Take 2 Transport Pros & Cons So Far

Discussion in 'Oilfield Trucking Forum' started by Voodoo Pyg, Feb 11, 2017.

What do you look for in a company that you're employed by?

  1. Good Commuication

    5 vote(s)
    62.5%
  2. Reliable Equipment

    7 vote(s)
    87.5%
  3. Good Pay

    7 vote(s)
    87.5%
  4. Good Home Time

    3 vote(s)
    37.5%
Multiple votes are allowed.
  1. Voodoo Pyg

    Voodoo Pyg Oink! Oink!

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    Jan 25, 2015
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    Hello to all of my friends in the TTR. It's been a long time since I last said anything here on the TTR but I feel that sufficient time has passed and I thought I'd tell you a little about what I've been into. On November 11th, 2016, I accepted a job at Take 2 Transport. Take 2 Transport is a fracking operation hailing from the Southeast Texas region. After many trial and errors with different companies (mostly due to my experience being the deciding factor), I was introduced to this company within a 30 mile radius of my home. I got into contact with the owner, who is actually a fairly reasonable man and set up an application process on the aforementioned date above. After a lengthy process which included a drug test I was hired on the spot. While I did assure the owner that I had no prior experience in the fracking industry, he assured me that I would be trained ( a promise that was well kept and I had the job down in less than three days). He also touted that we had the opportunity to make upwards to $5000.00 a month (another hard to believe promise that was true). The other option was to stay out two weeks and come home a few days (Again, promises that were kept). Alright then. Now that the mush is out of the way, allow me to get to the meat of the post.

    Since it has been four months here's all that I have had happen while I was there. I've made actual decent paychecks working here, the highest being nearly $1700 and the lowest being $165 (due to picking up a trailer for a broken down truck and having to chase the BOLs as the driver took them home with him). When they found out I was moving, they offered to send assistance The original truck I was assigned suffered a huge blow to the transmission (which I reported) so I lost a week due to that as I had to await another truck to be assigned to me. The boss however did get me into a hotel. As luck would have it, another driver was banned from the work site for loud talking the coordinators. Once I actually obtained said truck, the driver had taken out the stereo and CB radio. Sadly, I still haven't received a CB though there are some plants where one is required.They have only one dispatch phone so expect that if you do call into the office, that you won't be immediately answered on the spot. You WILL be expected to run on minimal sleep if you want to make any real money. The most sleep many of them get is on the staging pad and at times mine has equaled to the 8-10 hour window so DOT would may leave you alone if you're lucky. If you do have any kind of problem with the truck, you are sort of expected to know how to remedy the problem yourself. I will add more as I think of it. But below will be the short list.

    Pros:
    - Take 2 Transport will take you with no experience
    - You will make money if you run your a$* off
    - Very family oriented

    Cons:
    -Equipment leaves something to be desired
    -One dispactch phone which amounts to long waits (what company doesn't?)
    - If you breakdown, await long wait times

    Again I will add more as it comes to me. Remember it has been only four months.

    ~ Voodoo Pyg. <3
     
    Last edited: Feb 11, 2017
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  3. Voodoo Pyg

    Voodoo Pyg Oink! Oink!

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    Hello friends. It's your friendly Warthog here again with another update. So without further ado, I'll begin.

    I returned to work with the company on February 17th to some really ####ed up results. I'll start with the beginning. My great-aunt passed away February 6th after a long life of Missionary work. Around 23:30 that night I had just returned from Houston, Texas with a load and had needed fuel to make it to the staging pad. I was told that someone would meet me at the Flying Hook with a fuel card. Note: There were only maybe 5 or 6 fuel cards to 20-30 trucks at the time. So I waited in the truck stop with the phone practically glued to my head. I did not receive a phone call until about 03:30 the next morning, wondering if anyone had shown up. My answer was an emphatic "no" and Dispatch hung up the phone. I slept until about 08:00 when I was told to go and offload the trailer as "the customer was expecting me". Once again I reiterated that I DID NOT have the fuel capacity to make it there, but obliged the request as long as they were prepared to utilize a wrecker. After much arguing and back and forth throat slashing, I received the fuel... If only the loving could've lasted forever.


