The New AMERICAN CENTRAL TRANSPORT-ACT

I received a call from a recruit a few days ago about this thread.I was kind of shocked that ACT had got on bad companies side.I don't think the personel attacks really do anybody any good.I think that Mrs KC CHEIF has some valid point's about the way the load choice's are now,which is hardly none.I am very disappointed to hear from ACT that they don't seem to want this option for driver's anymore.

I've been with ACT almost 2 yrs. now and have been very happy.In the last few months things have gone downhill for me also though.Last week I sat 3 days out of 6 between sat. and fri.It was not all ACT's fault though,sometime's a driver just has bad weeks,that's the nature of this business.My issue is also not being offered load choice's.I had one a week and a half ago.I'm sitting today like the john deere guy till tomorrow.I ask for the load I received and so it's ok.

The problem I have is that I ask for this ld yesterday at 3:00 pm on the qualcom and was told 30 minutes later that no preplan's till tomorrow.Why?I was delivering a load to Ottawa and have been here long enough to know that more than likely there would be loads to TX. like there is every week.If I would have got a preplan,number one I could have slowed down to conserve fuel,and number two I could have stopped and got my brakes changed and a inspection report at the shop in KC today and the shop would have had a customer.Instead I had to hussle up here to get in line to get a load this morning.Now I'm calling around here to see if I can get my brakes done here,since I have all day with nothing to do.

I'm not on here to flame against ACT,but since they are obviously reading some of these post,I think that maybe they can see how very,very,very important it is to us driver's to be able to choose our loads and be assigned preplanned trips ahead of being emptied out.My trip right now has cost the shop and me both money because I have no idea of what I was going to do today.I personally think that if every truck was preplanned out a day or two everyday by 4pm,that ACT would see a big reduction in the number of driver's quitting the company.I agree that most company's do this.Our freight is no different than almost all dry van carriers.Somewhere along the line our system is breaking down.

I came here with a goal of owning my truck and I'm sticking to that goal.I like it here and think that,yes we are slipping right now somewhat,but we can go back uphill just as fast with some help from the manegment.As Brandon said in his post,I also recommend that driver's call up Tom jr,Brandon,Leland,and anybody else and let them know how you feel,before you just quit.Maybe they can't see through the forest all the little tree's that are leaving ACT.

ACT know's who I am and has a bit of a reputation for retaliating against driver's that say or write bad things about the company.I think that's why none of the regular driver's on this site are saying anything because they're scared to voice an opionion.It sound's like to me they're asking for some input,good or bad and maybe will address these issue's.I know a lot of driver's are complaining right now,because I do some recruiting myself and get lot's of call's about these issue's.I've never called in and spoke to anybody at the office other than Mark(who does a great job)my BL.I don't even know anybody in management other than a passing hi how are you.Driver's don't give up,thing's can always turn around!

 

I forgot,Dragontamer quit beating James up! LOL

 

Whaaaaaaaa.......

Going into the lease with eyes wide open is one thing everyone should do. Not with stars in their eyes, not with big $$$$$$ blinding them. We went in knowing what our breakeven weekly mileage was. That number has actually come down as hubby learns more about his truck and raises the fuel efficiency. Keep in mind there are two break even numbers. The one that pays the truck bills and the one that pays the truck bills AND the home bills. Also, you have to take the average over the quarter/year. I don't worry too much about those slow weeks. Honestly, on a week where you only work for 3 days and still earn $400 (plus $130 advance) for the house, as opposed to working 6 days/week, every week, for 12 hours a day and making $550/gross, isn't a bad week. Have we had worse $$ weeks? Sure. Have we had better, obviously. I know that THIS week he's running butt over teakettle, and will be sending somewhere north of the average home. Pretty far north.

 

As long as y'all are happy that's all that really matters.. Notice he just started this account this month! Lol I've read many many positives about ACT.. I'm thinking ACT turned his app down now sounds like he's mad lol

 

What I don't understand is why they are so slow now? The past few weeks have been the busiest weeks in the last 3 months. The loadboard I use was slammed with freight.

 

BK I don't know what load board you use..but you know as well as I do ACT has an operating area they like to stay in..and they have to choose freight that pays enough for the driver AND the company also.

You sound like your doing well..I'm happy for you..that being said..YOU brought many drivers to ACT utilizing TTR..please don't start degrading ACT, the company isn't perfect..but it is better than most.

