JB Hunt - Lowell, Ar.

Reply to Tip:

As for being made an "example" of by JB Hunt, I don't really think that they mention me much internally or use me as a public first-hand "example" to driving staff of what may happen if drivers call "########" on illegal JB Hunt activities. I found JB Hunt to be a very closed-mouthed and close-minded organization that thrives by keeping their employees in the dark and isolating them from others. I cannot imagine that they have changed that much since I drove for them last. I also imagine that they would not discuss the matter much presently, since it is not fully adjudicated, as of this writing.

For myself, I will wait to see how the final hand plays on the table before making a judgment on whether JB Hunt is richer for the experience and able to tell my "scary" story to others to make them "quiver in their boots". I would certainly not recommend the course of action that I have taken to just anyone. It takes a certain type of person to tell the "king" he has no clothes. The road I have traveled is very rocky, rarely attempted and quite a challenge. However, I do love a challenge. I guess "one man against the JB Hunt corporation" is fair-odds, as I see it, considering the "middle management monkey spankers" I am up against...LOL!!!

 

You called it, B. JBH has thousands upon thousands of "examples" to use. Scare tactics DO work, as you know. Most drivers lack the spine you have and will quiver even when the company janitor talks to them.

It sounds like you and I are cut from the same cloth.

Good luck, man.

 

Reply to Tip and Mack E-6:

At JB Hunt, I am sure the janitors have a better knowledge of the USDOT commercial motor vehicle laws and regulations than JB Hunt dispatchers, fleet managers and/or middle management. In addition, based on my "countless" discussions with JB Hunt safety personnel and driver orientation instructors, I am sure the a janitor could give these two groups a run for their money in general knowledge of general "do's" and "don'ts" of driving a JB Hunt tractor/trailer.

 

B, that sounds like an old reefer outfit I used to work for in Salt Lake City. The fuel boy knew more about HOS regs than those who were lookin' at my log sheets to make sure I was doing it "right".

These "safety" people would shout to the world how "safe" they demanded their drivers be behind the wheel, but would allow some of those same drivers to drive while massively overweight. I saw one guy there go from about 185 to around 235 in 8 months. That guy was ME, after all. Nobody in safety said a word about it. They probably would have let me balloon up to 400 and die on the road of heart failure. They didn't care one bit about safety. They only cared about covering their own rears.

 

Everything negative I read about JB Hunt has to do with what I consider to be things the drivers are doing to themselves. Maybe I misunderstand, but I'm trying to find info about this company. My best friend works there and I've only heard good things. We both started at Swift though so maybe from that road it is a good company. I think it is luck of the draw, what driver manager you get, how you communicate and push to get what you want. But please, enlighten me I'm going to start there but haven't committed yet. Feels like there has to be a catch, and I know some things are: East coast, crap short runs, not always home on time, waiting. But even with all that, I'd still make more money and not have to live in pretend log land.

 

well as best as i can remember from when i first started driving 18 years ago, JB Hunt always hired "out of school drivers" with no experience. well you see, everybody screws up, especially "students or newbies, or even rookies". it was just that JB hunt "newbies" were constantly crashing the trucks, either while driving down the road, or backing up (at various places). after a while JB Hunt driver trainers were just "going along for the ride" making big dollars while the student drove, never really teaching anything new, as many newbies "knew it all" right out of driving school. this would piss off the driver trainers, i mean afterall, if someone "knows it all" why take the time to teach them anything?

the quaility of the JB Hunt drivers sank real low, so did any credibility the company had. then, many years ago, the US Government was "funding" driver training through some sort of labor department involement. JB Hunt was found guilty of having "fake students" that the government was paying for.....

JB Hunt later decided (basically) to do away with recruiting students and focus on the current employess they had.

dispatchers were constantly keeping drivers out for very, very long periods of time, even when drivers would request time home for appointments, etc.

basically Schnieder was the same way, but cleaned up its act faster/sooner than JB Hunt did.

now, Swift takes the full honors of being a scumbag outfit, as JB Hunt once (and still, may be) today.............

 

If you want info on JBH, just look around this site. Also, there is a website out there devoted to trucking companies' safety ratings. You should look into that as well and see if you can find JBH's rating. A "bad" rating means they're pushing drivers hard and cutting corners on their equipment, not to mention neglecting their training of newbies.

What do I think of JBH? I don't think much of them at all. I've never worked for JBH, but I don't need to work a company to know when it sucks. Companies that suck leave plenty of clues for me to see from afar. And JBH leaves plenty of clues that say collectively that company sucks *********.

 

Reply to Tip:

You are very correct here. JB Hunt safety personnel did not know the HOS rules at all. Each time I called them, the person I got would give me a different interpretation of the same rules. A truly seriously bad and "knotheaded" situation. Responsible for safety, but no deep thinkers at JB Hunt.

 

Burrows, they don't really NEED to know anything. Well, they DO know one thing. It's what YOU already know, too. If you screw up out on the road, they will disavow any knowledge of any "illegal" behavoir. It'll be all YOUR baby if that happens. They know this and so do you.