Heartland express

weight issue is not that big a deal. more and more companies are switching to the aluminum wheels and the super single tires because of the weight issues. also DOT from what I understand has also agreed unofficially to allow trucks to run 12,500 on the steers because of the REGEN systems on the truck. they are just more picky about being over gross. Also there are different types of APU systems that range in a varying weights to accomodate different types of trucks. Its all about what they would rather spend the money on or how much they can pocket as the Execs of the company. what they would spend in maintenance of the APU system would be counteracted by the amount of money they would save in fuel from trucks idling long periods of time. That has been proven. Another issue about the maintenance is the problem of fixing it....its a diesel motor just smaller. mechanics at the shops can be certified on it just like they are certified to work on any other motor. its not hard to change to oil, fuel filter, and do general maintanance on an APU when a company does the oil change on the truck. Its an excuse that we are told as drivers and they dont care whether you sweat, you freeze, or get home. They just care about their frieght, their bottom line, and how much profit they can bring so the execs who work 6-8 hours a day can be home every nite with their family or mistress.

 

@TRUTHIN - all I asked for was to be home every two weeks for two days. I told them I had to be home anytime from midnight Thurs - Sat. morning. Anything past that and there was no point in going home because of school and work schedule of my family. At first they we re okay at doing that then they started pressing the limits. then it got to be saturday afternoon, then night, then they wanted me to just stop in for a 10 hour break see the family for a few hours and leave again for two weeks. I know you say it may have been my dispatchers fault but I disagree. They dont have any real say so in the loads and my load assignments prove that becasuse i would be planned on one load that my dispatcher would put me on and other terminals and/or planners would change my plans without asking or telling me until the last minute and not give a #### about my hometime, my emergencies at home, or any other reason I had for being on that first plan to begin with. So I disagree I am a number to them Truck # bla bla bla bla....they may say my name when they answer the phone but they dont care what is in the notes section of your screen on their computer when they plan your loads. My daughter had a 102 fever, no insurance, and was getting worse (she is 4 years old), my 13 month old had a severe ear infection, and my wife was unable to take off work because she is hourly. I asked to be sent home ASAP. They didnt they decided to send me further north and west away from my family and just said "WE HAVE NO FREIGHT GOING ANY WHERE SOUTH." Then for Easter weeken I have been out for three weeks, I am supposed to have off three days with my family. I haul ### to Jax, FL so I can get a load home....they put me on a load that may or may not be ready by 0100 on Sunday morning. Then tell me to drive the 6 hours home spend some time with my family on Sunday and then leave early morning monday to deliver a load. That would be my home time for three weeks out and then stay out another two weeks. Thats crap and they told me the same thing again.....WE HAVE NO FREIGHT GOING THAT DIRECTION....Thats Crap and just an excuse. I never turned down a load unless it wa physically impossible to make. Not illegally because I was forced to do that a couple of times. just so I could help them out....I bent over backwards to make them money and to make myself money and they couldnt get me home when I needed it or when I wanted it. If there is no freight in my area why was I hired? If I couldnt get home why hire me and then never send me home? Its crap and all they are looking for are steering wheel holders who wont complain, #####, moan about anything and who dont care about there families at home.

 

I am not saying that the whole company is bad....its just been my experience and the wrongdoings done to me. Will do