Are we a bad trucking company?

Veteran driver · Jan 28, 2017

Exactly ^^^ that's like taking preemptive measures to cover the cost of what might happen. 2 weeks in the hole and 1000 dollar escrow in case the driver screws up. Lmao.

No wonder he can't find drivers

mjd4277 · Jan 28, 2017

When you see a trucking company with a reputation that's more roached out than Western Express, Swift, or CR England, combined,it's time to run away-FAST!!

Finalsomnia · Jan 28, 2017

I'm so glad we resurrected this thread a year and a half later, aren't you guys?

Dominick253 · Jan 28, 2017

BeyondTransport said: ↑

Hi All, recently I heard that most drivers out there avoid Chicago like the plague and I just can't believe it! I heard that Chicago is full of a 'trucking mafia' run by people with accents.

We have a foreign owned company, but we work hard at creating a great atmosphere. Our drivers are paid on W-2s and NOT 1099, because they are our employee's and we care about them. We don't want to stick them with a tax bill at the end of the year just to give them the illusion that they are making more money than they are.

More importantly we pay direct deposit every Friday. Let me disclose here that we hold a week and half or two weeks of pay, and your pay is on the third Friday that you are with us, but we state that up front right away and definitely don't hide it. This is done for a number of reasons, mostly to get a great schedule flow because by the time you send in your logbooks and trip reports there is a week that goes by and then we have to have time to process that.
It's definitely not done to cheat anyone out of any money, you get paid that money no matter what! If you leave our company you still get that direct deposited for the following two weeks after you have left us. Secondly, we collect an escrow of $1000, this is for a number of reasons for both of our benefits. If, in the worst case scenario, you cause an accident that is your fault or damages, or anything of that nature - guess what? that money is there and it is no longer a burden to cover charges. Again, if you decide to leave us that money is reimbursed to you.

I have been doing this for a long time and I can not stress that I have learned - good drivers are not bothered by this escrow collection or two week hold on pay - but drivers who change jobs faster than I change my shoes and who have bad records of abandoning equipment are turned off by this. Newsflash: we don't want those bad apples working for us anyways so its a great screening tool during the application process.

We have 'newer' equipment - mostly 2010-2013 Freightliners. Unfortunately, its just not our goal to have the newest trucks on the road, but it is our goal to have safe, well maintained equipment and we let our drivers make repairs on the road. Anything involved with driver safety is our top priority. We are not a huge Fortune 500 company that can just go and buy a new fleet of 2016 trucks (because instead of distributing earnings back to the drivers they want to help their corporate tax return) - we are in business for the long haul, and every year we are updating our fleet. We do what's best to keep a great balance. You'd be (or you might not be) surprised at how uncleanly drivers are and how poorly they treat such expensive equipment. I've seen the inside of some sleepers and lets just say - homeless people keep better hygiene.

We try to get you home approximately 7-10 days. I think that this is reasonable. I can't promise you will be home every weekend, this is trucking and anything can happen! Bad weather, bad shippers, and in general bad timing - sometimes there is unforeseen traffic, sometimes your equipment might break down. We can try, and typically we like it more when a driver can be flexible enough to go home every other weekend for a few days.

At the end of the day we understand that this is not an easy job, and most of the time it feels very under appreciated. We try to do the best we can, but I am having a seriously hard time of finding good qualified drivers and I just don't understand why that is. Am I being unreasonable? What's missing that I am not catching?
Click to expand...

You charge an escrow?!?! I've been a truck driver for eight years and have never once heard of any company doing that. Sounds shady as hell. How about this get insurance and if your employees have an accident then the insurance can pay for it.

Veteran driver · Jan 28, 2017

Exactly ^^^^

LGarrison · Jan 28, 2017

Holding money back just allow you to collect the interest even though how small it is it will continue to grow and your account not mine I've quit better jobs than this for Less

51.50 · Jan 31, 2017

Why do you think an employee is responsible for an accident or damage to your equipment? That is what insurance is for. The deductible? It is YOUR truck and YOUR responsibility. Tell you dispatchers to make sure the driver has enough time to haul and deliver the load safely.
As far as Chicago, I hauled in and out of there enough to refuse any load to from or through Chicago. I have the same rule for calif.

loose_leafs · Jan 31, 2017

Dominick253 said: ↑

You charge an escrow?!?! I've been a truck driver for eight years and have never once heard of any company doing that. Sounds shady as hell. How about this get insurance and if your employees have an accident then the insurance can pay for it.
Click to expand...

