Apergis Transportation

Yeah, I'm not trying to sound like a tough guy or anything because Lord knows I'm far from it, but if any man yelled at me for just about anything without a REALLY good reason, I'd be nipping on some poor fool's ankles. Just Saying.

 

Just to set the record straight here as I currently drive for said company.

The owner hires drivers who cant get hired anywhere else for (Pick your reason here). He then takes advantage of said (Potential) drivers by running us on the edge of legality and in many cases we do what we have to do in order to get the load where it needs to be on time. Right or wrong, we as the drivers make the choice to stay and work here until we can move on to something better. We as the driver have the final say in what and how we do what we do. 2 posts about a bad experience straight out of CDL school should speak volumes as to the credibility of the OP.

Now in the case of 'Shuttle' (His real name is Kevin), he was straight out of CDL school and it is of my personal opinion that he has no business driving a semi truck. He simply does not have the aptitude to safely and professionally operate a semi truck. I know this because he was with me for 2 weeks in my truck before I asked that he be placed with another driver. He was then put in with a driver named Dwayne, who also had the same problems with him that I had and thats who he went back to Florida with. How ever,.. notice how he neglected to mention the 2 weeks that he was with me after our operations manager had enough of him.

Kevin just wants to be a steering wheel holder. When it comes to doing a full pre-trip or any backing up that wasnt a straight back, he didnt want to do it. We were 2 days early to a Walmart delivery. Kevin explained to me that he had trouble backing up. So I offered to take some time to help him practice. We were allowed on to Walmart property early so I took Kevin to a dry dock side (We do chilled reefer loads) that had minimal trailers and yard jockeys so he could practice backing up. I was driving and pointed out a bay that we would use. I showed him how to 45 in to the bay and line up the doors. I pulled out and then asked Kevin to repeat what I showed him. He immediately wanted to pull up so he could straight line it in. I said no,.. you need to 45 it in and follow the trailer around to back it it. After a few pull ups and some arguing he finally got it in. When asked if he would like to practice some more because we had practically all day,.. he declined. Said that was enough for him. He has no motivation to better himself. He just wants to drive the interstate. Oh,.. and even this he can not do on his own. I would show him on the atlas and write out in my note pad, step by step directions of the route we would be taking. I then set my GPS (A Garmin 560) with the route and destination we needed to be on. He would wake me up every 15 mins to ask me if we were on the correct interstate. I wanted to pull my hair out each time he did this. Then on 80 west in PA just after 33 he mis shifted on a hill and couldnt find a gear to save his life. He panicked and woke me up screaming and begging what he should do.

The reason he was yelled at by the owner (Owners husband) was because he got angry with the operations manager because he wouldnt stop to get coffee. He was here only 2 weeks and felt it was OK to get lippy with our manager. Kevin wants to stop at every other truck stop so he can get a cup of coffee. He also wants to stop 3 - 4 times a day to eat at restaurants. He gets angry and upset when you explain to him that we dont have time to stop all the time. It should also be known that we have fully equipped trucks. Mine has a full APU/Inverter system, coffee maker, hot plate, fridge, printer/laptop, you name it. There is no reason not to stock up on supplies when we can. Kevin never had the mentality to see that far ahead.

Kevin has no one to blame but himself for what he went through. When I last spoke to Dwayne, Kevin commented that he couldnt wait to get out of the truck to smoke a crack rock because he would be clean in 3 days so in case he got pee pee'd he would be ok. Last I heard, he had applied to Covenant but didnt make it there either.

Anthony is a tough guy to work for. No argument there. We are paid very low salaries compared to the miles we put down. You can hate the guy for hiring guys like us who need a stepping stone in this industry. But its like I tell everyone who comes here. Dont hate the players,.. hate the game. This is what trucking has turned into. If you dont like it then quit and move on. I was struggling very badly when I first started here. I turned things around and I even got a substantial raise. Still not enough to justify the miles I run. But I can at least pay my bills now. I have 5 more months to go. Its a struggle and tiring at times. But it can be done. We drive newer KW's and Petes. All with 13 or 18 spds and all are with owner operator specs, C15 CATs set at 475hp and Cummins set at 505hp. These are not set up as 'company' trucks at all. We have sunroofs, built in GPS (Junk), leather seats, More gauges then a NASA launch center, 86inch Studio/Condo sleepers, MP3/Satellite stereo systems. Just got a 2013 Pete 386 back in April and gave it to a driver who had only been here 7 months. But unlike Kevin, has proven himself worthy to handle it.

