Running with JCT, Part Deux

Hey ya'll I have spoken to Holly and am leaning more towards an orientation date. Reading some reviews from other drivers prompted more questions. Is there any questions you wished you asked before going to orientation that you didn't? Were any of you told one thing on the phone and then something else in orientation? There are a few things I look for in a company such as honesty, integrity and consistency before I commit 10+ years of my life to them. Any replies would be welcome, one thing I've learned is to talk to drivers and ask a lot of questions. Thanks for any info!

 

Just keep this in mind.......while they try to give you as accurate of information as possible, things sometimes don't work out that way. There have been guys that have accused recruiting of lying, but it was more of not hearing EVERYTHING that was said.

Overall, you should get a straight up speech from recruiting. They will also give you ALL INFORMATION NEEDED (PROCEEDURES, INFO, ETC.). It is up to YOU to read all paperwork thoroughly and ask any questions now (or in orientation) so you don't have any "surprises" later.

Bottom line: this is YOUR business and you should treat it as such. Make decisions that are best for your bottom line. I personally don't agree with everything JCT recommends and do my own thing when making decisions.

Couple of things you should NEVER/ALWAYS do:

1. STAY PROFFESIONAL - just because you don't get your way in a situation is not an excuse to act like a 5 year old. You will get loads that you absolutely hate.....it happens to all of us. Just do the load and move on. You get paid for EVERYTHING you do.

2. NEVER TURN DOWN A LOAD!!!! - PERIOD. Nothing to add to that.

3. BE AWARE OF FUEL PRICES ON YOUR ROUTE - Just because JCT recommends fuel stops doesn't mean its the best choice.

4. SLOW DOWN - Just because the truck goes a certain speed, doesn't mean you have to bump that governor. Trucks are geared differently, so regardless of which truck you get, keep your RPMs between 1100-1300 at all times. It is very realistic to get 8 MPG or more ( I do).

5. PAID MILES ISN'T NECESSARILY THE BEST ROUTE - Look at alternative routes. Longer may be faster. Longer may mean better fuel economy based on type of roads, terrain, better fuel prices, etc. Look at EVERYTHING. Sometimes its better to go out of route 75 miles to get that cheap fuel. (you can save almost $0.80/gallon)

6. ALWAYS ASK QUESTIONS WHEN IN DOUBT - Your DM is there for YOU. While DMs don't give you your loads, they are your advocate.

7. KEEP UPDATED BY COMING IN HERE - There is a wealth of information in here.

8. IF THIS IS YOUR 1ST LEASE VENTURE, CONSIDER GETTING A MENTOR IMMEDIATELY - Having a mentor in no way implies that you don't know what you're doing. It simply puts you in touch with another JCT driver that is successful and can give you tips to save you money.

There is a ton of other stuff I could list.........

 

Only thing I disagree with is never turn down a load. I had to to turn one down because I was out of hours and would not make it. I offered to pick it up and start it but they decided to have me take a diffrent one instead. That is where a call to the dm is helpful. I did not getamentor but I do listen to steel a lot so I guess he is kinda a mentor.

 

Even if you don't have hours, take the load. You'll run what you can and let them swap you out. Maximize your hours.

And yes, I am a mentor here at JCT.

 

Holly is the recruiter that I had and would never return phone calls. I would get an email from her and when I responded I would not get a reply. After a while she would send another email to me and it was the same routine. I guess it was a company generated email. I left messages for someone to call but no luck. Just was not meant to be is all I can figure out.

 

That's my policy too. If I don't have the hours I just say something like; "I don't have the hours to make OTD, but I'll be glad to go pick it up and get it rolling and we can figure out what to do from there." I have found that JCT seems very grateful, as just getting it picked up and moving is what gets the whole process started. They seem to have excellent repower and reschedule abilities to ensure OTD for an HOS issue so long as the load is already rolling, and seem to appreciate that I'm willing to do anything I can with the hours I do have.

 

Another advantage of running a load with low hours is that if they swap you out, chances are you may have less than 600 miles on the trip and you earn an extra $0.03/mile.

 

Ok. So I guess settlements don't run payroll early for Federal Holidays when banks are closed. Just an observation; not a complaint. First place I've been at that didn't do that.

 

Shoulda seen how the last company I was with did it. Different every year and every holiday and didn't tell anybody until the day before they took off. It was whatever payroll felt like doing that particular Holiday. LOL.

 

I'm thankful for my Mule, my friends online, my health, my wits (what little I have), the family (what crazy, Jerry Springer scheitz they are; they are all I have) and peanuts and sweet potatoes. Together or individually. All forms. Great Spirit's perfect foods. Together; BOMBDIGGITY! Throw some dark roast Community Coffee into the blend? What? DONE! Boudain and Dark Brew for brefas and you can color me gone!!

Mamma told me not to come. I did anyways. Danged glad I did. Met a lot of really cool people on the trip. I'm thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving y'all.