info on arrow

After seven LOOOONG months of trying to work things out from my DM all the way up to the new President I realized it was time to move on. When we started this quest in November of 2006 it was surprising that after two months of searching for any information how little there was.

We too thought if nobody was complaining then it must be about the same as the other companies - broken promises, lies, missed home time, marginal equipment, etc. I wanted to go back to flatbed and I wanted to buy a truck. Arrow offered both, but buying a truck would only be possible if they could keep me loaded so I tried Arrow as a company driver to get use to the Arrow way of doing things and see if they could keep other drivers and myself loaded and live up to the other promises.

They don't do ether - recently they just changed the lease program to look like many of the others - something a new leasee will have a hard time completing. That given with the other factors makes Arrow a bad deal.

I now work for a much better company that actually treats you like person and has kept their word - much more than I can say about Arrow. I'm not the only former and current pissed off Arrow driver. Talk to them in the truck stop and see what they have to say. Look at the other groups and see what's being said:


Arrow trucking. ONE BAD EXPIERENCE

 

Hello all,
I am sorry about everyone's expirence with Arrow, but remember, there is two sides to every story, and we are only hearing one side of the story from everyone. Arrow has treated us just fine. They do not encougage you to run over hours. If you think Arrow is bad about that, Maybe you all should go drive for Builders Transportation out of Memphis, TN. We would get loaded at 2 or 3p.m then the load was 800 miles and it had to be there overnight, Scott did that for a year and a half strait, the money was beyond good, but it wasn't worth his health. And we where home every other weekend, and we had to keep our idle time below 30%, you think Arrow is bad, go drive for them, none of you would lasst two weeks. At least Arrow give you plenty of time to get from Piont A to Point B. The problem isn't Arrow, it's the inexpirenced, incompantant drivers that they hire, if they hired more people like my hubby, 28 years accident free, no load claims, always on time, respect others drivers. Then there safty rating would not be what is is now. Most of the drivers that we have seen do not respect the truck that the company gives them, they don't know thier 5th wheel from the nose of there trucks and they don't enjoy there job, they are just out here for the paycheck. And the person that asked about us putting 7 thousand dollars worth of stuff on our truck, no, we are company drivers, but we are going to go lease purchase next sping when we get some bills caught up. And most everything that we have put on the truck can be taken right back off of it if it doesn't work out for us, they have not said anything about our truck except for the fact that they like how it looks because we make a good impression on customers and they wish other drivers would take as much pride in thier truck as we do in ours

And if Arrow ever does us wrong, with Hubby sterling record, he can go ANYWHERE he wants to go, so if they ever Do us wrong, I will eat my words, but until then, We are proud to be ARROW Drivers, and if they ever do run us off, he can go back to pulling heavy haul like he used to and that's what he really wants to do anyway

 

Hi Angel,
It's interesting to hear that you have a good experience with Arrow. I have not. I too have a sterling record, work my rear off, but got jerked around many times. I bailed them out several times, with no thanks whatsoever, was routed home 6-8 weeks later than I had requested. And I had given plenty time for my request. I would sit for days without a load. While bugging my DM, Marlene, and even Tom Witt, we got absolutely no where. No money, so I left. I took my sterling record and experience elsewhere as I knew it wasn't appreciated with Arrow.

Not everyone with a sterling record will have the same experience with the same company. You will find people that are okay with it, and you will find people that aren't. I am one that has had a bad experience, and I wouldn't even suggest this company to my worst enemy... well, okay I might to my enemy, but that's beside the point. hahaha

 

Pharaun,

I am sorry that Arrow done you wrong, we go home once a month and our DM, Greg, has gotten us home on time since we have been with Arrow except one time, and that was not his fault, that was Houston's fault, and the shipper for not having the load ready. And since Tom has been the new president, we have been getting loads sent to us BEFORE we get unloaded. I guess you had a sorry excuse for a DM.
We have been with Arrow since Januay of '06, and they have been great to us, but we do know of other drivers that have a hard time getting home, and everything else everyone has mentioned, but so far, we are happy with Arrow

 

I too started in January 06 and I've been through 3 driver managers trying to resolve things. I came to arrow as an experienced flatbed driver and with experience in van, walking floor, heavy haul, oversize, hazmat, doubles, and tankers. I wasn't sure when I started back driving what I liked the best so I tried various types of trucking and I decided I liked flatbed the best. I wanted to but a truck and move back to flatbed - something Arrow offered in an attractive package.

After you get into Arrow you find that it is a company in serious trouble. A few lucky ones like yourself may have a good experience, but the general experience is bad. I would attribute the problems to the hiring and training practices and to the way the company is structured and has been allowed to decay.

