Avoid Marten Transport LTD.

Whoa there Thunderdog, it sounds like you are getting all fired up with defending Marten and the trucking industry in general. You wrote a long piece loosely quoting Martens point system, but don't you know it's against Marten policy to reveal Marten policy? We were all required to sign a contract to this effect in orientation . I hope you don't get caught violating their rule.

You are making an assumption that I ran off the road. I did not. But I am not going to detail my accident as I see no sense in making it easy for Marten to identify me and single me out for retalliation in their job reference. Suffice to say, you are overlooking at least one category of point assesment, which was what applied to me. I am dying to point your error out to you, but, like I say, I need to remain anonymous for a little while longer.

You say trucking companies make the rules; you appear to encourage us all to just submit. I hate to break it to you, but governments make rules and labor laws, and gov't trumps carriers. Just because a company has a rule, even if you have to sign a contract regarding that rule, does not mean it's enforceable, and I encourage drivers to counsel with a lawyer if their gut tells them so. Marten as well as all carriers I know of get hauled into court from time to time (often by OOIDA) and the judges don't always take orders and policy from carriers.

Regarding boxes, I think it would be decent and humane if a carrier keeps some boxes around if they have a firing policy that abandons the driver at a terminal away from home, especially if you will only until 5pm to get out of the truck regardless of what time it is when you get the word of your firing, and that's what happened to me. I was lucky to have 2 hours, it could have been worse. I'm just talking about decency here. But this will never happen, so the point I was and am trying to make is drivers should carry some flattened boxes under the mattress just in case. Unless you are so perfect that it is impossible for you to have an accident. I say there has only ever been one perfect person on this earth, he isn't alive to read this anymore, and he was a carpenter not a driver anyway, so carry boxes. What's it going to hurt to carry boxes? Is there any idea that anyone could have that you won't argue with?

As to whether or not Marten has a responsibility for my transportation home (minus extra baggage beyond what is reasonably necessary to do the job), it is not up to you or Marten to decide this policy (thank God), but it is up to law. Maybe the law will decide with Marten, but I have had a course in business law for the state in which I reside, and I doubt that Marten will be off the hook on this. I will definitely let everyone know when I find out. I will tell you a couple things that will upset you, but other drivers may be interested to know, and that is that any the employer must pay any ticket you get while employed and for the cost of the lawyer if you want a defense, at least in my state. This is one solid example of a routine carrier deception. We all see signs posted on businesses saying "Not responsible for (insert whatever). The declaration of no responsibility may be legit, or it may not be, it is usually just a bluff and I expect these smoke screens usually work, but not for those wise enough to consult a lawyer instead of just trusting what a sign says, or what a carriers policy says, even if you had to sign a contract. Drivers need to consult lawyers more in my humble opinion, that's the point I am trying to make.

Marten stock is down, not up like you say. They have definitely taken a hit in this recession. I was curious about the stock options offered drivers when I came on board with Marten, and as I looked up the stock and as I recall it was either approx. $24 or $26 per share. I checked the stock again in November when I AND OTHER DRIVERS noticed a shift in apparent nervousness in the various offices and the stock was down to a little under $17. Now you say the stock went up to a little over $17? Oh how I'd like to take your money on a bet about where Marten stock is going in the next few months. Also, keep in mind that if you are invested in Marten that this company is a non-asset based company, meaning that if it bankrupts there will be nothing to auction off for stockholders to recover anything.

Marten told me that their turnover is 89% when I hired on, indeed this is what they had posted on their website. I was doing some research on working at Boeing (not as a driver) and their attrition rate is a total of 5%. Good jobs have low attrition rates like 5%, bad jobs have higher rates like 89%. And you are defending a company as fair and good that has turnover as high as Marten? Marten is better than some carriers for sure, but it is ridiculous for anyone to defend carriers as good when they turnover as high as 89%, some even as high as %250 ( I worked for one such company) This should be something to think about for anyone considering a career in trucking, just know this going in. Turnover tells the tale. Nuff said.

In summary, I think your rebuttal comes across as so hardliner and biased that there will be few influenced by it. You can have the last word.

DUKEOFEARL
"There ain't never been anything got that wasn't went out after" Finley Hayes, logger, SW Washington, 1913 to 2008, R.I.P.