    I did make it to the customer only to be turned around and sent back as the time had expired on that load and they were switching the well heads on the pad. Right back to the truck stop where I joined the rest of the truck drivers for the better of the next 27 hours. This is where the argument gets good folks. Below, I'll type the exchange verbatim. D=Dispatch P=Pyg

    P: Update?
    D: No response.
    P: @1436 Update?
    D: No response.
    P: UPDATE?! @1924
    D: The well is down. They'll let us know.
    P: 27 hours with a load. How ridiculous... May I just go home?
    D: The well is down right now. There (They're) changing well heads. They've been taking trucks in there (they're) starting the well at 10 in the morning. But there (they're ) still calling them in slowly.
    P: After this, I'm packing it in. I'm taking my ball and going home. Lately, it's been costing me more to work here than I've made.
    D: Well your (you're) not gna (gonna) make any money running like you run you guys wanna stop and sleep shut down for 8-10 hours. The guys that make money run. They catch a couple hours here and there.
    P: Sorry for not being an outlaw and not trying to fudge a log book. I know they cheat. They admit it wholeheartedly. Not my fault DOT sees you before you see them. And if I did run that way with zero to no assistance as I do legally, what would be the excuse then?
    D: I understand but that (that's) the only way to make good money. So you Quiting (quitting) or just taking days
    P: Is that a challenge? 1st off, my first check was nearly $2000 back when I first started out here months ago. It's been proven that I'm no slacker out here. My logs were as legal as they came. So if you need proof that I was out here with my foot through this floorboard, I still have those log books. You can also go through the office files on they still have them. I'd turn a load and be ready for more. 2nd, as far as taking 8 and 10 hour breaks, the day you're referring to is the day I was up 26 hours straight. I was NOT going to kill myself or anyone else driving sleep on this highway. I may have a crappy life, but I love it enough to stay free for my wife.
    The only reason I'm b****ing so is the politics out here. I just lost someone around the time that I called for fuel last night. Been dealing with that all day. I'm busting my ##* out here for a new vehicle I desperately need so in case another death occurs. Needing $1200 I'm not even sure I made this living through a week worth of breakdown (I know. Even a 2017 breaks) and senseless delays. Been trying to play catch up since. At the risk of getting reprimanded or fired I'll say these are the facts. I'm just taking days. I don't quit without a valid reason.
    D: No I understand. All I'm saying is some of the guys that run hard take home 3000 a pay period but it (it's ) up to you we don't push you. I'm sorry about your loss.

    Needless to say that I did in fact go home after that. The truck was still suffering electrical issues and I took it back to the yard and went home for what I thought was just a few days. That turned into a week. As luck would have it a bunch of the trucks turned out to be leased to the company (mine included) and the my boss was sick of the leasee cheating him on repairs. We were short trucks and well all was quiet there. I would call every day for an update and be told one fable after another. On February 13th, I was called at midnight by the boss and told me that he had canned two drivers and there was a truck available. He wanted me to come in at midnight which I declined on the grounds that everyone I knew was asleep and it wouldn't be fair to break another's sleep in the company. So we setup a pickup for the next day. No one showed up. Call? more issues with the truck. Next day? Same issues. Meet them on payday? Truck still ####ed up. My original truck? Out and about with my personal possessions on it. Call the next day? Cursed out and yelled at for calling too much (spouse recorded the conversation). So I opted to call no more.

    After receiving a sure call to return, I did return to work on the 17th and my first order of business was finding the truck with my possessions on it. Sadly no one told me about the lease agreement falling through and I was told later (See above). When the truck was found later, I made a horrid discovery. Not only had they "cleaned" the truck , they cleaned me as well. Stolen from me were my jumpsuit, one of my snake skin boots (go figure) my basket with dirty laundry, and my toolbox had been picked through and all of the best tools taken. So all in all I lose clothes, a boot given to me by a man who is no longer among the living, and half of my tools. However I did receive my own fuel card (finally). But again I say: If only the loving could've lasted forever.

    After receiving my first load in forever and a quick trip to the Wal-Mart, I returned to doing what I love. I also came to find out that the company was under investigation though the details were obscure. After two loads, I discovered a crack in the seal on the product line that was not allowing the trailer to offload properly. I had to return to the yard for a weld and also explain losing the DOT bumper on my trailer after pulling another driver out of a hole. What can I say? I believe in the days when drivers helped each other though I wasn't around for them. Then I was dispatched again to San Antonio for a load. Sadly the job was put on hold due to the storm system that was taking place in the area. On February 20th, I was told to bring the truck into the yard. Apparently, we were kicked off of that contract though I still don't know why. The date is currently February 23rd and the only call I've received was for missing logs for the DOT audit. No communication since.

