All large companies are bad

You are correct in that statement, I misunderstood what you were saying and agree with that. I have always bought at mom and pop stores even though it cost a little more (and I do mean little) the price difference is not worth the hassle of manuvering around wally world. With that said we can never change trucking if we do not stand up to the companies cutting rates off the drivers backs.

 

How do you get that one year experience except for the driver mill employers such as Swift, Crete, USX, etc...


I was not pointing to driver mills as being bad, I was pointing to the general rule companies have adopted that to compete they must ride on the drivers back. The driver mill started around 15 years ago with JB Hunt after the CDL became law. Before that you had to either have family or a friend willing to train you, or find a company willing to train you. You went to the revenue dept paid $11.00 to get a choufure (cant spell) license and were off. When the CDL was put in place companies had to find a way to train driversand so the in-house training sprang up. (This was 1990). At that time alot of small companies started their own and contrary to popular opinion new drivers are pretty safe, for the first year. They do have minor accidents but as I told them (I worked accidents for 5 years) I did not worry about them for 6 months, after that they statred thinking they could drive. The major accidents tended to involve drivers with 5+ years exp. The driver mills are as you stated purly an insurance carrier requirement. The insurance company dictates a companies hiring policy, and the only ones who can afford to pay the rates are the driver mills.
Older drivers had to pay dues also, $100.00 fine for being late on an appointment, drive 600 mile then told to drive another 500 by morning or your fired. Taking speed to stay awake was common, the cb radio was full of dealers. Drivers with a case of beer in a cooler between their seat. Yes there was good things then, DOT didn't hassle as much, fewer weigh stations, you were not looked upon as a revenue source (except in certain towns or counties) but not the unstated policy of an entire state. Drivers helped each other. Courtesy ruled the road (mostly).
I feel sorry for all drivers today new or old hand. The filth of s++t being thrown out, drivers who take 2 parking spots, restrictions on everything, companies who worry more about the stock holder and assume drivers do not need to see their family.
I HATE unions as do most drivers who have delivered to a union plant and have set watching while the last pallet they need to leave sets on a forklift 5 feet from trailer for 30 min as the "worker" is joking with his friend then goes to lunch for an hour. But I think the time is comming where we need to form a new union (I do not trust teamsters).
Good luck, pay attention to what drivers say, research a company, and set down with your wife if you have one or yourself if not and write down all the points you want in a job befaore you take it. Talk to a recruiter armed with your list, walk if the job is not for you and keep looking. If the promise from the recruiter is different than the orentiation, leave before thay hire you.

 

"Naysayers like landmine don't like them and never will for reasons only they and others of their ilk understand."


Pointing out how these companies harm new drivers, rip them off, treat them like cattle makes us "ilk" then I will happily wear that miniker.
Since it is wrong to stand for fair treatment of another person, to show the harm these driver mills do to the industry as a whole makes us "ilk" I think I need to create a patch we can wear to proclaim to the world how proud we are to be designated as suck.
Ilk's forever! :smt026