Day & Ross notice for PA accounts

This is not just a review. This is a warming. Any account in Lancaster, Elizabethtown, and/or Landisville Pennsylvania should be avoided. If an individual really…really…really needs employment….l still suggest you not entertain the option. The above stated locations should be avoided!!!
The turnover is high(spinning like a train station turnstile). Skilled and experienced drivers resign within several months …for good reason. Two of which are most significant:
1. Poor pay …offering no overtime on an hourly wage position. The low starting pay is often overlooked by drivers because of variables like 5 day work etc. BEWARE! The claim by Day & Ross is to use an exemption to not pay drivers overtime; this is not defined, denoted in writing or made transparent at hire. The only reason for any company to not divulge this prior to hire is DECEPTION. If the use is warranted and the exemption can be applied by the motor carrier (based upon the specifics of said exemption), then there is no other reason for it not to be made clear, spelled out, and its source provided to driver …than… deplorable business practices, deception, and exploitation. They will attempt to have you agree to Saturdays once hired; fully aware you accepted a Monday -Friday position. With no overtime? The audacity to suggest it is despicable. I wanted to quit immediately.
2. Long hours
If you choose to disregard this WARNING… and proceed through the hiring process (for what rational reason escapes me) ….then my opinion is to make sure substantiation of the use of the exemption is in writing; beforehand. It is egregious conduct by Day & Ross…for the above mentioned accounts.
Here is annother example of poor business ethics (to say the least): the ‘offer to hire’ will clearly denote your star time, simultaneously omitting your work day schedule end time. Any prospective employee presumes a hourly rate compensation is consistent with an eight hour shift. A Commercial driver (perhaps) may presume a daily routine not to exceed 10 hours (11 at max) because of the ‘no overtime’ compensation. Day & Ross banks on these presumptions. By not clearly stating the workday finish time, for the HOURLY wage workday (not mileage pay), Day & Ross …then …assumes use of the 14 hours of service. This is the bait and switch: (a) Present a less than flattering hourly pay rate. Example $25, $26, $27 or $28 (all sub par rates for a Claas A licensed professional driver. Comparable to warehouse positions) (b) drivers will be prone to accept this rate because of the no weekend schedule and with the aforementioned presumption of not doing more than a 10 to 11 hour workday w/o overtime compensation. Basic math will compute for the driver a wage that he/she can manage with his/her economic responsibility. (c) test the means by which this new driver will accept an introduction to expectations of employ, not conveyed prior to hire, with weekend work. I can’t use enough terms, adjectives and/or nouns to express this foul practice.
NO licensed commercial driver will accept such a position, provided full transparency.
i.e. “I’ll take the position you are offering with no overtime and I am available for 14 hours a day at the designated star time,…and…. at your discretionary use of those 14 hours.
Clearly …and without doubt ..NO employee in ANY industry would accept those terms. Hence, the reason for the omission of details and lack of transparency.
FOUL. Deplorable business practices. Exploitative. No professional or business ethics. All of which contribute to a hostile work environment initiated by these egregious tactics by administration. An address was made for the lack of transparency and lack of integrity. The response was a futile attempt to spin the context of the address made; a display absent of any leadership acumen.

 