    Currently, I'm looking into other options for a career. I'm looking into other companies in the area and possibly returning to corrections for work. I'm still currently employed here at Take 2 Transport friends. What will say so far from just how long I've been here is this: This is a good company to get your start in the oilfield part of the industry. They don't require you to be a dinosaur before giving you the job. As far as longevity, I leave that t the prospective driver to decide.

    P.S. I know some are going to call me a "whiner" but I could care less. I've been called far worse and don't really mind the go, go, go of the oilfield. On top of that, I do run loose leaf log books. I just don't want to be a danger to the rest of those on the road due to malfunctions of equipment or lack of proper rest in between loads. So save your insults.

    ~<3~ Voodoo Pyg.
     
    Last edited: Feb 23, 2017
  4. TRUCKERSFAVORITE

    TRUCKERSFAVORITE Bobtail Member

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    Mar 27, 2015
    TEXAS
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    I hear you, from what i know they were getting audited and as of right now not even sure what is going on. Everyone is worried about not receiving their pay, but if thats the case i think we all should head down to the labor department. There is a lot of crap that this guy does.
     
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  5. Voodoo Pyg

    Voodoo Pyg Oink! Oink!

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    In the last communication I had with anyone (this morning @1023hrs) I was told that the audit went ok and that the boss was in the middle of changing the insurance. Also that there was another job pending. As far as "a lot of crap that this guy does", please feel free to elaborate. You don't have to post it here on this part of the forum. You can PM if you feel that that is a better bet. BTW who are you? You seem to know me or at least something about the company.
     
  6. TRUCKERSFAVORITE

    TRUCKERSFAVORITE Bobtail Member

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    Mar 27, 2015
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    You spoke with someone this morning? I have been trying to call them since Friday and Ive had no luck. Everything i am being told is hearsay from the drivers. I have evidence on my phone, etc documentation of how he runs the business and the safety hazards we are under as well as all the other DOT issues he is not in compliance with. This guy cant run away from not paying the drivers. As far as i know, he didnt even issue out 1099 for the drivers. BIG NO NO for IRS
     
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  7. Voodoo Pyg

    Voodoo Pyg Oink! Oink!

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    Well unfortunately I got ahold of another of the drivers who is actually "in" with the management. We cannot post names on this forum as it IS in the rules :) I too have taken pictures of some of the damages on the vehicles that I have driven for the company. Again, without saying too much, I have been through three trucks. The first had transmission give out on me right under a load. I had reported it previously, but sat in New Caney, Tx three days waiting for a mechanic that never came. It was either drive with the transmission grinding and make what little cash I could or continue to sit and make nothing. It finally gave out a week later as I knew it would. I sat in a dirt lot for two days and then was put into a hotel while I had to wait for a truck. You know the rest because obviously, you've read the entire post. Just like you, I have kept record of everything that has happened.

    I too had wondered about our 1099s as well. Never could get a straight answer about that to save my life. I guess we'll have to wait and see. As I stated, you may PM me. I'm not that much liked in the company, so anything you say can and WILL stay in this forum.
     
  8. TRUCKERSFAVORITE

    TRUCKERSFAVORITE Bobtail Member

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    Mar 27, 2015
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    I want people to see this forum to understand how this company handles themselves, I know names cant be revealed but like i said before all they have to do is a google search and im sure the information will pop up. Have you reported him to any agencies yet? I know the pay day is technically tomorrow but I have a feeling no one will see their check. As far as messaging you, I want to stay in the outs for now until i am ready. But feel free to post any thing else this is the freedom of speech and its our experience that we can describe. BTW its not slander because its all truth backed by truth!
     
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  9. Western flyer

    Western flyer Road Train Member

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    Mar 13, 2014
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    Sounds like a ram rod outlaw frac sand company.
    Been down that road,ain't going back.
     
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  10. Voodoo Pyg

    Voodoo Pyg Oink! Oink!

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    Jan 25, 2015
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    Reporting him to agencies is exactly what people are telling me to do, yet I feel that I shouldn't be the one to #### with someone else's bread and butter so to speak. I've always just been one to fold and walk away while the prospective "screwee" hangs themselves. Basically in short form, no. I've already tried contacting payroll. No answer just yet. So I'll wait until 8:00 am tomorrow. I'm actually glad someone actually responded on this post. Didn't really expect the hale storm you posted :D but I suppose people needed to see it. Thank you for at least keeping the post going.
     
  11. Voodoo Pyg

    Voodoo Pyg Oink! Oink!

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    Jan 25, 2015
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    I've been seeing you a lot on this forum. Care to share some of your experience with us here as well?
     
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