Celadon Trucking Svc.

PackRatTDI · Sep 15, 2013

NY Snowman said: ↑

I am new here and after much thought, I decided to share my experience driving for Celadon.

First of all, to even get to Indy for orientation was a nightmare. I was supposed to start orientation the week after Thanksgiving of last year. My orientation never started until after the first of the year. That should have been an omen to me that this was not the company to drive for.
After my recruiter verified my past driving history, I was informed I would have to pass a road test for the company and at most, go out with a trainer for 2 weeks to "get back up to speed" before I was assigned my own truck. I had no issues with this plan. However, after completing the orientation program, I was informed the afternoon of the last day that I would be assigned a trainer for 8 weeks before I would be assigned my own truck. Although I was not happy, I went along with their plan and went out with my trainer the following Monday after orientation was complete. Now this is where things got really interesting.
The trainer I was assigned to was an awesome trainer. However, his wife was in the hospital in Tennessee and he spent more time dealing with that situation than he did actually evaluating my driving abilities. From the first day, I drove every mile and handled all aspects of every load we were assigned. After being on the road for 2 weeks, we were given a load to Tennessee and we hit our 34 hour break while in that state. My trainer's wife was still in hospital, so we went to the town she was in and spent the 34 hour break there. I spent my break in a Cracker Barrel parking lot while my trainer spent his break with his wife and sleeping in his bed. He never told me where he was going or when he would be back. I didn't see him again for the entire break after we parked.
As if that situation wasn't bad enough, we got a load to the terminal in Laredo, Texas. When we got our load from the terminal, we set out for California. While leaving the city of Laredo, I felt the truck lose power. I told my trainer of the problem but he told me to keep driving. He would not allow me to stop the truck and told me that we "drove these trucks until they die." Well, 3 hours later on Hwy 90, the truck did just that. In the middle of literally nowhere, we broke down on a Friday afternoon. No cell service, and the quallcom didn't work either. We spent the night in the truck and were wakened the next morning by two U.S. Border Patrol Officers and 2 U.S. Marshalls. They informed us after learning of our story that we were lucky to still be alive as illegal Mexicans frequented that stretch of highway and routinely robbed and killed stranded motorists. After waiting most of the day on Saturday, a tow truck finally arrived around 4 in the afternoon and towed us almost 2 hours to the closest town, which was Odessa, Texas. We spent 6 days in a motel room while our rig was at the dealer being fixed. After finally getting back on the road, we were brought back to the terminal in Indy and I was given my own truck. Keep in mind I hadn't been home in almost 8 weeks.
After getting my truck and getting it set up, I was given my first solo load. I never got home for another 2 weeks after being assigned my own truck.
I can't complain about the miles I was given. My dispatchers did a good job of giving me miles, but the home time was almost nonexistent. The final straw was when I was assigned a load to the terminal in Laredo. My truck was due for PM maintenance, but there were several issues with the truck that needed attention. The check engine light was illuminated, the ABS light was on, and the truck did not maintain power under load. Of course after I got to the terminal in Laredo, they did the PM maintenance and then sent the truck to the local International dealer for the remainder of the work needed. I was put up in a local motel and spent a week there waiting for my truck to be fixed. During that week, my father went into hospital in New York. I advised my dispatcher of the situation at home and reminded him I had not been home in over 6 weeks. He told me to keep him informed and if the situation warranted, they would get me home. Well, my father's condition deteriorated rapidly and I requested a flight home to see my father before he died. I asked for an advance for air fare, or anything to help to speed up the process. Celadon did nothing to help. The only thing Celadon did was put me back into a truck that had not been completely fixed and gave me a high risk load from Laredo to Indy. They informed me that from there they would route me back to New York. Well, before I left Laredo, I got word that my father had died. I never got to see him before he died. To make matters worse, my truck broke down again on the scales at the Pilot in Laredo. It was only then that I was assigned another truck to make the trip back home. When I finally got to Indy, I was not routed home. I was informed I had a choice of two loads. One load was to Massachussetts and the other was to New Jersey. I asked the fleet manager why I had to take another load under the circumstances and was informed it wasn't Celadon's fault my father was dead and they had a business to run. I was told that I would be routed hom after delivering the load at the choice of my destination. I chose the New Jersey load as it was a drop and hook and I would be able to make it home in time for the funeral.
Well, when I got to my destination in New Jersey, I found out the load was a live unload and I was the 5th truck in line to be unloaded. While I was sitting waiting to be unloaded, I received a message on my Quallcom that after I delivered this load, I was to return the truck I had to the nearest terminal and pick up my plane ticket to Laredo to pick up my old truck. Amazingly, they wouldn't fly me home for my dying father, but they would fly me back to Laredo to pick up my old truck. I unloaded and proceeded to the terminal in Carlisle, Pa. Once I arrived there, I unloaded my truck, turned in my key, i.d. badge and the rest of company belongings entrusted to me.
I never even made it home for my father's funeral. I've had many drivers tell me that abandoning the truck and load would have been justified, but I didn't want to to do anything to jeopardize my career and I know I made my father proud by fulfilling my responsibilities to Celadon.
While I'm sure not every Celadon driver has encountered what I have, I wanted drivers who were contemplating driving for this company to be aware of what they are capable of. Needless to say, I am now looking for another carrier to sign on with, but to be honest, after this ordeal, I don't trust any of them now.

Anyways, thanks for letting me post my less than positive experience here and I hope nobody else has to endure what I have over the past few months.

Later,

Brian aka "Snowman"
Click to expand...

Seems when the truck broke down on your way to California it would have made more sense to have it towed to the celadon terminal in El Paso. Motels aren't cheap in Odessa and neither are the repairs and the international dealer in El Paso wouldn't have a thousand oil field trucks ahead of you.

Delixemodel · Oct 4, 2013

Roamer said: ↑

Yes. They kept the LandSpan terminal in Lakeland, Flroida and two Houg terminals too. One in Colorado and one in California.
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Celadon didn't keep the Lakeland terminal... It's still owned by Watkins and used for there Sunco reefer division... They are planning on closing one of the two terminals in Lakeland eventually

MrMatt · Oct 4, 2013

8thnote said: ↑

My only question for NY Snowman, if you have 10 yrs driving experience, why would you choose to work for Celedon. Surely you were aware of their reputation. I've only got 4 yrs experience and I know that Celedon has a reputation for treating drivers like cattle.
Click to expand...

this is not completely true! the way celadon works. if you can't go to canada. then they really don't want you. I went to oreintation last march. before that. I work for them for 8 months. I got to the last day of orientation and decided that I have heard enough. and went home. the 8 months i did work there. it was pretty bad. do mostly to the truck breaking down every few days. and I was one of the company drivers.

if you can go to canada. from what i seen. those drivers were pulling in $1,000 to $1,200 a week gross. for those that can't go to canada. it's more like $550 to $700 gross. the truck i had broke down every few days. so I was only able to make $320 to $440 gross. celadon does or did have a craddle to grave policy on the trucks. so after orientation the truck you get is the truck you got. there are no trades no matter the mechanical state of the truck. so that is why i left the first time after 8 months. just couldn't deal with it anymore. so while i was in orientation this past march. the operations manager said, all over the road drivers must go to canada. once you try and you don't get in. they will never send drivers there again. after watching his body language. that meant they were going to fire the drivers that couldn't go to canada. are there some screwed up drivers at celadon? sure are. there are screwed up drivers at every trucking company.

so i imagine, if ny snowman would call and talk to the head of safety. and explain to him what happened. then i believe he will fix the problem with the dac.

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