Good luck driver.. And thanks

 

I use DAT Power and run the same areas they run and rates were up the last few weeks. I actually average a higher rate than they do. On the wall near the front door they always posted their average rates per mile weekly. I average well over that running one truck almost completely off the load board. I was not degrading them I just asked a question and gave the reason I asked it. But if I wanted to degrade them I would and I could do much worse than that. Probably 80% of my recruits I got from Craigslist.

 

As far as choices T.C. I too have not gotten load offers 85% of the time since January 1st...that being said my avg miles are roughly the same as yours...I paid mine off in May and the biggest single issue is I want to be able to make choices on where I go and have more say so in the money I make. If forced dispatch is what they want then get rid of lease and o/o altogether.

 

I have to agree with a few people in here, also was surprised to see ACT in this section of the forum. Overall, it's a good company, might not have made the TCA top 20 but it's no Werner/swift/knight/transportamerica/crengland or any other "fill the seat" company and I've been happy here over the last year and half or so. Met a lot of drivers and office personnel and made friends and at least last year it felt like one small family. This year, not sure what exactly happened but it lost part of that small family feeling and started to become more of that big company grinder.

As far as loads go, most of the lease drivers or owner ops that come here are looking for the freedom of load offers and being able to run the truck how they want and where. These options were very true last year, coming into this year like any other year, every company hits a slower period and that's normal but then come March or so, we should be staring to see more freight and load offers....should. Last year I had no problem running 2600-3400 miles if I wanted to, depending on what loads I picked out of the 2-4 choices I was offered almost every time, 3 offers being the usual. Well, this year something changed and load offers are a rare thing. I have a hard time hitting 2600 miles this year in a 8 day period. "Preplans" are not really preplans when you get them after being empty for few hours, that's just a load. Last year, most I usually sat after being empty was 20 mins to 2 hrs waiting for a load or I actually had a preplan the day before and I knew where I was going without wasting time sitting. Last 6-8 months, I can't even count how many times I've sat a day waiting to pickup a load and there's been times I've sat 2-2.5 days. Sometimes a day off is nice but not week after week. If I want days off, I'll ask for them in advance. If the planners are doing they're job, we should be seeing either offers or preplans at least a day ahead and defiantly before being empty. There's always a few exceptions if it's a load we don't run often or live loads/unloads and unsure how long it'll take but we do or at least use to about 75% drop and hook, so we really should have actual preplans. Either planners are overwhelmed and more need to be hired or there's no leadership and planners get comfortable and do what they want since we're just drivers and have no lives or families... Maybe that's a bit harsh but sometimes it seems like that.

I keep hearing we are running a lot more freight this year, maybe that's a problem, we don't have more planners? I believe we also picked up some lower quality, not "premium carrier" freight as I see Werner/knight/Schneider/swift pulling the same freight. As pete said, know what we are doing the next day or two and not wasting time or fuel is the major thing here. I don't think its possible but would like to see a "trial program" of plan your own freight - access to the load board for maybe 40-50 drivers. It's not for everyone and some drivers need the guidance of a dispatcher/planner and some just need to be babysat in general. Landstar and few others have exploded in size and business over the years, drivers are happy - if they pick the wrong load it's on them and companies are happier running more freight and making more money.

Loads also have gotten shorter, 200-400 miles per day is not a good load and someone is loosing money and wasting time somewhere, usually the driver.

I've recruited a few drivers here and they were happy also. I stay in touch with them and keep hearing complaints but they won't just tell the management of the issues instead most will just quit and move on. The company won't know there's problem unless drivers step up and say something. On the other hand, if the company is loosing good/great drivers, they should be calling those drivers and asking for feedback. I've actually heard the Mark, one of the business leaders, was calling past drivers and trying to see what the problem was and if they would like to come back.

Another thing that happened this year, all the business leaders were combined - before there was a split between company leaders and lease/owner ops. If a lease/oo and a business leader thinks of you and runs you like a company driver, well then you're nothing more than a glorified company driver with a truck payment and more headaches.

On a side note, I've had a lot of issues with my truck (egr/emissions) over the last six months and since Richie took over the shop after Phil quit, I've received a lot more help from KW and seems the Act shop is running a lot better. So thank you Richie! I'm actually thinking about using the Act shop again - that was also another issue, Phil running the shop left a sour taste in my mouth after a few times being overcharged and having other issues. Another reason, I hear drivers won't use the shop but that's a different subject.


I hope the right people read this and things get reevaluated in operations and ACT gets to be once again a great family and a class act.

 

I was really thinking about heading over there but I've been hearing the same thing out of different people and I think in going to hold off a while.. I hope it gets better and when it does I might head on over there.. Thanks for the info