If someone there has a wreck, how much you want to bet he steals everyone's escrow money to pay the deductible?

bored silly · Jan 31, 2017

BeyondTransport said: ↑

Hi All, recently I heard that most drivers out there avoid Chicago like the plague and I just can't believe it! I heard that Chicago is full of a 'trucking mafia' run by people with accents.

We have a foreign owned company, but we work hard at creating a great atmosphere. Our drivers are paid on W-2s and NOT 1099, because they are our employee's and we care about them. We don't want to stick them with a tax bill at the end of the year just to give them the illusion that they are making more money than they are.

More importantly we pay direct deposit every Friday. Let me disclose here that we hold a week and half or two weeks of pay, and your pay is on the third Friday that you are with us, but we state that up front right away and definitely don't hide it. This is done for a number of reasons, mostly to get a great schedule flow because by the time you send in your logbooks and trip reports there is a week that goes by and then we have to have time to process that.
It's definitely not done to cheat anyone out of any money, you get paid that money no matter what! If you leave our company you still get that direct deposited for the following two weeks after you have left us. Secondly, we collect an escrow of $1000, this is for a number of reasons for both of our benefits. If, in the worst case scenario, you cause an accident that is your fault or damages, or anything of that nature - guess what? that money is there and it is no longer a burden to cover charges. Again, if you decide to leave us that money is reimbursed to you.

I have been doing this for a long time and I can not stress that I have learned - good drivers are not bothered by this escrow collection or two week hold on pay - but drivers who change jobs faster than I change my shoes and who have bad records of abandoning equipment are turned off by this. Newsflash: we don't want those bad apples working for us anyways so its a great screening tool during the application process.

We have 'newer' equipment - mostly 2010-2013 Freightliners. Unfortunately, its just not our goal to have the newest trucks on the road, but it is our goal to have safe, well maintained equipment and we let our drivers make repairs on the road. Anything involved with driver safety is our top priority. We are not a huge Fortune 500 company that can just go and buy a new fleet of 2016 trucks (because instead of distributing earnings back to the drivers they want to help their corporate tax return) - we are in business for the long haul, and every year we are updating our fleet. We do what's best to keep a great balance. You'd be (or you might not be) surprised at how uncleanly drivers are and how poorly they treat such expensive equipment. I've seen the inside of some sleepers and lets just say - homeless people keep better hygiene.

We try to get you home approximately 7-10 days. I think that this is reasonable. I can't promise you will be home every weekend, this is trucking and anything can happen! Bad weather, bad shippers, and in general bad timing - sometimes there is unforeseen traffic, sometimes your equipment might break down. We can try, and typically we like it more when a driver can be flexible enough to go home every other weekend for a few days.

At the end of the day we understand that this is not an easy job, and most of the time it feels very under appreciated. We try to do the best we can, but I am having a seriously hard time of finding good qualified drivers and I just don't understand why that is. Am I being unreasonable? What's missing that I am not catching?
Click to expand...

In trucking if you don't stay with the times you get left behind.... the escrow is fine for most drivers if your not using transflo I personally would not work for you. The way most trucking companies payroll works trip pak affords you the company to hold onto my hard earned $$$$ longer.... no thanks to that for me....

loose_leafs · Feb 1, 2017

bored silly said: ↑

In trucking if you don't stay with the times you get left behind.... the escrow is fine for most drivers if your not using transflo I personally would not work for you. The way most trucking companies payroll works trip pak affords you the company to hold onto my hard earned $$$$ longer.... no thanks to that for me....
Click to expand...

If most of you guys have scanners in the Qualcomm what is the point of Transflo?Transflo ties up the cashier at the truck stop too long.

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