Heartland Express - I was asking for it.

I want to preface this by saying I took the offer extended by Heartland Express out of desperation. So everything that happened in the three months I was there, I guess I deserved it. Well, most of it.

I was given an offer by Heartland where I was home every weekend. It was strictly a Florida and Georgia running area. Sounds great on the surface, considering my mother is battling cancer. Being home every weekend sounded like a great idea. Until you realize you're only going to make .34/mile. If I were to have taken the Jacksonville regional, I would have made a whopping .04/mile more, but no guarantee of the hometime. So I took the pay hit in exchange for the hometime, citing my mothers' battle with cancer.

This past Monday (7/28 ), I received word from my mothers' oncologist that although her condition has improved, she needs someone at home full time. Being I'm the only family member within 100 miles capable of taking care of her, I sacrificed the job for taking care of her. Since I was still under dispatch by Heartland since the previous Friday (they usually send out preplans on Friday for a Monday appointment), I was forced to pick up the load. It was at Sonoco Products in Orlando, going to Savannah. I called Heartland with the news that I was quitting, saying I would pick up the load, take it as far as Jacksonville, then turn in the truck there at the terminal. The office agreed.

So I get there for my 5pm appointment and get loaded up without issue. When I pull out of there, I get as far as the intersection then the truck just dies. Completely dies in the middle of a rather busy intersection at that hour in Orlando. The truck wouldn't even turn over, as if the batteries just decided to give up at that moment. A phone call to the breakdown department and thirty minutes later, the wrecker arrives, pulls me out of the intersection, and hooks up the whole vehicle, truck and trailer. Another phone call to dispatch later, and I was instructed to take the loaded trailer to the Orlando drop yard and drop it there, which the wrecker and I did. Now with just the truck, I was towed to the international shop in Orlando and arrived at around 7pm.

Now here's where I'll eat crow and admit I was wrong. Once the truck was dropped off at the shop to be repaired, since I had given my notice earlier in the day, I was, at that moment, no longer an employee of Heartland Express. I couldn't even get a hotel room out of them, even though I had no way home, fifty miles away. They had every right to do that, but one might think a little human courtesy and compassion would rule the day. I guess Heartland thought otherwise.

 

They don't call them "Heartless Express" for nothing.

 

Yep. Now I know why. I kind of had that feeling when I told them about mom's cancer, even from the start of employment. They sounded disinterested and hollow.

 

They are really spamming the crap out of Craigslist for drivers. LOL

 

I see them a lot, they get a bunch of drivers with that whoppin .52 CPM and 1000 miles a week

 

I suspect many of the truly larger operations would have all pretty much acted the same way. It's not until you work your way into the under-200 truck carriers where you can expect anything that resembles a "family atmosphere" and compassion for the 'newer' drivers.

Hope everything goes as well for both of you as you can reasonably expect. I know things are going to get rough at times in the months to come.

 

You gotta own this one all over the board. You chose to go there, you quit there too. They did what they could do. And they did it. Now, any other company would have gotten you home. This is Scumbag Express. They will do nothing of the sort. Best to you and your mom.





By the way, those Gordon drivers who told me that I didn't know what I was talking about when I said Heartland was a scumbag outfit, here you go. Enjoy it steering wheel holders.

 

Wow...just wow.

 

If the guy had an attitude and quit because he told them they were scumbags, ok, don't worry about getting him home. His mom has cancer for Christ's sake. That is such a scumbag move.

 

They've been lighting up my email and phone for weeks asking if I'm interested...if haven't answered, take a hint...but seems they can't but I wouldn't even consider them if they were last co around.