 

CWBY4U and GYPSYCOWGIRL.......YOU BOTH MAKE ME LAUGH EXTREMELY HARD.....YOU SEE IM A MILLION MILER WITH MARTEN MADE MINE IN 4.5 YEARS WHEN THEY DID NOT TRACK THEIR TRUCKS(OLD TRUCK #'S 7038 CO AND O/O 50899) IM THE REASON THEY TRACK TRUCKS NOW YOU JUST DONT PULL SOMEONES TRUCK FROM THEM WHEN THEY ONLY HAVE 4 YES 4 MONTHS TILL IT IS PAID OFF BECAUSE THEY TELL YOU THEY ARE TIRED OF RUNNING ILLEAGLE.YEP I TURNED THEM IN AND GLAD I DID IT. I WAS ONE OF THEIR RUNNERS WHO BEAT THEIR SO CALLED TEAMS FROM THE WEST COAST BACK TO THE EAST COAST AND PLAYED ALL THEIR LITTLE GAMES TILL I SAID ENOUGH. COWGIRL EHY DO YOU THINK THEY DONT HAVE VERY MANY OLD DRIVERS THERE ANYMORE THEY ARE TIRED OF BEING SCREWED.ALL THOSE SAFETY AWARDS ON THE WALL IN MONDOVI YOU NEW AGE BLUEBIRDS DID NOT PUT THEM THERE THE ONES THAT RAN THEIR BUTTS OFF DID YEA 3000-3500 IS GOOD BUT WE WERE RUNNING BETWEEN 4-5000 MILES AWEEK AND HAD ALOT FEWER ACCIDENTS....CWBY4U WHEN DID THE DRIVER START PAYING FOR LUMPERS AT MARTEN THEY DONT AND NEVER HAVE READ YOUR MESSAGE TWICE AND I THINK YOUR FULL OF CRAP NO DISRESPECT INTENDED JUST CALLING IT AS I SEE IT

 

Well folks today went real well... Discovered a blown turbo boot..Was sent to T/A 10 miles away...Got it fixed..No problem...Still had plenty of time to make my pickup..
I dont know people,,Ive read some of the shtuff put on this thread..And Im inclined to believe some of these folks, dont have a clue what they are talking about..
So far its been as good or better than any company job I've ever had ..They've just got thier own way of doin things..And its all about CYA...But what job isn't..
You see its a job..Not some chain drive wallet..Trash talking CB attitude..
These folks are professional... And they are kinda proud of that blue paint..So probably not a good idea to go scratching it up..

Avoid Marten??...Well theres some thats never happy..And if ya can't keep it between the ditches..Well what do ya expect..

 

OK now back to reality

And it does every day. You can be the greatest driver since, well me and it does not matter what your past is when you get in a accident with most carriers these days.

When I started driving you had a 90 day probationary period. Now it seems to be a year or even longer depending on where you drive. But it is not the fault of the company's.,It's insurance costs.

As far as getting stranded? Being a seasoned driver you should know to always be prepared and have a plan on getting home unassisted when you work away from home. That's why I don't live far from a terminal I am hired at or load up on stuff in the truck. When I seated my last 2 truck OTR I could fit everything in a backpack and a duffel bag.

Heck I could hardly get these OTR outfits to pay what they should when I worked for them. And you expected one to take care of you after they cut you loose? Bet you won't make that mistake agian.

 

I could not work for Marten because of their chain policy. I live in the NW and you have to chain to get around. And yep when I drove OTR I was only happy when I read my pay stubs on the QC. The rest of the time it was more boring then watching a chess match.

 

....

Boring he says...lol.. After working for 10 yrs for a company that always tried to keep you right on the edge of your seat with worry..

And frantic dispatchers who never seemed to get it all together...I find it Relaxing....Give me the load...give me time to get it there..and just leave me alone....No drama..

 

Don't you love these super drivers? I love the trucks I pass that say 3 or 4 million mile driver, then when you look at the driver he is still to young to shave, I'm not doubting, but come on now. I have been driving otr for a few years, grant it there was alot of specialty loads and a few years of flatbedding with some oversize/overwieght mixed in but I honestly do not think I have hit the 2 million mile mark yet. Of course I think there is more to life then what you see through a windshield so I take a day off now and then to enjoy life. But thats just me.

 

Ummmm, So what's your point, exactly?

 

#### lostheart.I also used to run exactly like that back in the late 80's to the mid 90's except i did as a company driver! upon reflection,my life was a blur. I loved every minute of running like that while it lasted.BURNOUT? yeah i'd say so.Ga. to cali and back EVERY week solo,usually 5-5.5 days but there were several 6 day stretched out weeks.I remeber picking up for Old dominion out west and having to sign for a "ghost"co-driver in order to p/u the load.wow. But anyways-
Because i have been thru what you have other than owning my own truck,I concur.Most outfits got their real roots and foundation by running drivers like me and you and countless others in the manner that we admit but they will not.
hey man you had to vent on that one didn't you? hahahahaha laughing w/you and not at you-

 

600 miles per day every day for 4.5 years? You don't have to doubt. Just do the math.