Kevin honestly has no business in trucking. He is a danger to himself as well as all those around him when he is behind the wheel.

Peace,

Hurst

 

Let me just correct you on a dew of you "Statement" EVERY post that is put on Craigslist has not only one phone number but 2 AS WELL as email addresses! Clearly a Job will always do their homework before hiring any old LOSER !!! Would you expect to be handed a truck/keys and a load and the Company do little to no investigating on WHO you REALLY ARE.. WE Are still and business and doing quite well we have 24 Trucks and quite a few guys who have worked out quite well with no complaints, Maybe thats the difference. Your on here running your mouth about a company you know nothing about and WERE RUNNING ONE!!!!!!!

Just because someone speaks in a firm manner doesnt mean "yelling" It gets old telling GROWN MEN how to do their jobs!

This is joke! You claimed to be a trucker for 22 yrs but look how many posts you have! Obviously this is your life/job!

Lets get a few things out here Clear. You quit and were up set cause you didnt get droped off on your "Mommas front porch" & Wrecked the trailer. I think that sums it up!
"

And you know this how?

You wish Good Pal!

10-4 over n Out!!!

 

Thats really too bad to hear such negtivity about this company i drove for the man a few yrs back and one thing i will say is that i was paid like clock work. People can sit on here all day long and bash the Company but i had a decent exp with them and would still be there if i wasnt retired. Learn for yourself everyone has their own side of the story. Give the people a break.

 

I can attest to that also. My paycheck has been steady.

I started driving back in 89 up until 1996 and then got into construction before returning to trucking. In construction you always had whiners who would complain about their pay. Be it not enough or lack of hours. The same is true in trucking. To this day I still say the same thing. You made your deal coming in the door. Why complain about your money after the fact, especially to other co workers? I never discuss how much I make with others. You never know, they might get p*ssed that you make more money or you might get upset and feel short changed.

Anthony hires guys who have trouble finding work with other companies. Be it lack of recent experience as in my case, bad DAC/Hire Right (Crashers) reports as in a couple other drivers, or newbie drivers trying to get a foot in the door. He takes a great risk in hiring guys like us. His insurance rates are through the roof and is constantly on the edge with DOT because of driver screw ups. And drivers are screwing up bad. I mean who keeps their job after ripping out a guard rail at a fuel stop? Who keeps their job after ripping the side of a loaded reefer open? Dropping a loaded trailer off your 5th wheel after not checking to make sure your locked in. Mysterious dents and scratches on brand new reefers. Its all happened here in the last 6 months and they all still work here.

As anyone in this business knows, times have changed. Gone are the days when a test drive, clean driving record and a firm handshake hired you on. Insurance companies pretty much dictate who can and who cant get hired. Drivers have become nothing more than a paper trail of checks and balances. Your record is everything in this business now. Getting your foot in the door or getting it back in the door as in my case is not as easy as it once was. I'm 43 with 6 yrs prior experience doing mostly slow heavy hauls. Yet companies would rather hire someone straight out of a trucking school than me because I had no recent experience. I had a 14 yr absence from trucking. I was on unemployment for over a year trying to find someone like Anthony who would hire me. I applied to everyone. The only way they (The big companies) would hire me was if I were to pay upwards of $1800 for a refresher course. I stubbornly refused. The other draw back was my location. I live just north of Tampa Fl. Not exactly in the ideal trucking lane. So my lack of 'recent' experience and location made it very difficult.

