Schneider National Carriers - Green Bay, Wi.

Discussion in 'Discuss Your Favorite Trucking Company Here' started by Anonymous, Jan 22, 2005.

  1. PortlandDriver

    PortlandDriver RIP, May You Be Heaventown Bound!

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    May 30, 2005
    Pacific Northwest
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    DieselMedia, what I have found through my experience in trucking is that there are at LEAST three factors that maintain a company;

    1) The company is custermer oriented. That meaning is that the employee (the driver) takes the back seat to what is demanded by the account. What the account wants is a demand and nothing else matters.

    2) A given company is "hungry" and will take a load that pays the best in relation to the general average that the company is seeing, that being going into grocery wearhouses.

    3) A company is driver oriented and has people in upper management that has been or is still carrying a CDL and knows what is to be on the road and is at least understands what it takes to finish the job instead of unloading the job on the underlings.

    Hope this clears some things up, if not go ahead and sound off...
     
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  3. TurboTrucker

    TurboTrucker Road Train Member

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    Feb 23, 2005
    Rossville, Georgia
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    This very issue is one of the biggest problems that is occuring with the intrusion of Corporate America into trucking, and an extreme pet peeve of mine.

    Growth. That's all they think about. Growing a company is a fine thing, if done as it should be. The problem is, that when you have investors to answer to, and with them constantly expecting a return on their investment each and every quarter, something I feel is unrealistic to expect, over time those in charge of delivering returns spend all their energies producing profit by increasing revenue through growth, when they could produce the same thing through stabilization FIRST, then gradually growing a company while maintaining stability.

    Swift has bucked all the odds. I expected them to fold two years ago. They spent five years swallowing up competition after competition, and it almost got them. They were in serious trouble for awhile, and fixed this by adopting another strategy that has almost sunk them more than once. They began to utilize inexperienced drivers to shore up profits. By hiring them cheap, and exploiting them to the maximum that is allowed by law, they have managed to survive.

    Their safety management, and reputation suffers throughout the industry, but not much of this filters back to those that could most resist this. The investors seem to be oblivious, or it would seem so. With the ousting of Jerry Moyes, this company may actually have a chance to improve it's image and stability. Time will tell.

    See...I toot Schneider's horn for several reasons. They took a bold step to concentrate on retention of drivers, rare for a large company, and it has worked wonders in all aspects. Their reputation has improved. Their safety ratings are currently phenominal, and they have cut turnover rates in half. I have every reason to suspect that this has trancended into a much healthier bottom line for them as well.

    I've been to your site. I was impressed with it. I can't remember how I discovered it. I think I was combing through the web site addy's that members offer sometimes when they create identities for the forum and found it.

    I think you are on to something that could benefit the industry tremendously. While there always needs to be a way for people to enter the industry, there also needs to be companies that are looking for serious, safety minded drivers, that deserve to be seen for the value they can represent and add to a company.

    At the same time, I'd like to see drivers take a bit more care in selecting companies and jobs that offer long term prospects, so that both employer and employee are satisfied.

    I'd like to see more movement by companies, to offer flexible positions and terms to employees, in order to lock in good people, and keep them satisfied. This one size fits all approach has never worked, and the burden should be to maximize profit potential through maximum utilization of equipment AND drivers, rather than concentrating on keeping a truck rolling as constantly as can be.

    OTR drivers understand, for the most part, that their job requires extensive travel and time away from home, but at the same time, most of these drivers DO have a life outside of the truck, and companies should strive to maximize use of a driver while he is available, and structure time off schedules for drivers, and honor them.

    Most of all, I embrace the teamwork concept, and feel that no one position throughout a company is more valuable than another, but a sense of mutual respect for each other is essential, and it should be everyone's goal to help each other meet the demands of their job, the customer, and a little give and take should be expected by all. Dishonesty, disrespect, and egos need to be left at home. I know how hard this is to achieve some days, but without any effort to work together on a daily basis, the losses will kill a company overnight.

    And thank you for your thoughts as well. Please feel free to participate in our discussions.
     
  4. JohnnyWad

    JohnnyWad Bobtail Member

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    Dec 21, 2005
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    bb king,

    So what was the total length, from the first day at schneider for training to the day you got your own truck?

    I am planning on sign up w/ schneider in the new year.

    Thanks for your help.
     
  5. skullitor

    skullitor Medium Load Member

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    Aug 5, 2005
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    I've been with the MIGHTY PUMPKIN for 8 years. Still Proud To Be a MEMBER OF THE ORANGE ARMY!!! 8)
     
  6. MACK E-6

    MACK E-6 Moderator Staff Member

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    Baltimore, MD
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    Hey Skull,

    How do those guys do that pull doubles around for Schneider?
     
  7. Oldes68

    Oldes68 Bobtail Member

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    Mar 6, 2006
    Idaho
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    did you go through the training in Green Bay? When I first got into driving, I went to school with Schneider in Green Bay. They had a parking lot that they put a teflon coating on and then soaked it with water and then allowed you to drive a car, tractor and then a tractor and trailer. These vehicles had the ability to lock any wheel as to simulate a skid. I do think at the time Schneider had a top notch driving school program. back then all schneider had was cabover Internationals. My first truck was a 1982 International 9200 cabover I think. Back then they were mainly left over from the union guys. Glad you like them, I was very happy to start with them when I left the Army.
     
  8. MACK E-6

    MACK E-6 Moderator Staff Member

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    Sep 19, 2005
    Baltimore, MD
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    Now he's with "The Orange Army". :p
     
  9. skullitor

    skullitor Medium Load Member

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    Hey B.B.King Any updates?
     
  10. skullitor

    skullitor Medium Load Member

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    Aug 5, 2005
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    We don't pull doubles Mack.Atleast I've never seen them.
     
  11. PortlandDriver

    PortlandDriver RIP, May You Be Heaventown Bound!

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    May 30, 2005
    Pacific Northwest
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    YThe Wilsonville OC had a set of pups when I was with SNI, but it was used to store used tires or other suplies. Schneider does not use sets for general freight.
     
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