Indian river transport

I'm in my second week with irt. I'll give you my impressions so far, good and bad. I came here having never pulled a tank.

So far the bad outweighs the good.
The company as a whole seems very disorganized. a week after starting, I received several emails requesting I verify my application. Getting ahold of dispatch is near impossible, unless it's after hours.Truck messages are never replied to. Payroll is only available between 1300-1500. Not very convenient, especially when you wake up Friday to realize your pay wasn't deposited. Orientation is minimal to say the least. No training on tanks or procedures for shippers/receivers. Always giving a specific pickup/delivery time when a lot of times it's open. Was given an older prostar, not a newer Pete. No problem, it's in good running condition, however, it smells like someone urinated on everything and mostly in the air vents. Supposedly, they'll get me into a newer truck very soon. The customers seem to have 0 respect for irt, often making us wait while loading/unloading others ahead of us, even if we were there first or have appointments. Double check directions to customers. They've been incorrect 3 out of 4 times so far. The trucks do go 70, which is a plus. Maintenance is great from what I've seen so far. The terminal in winter Haven is huge, not cramped like some companies. Nice drivers lounge but no showers. They will allow you to bobtail pretty much whenever the trailer can be dropped securely, such as at a customer or while you are at a terminal. This comes in handy at times. They don't bug you at all if you're doing your job. No apus in trucks, but also no idle policy. If I can think of more, or answer questions I will post more.

Update..just found out pay is deposited after 1630..again, not convenient considering if you're pay is incorrect you'll wait til Monday to fix it, because payroll is only available mon-fri 1300-1500. Also, anytime you call any department for anything, don't expect a friendly helpful voice. You'll be treated as if you're interrupting them and you're a nuisance. I didn't make a ton of $ at Boyd Bros, but they treated us like family- always kind and helpful.

 

Sitting at a shipper so thought I'd add a couple of things-
My first week was decent. Started on a Wednesday and by Monday morning I had 2297 miles. This week I have sat more than I've driven. Currently I've been sitting for 29 hours. Earlier this week I sat about the same amount of time, so went ahead and took a 34. My current load was supposed to be 0900 appointment according to dispatch. Got here and was told no it's for 1300. Then was told it won't be ready til 2000-2100 Arrived at 2015 and was told it wouldn't be ready til midnight. Irt does not pay detention. I suspect they charge it, but the driver gets 0. Never received my direct deposit today either. I should also mention they don't send paystubs via email. They leave them in a filing cabinet at the terminal. So you won't know if they got your pay right until you get your deposit. Benefits are around 85$ a week for single, much more for family. Pay is 41cpm loaded and empty. Short runs pay % of load.
At this point I'm not at all impressed and I couldn't recommend irt to anyone. To be fair, I've only worked for 1 other company otr. So some drivers might come here and think it's great, or the same as anywhere else they've worked. I think my expectations are reasonable. Some would disagree. It is my opinion that drivers are the lifeblood of a company and every effort should be made to make us feel appreciated. I don't feel that here at all. I won't be staying.

 

I never unpacked. Felt wrong on day 1. I'll be asking to be routed to the terminal first thing tomorrow morning.

 

Yeah I actually felt a little uneasy before I even travelled there for orientation. Need to start trusting my instinct. It's sad, they have potential to be a decent outfit.

 

Wait, am I the loser or your sister in this analogy? Hahaha nah I get you. Some people need drama, or have low self esteem/self respect. Truckers and women.