Schneider

a 'guise of more home time? Uh...Im home DAILY, PLUS two days off a week...wanna tell me how Schneider can give me more home time than they already are? Maybe they can pay me for not working!

Its not that they are giving you a pay cut, but you arent running nearly as many miles. For example, I run about 2200ish miles a week. But I dont get per diem pay or anything else. Im not away from home for weeks at a time...etc. Plus I don't run nearly as many hours as regular OTR drivers do. But assume away...

This doesnt even make sense...how can having a boss not knowing my name make me run illegally? Most, if not all of the ded runs are low numbers in regards to the drivers so the DBLs on most occasions I would think, DO know their drivers names. I know everyone in the office, and I never step inside the office...havent for almost a year now.

If you can actually prove it, that would be helpful.

 

Ziggy I am glad that you are doing well. I ran Wal-Mart, Poly Plastics and Purina dedicated. I feel like you should earn just as much money on dedicated that on system.

Wal-Mart didn't work out because when I come to work I am working. They had us wait up to 12 hours for our first load and then work the whole 14. Have fun with that. I got off that real quick. Poly and Purina were fine in terms of hometime but not enough to really live off of. Why should those drivers be paid less per mile ? Any ideas ? So I went back to sysyem.

Don't for one second think that all dedicated drivers have a good deal. They do not. But I'm glad your one that is actually doing well with it. Again Schneider is a great company once you learn your way, just like any other company doing anything else.

 

Can anyone give me some smaller companies that I can apply with that excepts people with violent felonies.I am a recent grad,but my felonies are holding me back from getting a job with any of the big companies.

 

You'll just have to get on the phone and call the companies. Felonies are handled on a case by case basis and no company is going to admit to hiring felons. The ones that do are bottom of the barrel that's for sure.

 

I don't know Schneider's current policy, but in the past they have hired drivers with violent felonies.
However, believe it or not, it's NOT the violent felony they'd be most concerned about --- it's the theft. Big truck truckin' companies and their insurance carriers consider ANY theft conviction to be a high risk employee and they aren't interested in the explanation. They just put the application in the circular file.

Your best bet would be to have that felony record expunged. Companies that hire drivers with theft records usually aren't the better companies. They know they have you over a barrel and take advantage of the situation and you, as a driver.
If it were a case of just starting out in the trucking industry a bottom feeder company might provide the training and experience necessary to find a better company --- but in your case I don't think you'd be able to find employment with those better companies, even with experience.
MAYbe a smaller company or an owner/operator, small fleet owner would accept you, but that'll probably require Big truck driving experience and a LOT of leg work looking for them.

You might try an outfit that hauls rocks and/or sand --- maybe cement. Loads that aren't of the highest value and less likely to be stolen. But with the possibility of having a high value load in the trailer, like cigarettes, electronics, booze and/or designer clothing that could be worth a million dollars, or more, anyone with a theft record is not what they're anxious to hire.
If a load like that turned up missing, just imagine what the insurance carrier would say when they found out the driver already had a theft record. If the insurance carrier refused to cover the loss the trucking company could be out BIG bucks.

Sounds like you're betwixt a rock and a hard place.
Good luck.

 

I dunno...I mean Im dedicated and I cant justify making the same. I drive less, home more, I know my run from start to stop. There are lots of things that ded drivers get, that you dont get on the system and its not all financial. I mean...I wouldnt be married if I was over the road...the wife told me so, lol. I work 10 hours a day at most. If I wanted to get paid like the system drivers, Id have to WORK like the system drivers with 14 hour days and all the carp they have to deal with.

I havent heard much about the other accounts and how they run. Im in the middle of nowhere and applied thinking I would get an OTR job, but they actually by some miracle of God had an opening in my town (what are the odds?). Our particular account is doing fairly well whereas others have failed and closed. Im also in a situation where, I really never see anyone from Schneider. My DBL, maintenance, any office people, OC's, lol....etc. Im on my own and with that have a bit more responsibility too, I think.

The one thing that I am concerned about is how there is a ceiling to pay. Right now, as I move up the ranks and such, I get various raises. But after a while, I will hit a ceiling and will only be able to make so much...only getting a raise when the account does. That is a issue for me.

 

I ask this because a neighbor wants to start into trucking but does not want to be away from home that much. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

I dont think you can apply a general blanket statement regarding Dedicated at Schneider. They have many Dedicated runs and what Ziggy is running and commenting on is certainly not what everybody will experience.
Find out all you can about the specific ded. job you want or are looking at, and then you will get the real poop!

 

To me, the days off don't matter...because Im working, lol. But in my situation, I have Sundays and Mondays off. However, thats because Im on the end of a leg that actually starts on Fridays. I get the freight from the previous day. Ie...today is Friday...and I got the freight that left Thurs night. I get fridays freight on Saturday and as such have sun and mon off...because by the time mons freight gets to me, its tuesday.

But that all depends on the account you are on.

I work about 9-10, depending on freight and if i have to fuel up. Not really local, although Im home daily. The pay on our account is salaried and it depends on the account as well as the route.

Keep in mind that I don't know of many other accounts that are salaried. In my situation, I work as fast as I can (safely) so I can get home as soon as I can.

Have your neighbor call and talk to a recruiter and if they are interested in hiring him...tell him to talk to the person (DBL) running the account. They will have more accurate answers.

 

Once again thanks to everyone for the helpful info.I dont know who to speak with about my felonies.I try to explain my felony situation to a recruiter and they all tell me the same thing"thier is nothing they can do".I hear that a recruiter has a lot to do with who get inside the company.I know it will be hard,but I refuse to give up.I know the GOOD LORD will put me where HE wants me to be.