Driver leader angry with me because I declined running reefer

You did the right thing, its your career. Sure its maybe more money in reefer, but are those few pennies going to matter at the pay rate of a fresh cdl holder at swift. Not worth the added labor and headaches a reefer can add

 

They are desperate because running reefers requires babysitting the load and dealing with grocery warehouses, which are notorious for being the worst shippers and receivers in the business. I used to run a reefer predict Simon, the precursor of central which is now division of Swift. I would say at least once a month re4 went on the fritz and you got to donate about 4 or 5 hours of your time running to Thermo King waiting for them to open up and then waiting them to fix it. I remember having to go to pallet warehouses because for some reason the receivers would give me a bunch of pallets to replace the ones that took off my truck and then at the next load has skids instead we would have to go to some pallet Place wait in line there again for free and then sell them back. Conversely if we were going to do a pick up some places would want you to bring pallets so if you didn't have any you got to go back to the pool place and get some more. None of that time do you get paid for. What is the definition of working and not getting paid? Screw reefer. I would never run reefer unless I was an owner operator and the rates were a lot higher than dry van. There is one advantage though. If it's super hot outside and your air conditioner isn't keeping up in the cab you can crank that thing down to freezing and spend a few minutes inside.

 

On the Costco account you pull both dry van and reefer.

 

When you finally do quit Swift, and you will at some point, make sure you give them some notice or they will put a "Not Eligible For Rehire" on your DAC report from Hireright. They did it to me.

 

He's mad because now he has to send "Smasher" into ATL. Smasher is sure to put another trailer out of service.

 

If you do reefer make sure not to inhale!

 

Ok, 2 things. I've worked for places that had "lead driver's", which basically meant, who kissed the bosses rear the best. He didn't do anything different than me, still, he was the go-between from the boss to the lowly driver, so if he said jump, guess what. Oh, we locked horns many times, but to no avail, which ultimately was 1 of the reasons I quit. Like others say, obviously, he is having a hard time filling the reefer, because it does suck, and since you refused, he's going to make your life miserable until either you cave in or quit, and the process repeats itself.
2nd, and this is just my feelings, but if I went on with someone, they could tell me to go to the moon, and I'd start packing. I rarely refused anything. That was the job. If I didn't like it, I quit. I had many jobs, because they would tell me one thing, and 2 weeks, whole different program, and I'd say, "Later". If the boss says you're on reefer, and you are new to an industry, I don't feel you can pick and choose yet. That takes a while. That's the problem, new hires want the nicest runs, it took the other people years to get. We all did a lot of crap work, at least I did, because that was the job. Reefer isn't the end of the world, and you may learn a thing or 2. Stay with it. You'll see, that guy will become your best friend, and in trucking, that's the name of the game. Welcome aboard.

 

What the heck is a driver leader? What does this position do that a dispatcher can't other than be a parasitic leach on the revenue of the real money making part of the company, being the drivers. I wouldn't think that title would ever inflate there egos lol

 

Find a good dry van company & quit. Don't waste any more of your life working there.
Put your location on your profile so we know the hiring area you live in.

 

Like I said, he (or she) is the kiss butt between the lowly driver and the boss. Kind of like a foreman in a regular job.