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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dancecanyon, post: 11550839, member: 157442&quot;]i worked two years for them…and they still try to get me back whenever I have changed companies. That was four years ago when I left and I am feeling more charitable now that time has passed since being gone….and only in that I liked the insight into some of “Russian” culture in terms of camaraderie, the tribalism, the harshness of character but give deep respect to non-Russian mettle—they think, and are not always wrong, that Canadians are effing stoopid. Dispatchers are dispatchers and will say anything to get that load delivered. They were my first experience of the extremes they will go to convince a driver to deliver come he’ll or high water. “You’re grandma died? Don’t worry, we’ve called 911 and the ambulance is in its way. Just make this load!” I’ve made up that quote as an example but geez, every single time I agreed to do that one thing extra instead of calling it a day, the situation would explode and I would be stuck somewhere, far away from getting home/to whatever that night. </p><p>Honestly, they hired me without a test drive, and I still thank the Creator/Multiverse/Great Mystery that I didn’t kill anyone. Being so green to an industry and not being the most forthright in standing up for myself—trucking changes this, let me tell ya—I made it work for two years. I made money with them which was a relief after a failed small business, and I ran ragged, gained 40# which I still haven’t lost although hopefully I’ve turned more of it to muscle with CrossFit, plus got my hallowed experience while maintaining a clean record which makes me pretty suitable for any job I want…..although, I’m not going to lie, it’s a harsh industry and drivers are treated like a dime a dozen and drivers also can act like they’re a dime a dozen so know what you can stand. Trucking got me out of debt, into pretty good savings, I did get to see many places and I took in the sights whenever I could, plus, it was always good conversation whenever I talked with locals. It pretty much disarms the straightest, most conservative, suspicious, hasn’t been anywhere, local yokel because no one can argue that trucking is also some of the most blue collar, real back bone of the nation kind of work there is and even a liberal, commie, queer looking personage such as myself does it and ######, the world is really gawn screwy. I’m talking past tense because I’ve taken a sabbatical since April and am just touring around the US with my newly acquired green card, living off largely my savings(from trucking hardcore for the past six years—no apartment, cooking on a camp stove and making my own coffee, using my shower credits well). I’m vibing out where I might want to set up a flag and then get my license changed over to a US CDL. I don’t want to truck like I used to but I will if I have to and the real takeaway is that I will have a job within minutes of looking around seriously. Every place I’ve stopped for a decent amount of time, usually a month, I’ve been offered work once I got my ppw sorted or at least directions of where to sign up. I’m taking my time in deciding any of this.</p><p>All this Sunday morning soliloquy? Highlight will give you the work and experience you may need, they will try to take every advantage of you as they can, they refused to give me a copy of my contract and moved goal posts often, and my final straw was when they started making a deduction on my cheques for something that no one in payroll could explain. What they do to their own country men and newcomers is pretty reprehensible—they basically paid for the trucks/repairs, even on the trailers, and there wasn’t even a lease purchase plan in place. I can only imagine what they told those guys, “yep, this is how it’s done here in the New World” and these drivers didn’t know enough English or places to look(Labour laws) to know any better. You seem to write English well enough so likely won’t be taken for such a sap although I know someone who has been with Highlight for five years and she still can’t get them to stop the insurance deduction….at least at year three of her tenure. I’m not sure the how and why not Federal Labour hasn’t been able to put a stop to this. The recent crack down on Drivers Inc may have righted some of the Highlight sail but everyone knows that savvy accounting is about getting the most profit in any legal looking enough way and they’ve got savvy accounting—he’ll, even “good” mega carriers will skate the morally legal line to twist out some more pennies from a driver. </p><p>Just know that you’ll be no different when it comes to being considered the mule for those pennies and decide what’s important to you. Getting experience, getting money, getting taken?[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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