PTL is treating me VERY POORLY

It's not actually required, a lot of drivers go out 2 wks then home 2 days. But if you call in asking to get more miles, they'll refer you to Driver Support who'll explain this plan they have called the Big 5. Part of the Big 5 is to be home every 1st weekend of the month, when freight is lowest. Then stay out the rest of the month, and that'll get the planners attention so they'll recognize you as top runner, and supposedly give you better runs to keep you moving on the weekends, instead of ones that you can get there on Fri, Sat, or Sun.. but have to wait til the receiver opens on Mon.

 

Don't talk to me like I'm some kind of weak dumb ### b!tch. I'll quit when I want, if I want. Already have back up plans, but trying to give PTL at least 1 year, and I'm almost 11 months in. Before at Schneider, I was told we could not refuse loads (unless they were overweight limit, or hazmat) although they were good about getting me home on time or within a couple days at worst. So I didn't think that was an option at PTL either. Plus, they've said before "just accept the load and we'll arrange a swap along the way" They used to be good about that too. But the last 4 months, they have not. As for pushing me around, and me not standing up for things I want/need, you just don't seem to have a clue how much I've already been doing that. But I can only do so much without just having to give up and quit. I'm not all ####### like passin thru over there seems to think. In fact I'm already over this, and feeling good again. This was one of the rare weeks where the planners actually kept me moving 8 days in a row, I ran well over 3,000mi and now I'm outta hrs. It just happened to be at the time when I was planning to be home, and attend my appts. I'm in Minneapolis now, next load's going to Laredo TX. I'll just get home when I do. What good would refusing this load do? I live in Georgia.

And if I want to come on here to get some stress off my chest by writing out what bothers me, along with letting other drivers who might want to work here, know how it goes down, then I'll come here and give them the full Truth. I learned a lot from this forum before I came to PTL, and I appreciate it.

 

And for all of you saying, I should hop in whatever truck I can get... NO! My personal preference is to have a nice truck with all the goods I want/need, and waiting a few more days for it to be fixed, than to make the huge effort of stuffing it all in a company van, or another driver's truck, and then hoping PTL will even get me into a different truck several days later. Where do I put my stuff in the meantime? And if they did have an older, crappier, torn up one, with many more miles, how is that better than waiting a few extra days to get my nice truck back? Not to mention, I never knew how long it'd take to get outta the shop. Or that'd it'd keep having problem after problem, over the course of the last 4-5 months. And on that 20 day stint, the shop kept saying it'd be ready the next day, so I thought why pack up and go to Murray, if it'll be ready tmrw? Especially since I was in Murray the month before for 8 days str8, and only shown 3 trucks, all in terrible condition compared to mine. I'm still in mine now, and it's been red-flagged for service over 11days. I have to pull over and do PARK'D REGEN REQUIRED's every day for 30mins or so. And when I do finally get home, they're having me take it into an Intl Dealer in my city. I'm okay with this. But if I can get into one of the new Cascadia's, then I'd prefer that. I feel worthy and deserving of it, with how well I've done for them so far.

Some of you act like our 2011 Cascadia's would run better than my 2012 Prostar.. well not the few I've seen. They're a definite downgrade. I'll keep my truck before I downgrade here, its worth it to me. But considering how well of a job I've done for them, I thought they'd upgrade me. That's how they do at Schneider, and a few other companies I've heard about. Plus good interior condition is important to me, unlike y'all who'll take whatever nasty, dirty, smokey, torn up truck you can get into.

 

Well you're right about not knowing me, or what my priorities are. What's important to you, may be less important to me, and vice versa. But you're wrong to think or talk about yourself as just "a dumb truck driver."

 

My nice truck was the main thing I liked most about PTL, and what kept me here this long. The constant engine troubles of late are unfortunate. But eventually maybe they'll fix the last problem with it, and it'll run properly until I do come across an UPGRADE, like I've planned on. It's just taking longer than I originally foresaw. Not really my fault, I was lied to and misled.

Your welcome to come work here, and take whatever truck they give you. I'm just letting you know more about the inner operations here.

 

GTFOH with that ambercrombie shiitt hahaa! Man y'all are crackin me up with all these false judgements you keep throwin my way. But about being spoiled, I don't know.. my 1st job b4 here at Schneider I got an '08 Freightliner Columbia with 849K miles on it, super p.o.s. I won't go into all the problems that thing gave me. Then after 3 months they upgraded me to a '10 Columbia, which was better but still sucked balls compared to this '12 Intl Prostar. And yes it does have a crappforce engine. And I'd still rather stay with it, while losing out some pay like I did, than downgrade to a crappier truck. None of the times I was at an Intl dealer, did they tell me it'd take so long. It was always a day-to-day type of situation. After the 20 day ordea thoughl, yeah I'll be more prepared next time I go to a dealer for repairs. But yes, since I'm single with no kids, and I pay all my bills near the beginning of each month instead of last minute, I could afford to wait on breakdown pay. I wasn't making any money, but I wasn't losing any money either.. UNTIL I found out they cut me off, after it was too late to make a different decision. Anyway I'm tired of coming on here, explaining shiitt and defending myself. How many of y'all even work at PTL nowadays? Fukk it nevermind!

 

Oh yeah, I also love that all their trucks have APU's. Long story, but that's a big deal to me after working at Schneider without an APU and having it effect my quarterly bonus, and annual pay raise potential. Plus the fact that all PTL's trucks are about to be 2012 and newer is nice too. But just from reading this entire thread, you could learn that there will be problems here too, just depends on if they're the type of problems you prefer, over the problems at other companies. Because as far as I've read, heard, and learned, there are problems with EVERY company. Just some worse than others

Btw, does anyone have any recommendations for better companies and reasons why they're better, than just telling me to quit? Like that'll solve all my problems...