Groendyke Transport. It just gets better and better

I have only been with the company a short while, but from what I have seen so far, they are a great company. The more I see, the better they look.

For reasons that should be understood without explanation, I am going to be very vague with this next item. It is an ongoing situation, so I can't discuss any of the details. Even with the simple points I can tell you about, you will see what kind of a company they are.

Thursday morning, I was involved in a major wreck. State Police wrote a report, holding the other driver 100% at fault. I was taken by ambulance from the crash site, to a local hospital. I am pretty tough, but I got beat up pretty bad inside the cab. I had my seat belt on, which did a good job keeping me in the truck, but kicked my butt doing it's job. My injuries were not life threatening, but I had a tough time just the same. Got to the hospital very early in the morning. Was put on all sorts of monitors, just to keep an eye on my heart. About an hour later, smoking hot woman comes in and asks me some questions. Sure, she had a smokey hat on, and a big "State Police" patch on her shoulder, but hey, when you get to talk to a good looking woman, who cares what she does for a living? Anyway, after talking with the Trooper, I hung out for a few hours. Took a load of X-rays and a few CT scans. Nothing broken. After they knew for sure my back and neck were not broken, I was released.

To sum it all up, had a tough start to the day, which included 6 hours in the hospital.

Then I got a ride to where my truck was. What a mess! Trailer took the hit, and boy, it was a big hit. One of the company's Terminal Managers was there, along with the lead mechanic. Mechanic was there to check on the truck, while the Terminal Manager came to check on me. I have never felt so supported by a company, then I felt right then and there. My well being was more important to them than grilling me about what had happened. I just told the basic story, and had to leave. I had a plane to catch. Less than 2 hours from the hospital releasing me, I was on my way home. I was told I had to rest a few days, and that would be better done at home, than in some hotel room. Major money spent to get me home, just to make my recovery easier on me. No garbage like making me catch a ride with some other driver going my way, like so many other companies would do.

Less than 12 hours from the moment of impact in the accident, I was home. I have never been treated so well in my entire driving career, by any employer, after an accident.

Now today I am home, but had to go to my Terminal for a meeting. The atmosphere in that meeting was nothing like I have ever had before, with a trucking company. I was a member of a team, and the meeting was not a "Blame Game", as it is so often with other companies. It took a while, but never felt like any sort of witch hunt or anything. I was told what to expect ahead, and was asked for my input many times.

No matter what company you drive for, the worst situation to be in is having an accident. No matter how little blame you are given by the investigators, it is never a good thing to go through. If what went on the last couple of days is any indication of the way I will be treated in the future, I have found the best company I have ever known. I get paid good money.....no, actually I get paid **VERY GOOD** money to do what I do, and am not expected to cut any corners on safety. I am never rushed to get the job done, and dispatching always has a lot more time to do the driving than you will need. The work environment is great, and the company gets a lot of respect from their customers. What more could I ask for?

If you have a CDL with Tanker and Hazardous endorsements, and are willing to get a TWIC card, you should check into this company. The work is not as physically demanding as most trucking is, but does require a lot of attention to detail. If you do decide to go with them, let me know. I would be happy to answer any questions you might have.

 

Groendyke serves a lot of different markets in different areas. Down in Texas they might have some crude oil jobs. Best way to know for sure, is contact their main headquarters in Oklahoma. Feel free to PM me for phone numbers, or you can go to Groendyke.com for more info.

 

It took me three years to get in with them, due to injuries at my job, and then some problems with being charged with a crime I did not commit. It took quite a while to get the legal issues cleared up, but I am very glad I kept working towards getting in with them. It was well worth the effort. Check out what the issue was with you, and work toward clearing it up. As time goes by, any issues you have with your driving record get older, and can be dealt with easier.

 

I'll be flying out to Oklahoma this coming Sunday, to spend 3 days at the home Headquarters. I get a nice flight both ways, to and from, instead of hitching a ride with another driver. While I am there, they're putting us up in a Ramada Inn, not some discount Motel. I am being given a rental car to use for the 3 days I will be out there, so I can get around easily.

Just another check-mark in the positive column for Groendyke.

Can't wait to get the meeting over with, so I can get back to driving.

 

I have to travel to a company function. I get a free plane ride, free rental car, and free Hotel stay for 3 days. The plane ride is not first class, but hey, you can't have everything. The rental car is mine to use, to run around while I am there. They even pay for the gas I use in it, while I am there. They gave me a list of attractions in the area, and encourage us to check out the local area when we are not in class. The Hotel is very nice, and serves breakfast each morning. I will let you know later if it was a real breakfast, or just a Bagel and Coffee. Then during the day at the facility, they feed us a good lunch, from what other drivers have told me. I also get cash each day, for little things like a trip to the convenience store.

I am telling you, the worst thing about this company, is the feeling I get it's all a dream, and I'm going to wake up later.

I am not an expert, but I have been around the block in the trucking industry many times. Usually I can see warning signs of potential problems a few weeks into the relationship. So far, I can not see any problems. There are some issues sometimes with half of the corporate office not knowing what the other half is doing, but if you have a good terminal manager, he will take care of that for you. One thing I must admit, is that every driver I have talked to, tells me my terminal is the best to run out of. My Terminal Manager is top notch, which makes it that much easier to do my job. Maybe things are not as good as I have it at other terminals, but we will see.

Going out to Oklahoma, will give me a chance to meet drivers outside my normal Philly / Chicago / Atlanta area of operation. I will talk to all the people I can, and get an idea how it is in the other states, like Colorado and Texas. As much as I love the way this company is treating me, my code of honor requires me to be honest, and tell the bad along with the good, if I actually find any bad.

Keep an eye on this thread, if you are thinking about coming to this company. If you are interested, I would be more than glad to help you all I can.