Indian River

Are there certain commodities, shippers, or consignees that get pumped on/off? And how much is the accessorial pay for pumping?

 

Fair oaks has been over saturated with hiring new drivers and promising 4500+ miles a week. That's not possible when they have 18 drivers on 17-20 loads a day. All of which since the takeover of the terminal have mainly become Coopersville, Anderson, and Colombia. Other runs come u,p but not consistently. Fair oaks is not the cow it used to be. The account is being ran completely different with different driver manager personnel. Most drivers that used to run the account are back otr.

 

Why do I have a feeling it's because a customer forgotten to vent the tank multiple times? So now they just shove it onto the driver

 

I completely agree with this

Everyone's experience will vary. When you start understanding the way things are ran you can make a lot. Over my past year have I felt tested? Absolutely, at times I've been "forgot about", I've had to sit for a week, I've had breaks downs back to back, I've dealt with what makes absolutely no sense to me to do it that way, but it's not my company. I felt my first 6 months I was put through the ringer and started to feel this wasn't for me. I've soaked up what every driver has told me, learned to be as proficient as possible, I've ran bs loads with ridiculous appointment times and extreme 10+ loading/unloading times.

It's not all rosie, The company comes with its own set of frustrations. Are they perfect? Nope do I regret my decision at this point of coming over to Indian River? Absolutely not! I'm taking advantage of every opportunity thrown at me or that I can find from offering to wash trailers after. I'd really rather just be lazy. Recover trucks make myself available and a resource they can utilize. When you make yourself valuable to a company I believe it'll pay off in the end. I've been afforded 6,000 mi weeks because I've proven that I'm going to be at the shipper early and then I can be pre-planned and counted on that doesn't just come day one. I put in weeks on then 6,000 mi plus weeks, I've made do with any situation given to me and never turn down a load. I work retarded hours not everybody's willing to without complaining the whole way. I'm out here for one reason and that's my kids and I've stopped at nothing to be able to get to make what I do. It's not for the faint of heart and that times runs of dried up.

I wouldn't quite say a good old boy system as much as there are drivers that have proven themselves and put in the work to be more of a priority.

That all being said six figures is not unachievable, but is it something that everybody can just raise their hand for and start out? Absolutely not. For example, is there a route you can take straight to how I got where I'm at? Nope But it is all about seizing every opportunity even when that comes with misfortune. Capitalizing on opportunities given go a lot further than calling into dispatch saying I'm not getting miles. Being the driver that people would rather deal with I feel has weight as well.

Entitlement towards dispatchers doesn't go well. I will say that much

For example, I know they have California runs right now. There's a lot of drivers that don't want to drive it well. Would you rather make a lot of money with a lot of miles? Or sit?

 

I think every single pump load I've done was yeast except for once when I pumped off some cooking wine. There was a time when I delivered vegetable oil to a place that had an air hose to pressurize the trailer so technically I didn't pump off that load but I did hook up the air line. Pump loads pay $75 to load or unload. The pump does go both directions, but I've never had to use the pump to load my trailer and as far as I know that's extremely rare. Theoretically you could get $75 to load your trailer with the pump and $75 to unload with the pump all on one load, but like I said, pump loading almost never happens. It's always for unloading.

 

I agree with that , I have another OTR buddy sitting there with a brand new truck who has only gotten coopersville over and over and he hasn't started complaining yet that I know off, told him its time to get out of here.. it was good for otr drivers to come and make good fast money and those days are gone, unfortunately

 

One customer that used to open the top claimed an employee fell off the ladder so now they have drivers do it.

I usually just climb up and close it when empty just to get out of there quicker. However there are some customers that won't let you climb in the tank all, not even to check seal numbers. We have to pull off their property before we can climb up.

 

Most of what you said is on point... If you run milk loads you might send in your empty call at 9am and get another one at 1pm and be told to run "AG Exemption" without getting a full 10 hours off and what not if that sounds like complaining when there's a law written about having 10 hours off well then... Indian River most likely bills over a $100-$200 an hour for driver detention to the customer and gives the driver only $20 an hour for it and that you have to constantly fight for and "remind" payroll or you're driver manager, to some people the detention isn't important but to others it is especially when you have been sitting somewhere for 7-8 hours after you're appointment time yes detention is important time is $$$ and if drivers are ok about not getting detention while the company makes thousands off them then more power to them...

The short percentage loads are being billed in the thousands ( O/O ) are at the same milk places, most of them tell you the rates across the board, but you're only getting $180 out of it and fighting for detention.

Layover after 2 days of sitting but if you move that truck somewhere else even on PC they're going to try their hardest to make sure you're not getting the layover.

Another driver I know has been with the company coming up on 6 months, they sent him otr the first month and he ended up in fair oaks and the money was amazing,now it's dead they hired multiple new drivers for the routes without letting him or the other otr drivers there know.. communication is key.. he's coopersville back and fourth and miserable to where he's been turning down loads and only running one a day until he gets to his off time

 

Once when I was training on tanker for Oakley. One customer went up the ladder to check the seal. But then wanted us to give them the seal. Then why didn't you get it when you was up there?

 

Do note I'm sort of following this thread. To have IRT as a possible option for me later. Even though 4 months ago they wasn't hiring out of Maine. Currently running Dry van/Reefer at Oakley. Because pumping off I had a hard time with. Mostly connecting the hydraulic lines and the female to female adapter they had.