Magnum ltd - fargo, nd

The answer to most of your questions has been posted...many many times. To do so again would be....how did @ncmickey put it once.....oh yeah



I'm sure I have not always done it right, and can take some of the blame. But, when a person depends on someone in an office to provide them with freight...then a bunch of the blame falls there. I mean, I need no one to hold my hand. If there is a way to deliver the load legally, now matter the challenge, it gets there in one piece. I have time and again taken the challenging loads given to me and gotten the job done where others would have had to get a schedule changed. This load specifically. Between Monday at 1430 MT, and Thursday (today) 1600 CT, I have driven 2400 miles, thru the hills in ID, MT, MO and norther AR. Plus waited for my load to be loaded. I never asked for more time, I knew it was going to be some long nights of running, I just did it. I ENJOYED the challenge. It feels good to be tired from pushing hard, instead of being tired from bordem.

As far as drivers leaving, in my almost 11 months here, I honestly don't recall seeing that many empty trucks sitting there. And they weren't all new...couple that with what Tony said about having problems with finding replacement drivers for the ones leaving, it sounds like more than the usual average of drivers aren't doing as good as they were, and are parting company with Magnum. The way it seems to me is between 1/4 and 1/3 of the company is doing as good as the thread members show. Around 1/2 of the drivers probably could do a little better elsewhere, but not good enough to go thru the hassle of changing jobs. The remainder are like me, no matter how hard they try, table scraps are the norm with the occasional week like I am having now (which I see once every other month or so). It was suggested that maybe I pissed someone off early on (pre-rant phase) and they are just screwing with me so I quit. I have spoken to a certain someone in the office who said something along those line...basically they said that Magnum won't usually fire you (unless there is a safety issue) but if they want you to leave, they starve you for miles, you get frustrated, and move on...and I am pretty #### hungry at this point.

The frog soup analogy comes from my experiences with previous companies. They slowly add or change things so they don't bombard drivers with one massive change all at once and run drivers off. I saw it at Arnold, I saw it at Crete...and it appears like it is happening here. It wasn't meant as an insult to the drivers, just an observation of the slow changes going on.

 

My pay has never moved more than a penny. Been 48 or 49 ever since I got on the performance pay. And that's including the 2 week unpaid vacation I took 4 months after I started. On the CSA points if you do what your suppose to its not a issue. Never had a issue getting anything repaired. If I thought it needed to be repaired it got fixed. Have had 2 or 3 dot inspections here no issues. Unlike my previous employer I don't walk in the terminal wondering if I have a job anymore

 

The downsides of Magnum are that you have to learn the freight lanes and customers and you sometimes have to fight for miles, refuse loads and generally be a (polite) pain in the arse. In other words, you need to know how the company works, which takes a couple three months (or more) stand up for yourself and position yourself for the good loads.

It's a bit of extra work up front, but once you've done it, you know how it works and you make it work for you.

That's a lot for a new driver and I'm actually glad this isn't my first driving job out of school.

Not downside, but just FACT. If you won't sleep at a customer site and unload/load off-duty, refuse to short your sleep (barring safety reasons) or refuse to change your sleep cycle around here and there, you're going to be very unhappy here. None of the above is a daily or even weekly occurrence, but it happens, sometimes days in a row or even a couple of weeks in a row.

I just had a week starting with a 3-pick in Chicagoland going to CR, then picked up a load in St. Cloud for a three-drop in Missouri. Both pretty craptastic runs, and had to drive like a dog to make it happen on time.
Worked out ok due to $150 in detention pay for basically sleeping, but it was slated to be a pretty ugly week.

I haven't had a multi-pick or multi-drop load in three months. It was my turn. I did it without complaint.

Joey and Ashley both know I took one for the team recently and it will be a bit til I get another. I did them both a solid I could have refused.

I just got this load for hometime with a Sat PM pickup in MN and a Wed PM delivery 5 miles from my home. Now I SHOULD have (and probably COULD have) gotten 2 days layover for that. I certainly could have been the 1577 miles in 3 days. I just decided screw it, took my time and this week I'm gonna make crap money. MY choice. It's Walmart, so forget changing appointment times.

It's ONE week. My "crap money" is going to be $800ish including basically 4 days hometime. ($727 for the load plus whatever I make Saturday or Friday).

As for drivers quitting, we're a training company. if we kept 1/3 of new people out of school for a year we'd be the top retainer in the industry. and some people just aren't a good fit with Magnum, for whatever reason, not the fault of either party. And some people just aren't suited for OTR driving. Again, not anyone's fault and you don't know until you try it.

I drive by lots of trucking companies with 100+ trucks sitting Idle in their yard. Magnum maybe has 10 trucks sitting idle out of about 500.

And @supersnackbar , I have no beef with you at all. If it's not working, best of luck someplace else that fits you better.

I've spent an hour yelling at Chad, had run-ins with Joey and Ashley, pee'd and moaned at Jeremy, sent a nasty email to Matt Gadberry. Everyone treats me pretty well (within their parameters).

I don't plan on being a company driver for more than another couple of years anyway because I'm saving for my own rig. But i sure get treated better than I did at System transport, which is also not a BAD company in any way. And I make a lot more money, in better equipment, for a LOT less work. As for insurance? My buddy at System is paying twice what we do and that's not an exaggeration. You can thank Obamacare/Romneycare for that one.

 

I just wanna "suffer the consequences" of having you take me to your shack and showing me all the good BBQ places. Hell, I'll BUY. But @tucker is a big boy, it's all good. Except for your not EVER showing up where I am to take me out for food. -My trim girlish figure needs some OOOMPH.

 

How does St Cloud work. I have only live loaded there. Guess we have drop trailers now. Do I stay at the pilot and call them give them my number then they call me when loaded?

 

I assume you're talking Arctic CS.

I've only been there three times. Every time it's been a drop and hook with the trailer already loaded. Note** They do NOT want you to drop your trailer in the back lot anymore. I got yelled at by the security weenie last week, but did it anyway. I guess now they want you to drop your trailer in the front lot, which is a stupid hard backing job. Me? i'll drop the trailer and sweet-talk one of the yard dogs to park it for me, same as PPG Dover. No point doing HIGH-RISK backing in the dark with poor lighting when a guy with a specialized short-wheel-base tractor can do it for ya.

 

Arctic Cold Storage or St Cloud Cold Storage?? If it's Arctic @Winnyf1 can answer that... That's his favorite place

 

Arctic I unload at 0630 then cruising up there for a 2359 pick up. Do I drop as soon I get there or wait because I have seen every has been getting lengthy detention there

 

There's a redhead at Arctic that works evenings that is ...um...WOW. I would drive an extra 50 miles for free just to be able to watch. No sheet.

 

Go in and ask what they want you to do. They have changed procedures lately. As always, make sure you sweep out the trailer, but don't hesitate to ask the yard dogs to park the trailer for you. They've been pretty nice to me in the past.

You know the address on a GPS will take you to the wrong place right? Look at the directions, but basically, go stright from the Pilot across the street, go about two blocks around the corner and turn left. The signage and street signs are a joke.