Any Info about Heartland Express??

What about the benefits at Heartland? I've been approved to go to orientation and here about good pay, but what about health insurance, dental, xision,etc...

 

Actually the dental and vision are not bad. The health is expensive and I do not believe it covers enough. Because of this I stayed on my wifes HMO. For a solo driver the cost is not bad at all. The family rate is high, and the deductible is high.

 

I seriously considered going back to them to run regional, but I have to have the insurance. Theirs is so poor that working for them was not an option.

 

They hired me over the phone, I quit a good job and drove my car 1800 miles for orientation. After the first day they come along with a paper to accept the rate per mile. It was less than the ad said I would get and I told them so. In a couple hours I was told that the main office decided not to hire me.
I've worked for a few companies since and never had this happen before. This is dirtiest tricks a trucking company has ever pulled on me.

 

Are you required to park the truck at the terminal on your home time?
The only reason i ask is because i live about 440 miles from the nearest Heartland terminal.
I was just wondering how the home time would work given my situation.
I'm thinking of going for northeast regional or dedicated if any available in my area.
I know ill probably have to go through the refresher program i saw on the company website since i have been out of it for a few years and any info on that would be appreciated also .

 

I know they do allow you to take the truck & trailer home with you. A guy that lives near me parks his next to his house.

How does everyone like the Pro Star? I've never driven one & only recently seen the inside of one. I drive an '08 Freightliner Columbia. Just wandering how they stack up. From what I've seen I really like them but still haven't driven one.

 

pro stars s@@@ to put it straight no room

 

I'm supposed to be starting with them on Wednesday for orientation on their Southwest regional. I asked corporate about the inverters and was told that it's coming from International, not Heartland. Says they were told that if inverters are installed then the truck warranties will be voided. Also said they're still trying to work out an equitable agreement with International.

 

The inverter will not void the warranty. But would limit parts of it. Right now all trucks have a 450k mile bumper to bumper. They sell the trucks well before the warranty is up. So they are sold with whatever time is left on them. Normally 100k and 1 year remain at time of sale.
What heartland is trying to do is to get them factory installed, and covered by this same warranty. Until this happens, they will not allow them.

As for the prostar's.
The prostar premium has a serious lack of storage. The newer Prostar+ trucks we are getting have much more storage. But they also have that piece of crap international engine. So you get space, but loose a decent engine.
Also the plus is 1000 lbs lighter than the premium. Which is nice.
Our trucks all have a 236" wheelbase. And still manage to turn as well as a volvo with a 218" wheelbase.
They are not bad trucks once they have some miles on them and have gotten past all the recalls.

 

I don't tend to carry a lot of stuff & if home time for regional is true, I don't need a ton of stuff in my truck. I am currently going thru the application process. Only thing I have left to do is get my long form physical faxed over to the recruiter so they can send my app over to safety for approval. Don't get me wrong, I make good money now but if I can get home more often running the Atlanta regional, I'm all for it.