Current Drivers w/ GTI

My husband just started with Gordon, and I must say, we really aren't impressed. We heard such good things about the company, but so far it's been rough. He had a terrible trainer, alot of disorganization, and since he's been on his own (only a week) he's been broke down 3 times! His truck is in the shop right now. I'm just hoping things will turn around smooth out. Maybe being a newbie, we were just expecting too much. Idk..

 

My husband has been out with his trainer going on his 3rd week. Right now he is stuck in the bottom of Missouri in a flea bag hotel while his trainer gets his home time. They did manage to get a load back here so that he could sleep at home one night. I still think that Gordon is a bad company. We got his check today, and it was for $325. During orientation he was told $75/day, then $65 per day, then when reading his drivers manual, the most you can get paid is $325 per week. That comes out to just over $4 per hour. That doesn't even cover expenses. Plus, its nowhere near federal minimum wage. The recruiter told him that he gets mileage too, but there was no mileage on the check, and there is nothing in writing about mileage. So, I'm glad to see that I'm not the only wife out there that thinks that Gordon absolutely sucks! This piddly check does nothing to help with the loneliness and depression from him being gone for 21 days already with another 9 to go before he MIGHT be able to come home! We have plane tickets for September 2nd to go see our daughter graduate from Basic, and I'm just hoping that its not just another empty promise on their part! I hope more people post on this website about their bad experiences with Gordon. We thought that we had checked them out well, but still are getting screwed!

 

OOPS.....meant to post this to someone else!

 

TruckersRN, I don't know who your recruiter was but the real scoop is this. $325\Wk while training with no other benefits, miles, detention, layover, or breakdown pay. Then there will be 2 more days of orientation before getting his truck on the 2nd day. He will then be a solo driver with reg pay and benefits. For all the talk about home time let me say this. He will probably meet his D/M and Fleetmanager at orientation. They should know about your daughter then, not later. Remind the D/M every day for 7 days leading up to the deadline, but, be civil and subtle. They will sweat him with no commitment but I have always been home within 24 hrs of my appointment. Yes up to 24hrs late. Remember that. I drive for GTI, I get home reg. I run 3/4 wks then home 3/4 days. The longer your out the higher your average miles will be, and the more you will make.

 

Hey Yatista, I dont know who your DM is, but in the last yr with these guys, I have never been home within 24hrs of hometime. We stay out 4wks min, and get sucked out west, as soon as hometime gets close and we remind them, about 7 days prior, we start hearing, planner says sorry, nothing going east, everything has dried up. we have heard this for a yr now and talking with other gti drivers, they have as well. truth is, you go home, truck makes no money, so dont let that driver go home. we have been kept out as much as 2 wks after our hometime. the only drivers i find getting it thier way around that company are the ones that have been there 10+ yrs. I just hope now that Larry has taken the company back over from steve, that things will change. Just like they say teams dont sit with us, ya, right. if your not down due to breakdown, your sitting due to, no frieght avail. never seen a company that runs teams up and down I-5 instead of east west east. I have already taken a $20,000+ hit in income with these guys due to poor maint, on truck and so called no frieght while running into solo drivers headed east on 2200 mile runs. I guess when you hire swift dm's and personel, you start to become like swift. god help us all.

 

ive started with gti just over a year ago too.starting with another company next week,got tired of breaking down with gti too,plus pulling E trls with broken crossmembers on them.

 

Well, I guess your right. Us West coast guys get all the good stuff. Have been out since Aug 1st, I drive 25-28 days out and and take 4-5 days off. I run I-5 and East to West solo. Never sit, always loaded or planned within 2 hrs. to load in AM. I like to run easy 7 days a week with no resets. Start early, quit early, p/u and delv on time. No serious problems with GTi

 

Yatista, I am considering signing on with Gordon. I live about 30-45 minutes from I5 and 99 in the Calif. central valley and see their trucks all the time. Would this necessarily mean I'd be home a little more often than normal, or be able to swing by home? Also, does a new driver have any choice in which fleet you go into, or do they just assign you one? I'd like to stay on the I5 corridor as much as possible. Thanks.

 

925Ant, yes, you can request a specific fleet, but it's not a guaranty. Driving the I-5 corridor on a regular basis is a probability and will allow you to visit home occasionally but, parking, truck security, and appt schedules are the priority. Some drivers go home every week, others stay out longer. The longer your out the better the chances of having more miles.

 

Thanks for the info, that's good to know. I don't know what areas you run, but do you know if the drivers on I5 or the 11 western are staying busy? Any drivers in those areas care to comment on amount of miles per month?