Driver responsibility with the cleanliness of issued trucks?

Get next to one in a fuel isle. You get a bath from them washing it there.

 

The problem with TMC is that the pride is secondary to fear. Thier environment is said to be controlling with dismissal around every corner, walking on grass, wearing ballcaps in class etc. I don't know first-hand but the stories are pretty consistent. The pay would have to be awefully good.

 

You cannot go through life thinking every body is out to hurt you. When you give up on people you give up on more than you realize.

 

I know exactly what you are talking about. That is not where I am going with this.

 

I dont know how things are at TMC now, but it sure wasn't that way when I was there in 2007. Yeah, they don't want you walking on the grass, wearing ball caps in class, or looking like a pig in front of shippers and receivers, but to me, that was second nature. They did take pride in their trucks appearance and the company paid for Blue Beacon washes once per week. They also wanted their drivers to look like something OTHER than a troll that just climbed out from under a bridge or out of a mudbog. They nicked you on the percentage if you did not have a PO issued for a wash every week. The wash only takes about a half hour if there is no line, so it's not really that big a deal. And I saw more people tossed out of orientation in that rat-azzed company ARROW than I did at TMC.

At the time (dont know about now) TMC drivers were making PLENTY of bank. I'd imagine that things are different now with no freight and so on. I personally would rather have a decent looking truck, even as a Co driver if I could. I see no reason for a truck to look like a trash heap when pulling into a customers yard. I would guess that might have an effect on the image of the company, too. That all said, I would never force a driver to pay for a wash out of his/her own pocket.

 

Nor would I. A drivers pay is exactly that, thier pay. I have no right to dictate what they do with it. I have heard stories of drivers being told to wash thier company trucks out of thier own pocket and off time. I will never do that.

I worked for SEF for s short time on the docks. The made every on eincluding the drivers wear polo shirts and be clean shaven. No facial hair at all.

 

Wow. Well, I have no problem with a company deciding what they want their image to be like, but I personally think that is a little far. At TMC we were allowed beards as long as they were well groomed. No shaggy ZZ-Top type scruff going on there, and they always required at least a CLEAN t-shirt when pulling into a shipper or receiver. No polo's, just a decent haircut and clean decent clothing (which you would end up trashing while securing or unsecuring anyway).

I have to say, even after I left TMC, I was probably the best groomed flatbedder on the road. #### sure the cleanest one at Arrow.

 

That is all I will expect. Just do not look like a slob when you deal with the customer and I will have no issue.

 

Many customers have bans on facial hair . The most common reason is a possible leak at a chemical plant where a driver would have to wear a respirator .

 

That is true.