ATS Lease Program?

I'm running my rear off. I am making money, a lot of money, greater than my expectations. In orientation, the Driver Coordinators asked what we expected. I said about $1,000.00. They said OK, but that might be a little high in this economy. I am making double that and more. If this keeps up, I will be spoiled.

I am getting some breaks and I know it, but on the other hand, I am a very hard worker, I will do what it takes to get the job done and sometimes more, I am proactive, at times making my own breaks, I am an opportunist.

I am not unique, Triple Six and Sinister are two other hard workers. I haven't met them, just read their post. I am not leaving anyone out intentionally, these are two recent ATS posters. You can find the same sort of driver in many other companies. We have good work ethics and good attitudes. We are successful based on our abilities, not failures base on the shortcommings of others.

 

My system is based upon time management. That means 13.75 hours driving a day every day. You have a good system.

I am new to the percentage pay. I like it. Heading to your neck of the woods, New Braunfels.

 

When I started not yet three months ago, they forced all the L/O on the mileage program. Considering the bounce I have been doing they probably did me a favor. I favor percentage, I did well at TMC with it. Eventually the economy will improve, with that less bounce, I will then switch to percentage.

Where are you going in New Braunsfels? I heading for ND tomorrow. I was sticking around here, local because of the 25,000 miles for the quarter with 1,000 or less per load average paying at $1.05, but I found out today that all pay, OD, Trarp, Arbitration pay counted. I'm over that average. I gotta get out of this heat and I'm from Texas.

 

I am going to a place called Symons, on Church Hill Rd.

The reason why I was able to do percentage is because I brought my own rig to the party. I was thinking that by being on percentage I wouldnt run as hard as I was. I figure in the bounce with the loaded miles and even so, I'm still doing well.

This is going to be one of those loads from hell. I dont even know what it is. Seems to happen alot. Those customs people will ask me what I am pulling and I just say that I dont know. They ask for a description and I point to the trailer. They look at the stuff and tell me to go on through, LOL.

Terry, if I run into you, I will introduce you to some of the guys and share war stories with you. Howling Wolf, if you like to truck, come on over. No promises, but they always have freight, and we're always moving. I dont think Ive ever seen a company with people (dispatchers and drivers) that work as hard as some of the ATS crew. Good place for an aggressive trucker. Bad place for one of those metrosexual truck drivers who want respect but not willing to dig in and work and get their nails dirty.

Some people wont go to the northeast, wont go to Baltimore, wont get a TWIC card, wont go past 1-35 out west, wont go above I-80, wont tarp, wont be on time for a delivery, wont drive more than 350 miles per day...

...and complain that they sit alot and dont make any money. Last spring, up in Canada, there was a bunch of O/Os who got pissed off because the receiver wanted them to wait for better weather before unloading, offered $1000 a day to the truck, detention pay for them to sit. Some of the guys got pissed off and bobtailed back to the States. The rest of them checked into a hotel and sat for 7 days and had a big ol time.

Theres always a reason why some driver starts crying and bellyaching about not making money. If you talk to him for just 5 minutes, you will figure it out.

 

LOL Let me tell you what TripleSix. When I finally buy a truck your going to be my business consultant. We think too much alike.

 

Get this:


Loaded Friday in UT, 2600 miles. Dropped the load Monday morning. Called the FM and she tells me that her other truck was still 1900 miles out. 700 miles in 3 days...wow. Called my FM this morning and tell her that my unload appointment is for Friday at 0800. She tells me that her other truck is still 800 miles out. Think he can make it by Friday?

If youre on mileage and have a 2600 mile load, thats 2600x$0.83=$2158. Pick it up Friday and drop it Monday (next business day) thats $2158/2=$1079 a day. $1000 a day gross is a good day any way you look at it.

But if you go Friday(1)Monday(2)Tuesday(3)Wednesday(4)Thursday(5)Friday(6), thats $2158/6=$359 a day. Thats decent pay for a company driver...but sux royally for an L/O. You cant even pay for fuel let alone make the truck payment. Want to send money to the house?

You dont have to kill yourself to make money as a L/O, but you do have to run consistantly. All the rest of the trucks showed up last night at the truckstop last night. $2158/4=$539 a day. My minimum is $500 a day. If I cant do $500 a day minimum, theres no point in me being out here.

Now for the bad news: If you are trucking and making just the minimum needed to stay afloat, when you go home, you will sink into a hole. And because you do just the minimum, once you get behind, you stay behind. So you roll for weeks on end without drawing a paycheck. Bills pile up and you sink faster.

I did 2600 miles in 4 days. Thats 650 miles per day. Nothing illegal and not killing myself. To deliver that load on Tuesday would have required just 520 miles per day. 8 hours driving a day. Easy day. Leaves you plenty of time to trash around. Noone delivered Tuesday?

When you hear a driver say that a company sux and that he couldnt make any money with them, do the math. Even if you sit 3 days a week, you should be able to make it.

