Benton Express, Inc. - Jacksonville, Fla.

Well then, while I appreciate honesty, and I am prone to dishing the same out myself from time to time, what I do not want to see happen in this forum, is to have one poster jump all over another for what they post, and to attempt to diminish the poster in ANY manner.

What you do not care about, may be very interesting to someone else. Please keep this in mind. No one is asking you to lie. Just consider that while you may hold an opinion, other have the right to theirs as well.

The poster above was offering his personal reference to a company he worked for, and I found it very believable.

Many of us do care and spend a great deal of time to this site for reasons of wanting to stop the crap that is a part of what is dragging this industry down, and to help guide people into avoiding the pitfalls that are a part of this industry.

One of the specific goals that this forum is geared towards, is to allow reference to the good and bad carriers that we, as drivers have become involved with from time to time.

We encourage these posts, and if there are facts that are to be disputed, then by all means we encourage that as well, but I can't wait to find out from you or anyone else, IF there was an insult intended in a response, and therefore, if it looks like an insult, it will be deleted, because that's the way we play it in here. We can disagree, and we can hold opposite opinions, but we will try at all times to be nice and decent to one another.

To address your specific points, the REASON complaints can fill 53 foot vans reaching to Saturn is simply because there is a great deal of discontentment out there, and I for one, happen to think that we CAN change that. I in fact, think that by working together to inform others of the problems that exist, we CAN force companies to act ethically towards the drivers, or be forced to find another way to make a living.

Truckers singing in whatever key loudly and strongly enough will get results. Companies that are eventually known to all to be bad eggs, will eventually stop getting applications from people, and then what? They either start singing a different song themselves, or there's nothing to sing but a new song called the "Closed Door Blues".

I can understand that, but read what the man wrote up there. This was a pointed description of conditions that he experienced while working for a company. If I, as a driver, who may be considering going to work for Benton Express, and having read that, do you think I would be more or less inclined to pick up the phone and call them, after reading it?

No thanks....I'll look elsewhere.

THAT'S what we are about. We want to help people discover the good and the bad of working for carriers, be it in general or specific terms.

EVERY motor carrier has the right to delve into YOUR history and work background, and what do WE have, as a tool to find out about THEM? Nothing....nothing that is, but the right to freely interact in various ways to discover the bad or good about them as employers. If you've been around for any length of time, and based on some of your posts I think you have, you KNOW that the quality of a trucking company can be anything from great to lower than dirt, and drivers have the RIGHT to find out where a company falls within that wide spectrum, when they are considering them as a prospect. This is our form of DAC/USIS on the companies.

I disagree, and I'll tell you why. There are several hundred thousands of motor carriers out there, and most are never written about in negative terms. When you DO read a few negatives, it's easy to overlook, because as you say, sour grapes from one driver can or may be discounted. But what if you have HUNDREDS of testimonies that are negative? Can you so easily overlook those as just being "sour grapes"?

What about all the other carriers that are NEVER written about? I went to work for one recently that had NOTHING, NOWHERE written negatively about them, and I am thrilled to work for them today. I know that this is a job that I will like for some time to come, and hopefully will work at right up to to retirement.

Look...where there is smoke, there usually is fire. I am quite able to sort out sour grapes from credible offerings. I think that most people can as well. I don't accept that the trucking industry has to involve my being miserable to work within it, and I don't think anyone else has to either. I DO understand how some people arrive at that conclusion, but a little work and devotion to overcoming it is all it takes to find a suitable job, and that is what we as a collective group, are trying to achieve.

That's fantastic, and it proves that this system works. I appreciate the fact that you did this, but then I am forced to ask you why you discount what this man above had to offer? Just because you didn't work for Benton Express, doesn't mean his offerings were not credible. I happen to believe every word he wrote, and this is because I know for a fact, how scummy some of those Florida based carriers can get, and how far they will stretch a driver to make a buck.

Some of what he offered is supported by SaferSystem as well. They have an inordinately high amount of haz-mat violations in their history. They have an ISS-2 of 94. I see nothing in what he wrote to write off as sour grapes, as you have.

The proof comes in numbers, if there is nothing else to support it. One driver with a negative report is easily overlooked, and without my even looking, I'll bet if I scan the boards across the web, I'll find at least a dozen on my first sweep on this company, if not more.

The proof is also in doing research to discover if what one writes is supported by safety statistics, lawsuits aginst the company, and by seeking other opinions and testimonies. I don't usually do this, but I'm going to put in the time to give this company my full attention, to see what I can dig up. Give me a week to get it done.

Well think about this for a minute. Until the first posting, there was no history whatsoever in this forum on NEMF. What happened as soon as it was posted? It became a hot topic.

