any good flat bed companys hire in the northwest?????

Care to provide any details?

 

I think you'll be able to provide your own details before long if you work for them now. Right now, I'm considering a lawsuit and don't wish to compromise things by saying more. I just felt it my civic duty to warn people about this company.

Which section of System do you work for?

Incidentally, there was another post on this forum I read where someone successfully sued System not long ago. As I recall, it was a veteran that sued for discrimination.

 

Dont want to provide details because youre saying youre going to file a lawsuit, but yet you come on here telling prospective drivers to stay away from them while providing limited details...

sounds like someone got canned for whatever reason and has a grudge against system.

 

I didn't get canned from Systems. I voluntarily left for a better job. I could have stayed but chose not to because the company does not care for it's drivers at all.

I've provided an opinion based on my experience there and, as with everything on the internet, it should be taken with a grain of salt. I will provide more details later so that those who wish to reserve judgment until all the facts are in can decide the truth of the matter. I provided my caution because it's the only thing I can prudently provide at this time.

However, if anyone reading this is going to work for Systems I would say this: Take a look at the documents they require you sign AFTER you reach orientation. Ask if you can view any required to sign documents before you go to orientation. Talk to drivers that work or have worked for Systems. I have yet to meet one that was happy and I've spoken to about 40--mostly from the Spokane area.

Also, note the hours you are actually working compared to those you actually get paid for. System nickles and dimes you: They don't pay you for fueling time or paperwork time. They allow you only so much time on loading or unloading and then they dock your pay. Their benefits are poor at best. The average employment term at Systems is about 4 months. Why is that? The drivers have had one raise in the last 7 years there.

Unfortunately, I can't really provide specifics right now besides the above. However, my *opinion* is that Systems has grown to a size that necessitates behaving like all the other big companies. They use people and discard them then move on to the next people because it's a viable business model and makes them money.

Further, the state of Washington condones such practices by allowing an employer to can you for any reason that's not constitutionally protected. For example, you can be fired because you smile too much or you drive a red car. I know that sounds insane but it's true. Go ask a lawyer if you don't believe it !

I am unlikely to be successful in suing these guys for my particular complaint. I just think this company is just one of those run-of-the-mill driver churns that use people and toss them aside and that the company is best used as a stepping stone to something better. Those who are going to work for them should think of them in this light.

 

From what I've heard, COTC will take a select few fresh graduates, they are being picky in who they choose. I guess it can't hurt to apply.

Don't get me wrong, so far COTC has been great so far. They have their issues just like any other company as well, and if you don't like to tarp, you probably won't like it here.

Good luck in whatever you choose to do.

 

Unfortunately, I can't really disagree with this statement.

I honestly can't remember being asked to sign anything half as sinister as you're suggesting. Can you give me a hint?

There's a lot of ######## and moaning that happens out of Spokane. Some of it is legit... some of it is just drivers with unrealistic expectations. Mostly it's just run-of-the-mill complaining about the job/the boss/the hours/the pay that everybody does at any job.

I would consider myself 70% happy with System after two years of working for them.

Dude... System pays MILEAGE.

No company that pays mileage is going to pay you for fueling or paperwork.

Mileage pay is just contract work under a different disguise. You get payed x amount to move freight from point A to point B within a given time frame. Whatever it takes to get it done is your problem. If you can't get it done, they'll find somebody else to do it.

I have never been threatened with having my pay docked. I can imagine this happening if you're screwing around on a time sensitive load.... or just taking way to long to get on the road with your load.

You're probably right. I'm not the best person to judge such things.

I don't know about the average employment term. I still see a lot of the same faces that were here when I started.


I don't know where you're getting this raise thing, though. There was a point a while back where the company hit hard times and asked the employees to take a cut in pay, but raises are regular if somewhat insignificant.

I was hired at 34 CPM. Within the first year I was at 36.5 CPM. At one year I got a half cent raise. I expect to get a half cent each following year. It's not much, but it's not what you described.

I think System figures that if you want to make more money, you'll become a trainer. That's where a significant pay increase is going to come from with this company.

I've said this before in other threads.

I think System is one of the "better" "training" companies. I don't know if there is such a thing as a "good" trucking company.

Based mostly on what I read about the other training companies out there, System is about the best you're gonna get.

That said, I don't think they have a lot of motivation to keep seasoned drivers who choose not to become trainers. You can move freight a lot cheaper with a new driver making 34 CPM than you can with a driver making 40+ CPM.

 

I don't know how the training program will be with COTC. You'll go out with a driver coach I figure and they do know their stuff.

Going in with experience, they gave us a crash course and for the most part, it has been learning on the fly. I'm finally starting to get the hang of the little things that make it easier and have been becoming more efficient each week.

So far, so good.

 

Systems also has a local division that pays hourly. I can only assume this is what he is referring to when he says they don't pay fueling time. Two years there and u don't know about their Genie division. You should probably get your facts straight before you really discredit yourself. I also wouldn't go as far as saying milage pay is just contract work. As a contractor you file your own taxes, have to find your own medical insurance, have to pay for your own tools of the trade, itc.... This sounds like a O/O don't you think...