Eastex Crude

This review is for the Cotulla, tx yard. To summarize, new hires are told "Eastex is a great company to work. But trust no one".
If your looking for professionalism, Eastex isn't the place. And it starts with management. There are 2 groups of drivers. Those taking care of and the @#%& list (what company doesn't do that tho). So if you hire on with Eastex, bring your best pair of puckered lips you've got because office politics thrive there. If the word " team player" is used, it means in what way will you as a driver provide free labor. Meaning-washing trucks, mowing, tree trimming, cleaning offices, and so on (most of the time is off the log books and on your DOT day off). Also, in what way do you respect management (provide them with meals, beer after hours, etc. The skies the limit, use your imagination). And then of course the ones with no life outside of Eastex. The unwavering loyalty type, which Eastex is their family. These make up the first group.
This group also has immunity from disciplinary action. For example, when I was there, work had gotten slow. So management put up a sign stating that renegading (loads not dispatched to pull) loads will result in disciplinary action up to termination. What it didn't state was that that only applied to those on list 2 (as grounds to twist their arm and save up dirt on them should they need to start downsizing). Meanwhile those on list 1 had free reign. And if brought up to management, they'd just shrug their shoulders. List 1 has all sorts of privilege's, while list 2 is held to a different standard.
Another example of the separate list. Again, work slowed down. Instead of the ability to make money spread evenly, this is what happens. List 2 starts getting shorted loads (1-3 loads a day). Told daily there's not enough oil to keep busy. In the meantime, list 1 is still getting 4-5 loads and running out of hours on their logs. And yes, I am aware this happens most places. More of just a heads up.
Another thing about management, forget about open communication and an open door policy. When it comes to changing policies, its all by word of mouth. Eastex refuses to put anything in writing. So it may take around 2 weeks before you hear of a policy change, by the time another driver mentions it to you. And if you are on list 2, uh-oh. They just got some more termination dirt on you because the last 2 weeks you've been going against their new policy unaware. That is seriously how they communicate! As far as having an issue and wanting to talk to management. Your better off talking to a mesquite bush. I honestly believed it was managements way to train drivers to leave management alone. If you try to discuss an issue with them, they will just constantly over talk you and try to impress upon you that their job sucks far more, hinting that your not going to get anywhere with them.
Oh yea, I don't want to forget. Some believe to area manager to be bipolar. The guy goes from being friendly to throwing crap around the office, at the drop of a hat. He has no problem cursing out drivers in private and in public. All the while demanding respect, but he'd just as soon spit in your face if he could get away with it. His actions strongly suggest that he despises drivers (tho he always likes to remind drivers that he used to be a driver).
Eastex offers housing, since most are from out of town. And the come in the form of bunkhouses. A single wide type mobile home. A bedrooms at each end and a kitchen with a couch in between. The best part is, each bedroom is slightly bigger then a prison cell, with 3 sets of bunkbeds and each room. You will have no privacy! In fact, it seems that management likes to put drivers with same days off in the same bunkhouse. So after working 70hrs in 5 days, you get to spend your day off trying to do laundry, make food, clean, etc... around your roommates trying to do the same. They have camper spots, but unless youve put your name on a list back in '85, forget about it.
At Eastex you are paid a load pay ($25-$75 and up) and mileage (30-35 cents/ mi) (per diem as well if away from home). You will most likely make more then most companies out there. The kicker is, your working 83-85 hrs per 7days, vs other companies that work 60-70. For an extra $100-200 ($200 if list 1) per week. So if paycheck is all that matters, have at it. But if you average out your hours and account for overtime, its about $19-21/hr (that's factoring in your per diem). That should give you something to compare with. Benefits like health and dental are in my opinion below average. The only real benefit they have, and it may be a game changer for most, is the 401k. They match 50% up to 6%. But depending on how profitable company was (at least thats what employees are told) they will match up to 100% of everything you contributed. So if you think the pay was low, you had better make up for it in 401k contributions. 6 years to be fully vested.
There are a few nice people at Eastex. But like I said in the beginning, you really have to watch yourself and what you say. There's always someone with an itchy ear just waiting to get back to management on what was overheard. And even the company owner and his son have been known to approach drivers, and without introducing themselves, will in a sense lay a trap asking for a drivers opinion. Because one thing I learned while there, management gets its kicks off telling drivers "if you don't like it here, there's the door" and that they've got a stack of applications 3' high waiting to replace you.
I could keep going, but iII have to stop somewhere. I come to truckers report.com for anything in regards to cdl info. And thought I should contribute some info of my experience at EastexCrude. Hope it helps some one.