I've moved on to a much better employer that runs things and appreciates his drivers. If I could have found out about Arrow before I went there I would have never gone.

To be fair its not just Arrow - most of the companies have similar problems - some are worse than others. It sounds like you're lucky that for now you have a DM that actually cares and works for you. What happens when you are forced to change DMs like I was twice (one transfered to Houston and the other was called to active duty) and you end up with one that doesn't care? I would suspect you'll join the chorus of negative experience with the rest of us.

 

ok hunnie he needs to run OTR to make the money my husband just ran 4800 last week and his check was 1100. Thats all I can say the miles are out there if you have the right DM( driver manager). good luck thats all I can say.

So your husband ran 4800miles and made $1100? I take it that was after taxes?

If he ran 4800 miles for the week, which at my current rate of mileage pay of .37 would be $1,776 for the week. Then your husband seems to be not getting paid much per mile and driving very illegal.

Most everyone who has been in trucking for any length of time knows that Arrow is to Flatbed Hauling what Swift is to Dry Box. A bottom feeder and a meat grinder.

Your husband could make what he is making at Arrow running illegal, legally at a quality flatbed carrier, running alot less miles. Have him change before he kills someone falling asleep at the wheel.

 

and we had to keep our idle time below 30%, you think Arrow is bad, go drive for them, none of you would lasst two weeks. At least Arrow give you plenty of time to get from Piont A to Point B.

Whats so hard about keeping under 30% idle time unless you sit alot in truck stops? My Idle time is around 7 to 10% and my company has the same policy. More companies each day are having idle policy's put in place. A 800mile run that pu at 2 or 3p.m. can't be delivered legally the next morning unless you are running team, so why accept to run it?. With your husbands experience and ability to work anywhere as you stated he would know that, and not do it for over a year. You put in a legal ETA like I do and let the chips fall were they may. Nothing "has" to get there in any less time then is legal to do so. When you start doing loads like that for some companies they will expect it all the time until you say no way Jose.

I think comparing builders transport with Arrow is like comparing Swift with Werner. They both are bottom tier company's in the industry so whats the point? You have been lucky to be doing good at Arrow because for the majority of drivers, Arrow will not be a company they can stand for long. Thats just a facts of their operation and the way they treat the majority of their drivers.

I will agree that many drivers don't care anymore about there job or the companies equipment, but many companies don't give them a reason to care either. Altering company equipment could come back to haunt your husband also. Don't know what the add ons are, but if they involved any holes to be put in the truck you could be charged for it if you fall out of their good graces in the future.

 

Blue,
Hello, since you are so knowlegable to trucking, how come you didn't list what you are, trucker, 4-wheeler, or what??

How can you compare Arrow with Swift, Swift has thier own flatbed division. Hubby Stayed with Builders because he is loyal to the trucking company until they do him wrong. He stays with Arrow because he WANTS to, he has been approved with Kaiser, Daily, Lonestar, and Valley. Is it his fault that Arrow hires mostly incompatant people right out of school?? Arrow has been good to him, and he has been good to them, he respects his equipment, and he keeps it looking good, we have had compliments about our truck from people who drive show trucks. And, no, we have not put ANY holes in this truck....Thank you very much!!

If you are a trucker, can you honesly say that you have NEVER drove illigally, can you say that you have never broken the law and not been caught?? I doubt it, I doubt many truck drivers drive "By the Book" it is so hard out here to make any money when you drive by the book, since everybody wants to change the rules every 4 months because of some nosy do-gooders who want thier merchandise but yet they don't really want trucks on the road with them...!!

I mean, we are only supposed to drive so many hours a day, but yet, pilots, police officers, doctors and people who hold our live in thier hands can work triple shifts if they want to, what sense does that make?? A 4-wheeler can drive a week strait without stopping if they want to, and when they case an accident, the trucker takes the blame....??

I don't know where you get off bad mouthing everyone, but you picked the wrong person to bad mouth, you just don't like Arrow because they don't have any Peterbuilts, you seem like the kind of person who needs to take somebody down to make yourself feel better and the kind of person who has the old Peterbuilt complex...LOL

 

My husband and me have been throught hell and back dealing with Arrow

 

I am really enjoying reading this thread. Sounds like a tv soap almost. Like all of you or some at least are actors. Just for the heck of it, I would like to ask a couple of questions to AngelEyes.
#1 If hubby has that good of a driving record, why would he go to Arrow in the first place?
#2 Is it logical or smart to put $7k of add ons to a truck you do not own and yet you are still catching up on some bills?
I bet any truck company would love the two of you, but that doesn't make them a good company or you two a smart couple does it? Just curious, no harm intended!