Were it not for Anthony taking a chance with me I dont know what I would have done. Yes he is difficult to work for at times. He is very short tempered. I have learned how to deal with it. You either accept his way of doing things or take a hike and find something else. As crappy as that may be. Its how things are. Crying about it gets you no where. He gives you a chance when no one else would. Take it and run with it or go home with your tail between the legs. I am still here making it work. It can be done. You just have to learn how to manage your time to the utmost and stay on top of your game.

The one thing I have learned in the short time I have been here is that working for a company like this will make or break guys. Some people huddle in a fetal position when under stress where others will take it and strive from it. If you need a babysitter to hold your hand to get your load from point A to B, then this is not the company for you.

Hurst

 

shuttle - you repeatedly claim you were treated poorly, yet you kept going back for more abuse. I don't know if what you write is true but you're going to have a tough time in ANY job if you let people treat you like dirt. In fact, you're going to have a tough LIFE if you allow yourself to get walked on.

My comments are not about whether what you say about the company is true. Forget that for the moment. The problem is your attitude. You have no self-respect. You are willing to get shat on. You are not going to make it in trucking, or ANY job, if you don't toughen up.

 

To the one who asked if this man was a cry baby.... NOOOO!!!!! Worked for Apergis Transportion for a year and that was a year tooooo long!!! He got me out there, from Florida, with the promise of $500.00 a week, didnt happen, held the entire first paycheck back, the when I did get a check it was for less than $250 a week. I am a seasoned driver, a #### good driver, and he would scream at me in front of people for whatever his reasons were. Scream at me that I was a piece of ####, worthless, no good, I needed him, he didnt need me, he threatened to call the cops atleast 10 times that I was hijacking his load, tell me "yu MFer, your in Wyoming tucked up somewhere, I can see you on the lojack", and I would be in Iowa Driving. or when in fact I would broke down in the piece of #### truck I had to drive His trucks are NOT maintained. I went from January until July and NEVER was allowed to have a PM or anything and he would go bonkers when the truck would break down and it would be my fault. I stayed for the year and took the mental abuse for my family, and only my family. His home time is when he want to go home, once a week every other week, my home time when I worked for Apergis was ONLY 3 times in the year I was with the horrible company. His "main" man is not David, it's Mark... oh yea, Mark lives in Florida too. He said up until I quit that he was firing David due to too many negative inspections. Well keep your #### trucks in check and you wont have bad inspections. Hey for the ones who actually worked for Apergis, do you still have all the back road directions from Anthony to avoid the inspection stations??? I do... I'm still waiting on over $2,500 in pay from them. If you got a flat tire with him, you perposley ran over whenever was in the raod to get that flat tire to cost him money. His trucks don't have APU's, well his does, Mark's does and the boy who calls himself Anthony's nephew does, no one else though. Sorry you got sucked into the same horror story that I did. I love the company I am with now and plan to retire a long time from now with this company I am with, best decision I ever made was to LEAVE Apergis and Anthony with his Psycho, threatening ways.

 

Why wouldn't you leave after the 1st or even 2nd time he threatened to call the cops on you? And before you say you needed to support your family blah blah blah, you can get a $250 check from Burger King. Btw Hurst, is that a Apergis truck in your sig?

 

Wow,.. sorry you had such a negative experience. I can see 'some' of what you said as being true. How ever working here now and knowing what I know,.. there are 2 sides to every story.

Back roads to avoid inspections? I've been here since Jan 13th, its Aug 14th now,.. and I have never been told where or how to go anywhere. Certain routes between shippers and consignees are suggested. But I have the final say where and how I go,.. as long as I make my appts on time.

POS trucks?

Dont know what you drove,.. but I am in an 08 KW T660 that is set up very nicely and in very good condition. Had 377k miles when I got it. Was Marks truck first, hes in a newer 379 long nose Pete now. Then another guy who is now in a brand new 2013 Pete 386 had this one before me. I now have 461k on the odometer. Almost 100k with me behind the wheel. How could I possibly do that in almost 9 months and not be safe doing it?

Other then a couple 07 T600's that are a little rough on the outside,.. I know for a fact that these trucks are maintained and inspected regularly. This company is known for drivers having log violations, and as such we get pulled in for inspections routinely. I've been pulled in 6 times in the last 8 months I've been here. Its up to you to have your logs correct and if you did your pre trips regularly you would know what your truck needs and if it will pass or not.

