what are the benefits to going with a small fleet?

Most smaller companies I found.. Usually hate it if you need to take a day off or get sick/hospitalized. They want that truck running 5 days a week(my case being local with both small companies).
Equipment hasn't been good at all.. I had a decent short nose Pete at my last company and now I have a century that smells and has 1076678 miles on it.. But I've been in it for 7 months.. So maybe I just stink?
I'm home weekends and most every night.. Pay is pretty low on local for my area but the people are great. I mean superb! That makes up for a lot but at the end of the day.. You work to earn not to make friends. So ill most likely go back to hauling fuel and be home every night but work 7 days a week. Gotta feed the wife and kids at the end of the day.

 

but but but i got to pick out color of my next truck
you got to pick which red one the dirty or clean one

 

Buy a can of Lysol as your ready to go home for a few day turn heater on and empty can in vents leave windows closed when you come back to work all bacteria and most of the smell will gone ... You may want to check in panels under dash for water damage from windshield leak which can cause a rotten smell and corrode wiring

 

Your right about that lol

If I could pick something out for our next truck it would be windows in the sleeper. Our dogs loved looking out the window when we had the ProStar.

 

When I've worked for smaller companies the thing that stands out in comparison to working for a mega is I never did drop and hooks for smaller companies. They just didn't have the capital to invest in trailers. Therefore everything is loading or unloading by appointment. The bottom line is that even if they were able to dispatch you to perfection you still end up waiting for appointments, then waiting to get loaded or unloaded.

You get more miles working at a mega with drop and hooks, no doubt about it.

As others have already noted, if you have a good gig with a mega don't toss it aside simply because the "play book" is you should leave after a year for a smaller company. With all the Swift bashing on this forum and talk of high turnover I expected to find a lot of drivers here with months of experience with the company. Instead I've found a high percentage of the drivers have been here for years. It's not uncommon at terminals to meet drivers that have been with the company more than 10 years.

Within large companies are a variety of opportunities to make more money and/or be home more often. Take advantage of them. Meanwhile keep your eyes and ears open for alternatives, but make sure if you leave your move is improving your situation.

 

LOL

I don't usually make blanket statements (like you just posted) but, in this case I will..


There isn't a mega on this planet that can run with us or out run us...


and that I guarantee..



Where is 'olhand ?? I'm sure he would get good laugh out of your post..

 

Well Mike--while I do understand where you are coming from--I also understand--you can make that statement--because YOU are one of those OUTLAW chicken hauler's--that make it harder on--upstanding safe company drivers---such as MYSELF...If Im not mistaken--you posted recently how you're last trip was about 4900 miles in 5 1/2 days--while my last trip was only 4300...and took me the full 6days to accomplish---course I had 12 drops---which does kinda prove out--that if I could drop and hook-(like the big boys)-I surely could have done better--and probably would get a nice new truck--instead of being forced to drive this 12 y/o Very long--hard to get around #### Petercar with 1.6 million miles on it....There really is NO Justice in the world........

 

Benefits of choosing a small fleet are many. To begin with, being small in size, their only motive is to meet client demands. They have flexible fleet management skills, they can customize their fleet according to client needs. Since there are less vehicles in the fleet, the vehicles are well maintained.

 

some are some not
my boss trades trucks every 3 years
his son does DOT inspection every trip (10 days)
2014 Great Dane Trailer with disc brakes
but he is a sorry SOB just like me