You didn't even give this guy a chance. You're ready to discount everything he wrote, because I gather, YOU haven't worked there. I don't think that this is even remotely fair, do you?

Well...let me be brutally honest and frank as well. I don't want your apologies, and in fact I didn't request one. I want you to lay off posting remarks to others that may be taken as an insult...period. It simply will not be tolerated in here, and that's the bottom line.

I hope you will learn to appreciate the fact that just because you don't or have not had any personal interaction with a certain company, that the person who offers a report on them, deserves to be demeaned in any manner or discounted, unless there is reason to do so.

 

TurboTrucker says/quotes me:

Quote: from Rerun8963
in the board "report a bad trucking company", refering to the thread:"New England Motor Freight of Harrisburgh, Pa", you will see that i was responding to the original poster, "HONKINONBOBO77". I WAS a NEMF employee, and therefore i could honestly back-up just about everything he claimed (said) about NEMF. i went on to prove (at least to him) by giving terminal location numbers (02 for Pawtucket,RI) (01 for Elizabeth, NJ) as examples. since he is/was an employee of NEMF, he could quickly see that i was on the level with my responses.

TurboTrucker's response:
"That's fantastic, and it proves that this system works. I appreciate the fact that you did this, but then I am forced to ask you why you discount what this man above had to offer? Just because you didn't work for Benton Express, doesn't mean his offerings were not credible. I happen to believe every word he wrote, and this is because I know for a fact, how scummy some of those Florida based carriers can get, and how far they will stretch a driver to make a buck."

i can find it somewhat easy to discount some statements as "sour grapes" due to my many years of road driving, teaching, and hearing "sob stories" from individuals who seem to all "lump into" the same catagory of complaining about truck driving. we all have bad days, experiences, etc, and we all biotch about them, daily in fact. it's just the same ol'-same ol' story over and over again. i do not prohibit someone's (so-called) right(s) to speak out at any time, but if we were to sit down and read through the trucking magazines, or talk with some truckers at a local truck stop, what do we hear......?? sour grapes.

i don't prohibit the original poster from making his comments, but if he personally could back up his complaints, as i did with the Harrisburgh, Pa (#70 term) driver, then i would find his story more plausable. till then, these complaints (unless "backed up") by other drivers willing to get involved in the "conversations", and have actually worked for the company in question, will have to be taken as "sour grapes", at least by me, if no one else. i will respect anyone else's thoughts, opinions, etc, but mine have to be respected as well.

you or any one else can "percieve" an insult, but you gotta actually prove an insult took place, otherwise you would be no better yourself for "assuming" something that never took place, then for that, you would/should have to "step down" from board moderating duties, and let someone more knowledgable take over, who can read the proper meanings of a person's comments/statements.

 

thank you, thank you.

i knew for sure that you were not insulted. remember, as i did say, you'll (or anyone) will know when an insult is thrown at you.

i just wish that at least one more driver will back up your story, but till then, no problem. and yes, (although i'd rather) wrestle Heather Locklear, or Shania Twain, or Faith Hill, or Naomi Watts, or Nicole Kidman, in the mud instead.

and ENJOY the showers afterwards..............!!!!!!!


P.S.

people will just have to get to "know me" before they assume anything in the way i "speak". its just the way i am.........honestly (brutal or otherwise)......

 

Okay, let's get down to just FOUR of the specifics of this complaint.

"If there are no weigh stations between stops .Count on being over loaded to a point of dangerous."

"I have been ask to transport drivers in a folding chair (Only one seat in my tract.)

"Move New tractors without any paper work across state lines."

"Forced to move hazmat with out proper placards.(No placards available 3AM)."

Do those sound like typical complaints that are read about in the trucking magazines? You're reading publications that I have not read then. I do not want to work for a company that would ask me to do ANY of those things above. I don't think that there are many other people that would either.

I tried the nice approach, so let's be a more direct.

Why do you think that you have the right to make any written determination in this forum, as to what is credible or incredible? You do not.

I most certainly respect your opinion, but this does not transcend into allowing you to express it, if for some reason it may be viewed as objectionable on any level as determined by the people who moderate this board.

I think that is clear enough.

You and I are not going to get along, are we? Hey...it happens every now and then. This has grown out of a simple request for you to please leave a certain type of comment to yourself, and I don't think I was out of line in that request, even if THIS particular poster was not "insulted" by the comment that I found objectionable. Sooner or later, you will insult someone if allowed to continue to offer those type of comments.

I find that your comment was on par with calling someone a liar. Why did you do this? Because no one else chimed in IMMEDIATELY to substantiate his story, and because you have no personal knowledge of whether or not what he states is true. Do you have any idea how arrogant that sounds?

