Auto Truck Transport Corp. - Kenosha, Wi.

I started this business a month ago and like it. I have only met one woman driver doing this however. She was a very nice 20 something who obviously works out with weights. Height and weight proportionate.

I am not kidding when I say undecking trucks is hard, HARD work. I described the young lady because of that fact. She was in great shape to do this.

You don't see any grossly out of shape men doing this. Many of us could stand to lose 20 pounds but if things continue as is I expect to lose at least that much over the next couple of months.

You have to crawl under trucks, use manual winches, wrench on dozens of bolts and be a professional to dealerships that treat you like they hate you. Some dealerships will be helpful but others will not even offer you a ladder or a needed tool to undeck their own trucks claiming liability if they do.

Then there is the expense of the tools which you have to buy. After a month I've spent at least $800+ on tools alone. You don't want to be on a job needing a tool.

Some companies pay all travel expenses (less $ per mile) and offer benefits and a union. Other companies pay no travel expense, have no union but pay more per mile. Here's another unexpected fact; you the driver are in competition most with drivers from your own company. You are competing for the long trips. The more drivers there are, the fewer trips there are to choose from. You will get a mixed bag welcome from all drivers from all companies, especially the one you work for. As a woman this will linely be even worse for you. Yes, the various yards/terminals/dispatchers will play favorites and save the great runs for certain drivers. Some drivers even bribe the office staff to get the good runs, something I refuse to do.

You can work for multiple companies. Some drivers are pulling for 3 or more.


The positives of my company are no forced dispatch, I pick my own routing and the money is better than otr where I came from. Despite the hard work I'd never go back to otr. Never! Run hard, unload ASAP and get back for another load is the key to success. Drag your feet & mess around on the road and you go broke really quickly.

I would advise you to go by the nearest Freightliner/International dealer and try to catch a driver undecking. If they make it look easy then they are very good at what they do. Those brands are as bad for undecking as it gets.

The real thing you have to decide is "are you tough enough?" Mentally tough? Physically tough? Many new drivers don't make it past the first couple of weeks. The turnover here is even worse than otr was.

Lastly, do your homework on all the "haul away companies!" Starting out your options are limited. Most hire experience but you only need 2 months in the business to be counted as such by some of them.

Good luck. Post what you decide and which company you go with if indeed you travel this path.

 

The contract clearly states in Article 6, Section 1: All available loads will be placed on one board and all drivers will pick off of that board.

This hasn't been the case for a couple of years now, with the union working in collusion with the company. When are we going to stand up and put a stop to this? I've been dodging the bill collectors for quite awhile now. Sad, sad.

 

Toolman do you still work for att if so do you know if they
Hire from Colorado

 

Hi Shamus,

You are spot on in your commentary. The latest at ATT:

ATT lost Freightliner contract to an unchartered company with no employees: PTL Transportation I've been told. All ATT work is supposed to roll over to PTL after January 1st with the 'new company imposing its terms unilaterally on its 'new employees'. This is called 'double breasting' is supposed to be illegal. Double Breasting is where a company is created out of thin air to get out from under a labor contract.

Will the IAM hang tough this time instead of rolling over like back in 2007 when Iron Tiger was created out of thin air when we lost major contract items and half of our business was rolled over? Boysen Anderson is talking tough at the moment; we'll see.

ATT/ PTL is talking about hiring 150 'new' employees after the first of the year to replace those who have already quit, gotten fired or are about to be fired. The 'hiring campaign' that began during the summer of 2011 was never 'closed' but only 'paused' briefly during the summer of 2012 when the 'new hires' were quiting at a faster rate than they could be replaced.

ATT announced that 'on the job' injuries were up around 81% and vehicle accidents were up around 72% since 2011. No doubt why.

One of the 'proposed changes' to dispatch with the new 'company' is ATT/PTL will assign loads/ trips as they see fit - they've been doing this since 2011 and the IAM hasn't so much as yawned.

Latest 'strategy of the day': Shills are hanging around the various terminals showing off their payroll recaps 'proving' one can make 'big money' with ATT ($70K+). The rest of us are just scratching our heads as we are only being allowed to choose from low mileage, labor intensive trips that don't pay well at all - mostly four truck trips under 1500 miles with multiple stops. When the better trips are posted we are told they aren't for us. But for Whom? We know. The rest of us stay out all year long and struggle to make $50k - many report they can't even break $45k.

Why would Diamler Trucks rely on such a dubious operation to move their trucks? Who knows.

Yes, its looking bleak. Wondering if the board mods will let truck haul be included under the car haul category - would be more appropriate there.

 

I'm glad I left when I did - just too incredible. The IAM's only representation of drivers that I could tell was the assisting of rehiring of people that should have never been rehired. Contract wasn't being enforced as far as driver's issues went. Why Daimler Trucks use such a fly by night company like ATT (and now Pleasant Prairie Transportation I've been told) I'll never understand. I ran into a senior driver recently who stated his pension projection had declined by 25%. That, along with the fact the best paying trips are given away to contractors has forced his hand.

 

Is att. A good place to work still thks for any info

 

ATT is union and they have benefits unlike some haul away companies. It appears they have plenty of work according to the drivers I've talked to there. You hear good and bad about all haul away companies. Some drivers go to work for a company without really considering what they offer and whether or not it meets their needs. When things don't match up they end up unhappy and posting dirt on here.

ATT pays less money than some but offers the benefits. Some offer more money but no benefits.

Investigate the companies and analyze your needs, then make your decision.

Just know you'll work like a dog undecking trucks with any haul away company. It is very hard work and you'll often find yourself laying on frozen ground in sub zero wind chill (or actual temp) in winter or frying like a piece of bacon in summer. You'll earn your money!!! There's a reason turnover is higher in haul away than any other trucking sector.

Good luck. Let us know where you end up.

 

Thks its hard digging in the trash trying to find a true answer
but that's trucking nowadays thks for your help

 

What is it with the Cold Iron drivers? They're coming into our driver's rooms and often blending in like they own the place. Their sets are placarded as ATT USA and their bills read 'ATT/ Pleasant Prairie Logistics' but they are dispatching off of a different load board than the rest of us.

At the end of a recent dispatch period I noticed 3 guys come in together; I recognized one of them as I've spoken to him recently at other terminals, thinking he was a 'new hire'. There were many trips left on the current load board; the usual few good paying long distance Canadian trips and the usual avalanche of low paying Midwest and east coast trips - not a west coast trip anywhere to be found. The usual board for nearly 3 years now.

I happen to look over the shoulder of one of these guys and immediately notice he has a 4 truck/ 2 stop northern California trip. No call in dispatch and no, he didn't draw this trip yesterday. I openly exclaimed that this trip wasn't on the board that was far from being completed! You could have heard a pin drop in the room - it was just me and these 3 guys.

These fellows were overly quiet but I've seen other 'strangers' come into our driver's rooms with chips on their shoulders and some have attempted to stare me down whenever I've brought up the subject of Cold Iron.

Now that we've overwhelmingly won the NTSB Arbitration it's time to act unilaterally against these interlopers. Our union stewards look out for the company's interests anyway so it's time we look out for our own.

 

i dont like cold iron drivers either saw one at a dealer he didn't seem to know what to do and his trucks had auto truck transport signs in the windows. he had attitude too a truck movers man had a 3 way z boom of cascadias he say he took two days to undeck and deliver the set he say last truck had a broken oil pan and was like that when he pick up set. our bill now say ppl/ mexicana logistics guess we work for the mexican division now? is our union any good union stewerdz work for the company