Indian River

Pretty sure he isn't advocating working 365 days a year, just saying that's what OTR companies would really like to get out of you once you strip away all the BS sales pitches they use to recruit fresh souls.

 

If I would've kept going at IRT I figure out of 365 days in a year I would've been home a total of maybe 25-30 days. That's taking 4 or 5 days off every other month. And since I only worked 5 or 6 days a week at IRT that means I would've spent a total of 78 days on the road, not working. Figure 1.5 days a week sitting at truck stops or parking lots X 52 weeks = 78 days. That's over 2 months. So a month at home each year (split up into six 5 day periods) then another 2.5 months a year off work sitting in parking lots throughout the year. I guess on the bright side a guy only has to work 9 months out of the year.

 

You guys can say/think what you want but ive be been working 4 on 3 off for years now and still take home 850 to 950 a week and I live in one of the worst parts of the state/ country it can be done most are not smart enough to do the leg work to find the good jobs. Just keep on looking for the most rolling billboards with the newest trucks that seems to work out well.

 

Got to winter haven and looked at my last paystub for 2014. Took my gross for the year and divided it by $0.37 then divided that number by the number of paydays I was here for in 2014. My average mileage for the 17 weeks I worked at IRT in 2014 was 1611 miles a week. I knew things were bad but I didn't realize it was that bad. It's time to find greener pastures. I'm sorry, but this is the last straw and the camel's back has officially been broken. Best of luck to all who plan to continue working here in 2015. You're gonna need all you can get.

 

Keep your head up Spring Chicken. You'll find something.

 

I would like that set up you got going on. I agree with what you said about the flashy billboards and new trucks not always being the best outfits to work at. Sometimes the small, family atmosphere style companies are the best places to be. It's live and learn though. A guy doesn't know until he tries.

 

This is true as I worked at irt and few others but it did not take long to figure it out.

 

C'mon over to Bynum. Then you will really have a reason to be depressed...
You will go crawling back to irt begging for your job back.

 

...didn't I say this on one of the many threads that got locked?

companies that offer sign-on bonus', APU's, and brand new trucks aren't that good of companies

a sign-on bonus is just a bribe "hey come work for us and you'll get money" (that you never get)

an APU is just a fancy way of saying "look, of course we care about our drivers" but its just a gimmick, they don't really care.

the problem is with Nice trucks that will always happen. these companies sign 3 year leases with Pete, KW, Freightliner, International, Volvo and are required to rotate their fleet every 3 years or else all these complicated contract laws come into place. BUT if you're trying to attract a driver who will you attract more people with? "hey, come work for us and we'll give you the keys to 2016 Peterbilt! (pending)" or "come work for us and drive around in a 2002 Freightliner Classic? um, no, i'll take the new truck. it will have less problems and I won't have to live in somebody elses vehicle that many people may have smoked in. Also in theory if they can afford a 2016 pete, they can probably pay you more

also, "rolling billboards" are the only way to get your start. you have to "pay your dues" spend years doing crap and your options will get better

and I hate the term "family company" there are a lot of people who hate their family. if i'm not mistaken IRT is owned by a family who can't get along.

but if you really want to go work for a family company then go work for England, that's a family company

 

there are plenty of things to like about IRT, and so far I've not seen this anywhere

we've established new equipment plenty of times

IRT doesn't tell you where to fuel, something very important to me because (call me greedy) but I like to have at least 1 shower credit from the "big 5" at any given time because I never know where I am or where I will be from day to day. Also I know ALOT more about my truck than a computer does. now there are exceptions, because I do know that if you go to Pembroke you HAVE to fuel at the Pilot, but why would anyone choose TA over Pilot to fuel, weird to me

IRT allows you to idle, which until recently I didn't understand. heck, there are times when they REQUIRE idling. I got a message shortly after I froze my truck up "you must idle (under these conditions)" i'm trying to get used to the thermostat, if I go too many to the left its too cold, but if I go one to the right its too hot. also the truck gets really really humid. one could argue "but (company) has APU's" and to that I say "I've been over this before"

Breakdowns doesn't usually argue with you. when I worked with central my ECU went out. instead of fixing it Breakdowns argued with me about it and tried to convince me I was out of fuel. I had a light that said "fuel filter" and breakdowns was telling me to get it fixed. I broke a wiper once but breakdowns argued with me over it "why can't you just drive somewhere?" and then I had a marker light go out and they said "well drive to the shop". and I can't forget about the episode with the leaking airbags. I had 4 leaking airbags and instead of fixing it IRT denied ever getting a phone call from the shop telling them this. but those are a few minor setbacks with what I think is a good company

and for the most part IRT doesn't care what I do.

I don't like having to drive a 65MPH truck. it causes more problems than its worth. personally, from a strictly selfish standpoint I wish it was a 68MPH truck.


if IRT paid more than 37cpm or paid detention then we wont be driving around in nicer new petes. we won't have freedom to fuel where we want. and we wont' have a lot of customers (since IRT will have to raise rates to compensate for pay) so you have 2 choices. you can be free and poor, or have a little money and work for Nazis? your choice. i'll take being free and poor