How Much of a Notice Is Enough?

2 weeks notice is just etiquette passed down through the ages mainly through the white collar world. It gives the employer a chance to find a replacement so they are not put in a bind. If it's a bigger trucking company they are herding drivers through orientation every week based on their turnover rate and not by someone that quit last week. So whether you quit or not, X amount of drivers are still going to orientation. So you see notices have no bearing on the trucking world. It's quite the opposite and can be used against you like sitting and short runs. They might not even get you back to the terminal in time and squeeze a load or two more out of you messing up your start date at the other company.

It's a dog eat dog world in trucking. They won't hesitate to get rid of you without notice. Plan your quit if you are OTR. Get home time, clean the truck out, and then tell them you have to get to the shop for service. Then break the news to them while at the terminal. That leaves the truck where it is suppose to be, no abandonment, no quitting under load and no cleaning the truck out at the last second trying to figure out how to get your stuff home.

Quitting without notice is not a negative either. If you are a good driver with a good record any company will hire you back. I worked for Volunteer Trucking 3 different times and never gave notice. They know how things are when it comes to drivers quitting for various reasons.

Congrats on a better job!

 

No matter how good or bad the company has been to you, give 2 weeks notice. That's the norm in any profession. I have always told my company that if and when that day comes I will do the right thing, give you 2 weeks notice, clean the truck out and make sure it's in better cleanliness condition then when I was assigned to it, and the final most important thing is to bring the truck back to the terminal. I would enjoy nothing more than to hand the keys back to safety and tell them exactly what was right or wrong with the job on my exit interview. These few thing if done when leaving an employer will keep everyone on the same page. Now, if you work for a rag company or a bottom feeder, as much as you want to drive the truck through the front door, do the right thing.

 

Doing what is right can never, ever be construed as being wrong....It does not matter , Mega carrier, or just a guy with 2 trucks...they deserve the same respect in leaving as you gave them when you came looking for employment. Even...if they treated you like garbage, the entire time... give them at least 2 weeks, then bring them THEIR equipment back, cleaner than it was the day they put you in it, tell them thanks for the opportunity and move on.

 

One full week is plenty .It is the way you ask . "I have another offer is one week notice enough ?" I have never given more than one week and all have said i was welcome back and if i needed anything to call . Some jobs like the team operation the other driver mention may need more than a week ..

 

First on my list would be the new company. How soon do they need you? If the new job is a now, now opportunity turn your keys in today. If the new company has a window for you then by all means give your old company the notice.

I have done it both ways.

To the company, all have made it known to me I was welcomed back. I never quit under a load and anger was never my motivation.

 

If it's a small company, give your 2 weeks assuming will be working for them 2 more weeks, or until they find your replacement.

If it's a large company, give your 2 weeks assuming they will say "see ya" the same day.

 

I tell the new company i need to give the company i work for 1 week notice if they say we wan't you to start now without giving 1 week notice . I would tell them never mind thank you i don't want your job bye

 

What industry are you in? If you're in construction, I'd say about 48 hours if you don't want to get hosed.

 

Give them 2 weeks notice, but be prepared to either work the last 2 weeks or them to tell you to go ahead and leave. You are doing right to give 2 weeks notice, but in the end it's how the company you leave takes it.