Auto Truck Transport Corp. - Kenosha, Wi.

When I stated 'more unpaid return transportation time' I was clearly referring to spending more time on planes, in airports and riding in vans, taxis, etc. in order to save a few cents rather than returning the driver by the quickest, most direct route.

Active drivers are the only JHT drivers who receive 'return transportation' pay. Sadly, 'return transportation' is a killer for ATT drivers and more so for Iron Tiger drivers as neither get any sort of return travel pay other than when using rental cars. I have noted the Iron Tiger website states they allow for rental cars but have been told by current and ex drivers they've never been offered one and didn't know of others who had been offered one either.

Regarding the '34 hour restart'; I'd rather get some rest after traveling before dispatching on another trip. Yeah, I've seen others who will go straight to the terminal from the airport to dispatch on their next trip, claiming they 'rested' while in transit(?). A primary reason we have enlisted 'professional representation' is to avoid having to run like we work for a bottom feeder TL freight carrier.

 

That's why I always try to get a flight that will put me there after dispatch closes! I did take one load after flying but I went straight to the house with it and the flight was only about 3 hours so it wasn't so bad.

 

OK, let me see if a can organize my thoughts:

1) i didn't want to say his name, but since you already did, and coupled with the fact that his name is also on the iron tiger website ( i didn't see it the first time), yes that's Paul Kennedy. Both Paul and Dave Parker are good people. Being that Paul is from that area (of the volvo plant), i take it he is out of that terminal now? If D.P. also went with Iron tiger, is he also out of this terminal?


2) Ties in with #1 sort of:

So, what is the status of Auto truck right now?
a) Which yards are "theirs?" Also, is the low-boy divison completely gone?

b) Can auto truck drivers go to other terminals such as volvo and take loads out of there? Like when we used to go to St. Thomas and St. Thomas was an Active yard, but we still pulled loads out of there.

c) incidentally, if St. Thomas is now defunct, where do you go after you've delivered in Canada?

d) What yards are Iron tiger, and can Iron drivers go to any yard and pull loads out of those yards?


3) Iron tiger's pay and benefit structure (as compared to auto trucks)
i don't have the contract right in front of me now, but if i remember

.47 for one way and then up to .56 for a 4-way
Shop rate was i think $16 or $17
If you didn't stay in a motel then $33 per night.
If you got to the destination on a friday then your remaining available hours were paid at shop rate. Same with saturday etc.
And so on.

How does Iron tiger's pay compare? And is iron tiger union?

4) How is business doing right now in general? i remember when i worked at ATT, pretty much every yard you went to there were heaps of trucks parked on the yard waiting to go out.

P.S.
5) the autotruck website looks pretty much the same when i applied 5yrs ago, with the exception of some terminals being erased.

6) What exactly happned during the ohio accident? i'm just curious.

 

i just thought of another thing:

7) i know that when you went back to a terminal the person in the van with the most senority signed the list first, then the second and so forth which i thought was brilliant.

Does this apply to iron tiger as well?

 