 

There are circumstances to everyones experiance.I did not sit.I begged for loads.I found loads that they turned down.Maybe as a flatbed l/o you can make it work but when you are working as a van driver and the loads they give you don't amount to anything there is problem.I never ever turned any loads down.I ran beyond what i should have done.Meaning i did run illeagle just to try to make a paycheck.I know what kind of driver i am.And so did ats.My fleet manager as well as his boss tried to talk me out of leaving.Sorry but i can not survive on paychecks of 300-500 a week.And the trucks they offered us were junks.My truck broke down 5 times in the time i was there.From febuary till may.You guys who are kissing up to ats have no idea.I will say this as a possotive.When i was with them in 06 and 07 i made a load of money.I was turning 10 to 12 loads aweek and taking home between 2500 and 3000 a week after expenses.As for the comment that the van drivers did it to thenselves by loseing customers that is a stupid statement.Guys like me that were always on time and never turned loads down should have been put on the good accounts so they wouldn't have lost them.No you know what they did?guys with track records of being late were given those loads that is why they lost accounts like ikea.I never ever ran out of hours no matter how much i ran.I knew what i was doing.So those last statements you made were wrong.The management in the van division sucks thats why things are what they are.I have 17 years clean and safe driving.Places that i have worked in the past have asked me to come back.I am the definition of a professional truck driver.Floyd the safety guy that did the orientation and who was a former state cop took me aside and said if he ever started a company he would want a fleet of drivers like me.One problem that i told them they had was that fthey said freight was slow but they kept hiring new drivers.The proper and smart thing to do would have been put a hold on hiring and weed out the dead weight and take care of your good drivers.Sorry i stick to my original statement ATS at least the Van portion is a crap company.They are not what they used to be.They make money off you and you do all the work and make nothing.I paid for fuel tolls truck payment ect.and made no money to take home.I am in this to make a living.I am not greedy i just want enough to live comfortably.At ATS i could not do it.And i was not the only one.I broke my back and for what?my bills at home piled up and i owe the irs money.You can't say anything about a man till you walk a mile in his shoes.I now am working a local job.I am home nightly.I do two drop and hooks a night and take home1000 a week after taxes.I don't live in the truck,i don't wait for loads i do my work and go home.You can keep ats they are a crap company.

 

What I believe has been said on here more than enough times is that the van division leaves a lot to be desired and on the specialized/heavy haul side of the house, if you are willing to work then the money is there to be made. As far as your rediculous notation that "Guys like me that were always on time and never turned loads down should have been put on the good accounts so they wouldn't have lost them.No you know what they did?guys with track records of being late were given those loads that is why they lost accounts like ikea."
I am so sick of hearing this nonsense. There are so many drivers that only see things from their seat. Do I deny that instances such as what you stated happen? No of course I do not. However if a driver is sitting in an area where the company has a dedicated account, and more to the point if he is the only one there. Well he's getting the load. The company hopes he does right by both the company was well as the customer. It's rediculous to say that any company just runs itself into the ground on purpose. That's like saying your two months behind on your bills and instead of making your bills your go out and blow your cash. Basically solidifying your financial instability. Why would any carrier do that? I don't know but I hear plenty of drivers on here tossing around that accusation. What I don't understand is you started out making a fairly valid point. You seem to be intelligent and a hard worker to boot. However yes you where a van driver so guess what? You get lumped in with them. What I don't understand is you admitted to making good money with the a few years ago. For the most part I see lots of posts on here from plenty of drivers that are making a good deal of money on the flat side of the house. Why didn't you just switch over?

 

how are the normal flatbed guys doing? im not real interested in O.D. Are they getting miles? im real interested to come to ATS but im not gonna go if i cant get the miles to pay for the truck and put food in my mouth.

 

Why didn't i switch over?Do you lease your truck from ats?I believe in a previous post you said you did not.Once you have gone through what i have gone through why would you continue on in another division?I spoke to some flat drivers as well as other van drivers company and L/O.Not one guy out of the 20 i spoke with said they were making any money.In fact there were a number with one foot out the door.Look i posted here to help keep another driver from going through what i went through.You love ATS fine that's you choice.I think the lease program is flawed.It is designed to benifit the company and screw the driver.I saw some things this time around that proved that they were cheating lease drivers out of pay.Freight bills on loads they said paid one thing and it actually paid a higher amount.look in their yards in st.cloud and gary.see that sea of trucks?if that don't tell you something i don't know what will.they are in trouble.if i save one driver from going through the aggrevation and stress i went through then my job is done.I have worked on the outside as a driver.And on the inside of a large trucking company manageing an account and 34 drivers.Do not tell mee they couldn't put their best drivers on certain accounts to save them.You state you are a flat bed driver you have no idea what is going on beyond that.I am happy for you that you are doing well.You are in the minority.The majority are not doing to well.I did look around the company before i left.I spoke with many drivers.a good example is that maybe 2 drivers out of say 25 are making a profit in the lease program.That is not good.That is why trucks are sitting empty in their yards.Word gets around and when you cheat and mistreat your drivers eventually the pickings are slim for quality drivers.I need say no more.I am doing well and am happy.I am home every day and week-ends and i have a life outside of the cab now.Before coming back to ATS i was living in and driving in alaska.I am proud to say 8 months there on those roads and i am still accident free.I am the type of driver a company strives to employ.I know what and who i am.I left ATS on a thursday with no where to go.I was working the following tuesday.Most places i spoke with found the fact that i drove alaska roads very intrigueing.Anyway you can spend your life living in that box making what you think is good money but actually if you do the math and think of it as what it is it's chump change.From the time you leave your house you are at work.So say you are out 5 days thats 120 hours.now say you take home a paycheck of 2000 dollars after expenses.you have to take taxes out so that leaves you with around 1400 dollars.You are at that point working for $11.66 an hour.Sorry you can do that.I average $23.50 an hour.I do believe i'm doing better.Ats and all over the road companies have been useing and abuseing us for years and you and guys like you are the reason it continues.If you are in that truck you are on the job whether you are sleeping or driving.When you are home with your kids and your wife you are off duty.