Don't trust negative PTL statements

Ok, I'm set for Orientation on this coming Monday. Gotta catch a Greyhound at 8:25am leaving Columbus, and arriving in Paducah, KY around 9:25pm. I don't know exactly how it's gonna take 13 hrs to get there, but then a shuttle will pick up from Paducah and take me to their motel. It's gonna be a loong day but I'm kind of excited to get back on the road again. Have you made any further decisions yet?

 

GOOD LUCK!!!!

 

Well i was set to go to PTL but I got 2 job calls this morning 1 driving local flatbed home every night then 2nd call was for another somewhat local flatbed job but id have to move back to Alabama, but the 1st isn't 100% ill find that out tomorrow but if it falls threw ill prolly go with PTL

 

I'm thinking about putting an app in with PTL due to possibly needing a refresher done. My only gripe is having to do team driving after my training period is done.

 

How long has it been since you drove? I've been gone from trucking 3 1/2 months, but they got me in for a 2 day orientation.

 

I got my CDL in 12/2012. A week ago I quit a company's hazmat chemical tanker position after 3 days of training. I decided hazmat tanker just wasn't for me right now and that I'd start with dry van. I did a lil research and found out that PTL does offer refreshers for ppl in my situation, however I will have to go out with a trainer for several weeks which is fine. But after that I would be required to do team driving with another driver for a certain length of time before they would upgrade me to solo status. That's a deal breaker for me.

 

I feel you on that! I turned down down Super Service LLC, cause they wanted me to do 2-5 wks with a trainer b4 going solo. I have no interest in being crammed in a truck with some random person assigned to me. Especially when I'm used to being in the truck by myself. It was small enough just with me & my stuff. But good luck with whichever company you end up choosing. I worked at Schneider National for 8 months, they were a good company (even though they let me go cause I messed up) you might wanna give them a shot.

 

I drove for PTL recently, and do not recommend them - especially if you have options. In the five months I drove for PTL I experienced:

1. Driving approximately 7,000 miles for free. This is the difference in my truck's odometer miles and the paid miles shown on my weekly pay stub. They claim to pay HHG miles, but when I asked for their source of HHG route miles, they refused to provide it.
2. Their website claims the average home time for company drivers is "6-10 days out." This is absolutely untrue. PTL pushes a 26 days out/4 days home policy, and company drivers cannot even request home time until they've been out for six days.
3. They only pay .33/mile for miles west of the Mississippi River, regardless of your experience or pay rate for miles east of the river.
4. Their detention/layover/equipment down time policies are ridiculous; my truck was recently in the shop for six days; for that six days I received $140 ($35/day, after the first two days).
5. Inconsistent miles; I would get 2500 miles one week, followed by three weeks of sub-2,000 mile weeks. When I called Driver Services to voice my concern, they blamed my low miles on my having the audacity to take my most recent home time at the end of the month - despite the fact that I had been on the road for almost three weeks when I called.

I could go on and on, but the bottom line is that I recommend going with another company if possible.

Finally, I quit PTL when I'd finally had enough of their abuse. They talk a good game, but I experienced far too much uncompensated time to stay.

 

Wow, you have 6 posts and all of them are negative..

 

One mo' time....

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