Stay Away from Conway Truckload!!

Did a drop trailer from WI to PA overnight with Conway, they paid good but they damaged the inside floor (perforated) and 1" deep wall scratch on my trailer. Next time I will ask for 500$ fee for dropped trailer and videotape the inside and outside.

 

He's not driving a truck anymore....he is probably flipping mcd's burgers

 

Just another quick reminder to ANY driver (new or experienced) that might be considering a career with any mega carrier: Don't forget that there are only three reasons that anyone would actually defend any large trucking company, including Conway Truckload, Swift, Knight, C.R. England, etc. (yes, they're all the same). The reasons are;
#1. Total denial
#2. Totally ignorant
#3. Are actually posting false, positive information with the intent of gaining some type of personal compensation.
Like I've mentioned before; there is a reason that there is a 98% new driver turnover rate amongst ALL the large carriers, including Conway Truckload ( please check out website at www.ooida.com ). The reason, of course, is that real driver pay, along with the actual working conditions are terrible. Period. And don't let any fancy math try to trick you about the statistics. The stats are telling you that almost every, single, new driver to a company will leave on his or her own accord before a year is up. And they are not leaving because they are not "tough" enough or that they are "screwing up" somehow. They are leaving because they quickly realize that they deserve so much better; even in this down economy.
The availability of new drivers to replace the "mass exodus" that quit are just now finally beginning to taper off. Hence, the large companies are starting to get a little concerned. "Where to get new suckers? We gotta keep 'em ignorant"! No doubt, posts such as mine don't help them any.
Bottom line, if you are considering driving with Conway or any other large carrier: Don't! Virtually 100% of new drivers voluntarily moving on can't be wrong.
And it would be in your best interests to get other advice, other than what you are reading on this forum (or in your truck driving school); in the form of speaking to real drivers, in person, and as many as possible. An easy thing to do; just go to any truck stop nearest you.

 

Through 14 weeks, here is my experience with Con-Way driver pay:

Average miles/week: 2630
Average weekly pay: $1070
Average CPM: 40.7 (my base rate is 37cpm, the rest is from ancillary pay like border crossings, extra stops, & safety bonus)


There is, of course, considerable week to week fluctuation in OTR trucking:




Payroll has screwed up twice -- neglecting a ~$10-15 reimbursement both times, but after re-scanning they promptly fixed the omission on the succeeding check.


Working Conditions? I sit it in a nice comfy captain's chair listening to music and watching changing scenery for an average of 50 hours/week, do maybe 2 hours of actual "work" as far as paperwork/sweeping/inspecting/dropping trailers, and am essentially "on call" (reading or watching tv in my sleeper) for perhaps 20 hours/week. Some days I work 14 hours, some days none at all. Most of the time I am 1500+ miles away from home and I can never be guaranteed to be home on any one particular date. That's just dry-van OTR trucking -- nothing about it unique to Con-Way, but if you can't handle it, you're definitely in the wrong business.

Unique to Con-Way I have a <3 year old tractor with some extras (load gauge, brake application gauge, trolley valve, etc), free XM satellite radio, I can have a vanity decal put on my door, my truck is governed at a reasonable speed, I have the freedom to choose my own routing, significant flexibility in where I fuel, I can take payroll advances if needed, my direct deposit hits my bank the day after payroll is posted, I can take a reimbursed showers wherever I please, I can purchase small repair parts without waiting for authorization, needed OTR supplies are provided (chains, nail bar, broom, inverter, etc), I can view company/payroll info online, I'm paid detention after 2 hours every time, paid layover after 48hours, etc

It is ridiculous to assume all OTR companies are the same. I haven't been coerced into a lease agreement, I haven't been asked to do anything unsafe or illegal (quite the contrary!), and I find my fellow employees to be quite competent.





The preceding was a paid advertisement

 

Got news for you.. All large OTR companies are the same; sweatshops on wheels. Including Conway. And I heartily disagree with you that your fellow emloyees are quite content. Almost every driver that I spoke to during my "stint" at Conway Truckload was both broke and struggling. Hence the huge turnover rate. And like I keep repeating over and over: to anybody considering going to work for Conway (or any other large company), Don't! Please go to any truck stop and speak to as many drivers as possible and get the real facts for yourself.
For the record, a solo driver's salary at Conway Truckload is about $450.00 to maybe $750.00 a week. Average is right in the middle; about $600.00 a week and that is to work up to about 100 hrs. a week. Team drivers will make more but, IMO, still nowhere near enough to compensate for living in a moving box 24 hrs. a day. And if you want any medical insurance, you will pay for it out of this salary.
And I wish I were paid for this advertisement.

 

Now, how did you know that? Oh well, at least Mcdonalds pays better than Conway. And I'm home every night.

 

my buddy works there and gets a consistent2800-3200 miles per week, only complaint he has is he has had 5 fleet managers in the year he has been there

 

OK to all you Conway Drivers out there... I am considering a mid-west regional position. I was wanting to see if I can expect at least 2200 like my recruiter is saying.. or does anyone know about the regional stuff...

Any help would be great!