i like it at celadon

I don't know how much longer I'll be posting about life at Celadon. I've developed a back problem that has me right now taking the max dosage of Ibuprofen the doc was allowed to prescribe. Seeing other doctors, blood tests (?), and next month a trip to a neurosurgical specialist! Celadon doesn't why I don;t just get a stronger prescription and head back out on the road. Next step is narcotic pain-killers, and they leave "loopy" to say the least. Fact: Ops doesn't care about safety, period. Just get the freight from A to B.

Now for some good news. Mark down 12-12-12 on your calenders, and see if you'll be in Las Vegas, Nevada then. My son is getting married out there then and the Venetian Casino/Resort is the place to be!

 

Looks like I'm coming back to Celadon...taking my last run with Dart tomorrow morning in Cleveland, DH to Sellersburg to turn in the truck (on my own dime ), then catch a cab (reimbursed by Celadon) to the Greyhound station in Louisville for a ride to Indy to start orientation Monday.

Doing a lease this time around; $.25/mi for the truck with $.05/mi for maintenance, plus fixed weekly costs for insurance and temporary charges for FHUT, escrow, lock and equipment deposits, etc. I'll be paying a little more on my insurance since I live in NC (Pronounced: Nazi) and they make me carry "North Carolina approved Workman's Comp Occupational Disability Insurance" which is exactly the same thing as regular Occupational Disability Insurance only it costs 4-5 times as much. But I digress.

Was looking at a couple other companies but I know the folks at Celadon and I pretty much know their customers and lanes. Like I said earlier in this thread the only reason I left last time was my equipment. And I probably wouldn't have left if I'd been able to wait for the truck to mile out for replacement.

I was a company driver last time...we'll see how things go on the lease side this time. I expect to do okay in spite of what some folks have to say about the company. Anyone with questions--the forums aren't usually the best place to get information. The best way to do that is when you see a Celadon driver out there someplace, tug on his/her sleeve and ask them. Do that a couple dozen times and you'll get a pretty good picture to compare with the recruiter's pitch. BTW both times my recruiter didn't sugarcoat anything, just gave me facts and numbers. When I first came on I had talked to about 20-30 drivers (I was warned about the "Cradle to grave" truck policy).

Jury's kinda still out on the lease thing vs being a company driver. I've been leasing with Dart and I kind of like leasing, so probably going to do that. (Before any Supertruckers start angrily calling me stupid for not buying my own truck, I am well aware that as a lease driver I am little more than a higher paid company driver with the option to turn down some loads and the responsibility for all operating expenses. Save it, please--thank you )

Oops, long post. Cliff's notes available on request. Maybe I'll start my own thread.

Guess I may have to change my blog title since I probably won't be driving a Volvo anymore.

Monkeys are funny. Especially monkeys in pants.

 

i have a few problems with celadon, but nothing huge.

1. the biggest, their planners are ####### morons. they don't understand simple things, like sending your next load before you get to the CS of your current load. I've waited for up to a couple hours sitting at a CS/truck stop after delivering to get my next load, only to see the new load was ready to pick up hours before. They also seem to have a problem checking your canada hours before assigning you a canada load. You have to have a 24hr sitting reset every 2 weeks to be canada legal, your QC clock shows this timer. But it seems the only times they decide to send me north is when I'm not legal.

2. i'm not a fan of the truck. its new and that's great.. but the bunk heater isn't nearly as warm as my prior trucks, and that scares me since we're not even into winter yet. its not like the ones in my last truck "burn diesel, blow hot air directly into the truck."

3. they pride themselves on having such new trucks, but use the older QC model. Its a laggy freezing POS. I accidentally broke my first one and the replacement is just as bad.

4. If I finish a load and take my break, they like to wait until after I wake up and send in a demand for my next load, to send me the info.. as opposed to just sending it as soon as its assigned. Not good since I like to sleep with my QC volume up so the incoming assignment will wake me up... but that's my quirk as much as theirs.

5. only team drivers get a fridge in the truck... this is probably most annoying to me, if not most important.

 

So glad to see I'm not the only one who has a laggy, freezing QC. There have been a few times when I needed to send in a macro or change my duty status but the QC is frozen so I have to wait until it restarts itself to change it. Life has been a tiny bit better after I recalibrated the touch screen but that's only for ease of navigation and has nothing to do with the laggyness or freezing.

 

do they have ez pass in the trucks at celadon? thanks

 

I was guessing you were going to Celadon from your Dart Transit post.

 

Just from my former days as a planner....I bet they are doing this to see what the most important load that needs to get covered that works with your current hours and situation is (home time, direction you need to go, etc). Most planners goal is to preplan drivers as faaaaaar out in advance as possible. Because that means, less work for the planner, and the driver knows 100% of whats going on. When they don't have a load for you before you are empty, either they know a certain area has freight that drops and the carrier has to pickup within a certain ASAP 10hr window or something. Just an idea from a planners take. Probably just looking at their freight board, prioritizing and looking what works best in the grand scheme of things. Many drivers feel dispatch is always out to get them. I feel in the grand scheme of things, that is the last thing on their minds, they have enough other normal stuff to worry about....why throw that into the mix too.

 

I think I may take a job with either Celadon or Transport America. Would anyone happen to know anything about either of these companys? Do they they give you an e-z pass at Celadon? Just wondering. Thanks.

 

i heard celadon is starting driver training is that true or is it a rumor?

 

No need to be rude man, dang. And FYI, I spoke with a recruiter today...
For company drivers there is a NO pet policy. But! For lease there IS NO pet policy.