Hiring a driver... update

Ok so I have some time and thought I would write up this experience for others to see and comment on, so here goes.

I started a few threads over the course of a year and asked the TTR community what a good starting salary would be for a linehaul driver. I laid out all the details which were pretty cut and dry. Six nights a weeks, about 2500 miles a week, all drop-n-hook, off Sat. night, some days you will only work about 8 hours. No games, shenanigans... brand new equipment, yes brand new!

I received some feedback on this site regarding salary, varying from $1000 a week to $1400. So here is what I did:

Starting pay $1100 with the chance to make more for any stop along the way. After three months you go to $1200 a week still with the stop off pay. After 1 year you get a week vacation and 3 personal days and Individual health care.

Interviewed about 15 people, got some great resumes and really thought these were some highly skilled drivers that were available.

I settled on one who I thought would be a good fit, he had experience with a mega and I really wanted to give him a chance. I like his demeanor and attitude. Sounds good right... I am doing all my homework and used other colleages to help with picking the right guy/girl. Call him to tell him all is good with his background and drug screen and we will proceed with hiring him, he is really happy and can't wait to start.

Here goes:

1) Hired and I told him he needs to have his Hazmat asap... he told me he had done it and he had the receipt that he took the test. Never produced receipt even after 5 attempts. I asked him weekly, every time I handed him his pay I asked. Came up with excuses every time.

2) After three days of driving the truck he tells me that the back window is very dirty, I said well when you fuel you could clean it, that this would be part of his job. He said ok, but there was a lot of dirt. I asked if you ran through some dirt in the rain or mud somewhere and he said no. I said ok the first chance I can I will have it washed. About a day later I am post tripping his truck and I see grease everywhere... all over the back of the truck... I start to panic thinking this is bad. I get out my flash light and do a thorough inspection and find a leaking passenger side fuel leak and it became much worse when driving. I took the truck to get fixed and had it power washed. I think he should have been able to detect this before me.

3) the following week... he hooks to a load and then calls me to tell me he has a broken air line, I said when did this happen because it did not happen when you hooked to the load it had to have happened when you came back in yesterday. He said he did not notice, I repaired the airline and he only lost about 30 minutes. Cost $36 for new line.

4) Three days after the airline he calls to say he cannot get the fifth wheel to release... ok... I am out on the road and can't help him so I say listen you are going to have to try all the tricks, back into the trailer to release the pressure, I said I have another driver coming to him to help... the part I do not understand was this, he said that he hooked to his trailer then during his pre-trip he likes to disconnect then reconnect. I said listen I have never heard of that, you could do your tug test and crawl behind to see if the jaws locked. I do not know who trained you but after you hook there is no reason to disconnect and reconnect. Either way he said he will not pull the load with a trailer that will not disconnect. I said just drive it to where I am and he can drive my truck back... he gets to me and I take a look... I disconnect in about 10 seconds. It seems he left out the part that he bent the handle. So after all that I bent it to its normal position and it worked just fine.

5) After the fifth wheel episode he says that he has a friend who is buying a truck and he might go work for him... I said ok no prob just let me know... threatening to quit after 4 weeks.

I know its long but please keep reading...

6) Ok here we go... one week after the fifth wheel debacle. We are sitting waiting to be dispatched back to our home terminal when the next load is ready and I say you take it I'll wait for the next one. He says great... yup... go ahead your thinking it... what happens.... say it... say it.... the dreaded phone call you know when you see a drivers name on your phone and you know why their calling. So I say whats up and he says I had a little fender bender, I ask is everyone ok, he says yea its just a little fender bender. He said the police are on their way and he will have report made, he says a car cut him off.

I asked if the truck is drivable he says yes I said ok and he gets the report from the state police and starts on his way back. About one hour later he says that he needs to take a drug test, I said was the other car towed away he said he didn't know. I said look from this point on everything you tell me needs to be the truth. I send him for the drug test, and get a copy of driver notice and exchange report. It seems my driver left out the part where he received a summons for unsafe lane change.

He never made less than $1200 a week

3 days after this crash I get a call from the insurance company that he can no longer drive... good riddance!!!! Driving and owning a small fleet is not easy but there are drivers who make it nearly impossible.

 

yessir!!! lol