. First, pardon any typos within the original text. Thank you for reading the post. I thought I was clearly conveying my point within the notice and giving warning to others. Therefore, I will respectfully use the opportunity to respond to your reply. Different states have labor laws. Some…overtime is mandatory after 40. Pennsylvania is one of those states. However, within the Federal Labor Standards Act there is an exemption that can be applied by motor carriers to not pay the overtime. Though this exemption (The Motor Carrier Act) exists, it is at the discretion of each state’s department of labor (states of course where overtime pay is required ) to permit carriers its use. For example: State A may allow motor carriers to use the exemption and State B may not. Pennsylvania allows carriers to use it (within the Act’s defined parameters). Now, what I was trying to convey, I apologize if it was not clear, Day & Ross is exercising this option. And through that ability to exercise its use…hire drivers on an hourly pay rate. Day & Ross intentionally omits the end time for scheduled daily hours. For example. Providing the start time of 6am not disclosing the expectation of the end of said workday. Now, by not having this definitive end time in writing their objective is to use the drivers 14 HOS at their discretion. They want to use the exemption. Fine. And , in addition use the total 14 hours. Fine. However, it must be in writing. And if it is presented to any potential employee, especially a commercial driver, that a company wants to hire he/she for 14 hours a day (ex: 6am to 8pm) with no overtime for 5 days and maybe an additional Saturday; not one would agree. ‎{ Perhaps …a few may ….for a short term if financially in a bind ‎} On the other hand, if a company wants to hire a commercial driver and clearly defines within the offer that your daily hours are 6am to 5pm with the expectation that 14 hours can be used at the company’s discretion, ..every driver who accepts the position would then have the right to refuse anything past 5pm. Regardless of the wording of ‘expectation’ the hours of service are definitively noted from 6 to 5. I hope I have clarified the thread. The company must state at hire (or thereafter if it has been found that it was not initially stated in writing) the prospective employee’s daily start time and end time as an hourly wage employee. That’s why it is called an “hourly” wage. The hours of service must be defined. My point in my notice was that via this undermining tactic, Day & Ross is exploiting drivers; attempting a 2 ( get long hours and no requirement to pay overtime) for 1( a sub par hourly rate with no definitive hours of service). Therefore, unlike my experience, I am warning drivers to ensure this clarification before hire. And as stated above, majority will not agree with those terms.

 

The revolving door has become such a mainstay that, now, companies gauge operations by it. Hiring and losing drivers in a 6 month to one year rotation has become acceptable for operations. Standard. The philosophy of these companies is to max out the use of these drivers that they know will not stick around. It is my opinion that their mantra is "Run’em ragged!" Exploit and exhaust every opportunity to move as much freight by any one driver. Now you ask, ‘ what about those who have driven for these different outfits for years?’ They are the exception. I have concluded, from my industry experience and interaction that most remain for reasons beyond any attachment to the company. Most despise the company and remain for variables ranging from family to simply dreading ending up in a similar or worse situation. Complacency is not contentment.

On the surface, this rotation and revolving door of drivers by companies appears counterproductive. Yet, the "Run’em ragged" approach shows a level of productivity that is adequate to appease lenders, investors, and/or shareholders. And …with NO sincere federal or state oversight into these deplorable practices, Companies/Motor Carriers are able to maintain the revolving door. Inexperienced drivers are ‘green.’ Seasoned professional (as mentioned above) get caught up in the strategically pronounced aspects of gigs and then find oneself duped. Quitting immediately.

 

The heightened production and introduction of automatic transmission tractors was implemented during the period in this industry where the drivers that made the professional licensed commercial driver a respectable, respected, and highly valued role…were retiring. Those of whom they passed great skill, knowledge, experience and an appreciation for the role …had become so conscious of the job’s importance and value …that the industry was their oyster; to pick gigs, demand quality dispatchers, and command top earnings.
Thus, the whispers of driver shortage became a cry of desperation by companies and motor carriers. Automatic transmission tractors became the selling point. The think tanks determined automatic transmissions would permit the transportation trucking industry a deep well by which they could pull drivers. The automatic will streamline training. This will (as it has) flood the driver pool; devaluing the industry and driver compensation due to surplus. Average starting wage (mileage or hourly) is most times less than warehouse positions. Unacceptable.

