ATS Flatbed non O.D.

I think they are cut back to a whooping 63 mph.

Part of their going green promo

 

I believe they have them locked in at 70. You do know, dont you, that you can lease a truck through someone else and bring it on? Its usually cheaper, AND its YOUR TRUCK, not ATS'.

Hey,

Yea T6, I hear you man, and I appreciate the response from a 'lifer' brother... I've always known what cutting a truck does to both the driver and the truck... Hell, even the manufacturers are now telling fleets that it's not wise to cut the trucks back nowdays, right?! Those cut trucks aren't gaining a thing in fuel or safety either one these days...

And truthfully? Even 70 causes me to grit my teeth at times! L.O.L.!

On leasing somewhere else... sorry to say my and wifey's credit has taken a real stomping lately and I can't imagine any real leasing company would touch me with a 10 foot pole... I had a small company and owned a couple dozen rigs in the past but even with that 'good' on my credit report it's trashed now - live in Sarasota, Fl and got killed recently in the housing crash mess, right? Managed to keep our own house but crashed and burned on 2 rentals we owned...

I'm just looking high and low for some way to do what I love, but not be totally under some needle brain desk jockeys complete control at all times, know what I mean?

Certainly don't mind working for other people, and I don't have an authority problem so to speak, but it's getting old being a drivers seat quarterback and seeing all the completely idiotic decisions they force on you that cause you to suffer finanncialy as well as mentally.

Being a lifer professional yourself I KNOW you know what I'm saying here...

Just trying to figure out which way to go to get back to work... been off the road 2 months now, last company had GREAT equipment, the dumbspatchers were great PEOPLE, but the company owner has some immpossible to fathom game plan concerning the travel lanes and routing that causes the trucks to sit (unpaid for the most part) anywhere from 9 -15 days out of every month??!! (wouldn't be so bad if you were HOME when that happens but no, of course it would always be in some backwoods 'nowheresville' in Virginia or Ohio, or even worse just sitting in their own yard in MN. or where ever) Can't make a living running that way...

If you have any good ideas on it all please let me know, pulling my hair out about now trying to find a good outfit that respects the kind of years you and I both have in this game AND that will hire out of my area... that's always been a problem as well, nobody wants drivers south of the Fl. state line... Peace Out, Paul

 

If you are highly motivated and are proactive you can do well at ATS. I have a few small complaints, but overall I am satisfied. I am doing well. I listen to a few other O/O and L/O and after a few minutes I get a good understanding of why they are not doing so well.

This is a business they don't treat it as such. If you are in a group of ATS drivers and it is a complaint session about how everyone is out to get the driver, this is the wrong group to hang with. Go look for the driver who is out working, he is the one make money and doing well, don't be suprised he can't give you alot of time, not that he is stuck up and unwilling to help, he has to get to his next load and doesn't have anytime to waste. Try to get his phone number and talk to him when he is driving.

 

I retired from trucking in 2000 and started a construction company. Did well for years, but in 07 the market took a dump. I had 4 new houses on the market that I had to repay the construction loans on. I jumped back into a truck just to pay rent. My credit score isnt fit to ride in a sewer pipe.

But here's the deal: A bunch of guys are trying to get out of their trucks. I found one such guy and made a deal with his financial institution. The finance guys want their money, not the truck. Wave a couple grand in their faces right now and not only will they deal, they will ask you if you dont mind waiting 30 minutes for them to draw a crowd to watch them kiss your ####. You get your truck and they get whats owed on the truck.

A few months back, I had a buddy of mine from Vermont that told me about a truck that was leased to ATS doorslammer division. A 2000 Classic, with a brand spanking new (not rebuilt) $23000 500Detroit and rebuilt 13 speed, and new drives. Guy quit driving and told the bank to come get it. The truck sat in his front yard for a year. I was told about this truck after I bought mine. I told some buddies about the truck and told them to contact this guy to get the info on the lienholder and make a deal since they only wanted what was owed on the truck ($14000)

Of course, my buddies procrastinated long enough for the bank to pick the truck up.

 

Good to hear youre still rolling along, TL.

Since the week of the July 4th, Ive had a run of bad incidents. My mom needed someone to transport my 92 yr old grandfather down south. Electrical issues with a trailer had me buying 4 new batteries for the truck. My partner in crime*** at ATS had a machine fall on him in SanDiego 2 weeks ago. And just last Thursday, while dropping a trailer destined for Mexico, I had an uninsured, unlicensed driver back into my truck and put my hood on crooked.

***My buddy was pulling an OD load on an RGN, rolling with 3 other drivers out to SanDiego. They were to drop the trailers and remove their securement. My buddy removed his straps and turned his back. Part of the machine he was hauling fell off and piledrived him into the ground, damaging some vertebrae. The other drivers shouted and ran to rescue him. They called an ambulance and offered to help his wife get the truck anywhere she needed it to be. His fleet mgr told her that he would see to the truck and to just get him home. Well, the doctors say the no major damage was done, but he cant drive for 8 weeks. He was released from the hospital and was flown home.
He says that his fleet manager came up to bat for him and a bunch of drivers he's never known has called him up and offered their support. Way to go guys.

 

I recommend never hanging out in their drivers lounge at the Gary yard, You could be the happiest guy in the world but after a few minutes in there, you will think the world is coming to an end and want to drive into oncoming traffic

 

im going in on oct 12th to lease a truck. is there anything i should now before i get there?

 

it seems that all i hear is negative things fom people on here. I know a few drivers trhat work there ande so far they love it. i wanna move up from flatbed to od whatever that means. and what does od mean?

 

OD means over dimentional or over sizes loads.

 

Over width, height, length and/or weight.
ATS has different driver classifications for these loads. Class 4 being the lowest and 1A the highest.