ATS 2011 status???

I guess it all depends on your work ethic and business sense. Experience helps in the decission making process.

Personally, I would never work as a Company Driver. There are too many restrictions, but there is more security.

As a Lease Driver you have more freedoms, but more risk. I prefer the risk.

Do you have HazMat, TWIC, Passport? If not you should have all three. I think I pulled only one HazMat load with ATS. I delivered or loaded at ports all the time. I went into Canada every couple of weeks.

Loads into Canada paid pretty good. You get extra pay for the hassle, which isn't too bad, by the way.

You will eventually learn the freight lanes, as well as the different shippers and consignees. You want to be paid the most for the least amount of work and as in a chess game be thinking several moves ahead.

If you are on Percentage Pay, why take a good paying load into the Northern Canada Oil Fields if you know you wil have to bounce out upaid? On the other hand, if you are on mileage, you will be paid.

Again the willingness to take risk comes into play. I was on mileage for a couple of years. I did well, beyond well. I owned my truck in 16 months. The first year didn't count.

Once I went to Percentage, I started doing better. It took a couple of weeks to get the hang of it, but I started bringing home checks of $5,000.00 each week. A $2,000.00 paycheck really p*ssed me off.

I still got to go where I wanted, for the most part. I was home frequently,
may only for a 10 hour break, sometimes for a 36 hour restart. I say 36 hour restart, because I ran Canada so much, I started making sure I met their HOS requirements so I wouln't miss any loads.

If you are a hard worker and have a good head on your shoulders, you can make the ATS Lease Program work for you.

 

You may not have a choice whether to go percentage or mileage. They have been forcing drivers one way or another. I guess, depending on how many they have of each at any particular time. If you have a choice, I say go percentage, then you have to have a game plan. Mine was: $2.00 per mile and above, accept the load. $1.75 would be my lower limit. If it was a load that served a higher purpose, getting me out of a really bad area, some sort of benifit offered or especially getting me home, I would go down to $1.50, other wise I would decline the load.

If you are eligible to go into Canada, you should get your passport or passport card. I made alot of money going into Canada, usually, $1,000 plus per load.

Yes, I was p*ssed making only $2,000, I was used to $5,000 so that was cutting my pay into more than half. What set me off this last time when I quit, was Road Service not responding and causing me to be taken off a load. That week I would have grossed $10,000 and netted $6,000 something. I had already been kicking around the Own Authority idea and they made the decission easy for me.

You have no choice in what Fleet Manager you will get. If they are incompetant, fire them.

Nothing wrong with a 9 speed, except if you are going up and down mountains. The final ratio on a 9 speed is the same as on a 10, 13, or 18 speed, .73. I prefer a 13 speed. Once I switched to the Capitol Lease Program after my first year, I converted my 9 speed into a 13 speed.

Now, don't get in your head that you will be making $5,000 per week. Remember, my truck and equipment was paid off. I had very few deductions. I did much better than most drivers at ATS. I learned the system and made the most of it.

Another factor to consider, is that ATS is moving toward Electronic Logs. I had already told them when it was my turn to have it installed, I would be quitting anyway. I think, not positive, but I think all new lease drivers will have it installed. I know all company drives are on it now. This will severly limit your driving time.

 

Hey Terry, Sad to hear you leaving, but good luck in your new bussiness endevor.
Did you do gracefull exit so you can work with Sureway?

Sorry we never got to meet while you were here.
Again good luck in your new venture.

 

I was polite and I returned all their equipment. When my dispatcher asked what he should put in the report they do when a driver quits, I said to put down I wanted to get my Own Authority.

I've looked at ATS Sureway, I recognize some of the loads, others I have no clue about. I'll probably get set up to use it.

 

When Mohammad won't go to the mountain, Passin' is the one that brings the mountain to Mohammad. He is Heavy Haul in other words.

 

So how's it goin at ATS.....can we get updates from anybody? THX!

 

ive just signed the lease last week so far seems like a really good company everyone i have talked to thats in the lease is going good 150 plus gross first here 204 gross 2nd lease so sound like it might work out