mercer transportation

Technically I have not left yet. I was offered a position with a National Propane company that I really was not going to consider until I started weighing the pros and cons ( Home every night, weekends off, 2 wks paid vacation, paid holidays, Health, Dental, Vision, 5% 401K match, Life insurance, Disability insurance, uniforms, gloves, boots paid for and on and on to what Mercer has been offering lately) My wifes best friend is the office manager for the district and she kept on telling me how good it was to work there and they have not had to hire anyone in years cuz guys don't leave they retire from there. The way it sounds if it was not for a random drug test this position would not have come open. So i went in friday for an interview with the District Manager and after he told me he would bump the starting wage up a few dollars more then expected to sweeten the deal I could not sign the offer sheet quick enough. So Mercer will find out next week. The truck is parked and none of the equipment is there's so no special trip to louisville needed. So I have a turn key business sitting out by my garage is anyone is interested..lol.

 

Good luck to you, I hope it all works out for the best.

 

Yes, goodluck.
I'm sure Mercer will understand, who wouldn't.
Also I'm sure Mercer will take you back, if things don't work out, though I can't imagine.

Those health benifits are especially valuable now that we have a tax penalty for anyone that doesn't have health insurance. Which probably is quite a few of us O/O.

 

That was one of the bigger reasons that swayed me. December I had a tooth pulled and a 20 minute Doctors visit. Both totaled close to 1000.00 Then a few days later my Mom had to be taken to the hospital via ambulance she was there for a week then passed away right after being transferred to hospice care. Her medicare covered it all but it totaled well over 30 grand. Really that would financial killer without insurance. Lets just say December was an eye opener in more ways then one for me.

 

As long as you have cash available for the unexpected. $20K is recommended although most don't have that much available. I don't know what you paid for the truck, but if you manage to have a couple unexpected repairs back to back, and it does happen, it can break you. Also it is not a bad idea to still finance a truck with a good down payment, and you can always pay it off more quickly. Then you have established credit in the truck market which could help in the future, and you also preserve some, or much, of your cash in case of emergency. If for example you paid $30K cash for a truck, and had little left in the bank, then need a trans, rears, or worse and engine, you'd have a paid for truck and no way to fix it. Just another way of looking at it.

I had to repo a Mercer trailer last summer from a driver who blew his engine in NJ. He immediately had it towed back to NC instead of looking at repair options. The tow alone was several thousand. Within two hours I found him an identical engine that a shop had rebuilt for a guy who then couldn't pay it off. They'd give it to him installed for $4K. Instead he lost his truck and trailer because he wasn't prepared in the least bit for contingencies which definitely will happen. Even a seemingly small repair can be $1000 with a road call and some parts.

 

Couple years ago, I had an injector crack, dumping fuel into my oil. Tow bill was $800 to OK city and $1100 to have one injector put in. A month later, had a leaking liner costing several thousand for a rebuild. A month later head cracked. I should've bought a new head but it checked out good during the rebuild.
On top of all this I got very little work in between being in the shop.
I still am paying back on that debt.
That truck had only 740K with a 14L detroit 60 series.
This business can break a guy pretty quick.
Lot easier to get a loan on a truck than on repairs.
Not to mention, things a very slow. Most of us in flatbed is deadheading twice as far for less miles.
Opps got off thread topic again.

 

No doubt. And have you ever noticed these things come in bunches.
About the time you get the truck ready to roll, the fridge goes out at home, then the washing machine, then the dishwasher.... etc,etc,etc.

 

That's why I haven't been home since March of last year!

 

Hi Drivers. Have a question for you all. I live in Northern Cali. and want to go back to flatbed. I'm really want to join Mercer. Can u tell me please what are the rates To and From Cali. in Good season and slow Season. Thank in advance.

 

I don't know the rates since I do not run out there.

But I met another Mercer Driver from Northern Calif. the other day, that stated he only gets home a couple times a year because of the cheap rates and large deadhead to and from the house. I think most of our Calif freight is near LA.

Sorry to sound discouraging.