Heartland,

Obviously your other half has not been driving a truck very long. This comes from someone who has an "other half" who has been a truck driver for over 20 years, with 18 at the same company (not Heartland).

First, learn there are no holidays. There is no such thing as home every holiday, birthday, anniversary, special occasion. etc. This is just not something a truck driver, as a company driver, gets. I can say in the past three years (as I can't remember any farther back with 100% certainty), that he's been home 1 New Years Eve, 1 New Years Day, 1 his birthday, 0 Labor Day, 0 My birthday, 1 Fourth of July, 0 Memorial Day, 1 day before Thanksgiving, 3 Thanksgiving days, 0 Days after Thanksgiving, 2 Christmas Eves, 3 Christmas, 0 day after Christmas. I dont know of too many truck driving companies that are family oriented. Its just the nature of the business.

Second learn that all truck driving companies LIE. Their recruiters LIE. Their ads are very deceiving. ALL companies are like this. If they promise you something, get it in writing. If it seems too good to be true, and they won't put it in writing, then tell them sorry. Remember, recruiters get paid to recruit.

Third, learn that truck drivers really have a hard time having a "real" and "normal" family and home life. Its just not part of the job. They get paid to drive, not to sit at home with family. Now as a regional/dedicated driver, I do get to see him about every 2-3 days for anywhere between 10 minutes and a 10 hour break. Sometimes, I don't get to see him for 5-7 days. During the busiest times of the year (Back to School), I get to see him maybe twice a month. But on average, he's home for a reset when his hours run out, depending upon how he plays them with getting hours back.

Fourth, if the wheels aren't turning, he's not making money. In this poor economy, be thankful that he is getting miles, and from the sounds of it, at least decent miles. Many drivers are living on 1000-1500 miles a week.. well I shouldn't say living, surviving... maybe even just existing. I know many single drivers that use to have apartments have given them up (from different companies) because loads have dropped, they can't pay their rent, utilities, and have to resort to putting everything they own in storage and living in their truck. Even my other halfs miles have dropped from 2500-3000 to 2000-2500. Its just the way the economy is, not just one company. He has said however, after 18 years with them, if they can't give him at least 9000 miles a month, its time to look for a new job.

Fifth, if you want your driver to be in a perfect world of truck driving, if there is such a thing, then he needs to become an O/O. He can set his own schedule, fuel wherever he wants, be home when he wants.

Sixth, really want to know what a company is like? Talk to the drivers, not to the recruiters. And don't just talk to 2 or 3 of them. Try to talk to as many as you can with the company you are interested in.

Just my $.02

 

Truck driving is a different life,no matter who you drive for.Might as well get used to it,or apply for a 9 to 5 job.Not everyone is up to the task.

 

Its not Heartland it is the whole industry. They get away with it because the drivers let them. Your husband has to learn to say no Im going to be at home, and stick with it.

 

The life of a trucker isn't easy but it's my life. Know what it's like to go with no wife, you just married, bought a house that you like but no resort to living in a truck that you drive. 30 cents a mile all the while your home time is in denial. All frowns no smiles but it's what I signed up for.

 

Be wary of any company with "heart" in it .

Heartless Express
JB Heart
CR Heartless "the fleece"
Heartbreaker Express

 

First, the post above this one makes no sense at all. Heartland is a reference to the geographical area the company began in. JB Heart is no company I've ever heard of.

I don't know how long you've been around trucking, but in my 15 years, I can tell you that there are holidays, and I think that if a driver agrees to something, that a company should do everything it can to deliver on that. I have never once worked a Christmas, or Thanksgiving, and I'm not going to. First of all, those holidays usually screw things up so bad that it's just not worth being on the road anyway. Mostly, you are going to sit in a truck stop and stare at other drivers, unless you actually manage to work far enough in advance to REALLY have something planned.

If you guys are missing Christmases, and Thanksgivings, somethings wrong. I rarely make it home for other holidays, as they're simply not that important to me personally.

The moral here is, yes trucking is hard on a family, but putting yourself out to that extent is ridiculous, and unnecessary.

If single guys can't make their bills, even the way things have been, they are also doing something wrong. I'm married, have a son, a car payment, a huge house, and on and on. I sat at home most of the first half of this year, and while we're catching up from being slightly behind, never was giving up our house an option. People need to learn to budget on what they have, and squirrel away money as much as they can when things are good.

I found another job.

I do however agree with a lot of the other things you posted. Fueling at certian places and certain times is a HUGE pain. I realized it years ago, and think that huge companies that place this stress on a driver are making the job a hell of a lot harder than it needs to be. It's only big companies that do this, and it's a philosiphy that needs to be done away with. I'm not an O/O, but I can fuel where I want. For example, I'm at the Love's in St. Joseph, MO right now. I've been here since yesterday afternoon waiting for a good load to run the weekend with. I finally got one, and in the time I've been here, I've watched a steady parade of trucks heading for the fuel island day and night. Prime, Swift, etc. All the big boys whose drivers are forced to wait in line to fuel here. Then forced to wait in line for a shower...then probably get their trucks backed into (I've been lucky.) I came here to use Transflo, and now that I've got my dispatch, I think I'll head across the street to the mom and pop joint and fuel there. Screw sitting in line like this for fuel.

Getting trapped in shops and maintenance lines is also a common problem at big companies. We have a safety lane too. We pull in, the guy asks if we or the equipment needs anything, they do a quick walk around, check some lights, the DOT, and that's about it. There is no reason to eat up that much time at a terminal waiting on something so routine and minimal. Check you truck in for maintenance, and who knows, but so far I've been 50/50 with our maintenance people.

Another big company idea that totally sucks. Losing all that time for free. They should (and could) open an account at Petro, or Speedco, or somwhere on a regular drivers route that could add to his efficiency, not take away from it. Especially guys on dedicated and regular routes.

My main point is this: when you take a job for a company, be #### sure what you're getting! Taking a beating by missing holidays and losing time for free is unacceptable in my book, and a deal breaker. I'm out here to make money to support my family, not lose my family as a result of staying out for major events "'cause that's just the way it is...".

Because it doesn't have to be that way.

 

It is not JUST the trucking industry. It is the entire economy. I took a 19% pay cut this year......plus I lost the raise so in actuality it ended up being at least a 22% pay cut. I had to pay more for my insurance and lost my company matched 401K. So I figure I took about a 30% pay cut. EVERY employer, regardless of industry, promises things they don't deliver. The one thing to learn is that there are no guarentees anymore, even if it is writing. But, many of these "promises" that have been discussed (and if you read the posts, it is the same story from almost every company) are never written and now you know the reason.

I guess what I am getting at is hang in there.....you are not alone!

 

I've been driving for 4.5 years and from my seat holidays are just as real as they ever were. I chose to stay out a couple of Thanksgiving holidays but besides that I'm home every Christmas, 4th of July, New Years, weekend, etc etc etc.
There are companies who care, I'd suggest trying to find one.
Good luck.

 

Here's how you can tell if the company you work for WON'T care when/if/how long you get hometime for or how many miles you get.

Go to their terminal and take off your shoes, if they have more trucks then you can count on your fingers and toes then they will neither have the time nor the inclination to give #### one about you personally.

That doesn't mean it can't still be the right place for someone to work. They just need to understand that they will simply be a part in a machine, if you improve the machine you may get a few perks(better then average miles, dedicated run, etc.) but if you cause the machine to malfunction you will be discarded and replaced without a second thought.

Yes, it is that simple.