Anything good about Celadon from someone that is there now

My husband had his truck the evening he got out of orientation. Some of the others did too. Not everyone does. Most of the others in his orientation group had to wait a couple of days for a truck, or had to go to one of the other terminals, like Laredo, or Nashville, and pick theirs up.

 

Well, he's off again. He made it to Indy last week on Wed to drop his relay trailer. Then he had to sit till Friday which was the day he was supposed to be home. He got there to Indy, and they had to replace his windshield because there was a crack in the passenger side, then they had to do the PM service on it, and recharge the batteries, and some other things I think. So he told his DM to give him a short run so he could get more than 500 miles for the week. Especially since the car payment is due next week. So he took a load to Michigan Friday and got home Saturday instead. It wasn't his DM's fault he sat for two days. His truck was in due for service and the shop won't let it out the gate till it's done, even if it takes them four days to get to it. Oh well. Check is still going to stink with less than 1000 miles on it. Still not going to be enough for the car payment, but at least it will cover some of it.

So he headed out this morning to Indy to pick up his loaded trailer. Three drops on it, first one right there in Indy. Then up to Michigan for two drops tomorrow. He was still on his way up there when his DM sent him a load assignment for his next load. Pick up close to his second stop heading to Texas. So hopefully this weeks runs will total around 2500 so I have enough for the rent the following week.

Now all I have to do is pass the skills test and driving test to get my CDL back and I can get out and start working too to earn some extra so we aren't so pinched by short weeks. Got the permit this past Friday so I'm halfway there. Yipee.

 

Well, another week down. Our first big issue with payroll. They've taken out $52 for an advance, and he only took $50. Then they took out another advance for $52 that he never even got. And the run he made from Indy to Michigan isn't on this check. So his check is about $300 less than it should be. I told him to get his butt on the phone and call payroll. Will update more when I get it figured out.

 

Well, I guess make sure he has a good attitude toward his driver manager. That is his main contact with the company, and the person he will be interacting with on a daily basis. Be polite to him/her, hope the driver manager (DM) he gets is a good one, do his job to the best of his abilities.

Always double check his time for running a load. A couple of times the night and/or weekend driver managers have tried to put my hubby on a team load when he's a solo driver. Always allow at least an extra hour or so each day for traffic/accidents/weather when planning his route and deciding if he has the time to take a load each day. My husband figures he can average 500 miles a day. So if he gets a dispatch that is 1500 miles, it will take him three full days to get there. Of course, that's at 50 mph and they can actually run around 64, which is what the trucks are governed at. But after his logs are done, and the driving time verses the mileage is computed, his average speed is around 57 to 58 mph. Again, traffic, big cities, accidents, whatever, that contribute to slower average. So back on the topic, if your hubby gets a dispatch that is, say, 1000 miles, and it's Monday morning at 9:30 am when it comes through the qualcomm, it will take him two full days to get there. Which means Tuesday late afternoon when he arrives. So if the delivery date/time is set for Tuesday afternoon late, or Wednesday morning, he's got plenty of time to get there. There will be times when he will have to get up and go early, and times he will be sitting. Also, talk with Dawn in the log department, she's great at helping new drivers. Make sure he clarifies with her what he can legally log as off duty time to save on his driving hours. Legally, as in DOT, and per company policy.

If he's under a load, and for whatever reason he sees that he's not going to make his delivery time, get on the qualcomm IMMEDIATELY and let his DM know about it. Like if he's got plenty of time when he took the load, and then gets jacked around at the shipper for hours and hours, or gets stuck in an 8 hour traffic jam from an accident, whatever, let them know immediately so they can get you met up with a team to take it on the rest of the way, or with someone who's got enough hours if he's run out because of being jacked around.

If, for whatever reason, he gets a DM that he just can't get along with, talk to someone higher up. They seem to be pretty good about working with the drivers. But don't be accusitory about it. Just something along the lines of our personalities just don't seem to work well together. Be polite. You get more flies with honey.

And don't be a whiner. There will be crap loads with not so great mileage, but there will be good runs too. You have to take the bad with the good, and if the DM sees that you're making the effort to be a good driver, not complain all the time, and take the crap with the gravy, they will remember that.

The shop. Now some of the mechanics, just like at every place else, don't really care that you only make money when your truck is moving. They get paid by the hour, not the mile, so they don't have much incentive to get your truck in and out. Some. Not all. But that can be found at any trucking business. Treat them the way you would like to be treated. Again, more flies with honey. My husband has been through there a few times, and he's always been polite, smiling, asks them how they are, and generally very respectful. They remember that. He was sitting in Indy this past Friday, truck needing worked on, no load, and the prospect of at least a day and a half of waiting before he was in and out. Guess what? He was home Friday night. They remember. They got him in the shop, fixed up, and out in a couple of hours. Now granted, his truck was a minor, quick fix, problems with tail/brake lights. But they got him in and out and didn't have to. Honey. Respect. Good attitude.

If your husband has problems with anyone, talk to someone higher up. DON'T be accusitory. Be polite about it. There is a problem, and he would like to get it solved without creating more problems or being nasty. An issue that he would like to try to resolve to everyone's satisfaction.

And most of all, good luck.

T