1. Paul does work out of Dublin but hes in safety now. Not sure about Dave, last I knew he was dipatching the single units out the back gate down in Laredo.
2.a) The only yards that Auto Truck has left is Laredo, Portland, Cleveland, and Mt Holly but last I knew Laredo is the one with trucks. When they lost International they were offering drivers the option to transfer down to Laredo.
b) Auto Truck drivers dont pull loads out of Iron Tiger yards, some of the new Iron Tiger guys dont even want you mentioning Auto Truck. Did that in Garland and was told not to because it was a bad word. This came from someone who came there after Iron Tiger took over.
c)when you deliver to Canada its a return flight to the states.
d)Iron Tiger has Dublin, Macungie, Garland, Springfield, and part of Laredo. Right now they are returning people mainly to their own terminal but rumor has it they are going to start networking drivers. Dont know if theres any truth in that or not.
3. Pay is pretty much the same as ATT, .54 for a 4-way, 69 to undeck. As far as I know it's not 90% and if it is, I cant wait to see what 100 is. No weekend layover pay, which we lost with ATT when the last contract came out. No sub-pay and they dont pay for local motels at the yards. They have the IAM as a unionn but they are not in the new yards yet, but they are working on getting them in there.
4. Business right now is ok, they are keeping me busy. They do use contractors but they only call them in when they get a rush of trucks. When the rush dies down the contractors go and there drivers stay working all year. Unlike ATT who wouldn't have trucks for their drivers and were giving them to contractors.
6. They were over at Kaffenbarger unloading some army trucks and the trainer was taking the u-bolts loose on the 4x4 bar without nothing supporting the trucks and the truck shifted and pinned him and his trainee. Stupid if you ask me, but he was trying to rush and get done faster.
7. Right now theres no senority dispatch till they get the union in. When you go in to dispatch they have a computer that you log into to see the available loads and pick the one you want. They have ID numbers and they give you a badge that has the number with a barcode that you can scan that logs you into the computer.
If your thinking of applying, I would do it soon. They pretty much keep a skeleton crew so they dont have to lay anybody off when it gets slow. Like I said earlier they use contractors but they usually get the short stuff and stuff most of us dont want. Right now they are down by Fontaine and you have to get a ride down to TSC to get your load and take it back there so they can scan it out. They are supposed to be getting a shed built down next to TSC in that field there here before too long. It is kind of a hassle but it only takes an extra 15 minutes and I dont start my log till I get my load scanned out and am ready to pull out. Hope all this answers your questions and if you want to know more just let me know.

 

Internet recruitment at its worst.

 

Wow a penny less, is a penny less on the mile really that big of a deal? I've noticed that just about everything that you have posted has something negative about it. Are you one of the ones who always said we were hauling the last truck for free? Cause if you really look at it, we were hauling all of the back ones for free. I never cared about spending a day traveling, but I'm more of a laid back person and don't concentrate or get myself worked up over little crap like that. To me its not worth the rise in my blood pressure. I'll work here till I'm done with school and then I'll be off the road for good(at least in a truck) and will be off to someplace where it stays warm all year.

 

Also, consider the results of my most recent payroll cycles over the last four weeks. Two recent payroll requests: 1st for $826 results in a check for $365. 2nd for $1941 results in a check for $706. Waiting to go by the house to read the payroll recaps for both trips.

The first payroll completed after January 1st also had major omissions and was turned over to the union stewards after I personally spoke with the terminal manager - no action to date.

This seems to be a new 'trend' across the board with ATT drivers as nearly everyone I've spoken with recently has started experiencing major payroll 'errors' since the first of the year. Won't hold my breath as my only other 'greviance' filed during my lengthy employment with ATT was completely and deliberately mishandled.

Also, my Comdata card not being loaded when asked resulting in repeated requests. I'm more fortunate than many in the way I handle my spending and expenses at home and on the road, meaning I always succeed despite 'road blocks' continually tossed my way.

Most everyone has seen this coming as JHT will roll most, and perhaps all ATT business to Iron Tiger, just like it rolled its Active, Cold Iron and Dallas Mavis business to ATT years ago. Next step? Roll its Iron Tiger business to Unimark; a sad and pathetic day that will be. The new truck 'driveaway industry' is declining quickly as a career choice for experienced drivers.

 

Its a home based course, I dont sit in a boring classroom all day and listen to an instructor go on and on. I'm able to carry my school books with me and I send my test answers in online. Which I do most of my studying in the airports and on the planes, thats about the only down time I seem to get these days. Otherwise as you said I wouldn't have time to do it. Just wish I had went this route from the get go and never even thought about climbing behind the wheel of a truck. I don't worry about getting home as Idon't have kids and I'm single. Not only that but I have more money when I'm out running. I did notice a lot of drivers complaining that payroll was screwing things up the last few weeks I was still with ATT. I never really had any problems except them not reimbursing me for a wrecker bill cause I didn't get that stupid wrecker form signed and so far I haven't had any problems here at ITL with payroll yet.

 

Thanks everyone for posting; i will continue to comment and question as time permits.