Need some advise...

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by Schneider_slave, Oct 31, 2019.

  1. Schneider_slave

    Schneider_slave Bobtail Member

    29
    18
    Oct 31, 2019
    0
    Before I get into this, I feel the need to provide some background history.

    I've been driving for the big Orange for about 3 years now. They trained me, and I haven't had too many issues with them up till now. According to DOT I'm accident free, but Orange decided that everything needed to be put on my DAC that wasn't significant to DOT.

    That being stated, I'm going to get to the point.

    This all started when the Orange had a Tomato account. That they ran into the ground. So I had to transfer within the orange to another account. I know that this seems very confusing for some reading this, but this is the experienced truckers forum, so I'm sure that you can translate what I'm saying.

    I got transferred to a soft sided trailer flatbed account. And hell followed. This account I was told was .72 a mile and $14 a stop. That was a lie. It's $12 a stop.
    So, just a bit of info, I've been salary my whole trucking career before this. First time dealing with mile pay.

    So I give this account a shot for the last two months. They haven't made things easy.

    1. I couldn't keep my truck. According to Orange, trucks are assigned to accounts. So I had to relinquish my perfectly functioning, clean 2018 Cascadia for a 2015 filthy Cascadia with issues. (more on that later)

    2. They somehow forgot that I worked for them. I don't know how this happened, but I was a Orange driver driving Tomato, and they somehow lost all my files up to the point of me driving Tomato. They thought I was a Tomato driver!

    3. The account that I'm on has a former driver that the Orange displaced assigning routes. Yes, that's right. The company hired a driver, to run the new drivers from the company that Orange got kicked off the account. You can't make this stuff up.

    4. The flatbed account has a lead driver who trains... snitches and sticks his nose into everything. To be fair he does help fix the trailers, and he does work hard, but he can be a pain.

    So, I start on this account. This is my first real flatbed experience, so the transition is a little rough. I'm finding that I have to do an hour or two of work off clock, just to get the trailer ready to go. I'm slow at at strapping at first, but I get better.
    Their timetables to me seem impractical. For instance, They had me run a 900 mile, 11 stop run to and they wanted it done in two days... Now I'm new to this, but that seems nuts... especially if I'm messing with strapping and messing with the soft sided trailer each and every stop. I'm finding that each stop usually averages 20-40 minutes, if there's no issues. I can usually get it done in three days, not two.
    The other thing that they are doing on this account is that they only will allow you to run if you can make it by 7 am to the first stop, after your 10 hour break once you return. If you get back too late, then no run for you. Plus they tell you that you can't come back until you have everything off of your trailer.

    So the last two weeks have been rocky. The first thing that happened is that I had a weird issue with my trailer turn signals not working properly, and I ended up waiting in a hotel for two days while they worked on it... but the issue seems to disappear and reappear. So it didn't get fixed.
    The second week I ran into a snow storm. I pulled into a truck stop, called my manager, and told him that the run was going to take 3-4 days to to weather and routing. This route would of taken 3 days with good weather.
    On my last night, the issues that I've had with my bunk heater resurfaced, and I started freezing in the truck. I call our emergency maintenance department, who told me that they don't repair that over on the road. But if I call the SOS department, they could get me a hotel room. I decided to try and tough it out, being that it was 2 am and I was going to get moving around 7. The problem is that the company allows the trucks to idle under 20 degrees. It was 18 degrees at the time, but somehow the truck would warm up the temp sensor and the truck would shut back off. I thought I could get it to idle. It didn't. I had a emergency backup... a 12v heated blanket that I have for such an occasion. I used that, a comforter and a beanie to survive the night. In the morning, I felt sick and was slow to get moving. I told my manager this, and he told me that all the other drivers had made it back, and he would talk to me when I got back.
    So, I get back, and he tries to send me out, but I tell him that I'm sick and going home. He tells me that when I feel better, I need to call him to talk about my position.
    I reponded, " Are you firing me for being sick?"
    He just tells me to call him when i'm feeling better....

    I haven't been around that long, but I'm wondering if I'm just being soft skinned about what's going on here and what should I do about it? I would appreciate some feedback.
     
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  3. Chinatown

    Chinatown Road Train Member

    68,040
    142,325
    Aug 28, 2011
    Henderson, NV & Orient
    0
    Seems like you're burned out with Schneider.
    Maybe time to look around; probably need some variety in your career.
    Where is your location?
    Do you have endorsements?
     
  4. Mike250rs

    Mike250rs Heavy Load Member

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    7,077
    Sep 24, 2019
    Raleigh, NC
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    Dedicated accounts can be glorious or glory holes..

    If that one is the tatter, see what other pumpkin patches they have out there
     
  5. Brandt

    Brandt Road Train Member

    4,055
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    Sep 17, 2012
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    Sounds like a bad dedicated account to me. I did a dedicated run once for a different company. Some how they forget to tell me it was an all night automotive run. If I stop or was late and they had to stop production because of me not being on time. It was $32,000 a minute to stop the automotive production line. I think I did that run like two weeks. I told the Union guy loading me one day he better hurry up. If the load is late it's would not be my fault. He did not like that and said he would load me when he was ready, and he was in charge. Ha ha if you don't like the job now I would look for a different spot in the the big orange. Maybe OTR or another dedicated account or see if it gets any better. They need to fix that heater.
     
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  6. Schneider_slave

    Schneider_slave Bobtail Member

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    18
    Oct 31, 2019
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    I'm not going to mention my location due to it causing more problems if I get identified. I know that might be paranoid, but I've heard of stuff like that happening.
    I have hazmat, doubles and triples. I used to run doubles on my first account. Before they lost that one too.
     
    FlaSwampRat and Cat sdp Thank this.
  7. Chinatown

    Chinatown Road Train Member

    68,040
    142,325
    Aug 28, 2011
    Henderson, NV & Orient
    0
    Which state are you in. We'd like to recommend some companies.
    Do you have tanker endorsement?
     
  8. MGE Dawn

    MGE Dawn Road Train Member

    1,074
    2,259
    May 19, 2019
    Vancouver, WA
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    If concerns of identification are at play, it might be a good idea to use DMs
     
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  9. diesel guy454

    diesel guy454 Medium Load Member

    371
    802
    Oct 18, 2011
    salina ks
    0
    If you have 3 years experience and a clean record why are you still at Schneider? There are a lot better during jobs out there.
     
  10. buddyd157

    buddyd157 Road Train Member

    13,439
    34,299
    May 25, 2017
    under a shade tree
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    sorry, your thread was a wee bit too long, and you basically did not get to the point, so all i can say is get another job. if your driving record is clean, you're good to go.
     
    Dumdriver and FlaSwampRat Thank this.
  11. buddyd157

    buddyd157 Road Train Member

    13,439
    34,299
    May 25, 2017
    under a shade tree
    0
    yes, i too ran a dedicated "JIT freight" for the GM lines, and i had no time to waste. lucky for me, and my then co-driver, we never had any issues. up to an including some airport or air freight company named 'Big Bear"..in the MI/OH area..??
     
    FlaSwampRat Thanks this.
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