DM Bowman

I worked for DM Bowman for 12 years. I was in the bulk div out of York, Pa. For the first 9 years it was a pretty good job. You could make money there. When I quit I was at 47.5 cpm plus the load and unload pay plus the short haul pay. Anything under 200 miles paid extra. We did not have any kind of guarantee. The last 4 years I was there I stayed between $72,000 and $75,000 a year and home almost every weekend. I made the Hall of Fame. Over 1,000,000 consecutive miles safe driving. No incidents, accidents, or cargo claims. If you doubt that, my real name is Shannnon Childs. You can call Don Meckley, Jim Ward, or Anthony Triggs to confirm. The last 5 years that I was there everything in Williamsport changed. They changed the pay scale several times. They left the top 6 of us in Bulk alone. I was on the talc run dedicated to Ludlow, Vt to Fredrick, Md. It was about the same time that they started those guarantees for some of the flat and van runs. I was also true that they would try to come up with just about any excuse not to pay it. When things got slow in bulk, I would run flats or TSC dedicated, but it got so hit and miss that I don't know how any of the guys that were in those div. permanently made a living. In 2013 I finally got so mad that I just refused to put up with the BS anymore and quit and bought my own truck. The day I quit, nobody even said goodbye. That was the new mentality over there. It used to be a great little company that really cared about its employees. But as of 2013 you were only worth the last load you pulled and they didn't give a da#@ about who you were or anything you had done over there. I would not recommend that company to anyone any longer. It was a shame to see the demise. But that outfit is not worth your time or the heartbreak that they will cause you.

 

What are you doing now? Have you gone O/O and/or independent?

 

I bought a truck and I have it leased on to Miller Transporters pulling chemical tanks.

 

When you are hired as a new hire and get the short haul position. When do you work and how much is your paychecks

 

How much would a new hire make being home every day

 

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My brother just go hired with them . They Guarnteed him $ 800.00 a week he thinks he is going to be home everyday . How much will he make a week by coming home everyday

 

they talk a good game. they told me since i'm a student graduate i have to sign a 3,000 dollar 1 year contract for them to send me with a driver trainer for about 4 - 6 weeks which also has a NO compete clause in it. wow talk about total B.S.

 

Are you sure that $3000 is just for riding with the trainer?That doesn’t sound right at all.It sounds more likely that’s what there reimbursing you for a training school

 

that's what 2 recruiters told me Pepper. 1 year 3,000 dollar contract with a NO compete clause just to ride with a trainer for 4 to 6 weeks. use to be months they said. needless to say they can stick all that.

 

Sorry sir, we handled three to four flat loads out of Frederick on English Muffin road either Lowes dedicated Hagerstown railroad yard for next morning delivery or tamko shingle to start off early. For my time the pay worked out to 600 plus net each week not including the idle bonus which reached 60 plus a week at times. I generally did not take benefits to limit deductions to taxes etc. If something was to happen and I got hurt the ER would take care of it (And did...)

Flats was fun. Especially after they issued me a virgin CL Mack day cab when one of the older cabovers pretty much fell down in a massive breakdown fisco that cost me 3 days and nights in Virginia. (They paid me 10 a hour for the entire time and then some...)

I also ran the van division out of Williamsport. Same pay net despite a horrible 55 mph speed limitation in the regional south. I wont be doing that again. But overall, you should be hopping on at least two flat loads a day. A delivery prior to sunrise and one at least loading to deliver either that same day or next morning. Sometimes three loads... (That is chained, secured and tarped...)

There should still be a man in the office towards the safety side, you should go talk to him. And say that you have lost your minimum pay gaurantee by the DM (Dispatcher etc) and complain to him about it. There is a reason they did this to you. Let's find out what that reason is.

If you think you are going to walk after 6 months with a beef vs DM Bowman, they will black list you in various ways. And it will cost you hireability for a while. I see this is a spark in a great forest. Put it out before it becomes major.