they just got me a load home . Second I love Mavericks lease because it works and doesnt drown you in overwhelming payments that keep you on the road nonstop for fear of going in the hole and taking several weeks to get out. Ive looked at almost every lease out there for both used and new and Mavericks works without killing the driver. My fixed costs are very manageable $500/wk or less (varies by what expenses come out eavh week but never more than $500). The mainteance escrow isnt a gimmick AND you actually get it back at end of lease as long as the truck has been maintained. My last lease I had $7000 or so in my maintenance,I knew it needed brakes on one axle and it had damage to the hood from a minor accident when I bumped the corner of a trailer pulling into a tiggt rest area parking spot. After they fixed that I still got back over $5k. Like I said no hidden gotchas. Is it perfect? No but nothing is,there are a couple grumbles I have but just little stuff in the whole scheme of things. Bottom line,if you enjoy your job,stay busy and dont be one of these "I dont take it unless it pays xxx dollars" then you'll make money.

 

Any body,Know where is flatbedder 1966 is ?

 

Enough Said

 

Who were you with if you dont mind me asking? That sounds like a Prime deal. Buddy of mine still works there,he's on his fourth lease but says its his last one when it ends in Ictober. He has run as a lease op there the entire time mostly as a driver instructor. He quit that though after they were giving him problem students one after the other last year. He now teams with his last student. He pulled/pulls lots of cheap freight imho for a reefer. A recent "good" load for him was a run from Tampa,Fl to Seattle,Wa paying $4k to the truck.
I looked at their lease a couple years ago when my last lease was nearing the end to see what all the hype my buddy was giving me was about. I had to break his heart lol and tell him how much of a disadvantage that lease was compared to Mavericks. I honestly couldnt see how they got anyone to sign the lease after seeing the costs. Especially now that they run e-logs like we do. I dont think a solo could make it there now unless he isnt looking to be home much or make what a company driver makes. Its crazy expensive!

 

Well, I am happy to announce that I took my CDL pretrip, skills and road test today at the Sikeston, MO DMV and passed!!! So I now have a class A license and look forward to "heading to the rock" as soon as it can be arranged. Thanks to all for the info shared on The Truckers Report forums.