Calark just my .02 cents

I have been with Calark for over 2 years. I enjoy my job here, everyone from dispatch to safety treats the drivers well. Communication is good throughout the company. Trips overall are planned with enough time to legally do them, if not appointments are changed or loads are swapped. We are all on elogs for better or worse if you work here you will run legal. We do a lot of long trips to Laredo its not unusual to get 1200 to 1400 mile trips. I think they claim 2800 miles per week average, which in my experience is about the norm. For quite a while I have been reading threads on other companies and shake my head at what some drivers go through. I think that is what has compelled me to write a little in regard to Calark. looking through the threads I didn't find any real useful info in regards to the company. I will be keeping an eye on this thread and would be glad to answer any questions about the company. Maybe some other drivers will join in. Happy Posting

 

I guess one of the next big questions would be the trucks. They bought new trucks last year and this year, I don't have any idea how many but it seems like a lot of them. last year they bought kenworths, and prostars, this year strictly prostars. All the new trucks have the smaller sleepers on them. The pro stars have the electric apus. the kenworths have some sort of idle by degree setting. Not sure what the degrees are with the kenworths. I drive one of the new pro stars and love it. The truck drives great and the apu is better than a diesel powered one imo. The batteries last around 8 hours normally. The truck does have an auto start button when the batteries get to low it idles so no worries on my end whether its hot or cold. All trucks are governed at 65 mph and have automatic trannys. I know a lot of you say no way. Ive driven both and prefer the automatic. yes its slower on take off, but man it makes the rush hours we face each day so much easier. Well been off three days, got to get back on the road tomorrow. I have no idea where I will be headed, but will continue to post more info as I think about it. Or maybe someone will ask so I don't feel all alone in here. lol

 

1st day back from hometime. Got a load that picked up 173 miles from home In Greenville sc delivers tomorrow in temperance michigan. Drop and hook on both ends. Not a bad way to get started. Sure hope others start posting soon.

 

Got empty yesterday in temperance michigan. Parked at the pilot in Toledo to wait on my next dispatch. The next load picked up between 0700 and noon today in mentor ohio. Then delivers between 0900 and 1600 on Monday in Laredo tx. 141 deadhead and 1584 loaded miles. Great weekend load.

 

I am at .37 per mile. Stay out two weeks and go home two days. The trucks are governed at 65 mph. The time off is pretty standard one day off for every 7 out. You can stay out for a month and take off 4 days if you want to. They do make every effort to get you home on time. Just another reason I stay here.

 

Made it to Laredo about 1430 Sunday. After a nice looong break I am sitting at the dock waiting for a live unload. Most of the time we come down and go to the calark yard for a trailer inspection the drop the trailer at the rec. the. Bobtail back to the yd for our next load. Not this time though. Who knows where I will be going next.

 

Monday I decided it would be best to get my cracked windshield fixed before the three day dot blitz. That ended up taking all day. I got a dispatch last night with a load to clevland tn. Delivers 1000 Thursday. 1128 miles. Nothing wrong with that

 

Got empty today in Cleveland tn. Then got a dispatch to pick up in Carrollton ga 135 d/h and deliver in Texarkana tx by 1500 Friday. Made it over to Winfield al. Running recap hours now oh the joys of trucking. I sure hope others will jump in here so I don't feel like I am talking to myself. Lol