Is every DM this big a jerk?

Your first year is for getting experience. Don't do anything rash like yell or threaten. Just look ahead and know you will be in a different company soon.

 

I would ask first what is your long term goal / plan?

You mentioned wife and baby. Those are two things that can increase the stress on an OTR drivers mind.

Do you plan on staying OTR?
OR
Would you rather work something locally so you can be home at night?

The first year your pretty dog meat where ever you go.
Companies don't like it much at hiring time if they see you jump around.

You can make excellent money as a local driver, and be with your family.
Stay where your at for a year. Everyone likes that when you'll be looking at moving to a real company. Try to get on at a teamster outfit. You gotta put in your time no matter what, even when you get in a good place, your the FNG, your gonna eat some dirt.

Just work hard, and keep your eye on the prize. Bad days are gonna happen no matter what.
Get out of the truck. Move around, get some air, it will be much better than that DM weighing squarely on your forehead.

Where do you want to be in 3 years? In 10?

Fail to plan = plan to fail.

Good luck.

 

well you're right I don't, I don't tolerate this crap from any company for any driver - you know my position on this.

However this crap is the attitude that permeates the industry as you said by someone somewhere, that's pretty much my point - not worded well I will admit that.

If it isn't the DM, then it is the dispatcher, if it isn't the dispatcher, then it is the shipper or the clown on the fuel desk, it is the same all over - welcome to trucking.

I had customers when I was driving temp who would make it my problem when it was theirs, so I get the OP's position. However if to expect everyone to be as nice as his DM and get use to not reacting to the BS they throw, you become a better person in this industry, don't you agree?

 

Yes

 

^^^ THIS ^^^

My way of saying it is "Have a Plan. Work the Plan".

OP I worked at Swift for two years, with a great DM. Now I work for an outstanding company as an owner operator and the dispatchers know me by name and they are great.

Here's the bottom line: #### HAPPENS.

It MIGHT be the fault of dispatch, or planners, or sales, or customer service in your company; but most often it seems to be wrong or incomplete information from your shipper or receiver. Stuff happens. At Swift it was often an act of God to be compensated for detention or added miles when trying to find the correct location. I "fondly" remember hunting half a day to find an empty trailer at Swift. I learned NEVER to move the truck without first getting Qualcomm directions to a location, otherwise you don't get paid for those miles.

There will ALWAYS be good days, great days, and horrible days. Roll with it. BUT always make sure to look at the bigger picture, be customer focused, and make an effort to learn as much as you can about your customers and how your office does things. Take time to ask your dispatch and planners how they function and what it takes to keep your wheels turning.

With my current gig I know that dispatch FREQUENTLY does not have complete information when I need to start rolling. "I need you to start driving to Horntown right away. I will send you details as soon as I get them". That's the nature of expedited service....

...and I just got a dispatch with words to that effect. Go figure. Gotta go to work.

 

If you head on over, I sincerely hope Crete meets your expectations.

best of luck

 

No one barks at you to take a 8/2 or any of that. the DM has issues with you. And frankly it's best you find another company before something is engineered to get you out of this outfit's hair one way or another.

Forget the running around, that pay is not going to happen. When you have a load that no one knows what to do with correctly the whole thing can make you want to quit the company and move down to another.

Why don't you?

You wrote a very large paragraph filled with many small things. I realized this load is a mess and once you get rid of it, make sure you don't get involved like that again. The bills has to match.

The DM is not your friend here. You will want to move along finding someone else to run for.