Stay away from JCT (John Christer Trucking)

You have to come to realise that when you go to work for an OTR company, you are NOT working FOR them as much as you are working WITH them. It is not so much an "employer/employee" thing as much as it is a PARTNERSHIP type of thing. You don't really believe hat, do you? A partnership? You don't honestly think that the average cmpany out here gives rat's behind about you? Besides, if my "partner" was setting in an air-conditioned office doing an 8-5, and expected me to run my butt off and take all the legal and financial risks associated with it, then I'd find a new "partner".They GET the freight and you DRIVE the freight. It takes BOTH of you TOGETHER, each of you doing what you do best, so that BOTH of you can get PAID for the job(trip)!!Yeah, doing what they do best...dispatching, load planning, coordinating, setting realistic appointments. If I have to run like a fool and risk my life/freedom to cover their "best"....no thanks.

About that "huge fine" that mrs. tammytell is afraid of. There are VERY few DOT cops that will have or even TAKE the time to start comparing BOLs against your comic book/s to see if you been cheating. If you have a reefer on your wagon, HE KNOWS you are cheating! It's just that simple. ALL he wants to see are clean, neat and correct log sheets for the last eight days. Until you're involved in an accident. Then that nice DOT cop will crawl up your butt with a fine-tooth comb, and find about more lies than even you were aware of. But that's okay, your "partner" will be right there to back you up and help you out of a jam. Right?Learn the art of loose leafing and run all the miles you WANT to run. DO NOT keep your reciepts and copies of BOLs with you, mail them home DAILY. Request that they NOT stamp the time and date on the drivers copies of the BOL at the shippers window. You would be surprised at how many shippers will not if asked. And don't be afraid of the "big bad deisel cop", Truth is, they are realy on our side, Kinda like your daddy...making sure you are keeping everything streight and legal look'n, so he don't have to "spank" you.making sure that you appear to be LEGALY doing your job. Even checking on you if you are parked in the emergancy lane along the way, just to see if you are ok. And will help you or get you help if he cain't. I had a deisel bear help me once, My dad and I was on the shoulder with a busted reefer, we were 60 miles out in nowhares-ville at 0300 Saturday morning.we had a frozen load that was thawing quickly in the heat! After not being able to get some help within A resonable time frame he stripped down to his T-shirt and we got greasy to the elbows, about 2 hours latter it was running and he left, and so did I. and he never did ask me about or for my papper work.
I don't wanna sound like a goody-2-shoes, but what you're describing above is just nuts. You are nothing more than a warm body to any company these days. That's just the way it is in today's society...company's can't afford to stand behind you, especially if you've been loose-leafing. It's a cold-hard fact, but if you run illegal, and your company knows and allows it to go on, you're gonna get hung out to dry when something happens. And, I don't know about any of the rest of you, but I'm out here to provide for my family, not just make as much as I can as long as I can get away with it.
Just out of curiousity, let's just say you were loose-leafing, and you fall asleep and run over a minivan and take out a couple kids, maybe the whole family. How pleasant is it gonna be to wake up every morning and look at yourself in the mirror? Like the idea of seeing your kids in a cap and gown....through the thick plexi-glass in the visiting area at the prison?
No thanks, you go ahead and "run all the miles you want".....knock yourself out.
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i enjoyed his post because it was positive

i do believe there are small companies that may still care about their employees, but you will not get any caring from any publically traded companies

i think it has to do with size primarily, they are scared of being sued, so they worship the mighty insurance requirements

but please dont make me any more cynical and skeptical than i am, i believe there are some good companies out there


on a separate topic, i heard that many of these large companies, aka ATA are pushing for random drug testing at weigh stations

has anyone else heard this?

 

I'll give a knee-jerk answer and say drug testing at weight stations won't come to pass. This is because somebody will have to pay for those tests. More than likely, companies will have to foot the bill, as drivers won't. They'll quit en-masse if they have to pay for road-side testing. Jesus, 90 bucks a pop and you never know how many times a year, month, week, or even day you'll get asked to take the test.

Also, who administers the test? I'd question objectivity if I were trusting results to DOT clowns. See, I remember too vividly the corruption at the port in Truckee, California back in the day, not to mention the rumours of other bad-boy DOT shenanigans in places like Tennessee and Louisiana in the past.
The Pope could piss test at some of these places, and they'd claim he's a hard-core junkie. Nope, I'd never trust test results to anyone at the ports.

 

Of course it was positive, but not a realistic expectation for most drivers in the industry today.

I have really never needed anything more from a company then a truck and miles to make a living. And to be sent home around the date I request. As far as being part of a family or a name and not just a number? I could really care less. I rarely have any interaction with anyone other then my dispatcher at the companies I have worked for and for me it is not needed if operations is doing their jobs. I don't run illegal for them anymore or go out of my way to clean up their messes because when you do, they seem to expect it more and more as time goes by.

My opinion is that many of these companies that have sunk money into such things as weight rooms and cafeterias and the such, as window dressing to make it seem they are interested in your welfare. Could do far more to convince me they cared about my welfare by paying for all my time spent on the job and not just when I am driving.

The fact is, that if you are getting paid by the mile to drive a truck OTR then even the most concerned and personable company out their is still ripping you off when you get your pay statement.

 

big blue, i have to agree with you there

basically, we are just nothing more than a tool for their profit, and they use us and discard us

i dunno, i am trying to NOT be so cynical, but you hit the nail square on the head

i am still trying to get over this randmcnally miles ripoff, it may pay off for the company and the shipper and receiver, but for the one who pays for the fuel, its a ten percent giveaway

 

My Husband has been a company driver for over 8 years now. His best friend is talking him into going to JCT. Saying how great it is. That this is the job that will take care of us. Get us ahead in the bills and into saving money. We have 2 children 2 yrs and 10 yrs and we are expecting in Oct. I understand that JCT has no health benefits... so that is not good for us. I was just wondering is this a good company? Will he ever be home? Will he make any money or is this job just a too good to be true job? I want to see him more. Not see him less! I just feel in my heart this is the wrong company to work for when having a family. Am I wrong?

 

You are going to get good & bad on JCT. But one thing for sure is that he will have to run to make good money. That's means you see him less. Sorry but that is the nature of OTR trucking. Maybe he needs to look into local or regional job if it is going to cause trouble. Good luck to you both.

 

WJB
Bobtail Member








Sorry my friend, but I am confused? you say how great they are, but then you say you had to quit them to get your wife home?

 

Anyone who says entering fraudulent information in a log book is ok, and just part of the business, is a fool who just hasn't been shown the error of his ways yet.

Got a qualcomm in your truck? it will tell the truth on you when the shiznit hits the fan. those bills without a timestamp will have a sworn affidavit as to when you left on your day in court. Fuel receipts are kept not just in your truck, but also at your company, and at the vendor. Scales will note your passing.

If you lie, and kill someone, or damage lots of property, be prepared...your chickens will come home to roost.

Run legal, run safe. It's just like the military, most of the rules are asenine, but the only way to cover your ### is to follow them. To the letter.

 

I understand how OTR is,been there done that, don't wanna go back!! However, my husband is trying to make me believe he will see me all the time. blah blah.... If he goes with JCT that this is a god sent company to help us get out of debt.... I just see it as a big problem...I believe it is a too good to be true company... I already don't see him enough and our boys cry to see him because they miss daddy. Then we are expecting in Oct. I just think that if he goes to JCT I will see him less it will be just like all the other companies that make it sound good until you get there and then you realized you have been punked!