Give two weeks notice or not?

tony, you are letting the company intimidate you. i have worked for the company i'm with for 2.5 years. i have had past companies call to rehire me, i have called companies about jobs and had them call my dispatcher for a reference. my dispatcher asked if i was looking for another job and my reply has always been "i'm always looking for a better job" i am not punished, unless you think lots of miles and prompt on time home time is punishment. I try to be honest as i can with the cubicle dwellers at any company i've worked for. i tell them up front i will be home when requested, even if i have to bobtail. i have never had a problem with getting fired. of course i am good employee, always on time and i don't refuse loads, but when i say i'm doing something they know i'm serious. i think it's the loud complaining types that get punished. i tell them from the start that if the company doesn't meet my needs i will be gone with little complaint. it seems to work for me.

 

in response to what i have bolded/underlined.

i am older than dirt, and with (now) just over 25 years experience so, no one intimidates me.

if i think it is time for me to move on, i do so, under my own power.

one just NEVER tells the company he is "looking" for another job, until he has FOUND a job, then quits, by either way he/she chooses.

you can do as YOU wish, as WILL I.

 

I have always given my two week notice.

If The company wants to be less than honorable then it is on them .

I will not be a sleaz ball just because someone else decides that they want to sleazy.

I can only be responsible for my actions and I refuse to be just another ### just because I am surrounded by ### hats !

I have never worked for a mega company because I am a strong believer in you are judged by the company you keep !

There are to many trucking companies in this country to work for one that treats their people like they are worthless.


So after all that rambling of an old fart I guess I have to so be a man and give your notice before you quit any job!

Like I have said before this just free advice and it is worth less than you paid for it so do as you see fit with it .

 

Tony ( may I call you Tony? )

I DO see where you're coming from - especially in this world that we live in today when truly, the driver has nobody in THEIR corner.

But, I will just say this;
My last job I was a water/waste water treatment technician. My boss starting docking my pay for various things. IE lunches never taken, or failing to pay me for things that he was required to pay for by LAW. The 1st pay check that was short, I brought it up to him and we had a big fight. He got nasty, I stood my ground, but didn't get nasty. He fixed my check.

The second time it was short (the following week) I made issue again, he told me to turn in my equipment we were going our separate ways. THAT was him FIRING me.

So I went to open my UE case and get a call from an agent with him saying I QUIT! I told that agent under NO terms or wording did I ever resign. HE told me to turn in my equipment and we would part ways. The agent said that if I QUIT, then I was not entitled to UE. BUT if my story checks out and it happened as I say it did, no problem.

I can just picture the arrogant SOB sayin "YEAH I told him to turn in his equipment" not realizing he was then contradicting his previous statement about me "quitting".

I agree. There are times when you walk, which, I have done. But there are times when you need to give notice.

I worked as a Field Tech for an engineering consultant agency once also. The supervisor told me that if a guy quits w/out notice, he'll burn him. If he gives notice, he'd hire em back.

 

bingo

My thoughts exactly

 

You are not required to give notice before you quit, but everyone expect it. Any company that you interview with thinks better of you if you give notice to your current employer. But I have been laid off more than I have quit jobs. Only one time did I know exactly when I would be laid off in more than an hour in advance. The trick with dealing with these mega companies is to develop a good relationship with your immediate supervisor and use there personal number on your job references. If your future employer goes back to check on your previous employer and the get a hold of a mega company's HR department, the best you can hope for is "Yes he worked here from xx/xx/xxxx till xx/xx/xxxx." You are much better off with getting your dispatcher, boss, manager, etc... personal phone # and when they call the guy/girl saying "Yeah, (your name) was a great employ. I wish we could have worked together longer but (the company we were working for at the time) just wasn't working out for him/her/us for some reason. I hope he/she can work as hard for you as they did for me."
Of course if you haven't been the greatest employ then the "Yea, he worked here" answer my be a good thing for you. Sometimes it is not so much who you know as in who you can establish a good relationship with that will help you in the future.

 

WOW an attack me for an opinion.. I have seen this done and it worked. as some people put on here case by case is a good scenario. The safest way is to give two weeks notice and ride with it, Most of the time the new employer will allow you time to give a two weeks notice to your job, Its common courtesy as to what they would expect in return of one of their drivers. you get the job they give you time for your two weeks notice and if the company tells you just to get out, you call your new job and tell them you can start ASAP. works most of the time.

 

two weeks notice is a resignation, its up to the company to accept it as that, and that you are willing to give two weeks. Make sure you have the other first.

 

I've always given notice and never burned a bridge, because you never know when that job you thought was bad, might not of been so bad afterall.

 

If you give notice, at least make sure you are either at or very near your home terminal. Otherwise you are liable to end up like other drivers you see out there, trying to hitch a ride home with all of their belongings piled on the shoulder beside them.

As far as I'm concerned... when I fire them as my company I will give them the same amount of notice that they will give me should they decide to fire me. NONE. To think I should have a burden placed on me to provide notice when they have none is ludicrous. I don't believe in hypocritical double standards.