JB Hunt and the Owner Operator

I got screwed by them in Jan of 2008. Again, no miles, threats to term my lease, treated sub human.

I've moved to ATS lease program and I've never been happier. If you are still looking drop me a line and I'll let you know what is happening here. I'm getting good miles, great rates and FSC (100 % not like JB's). In fact I told them no today. I told them I would pick the load up tomorrow and Monday deliver was no problem but all they said was that's okay, pick it up in the morning.

 

They'll give you a great song, a lovely dance and promise the party will be waiting for you when you arrive. You get there, though, and you realize that the cake is plastic, the "punch" is unsweetened kool aid and the other party goers look just as disgusted and disgruntled as you do.

Just for the sake of wasting time, I guess, hubby went to JB's orientation in Louisville, KY this week. He talked to numerous drivers who were at the hotel where they put the "new recruits" up while we was there. Some were owner / operators (one had been there for two weeks along w/ the rest of his "class" because JB screwed up and lost the original drug tests for the whole class), another one told him there just wasn't any freight out of the area right now. There were lease drivers - one had been in the hotel for 3 weeks waiting on a truck (WTH?) and company guys with no loads and... you get the point.

Hubby talked to most of them. He sat through the orientation, STOOD for three hours in the clinic for the piddle test (because they weren't allowed to leave and you KNOW they'd have hit it as a refusal if he had), had his truck inspected and they said it was one of the nicest and most well maintained they'd seen, and didn't feed him anything until he was standing in line and they came along and handed the folks a ham sandwich, chips and something to drink. Nothing more after that. So much for three squares and a roof over your head while you're there.

The guy overseeing the new people was disorganized and when questioned about anything, became aggitated and didn't seem to want to answer or KNOW what to answer. He made a comment at one point that it's becoming more common knowledge that about 600 company guys are going to be fired/laid off and that would allow the o/o's and l/o's to have better and more freight. "It'll take about 6 months to implement though" which must be JB speak for "Sit and rot while we tell you to, once we've got you on contract, there's no escaping.

When they were taken back to the hotel, all the rooms were canceled because someone did some poor planning. Maybe they expected ALL of them to leave? LOL

He went to dinner with several of the drivers and more came over and sat with them and talked to them while they were at the restaurant. Some were there for orientation, some were already under contract, and just stuck there.

Not all of the contracts, once these folks started comparing notes, were the same. Oh, the big bonus is they reserve the right to change your base rate at anytime. This week you might be making $1.60/mile (as an example, only, not a real rate), next week you might be making $1.20, but you have to deal with it.

This morning I guess, he and about 4 others went back over to the terminal and explained that the recruiter hadn't been honest with them, the contracts that should've been the exact same, weren't, and that they were not interested in continuing the orientation or persuing prospect of employment any longer. Another guy they hadn't even talked to got up and left the class with them, even, because he heard what they said to the instructor. I guess they're used to it, as about a 1/4 of the class got up and left yesterday during the talks.

I'm glad that he was able to see the truth before he did something we regretted. I also reminded him that I'd already seen this played out in the experiences of others who've posted on this website and that I'd mentioned it to him. He actually made mention of it to some of the people he was talking to, as well. Hopefully all of them decided to save themselves and run like hell!!

Luckily, hubby still has his current contract and they know he was going to leave so they are trying to route him up to Eagan to discuss the situation and what they can do to improve things so he will stay. Maybe he'll stay, maybe not. I guess if things don't get better there, then it'll be back to Landstar.

 

Thanks for your testimonial. That's just the kind of info we need.

 

Sometimes you see things and you're thinking - well, it's a big company. Surely they'll survive and come out of the other end of this economic crisis. Unfortunately, they'll do it on the backs of the uninformed, misguided and slow folks that sign on.

The particularly annoying thing was the potential for rate changes - let me clarify -that is on the mileage plan, not the percentage plan, which has got to be REALLY scary.

 

Sounds like you're on percentage either way. One way you know what that percent is, the other they just figure it for you and tell you the cpm.

Most of the other stuff was really more shocking since I don't see how any co can guarantee freight futures for you as a guaranteed cpm, unless it's relatively safe and low for them. Differing contracts and poor organization is not something you want to get involved with though either way.

 

If you are to be making a certain amount per mile to run a load from point A to point B and they can make those rates fluctuate at their discretion, that's not a good thing. There are a great many companies out there - the one he works for, as an example, that pays a set rate per mile ($.92 or $.94 or something, I think it is). It's up to the company, then, to make sure they charge enough on loads booked to cover that amount, plus pay for empty miles, layover, etc.

I agree, though, the moment the paperwork was different between 3 or 4 (or more) owner operators who were there about the per mile rated job , they were all right to walk away. Companies need to be getting MORE organized right now, not less so!

 

I went to JB HUNT last yr to do a lease purchase with this crap company. I went to Louisville and was promised the miles and good money. The first couple of weeks I was not doing to bad. But all of a sudden I went from 2000 miles 1 week to 900. I went from making money to owing them 250. I was in the red. I finally got tired of it and delievered my last load ontime to Joliet IL. Then my fm told me to take my trk to the Chicago Term to have the brakes system checked. I went there and waited 4.5 hrs for the trk to go into the safety chek lane. Then I got tired of it cleaned my trk out and had my wife come and pick me up. I only live about 45 mins away from the Chicago term. But 8 months later I get a bill in the mail for 2300 dollars. They charged me for painting the bumper, 10 new tires, a 1200 PM service. I sent it back to them and said no thannks I do not think I will not pay for this. Then they hit my DAC and said I abandoned the trk. How in the h!## can you abanded a trk when it is at the term. Then they go on to say that I was under a load. HMMMMMM just another way for them to screw you.
So to any driver who is thinking about a lease purchase with them DO NOT DO IT.

 

I worked for JB Hunt as a lease contractor for a year from 2006 on a short lease which went well some what then towards the end went sour not enough miles, I completed the lease, left and went to another company which was going well, then i fell sick and could not return back to work for 1 1/2 months I was so deep in the hole so I had to turn the truck in after trying to digg back out the red.

I have been back at JB (glutting for punishment) since Dec. 2008 my orientation was at the ATL terminal. My class had 138 contractors by day 3 only 69 remained and out of them it is only 4 including myself still here but not for long. I was told 1.50 with fuel surcharge per mile I have not seen that yet, you get 3 wks no truck note and I made $97 on my third week. I stayed out for X-Mas, New Years, and finally went home on the 01/28/09 with a check for $280. so far I owe them every week and never have anything left over due to them providing me with 2 loads a wk maybe (all delivered early) and sit for 2-4 days available for work. Im tired, fed up and pure ashamed for comming to this company at all. They sit you around to long and will cause a person to loose it all if you come here. They are Government funded, and I believe they are hiring so many at a time for the cash then eventually forceing people to quit by starving you out. The bad thing is you have to do 90 days of this before you can walk away or they will screw you over. but this has got to fall somewhere in the lines of Bre of Contract. Can anyone please give some advice?

 

If you are still with them my prayers are with you. I know first hand that they will screw you. When I was there it was a 60 day notice. Now it is a 90 day. Just give them a notice and do not do what I did. I got screwed and they screwed my DAC up. Scott