COVENANT -- From a wife's perspective

and yet this pasy weekend my dispatcher put on the qualcomm to sit tight because they had 70 more trucks than they did loads. And that was just in the southeast region.

 

I'm surprised, when I worked for them I started my training with only 3months of having my CDL. They must be cracking down on who they hire because of all the accidents they have as a big training company. This only makes sense, since the economy is so bad, and a lot of experience drivers are out of work.

Tell redcoat to hang in there and he will get better at his backing.. When I was training with Swift my trainer and I were a good match. He cared so much about my training, that when I was having problems backing and getting frustrated, when ever were were down for what ever reason, he helped my back, and never got upset if I didn't do things right. We have become good friends and keep in touch ofter. He no longer drives for them either, now he is local as I'm am as well. Kept up posted like always and again tell him I said good luck and not to worry to much.

 

mrs. redcoat, I have been reading everything from page one and i just got done with my trainer 4 weeks ago. Yes you have to have at least 40 days training, and all you have to drive is 4 hours for it to be a complete training day. You still have to do 40 days or at least 38 or safety wants to send you back out. I thought it was 35 days of 4 hour drive times, and i came back in with my trainer in 39 days and i thought they were going to send me back out(thank god they didn't) but you can get 2 driving shifts in one day, and it still won't allow you to come in early.
Let me share my horror story with you. I did try not to reply but with all the things being said about bad trainers-- I dont feel so bad about the butt for a trainer i had. The first day i meet my trainer-- i should have asked for another one!!!!
we got on the truck(my team partner and I) and he asked can you drive a truck? I just graduated from truck driving school and got my cdl 4 days prior to going to orientation at chatt. He asked could i float gears- I told him they taught me how to double clutch in school. He looked at me and my partner and said we don't do that here, so he showed us both how to float, wrote the directions on the front window and said wake me when you get to the fuel stop and make a driver change. The man only took showers once a week, and when he did-- he still would smell. He passed gas so bad that( it was really bad just say that) he used the bathroom on himself and im talking #2-- not to mention he would urinate in a glad lock bag and keep it on the top bunk with him-- and one of the bags busted open( we were so pissed off ) the whole time training with this man my partner and I only backed up twice. when we were through with our training, he gave us the dates and places to put in our training book to show we had the required training. And yes he ran us like dogs, but we let him take advantage. we did anywhere from 6-8500 miles a week, we didn't stay still but a couple hours. My trainer was making 33 cent a mile while we made the 14 cents and since he was in a financial bind, all he wanted to do was run, run, run and eat. I can honestly say I learned nothing from that man but how to float gears. When we came back to chatt to test out-- it was at 11:00 at night, trainers are to go over the course with you for 2 hours or more-- it was pitch black and the lights were not on and he told me-- if you can dock at night, then in the day you should have no problem. I tested out the next day and went through the course in 9 minutes, but I thank my truck driving school for that.
And since my partner and I got into our truck, we have sat every weekend. Now we get about 1-1500 miles a week. I have yet to be late on a load and I'm always there early. My dispatcher told me to get my hazmat because that's the only way I will get some good runs, so I am at home going to get fingerprinted monday first thing. Trainers try to get you home to get your hazmat while on the road. My trainer needed money so he stayed going out to cali and the desert. I did not see Michigan at all. Someone in the office told me that they try to make you quit before your 6 months so they dont have to pay you that $2500 -- then they just get a fresh pair of students in your truck and start the cycle all over again.
And did I mention that my trainer has had the last 6 pairs of students complain how funky he is ? there is so much more, but now im pissed again so-- I'm gonna leave it be.
But I do agree that anyone that stays at covenant is only there because nobody will hire them. I am there because I have a 20 year old drug felony for drugs, I was 17 at the time, have not been in any trouble since and have a steady work history. All the other truck companies say they will give me a chance after I get 6 months experiance-- and dont think I'm not counting the days !!!!!

 

thats messed up- dispatchers were told to hurry and get students done with training so they could get the trainers back to chatt to pick up more students.
As long as you are training, you will get the miles. Once your through with the training--- you see the miles drop way down

 

well i read all the posts, i'm glad i went to swift and trained there 7 years ago,my trainer was great.....i have heard from others here that the trainers are worthless slave drivers. sorry for all those that start out this way, but time eases those bitter moments...
the reason i'm here is that i was local 4 years and no one would pick me up, now i am cleaning up my dac from caca posted there many years ago and soon i will be able to leave this pisshole company, but i was just in chatt the other day, and the new hires and newbies filled the place.....again.
as far as hazmat, i have done 3 in 4 months, 1 was dropped early...i even asked that if i had the haz end would i run more and i was old no, depends on where you are, and how much you kiss your dm's ##*.really.
so nothing here gets you miles unless you become a trainer, not even teams can get those miles, i met one team that was doing about 1500 a week, if they were lucky.
i do not understand this company at all, hopefully one day they will go down like the TITANIC, and all the big rats upstairs go down screaming, but i'm sure they have filled there grubby pockets with cash from the labors of their drivers.......
when i leave here i will never say this companies name again with my mouth...
they are deceptive liars and abusive employers..........if they believe in god, i hope that they will have some fear of their coming justice.god loves everyone, except those that take advantage of and abuse their fellow man. they are as employers responsible for the wellbeing and welfare of those under their wing,may god have mercy on them.
best wishes to all the drivers....
mcr&deb.

 

Thanks for posting RCwife! We have missed the updates.

I hope your mother is doing ok.

 

Glad to hear RC is almost done with his trainer. Covenant uses HHG Miles (HouseHold Goods), or short miles to pay their drivers, and they can be anywhere from 5-15% less than the actual amount. I remember that when I ran there, I would run the same lanes alot, so I knew how long it would take. But for a run that I had to go by the QC mileage, I would add 10% on the top and figure out at 50 mph, to ballpark an ETA.

Take care and I hope your Mom feels better!

 

Kansas City to Ft. Worth - 515 miles # .14 = $72.10 = $7.20 an hr. Ah, I think Mickey D's might pay all most that. I can except a training wage. How much it should be I couldn't say. It may get better if they don't fire him or force him to quit after his training period. I think that what I've been reading suggest this may be the case.

You might want to go to "who's the worst of them all" and read what "Georgia Joker" wrote about training companies. It's good information. It shines light on what trucking companies are pulling and this has to be fraudulent. If new drivers are experiencing this then every single driver needs to write there congressman AND senator. This is a federal issue because it interstate. I guess you will know better when the company moves your husband from "training wages" to the next level.

 

My husband says Covenant likes to pay "as the crow flies" miles, instead of actual miles on the road.

If you would like to get his pay statements MUCH sooner then in the mail, sign up at this site:

You can get the statement on the Wednesday before the check hits the bank on Thursday. I use this and now don't have to wait a week to get the statement to check back against his trips and his amount paid. I keep a log of his trips, to make sure they don't "forget" to pay him for something. I have discovered that their stubs are confusing and sometimes appear to be misleading, so double check all of his trips, advances, etc.

Deb