A LICENSED commercial driver is a skill position…a safety sensitive role designated by state and the federal government….and …requires medical certification:. KNOW the worth and establish it! Let none devalue it. You ask, “How?" Stop accepting these underpaid roles and positions. Example: Stop touching freight without insisting on being compensated separately and/or in addition. You are a professional driver. Not a day laborer. Any touching of freight constitutes an entirely separate role. Two different job titles and positions. Requiring two different services. !Not one and the same! ex: An attorney that provides legal services as counsel in legal matters pertaining to the law and requires compensation for said services does not, additionally, work as a receptionist at the law firm (receiving clients at the entrance). Two different roles, same business, two different compensation rates. And if the attorney chose to accept both duties…or was implored to do so…the attorney would exact compensation for both. Relative, an attorney bills/charges its client for filings. Though the filings are part of the business …the act of filing, itself, is independent of the licensed and credentialed services provided as counsel.
If a company wants day labor in addition to your LICENSED services, then ensure fair compensation. This is another aspect of this industry where motor carriers and companies are taking advantage of drivers. NO oversight. (Though there is legal precedence to address this. most drivers are unaware…or lack understanding of its wording and let companies spin’ them with well placed word salads and confident jargon)
Therefore, .THE LICENSED COMMERCIAL DRIVER… have to stand firm.

 

Read reviews with a keen eye and strive to navigate through the rhetorical spill by motor carriers of ‘’family” “team atmosphere” “care’
The rhetoric and false presentation is just smoke and mirrors. bait. When a company has diversified accounts and locations (hubs)…all with their own satellite administrative teams….reviews as a whole can be misleading. Therefore, hone in on what region or locale you intend to provide your services as a licensed professional. Accept nothing less than your worth. The companies are running rampant in employee/driver wage and workplace abuse. Sadly, again, with no oversight. Primarily because most drivers do not have a grasp on the dynamics of the industry and the essential role and the enormous liability and responsibility attached to their license. Therefore, understand the true nature of what a LICENSED commercial driver means and accept nothing less than its real value.
Food for thought… as a base rate…consider nothing less than .65cent/mile and nothing less than $28/hr. DO THE MATH!
If your commercial license has endorsements, you possess a TWIC card, or any additional credentials…these need to be considered by you when assessing your worth and what you will negotiate as an acceptable pay rate. Example: as a base rate…accept no hazmat and tanker roles starting less than $30/hr or .72/mile. The aforestated are FAIR market rates of compensation. Not some random rates. DO THE MATH!
There are warehouse positions…with overtime…without the credentials, licensure, liability and responsibility of a commercial driver…staring pay rates $26/hr. YOU have to ask yourself and determine why you chose the expense of a licensed commercial driver …with all its liability…to only accept a pay rate and scale equal to …and most times less than …employment roles without licensure and liability.
In logistics ( the industry wherein YOU are licensed, YOU play a pivotal role and YOU are an asset) rates are determined by factors such as weight, commodity, specified transport requirements of commodities, distance and time, market demands placed on commodities which increase commodity value, and fuel (by state and surcharge). Therefore, just as these factors are used to determine transportation rates, you must gauge what compensation is acceptable to you by determining the variables reflecting your worth and what base rate of compensation suffices. Variables like…tenure in the industry, degree of ‘cleanliness’ in your MVR, history of safe driving practices, and the clearinghouse clean report. COMPANIES AND MOTOR CARRIERS use these factors in assessing you as a potential candidate. YOU must use these same factors in negotiations for compensation, working conditions, home time, etc. This is part and parcel to the COMMERCIAL DRIVER LICENSE value. To all drivers …STAND firm on YOUR business. These companies are setting your pay rate by how much they can profit from your licensure by paying you below value with blanket offers. Pay rate and compensation posted by companies is what they are proposing and willing to pay. If one accepts less, why should a company pay more. YOU, professional driver, are tasked to demand more. Do the math and counter with a rate that your research constitutes as fair. In time, pay will reach the deserving plateau and a comparable standard. A shift will take place…either companies will be receptive and the playing field becomes respected again ….forcing a culture of quality drivers over quantity….or….if …and only if …drivers keep to the course by rejecting underpaid roles…companies …crumbling under the weight and pressure of the industry’s demand for drivers….will have no other option but to negotiate with drivers.