Its up to you to let them know when you need tires BEFORE they get to the point where you will have a bad inspection. He has a new shop now and periodically we roll in and each truck gets inspected before it rolls back out to make sure nothing is wrong. I have brand new Michelin steers (3 months old) and I just got brand new Michelin super singles on the rear 6 weeks ago. And nothing was really wrong with the Bridgestones I had on the rear,.. they were just wearing funny. Slight cupping on the edges. I also needed a new Alternator. This truck has the Clean Power set up,.. the Alt is $1200 and it took out the batteries. $1600 all together. I have a new Turbo and had head work done as well. So no clue what your talking about as far as the trucks not being maintained. Look at his CSA score. Truck maintenance is the least of his problems.

I am on my way home right now. I am in Deerfield bch dropping off at Publix, soon as I get the green light, I am home bound. I requested my home time 2 weeks ago,.. and here I am. Granted I would have liked to have been home last week. But some problems with another driver came up and I was asked to fill in.

Anthony is hot tempered. He will yell at you in front of the Pope,.. it wouldnt matter to him. So I can see that. But usually its because of something stupid that you did. I am here for the same reasons. My family. But,.. every man has a limit and if I dont like how I am treated I will leave. I was looking for a job when I found this one.

As for the original OP being a cry baby. Sorry dude,.. but yes he was. I had him with me for 2 weeks. He was with Mark for 6 weeks prior to getting in the truck with me. He was straight out of trucking school (48 yrs old) and did not have a clue on how to drive a semi truck. I had us running as a team and needed him to back into a hole at a truck stop so we could go in and do laundry and showers. He wanted to park out along the fence so he wouldnt have to back up the trailer. I YELLED at him. He whined, stomped his feet like a baby (Yes seriously), and wanted to know why I couldnt just give him some courtesy and understanding because he didnt back up so good. Then slammed the truck into gear. My response was this,.. "Courtesy? You've mistaken me for someone who cares. I'm not your friend. The only reason I talk to you is because this job requires communication with you. I gave you every opportunity to practice backing up into doors and you refused and neglected to work on what you need to do. I dont like to babysit a grown man." To which I was nothing but an MF'r according to him. But at least we understood each other after that.

Hurst

 

Some of what he said is true. You need thick skin to work here. Whiners and momma's boys will not survive. Anthony is a hard guy to figure out. He doesnt like to hear,.. "I dont know" he wants straight answers. If you are not where you are supposed to be when you are expected to be there then yes,.. you will have problems here. So long as you do your pre trips regularly, make your appts on time, dont damage the truck, keep your logs and duty status up to date, (You know,.. like do your job.) then you are pretty much left alone. Stay under the radar and you wont have problems here.

My first few months here were rough. I didnt think I would make it. Yes I was screamed at. But I never took it personally. I looked at the stress Anthoy was under and let it go in one ear and out the other. Figured I would just bid my time here, pay my dues and soon as my contract is up, I would be gone. Anthony is the kind of guy who will ###### you out for a flat tire,.. and 30 mins later take you out for a nice dinner.

I've learned how to manage my time more efficiently now, I have pretty much figured out how to stay under the radar. I do what I want and how I want for the most part. Its not the kind of company I would recommend for everyone. But if you are a resourceful guy who can adapt, you might make it ok here.

Yes,.. that is my truck in my signature. Its an 08 T660 with O/O specs. Hardly what I would call a maintenance hazard. Know your truck, do regular pre trips to stay on top of things and you wont have issues that become problems later. Things happen,.. my turbo went out. They had it towed and repaired. I have the later CAT C15 in my truck with the twin turbo ACERT crap. A bad ARD head caused the regen to fail putting the truck in limp mode while I had a full load. I could still maintain 50 - 55 mph so I tried to limp it to the CAT center in Toledo. I was only 40 miles away. Then the truck went into safety mode and shut down on me. Had to be towed. I was never yelled at.







Hurst