Friend, I drafted the rules for this forum and the Terms Of Use policies for the site. You can read them by clicking here and at the bottom of the page for either one you desire to read:

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/viewtopic.php?t=921

Pay particular attention to point number 8.

If you have any disagreement with my moderating, please feel free to contact the site administrator. You're equally free to nominate yourself for the position, and have me removed, if you feel that is necessary.

 

Maybe you weren't. I commend you on your thick skin. Someone else may be insulted under similar circumstances, and that's what I desire to head off, before it happens.

Hmmmm....

Well...I don't happen to think you are relating a "sob story", and I find it rather disturbing to read some of what you wrote about them. Some things haven't changed down in Florida.

 

TurboTrucker says:"You and I are not going to get along, are we?"

and

from #8 in the rules:"The Trucker's Report acknowledges that there will be differing opinions from time to time by it's members, but there is no point that can be made, that cannot be conveyed without resorting to any of the above. Please feel free to offer your opinion, but offer respect when doing so to all others."

-------------------------------------------------------------

we're going to get along just fine, almost like a married couple of umpteen years in fact. (not that either of us are gay of course).

perception is everything to the original poster, not a "third party individual, or entity" much like yourself, or the admins of these boards.

if the original poster claimed "FOUL" then i would have had to back off.

hey, the original poster is literally laughing at us, and i'm laughing as well because apparently its you with the "thin" skin. apparently you have never moderated a board before. well let me tell you, i subscribe to some other boards, and my behavior is right in line with what's been going on at any board. in sharp contrast, its your behavior that's been going off the mark here. i've seen this type of behavior way too many times from "new mods" who get a hair across their ### and think that they are high and almighty over the rest of us simply because now they have "some power" over the rest of us.

as for being a mod myself, no thank you, as it would go to my head as well. as for contacting the admins, not at this time. i'm sure that we'll each "watch" each other from this point on, but to what avail......??

you gota do what some would say to anyone, at any time...."take a chill pill"........there will always be debates, opinions, flamming wars, etc on any message board/forum. its how it ends that matters. and frankly, since i've seen this all before, we're going to get along just fine...........

like a married couple of umpteen years...(not the either of us is gay of course).............

go watch the "stupid bowl"................neither team is my favorite, but i'll take the seahawks by 10 points.................

 

there will indeed always be those willing to work for "chump change".

ordering a driver to do unlawful things happens everyday, its how we handle it that matters.

companies will try to get away with anything, afterall, they will say that the driver is the "captain of the ship, what he does behind our backs....oh well...."

if a driver is still only making 30¢ per mile, or $14.00 per hour, i would say that he is stuck in that job and doesn't know any better to get out, so he's at fault.

respect for drivers is out there, when you find such a job, stick with it, cuz they are few and far between.

some of the gripes that we hear about are what causes some people to go owner-operator and be done with the whole "working for the man" BS, but then again, being an O/O these days is not as profitable as it probably was several years ago, giving the high fuel prices these days.

 

I have skin a foot thick. You're going to have to work VERY hard to rattle my cage.

Your assessment of my moderating skills is meaningless. This isn't your typical trucking board, nor am I a typical moderator. We are not in any way attempting to run a board "like everyone else", and the sooner you realize this, the better off we all will be. People are tired of the environment that can be found in newsgroups and other forums. We get compliments all the time for keeping things civil in here.

I tried to be nice, and I tried to be direct, and it's apparent that you are trying to escalate this even further, and that isn't going to happen.

I have tried very hard to not come across "high and mighty". You want free reign to say what you want, when you want, because that's how it is done everywhere else, and apparently, because that's the way you are.

If what you are seeking is to be obnoxious to people, you certainly know where that type of behavior will be welcomed. It will not be here, and that's just something you will have to deal with. That is a simple rule, and you are free to attempt to circumvent it all you like, but you will not be successful.

I will not have an environment where people are afraid to post for fear of being ridiculed, demeaned, or worse, called liars, WITHOUT GOOD REASON. That's it. Nothing more need to be said. It's on the table. Your choice is to abide by it or not to abide by it.

My goal? I'd like to see us become friends, working together in unison, as equals and without any hardship coming out of this exchange. All I ask is that you honor my request to not post comments that can be construed by ANYONE as an attack, an insult, or an attempt to dismiss their comments as irrelevant or not worth the time to read. That's not your call to make. Okay?

This is what I am attempting to get across to you. Debates and differing opinions are fine and dandy, but flame wars and insults will be kept to an absolute minimum as long as I have any say so in the matter. I've been around in the forum environment for many years, and I know how out of control it can get. I've even been a party to that type of behavior as well, but it ain't gonna happen here....period.