Glad I moved over to Poly Trucking

I imagine you'll go to Up North (Cottage Grove)

 

Last(only) time I was there I picked up west of Madison headed for a US Foodservice warehouse in MN

 

sorry would not satisfy the requirements of a yearly safety meeting for the DOT, for driver qualifications file.

 

would take alot of f'in up to get 7 points.....

poly is protecting their behinds with a point system...

at least they are upfront about the point system, where you are at on it, and when you will be terminated.

Do your job to the best of your ability, and don't fret the little stuff that will happen... we all make a mistake once in a while, and that is why the points drop off after time.

And with the state of todays work force, not wanting to follow rules, or even work, a hard line in the sand is the smart way to manage the entitled workforce demands.

 

Theory X is the predominate management style.

And todays entitled workforce being fuled by the socialists agenda gives very little choice in the matter...

The few companies that do use Y, are smaller, focused companies, that do know how to hire self motivated people, and allow them to grow, which grows the company.

 

No points here ( knock on wood )

The best I can is correct .

I never knew safety meetings were a required item with the DOT .

oh well .

live and learn

 

US Foodservice. Yuck. Thought I was done with grocery warehouses.

 

You must be working for a different division of Poly than I am. I have found them to be more of your 'Y' type than the 'X'. With only a few quirky rules, Poly is one of the most laid back companies I have worked for in 21 years. I mean, you're given a choice of outbound loads (most of the time, sometimes it's 1 load or wait until the next day...but you aren't forced to take an outbound load). You have very little as far as restrictions on that load as long as you run safe and legal, run within 10% of google maps/map quest/Rand Mcnally miles, and deliver on time. The only restrictions are no TX, FL or CO toll roads and fuel where you want out of the fuel book... The office very rarely looks over your shoulder here. Yes, they have those 'WTF' rules like nothing hanging on the back of the truck, no rider/pets, no emergency pee bottle, have to get permission (in the form of a bob-tail pass) to leave the GP/Henderson yards, no smoking or open flames on the yard. But for most of those rules, something had to have happened that caused them to enact them. And without keeping track of personal use of the equipment bobtail, can you imagine the abuse to the hub miles drivers would do if they didn't?

If you think Poly's meetings and such are a waste? Let me regale you with a year in the life of a different company...in this case, Crete (I am not picking on Crete to be a hater, I just know their policies and procedures since I spent the majority of the last 10 years there). Every year, near your hired-on anniversary you have to hit a terminal and fill out what I call a HYFU form (How You F'd Up or Have You F'd Up) they call it your annual review (list any tickets and accidents in the last 12 months). Then you watch the same 'dangers of blood borne pathogens in the work place' video that you've seen since you were hired (and it's ironic that I was infected with CA-MRSA from showering at one of their terminals)...then you see the same re-runs of the JJ Keller safety videos, occasionally a new one when the regulations change.. mostly w/o being paid, although towards the end of my stay there, I think they did cough up a few bucks. Plus, on top of that you were told where and how much to fuel (you could call them and change it, but if you did it too often, they wouldn't), had them always watching idle time, speed maximums, out-of-route miles (you're paid practical route, not hub). And when something silly happens, like one of of their new, properly inflated may-pop recaps blows and takes out a mud flap bracket or some fiberglass bodywork, they have been known to send a driver to a defensive-drivers course(their defensive-drivers course). Couple that with e-logs, a critical-event system that would message safety it you hit the brakes too hard or turned too fast (even bob-tail). Also OnGuard (which many companies have) and now talk of driver-facing cameras in every truck...suddenly giving up 2 hours for an SOSDD meeting (that you're paid for) and 30 minutes once a year for a road test (that you're paid 2 hours for) doesn't seem too terrible compared to the way many other companies do things.

And when I was at Raven, which had around the same number of trucks then as we do, had twice the number of people running things. In our office, who could we spare? Any time I have been in Pat or Martin's office, the phone doesn't go 5 minutes without ringing. Tony has pulled out all of his hair trying to keep up with equipment, calling drivers for Martin, answering drivers questions (on the phone and in person). Octavious has to juggle the 900 diff's when we're allowed and scheduling local drivers. Jerry is busy with orientations and log book stuff. The other 2 in the forbidden zone past Tony's cubicle are busy processing 3-350 loads a week so we get paid on time. Not sure who could be cut...

if you believe things are so screwed up with the way they do stuff here, try another company for 6 months...you'll see how much better things are here and come running back.

I'm not saying it's perfect here...far from it. But if they'd change a few things like the vacation pay amount, put in a couple showers, let us park closer to a restroom when on the yard. Maybe come up with a system where they could keep track of bob-tail exits and miles easier...and I agree with an ice machine in our break room too...it would be much closer to that near perfect mark...even with these crappy Internationals...and our well known issues with the shop. As far as promoting lazyness, kinda...I don't have to run myself to death to make a living here. In fact, working here I am grossing about the same as I did with Crete, except I have taken a lot more time off...and haven't had to push. To be honest, I think I am at my highest body weight I have ever been.

 

Na, HEB and USF are regulars for me. Although the USF up near Minn/St. Paul wasn't bad the last time I was there...and my 2nd visit to the Houston HEB ended up going smoother than my 1st.

 

Speaking about troubles with the shop...I found a nail in one of my tires, and the pressure was down. So, 1st thing Monday morning I wrote it up and they took it in to fix it. I got 2 sticker recaps, and even a clutch pedal linkage adjustment (that I didn't ask for but it needed)...when I went to sign my truck out so I could leave, I was greeted with a big shock...a pleasant and joking Tommy. Not only was he in a good mood, we even had a brief and humorous conversation...wow...what am I going to complain about now???

And I had the broker call me today with my back haul...anyone who has hauled for Larry knows who I am talking about. I pick up sacks of minerals out of Sandersville, GA with a 2 stop...Houston then Irving...all FCFS.