Magnum ltd - fargo, nd

I would like to be very clear here. I really LIKE Magnum as a place to work.

The dispatch is competent, sometimes far better than that. That's a lot better than a lot of places. The support for drivers is excellent, if sometimes hard to navigate. The culture is very driver supportive.

But it SUCKS as a new driver.(For Magnum, not as a driver). And I've heard that from many other drivers here.

They do things very differently. Chad told me to "learn to say no" to loads. That's totally unheard of for me. i wish I'd heard it two months ago and I'd have had far fewer complaints here.

There are some structural problems that "learning to say no," is the only answer to until they sort out some of those.

BUT. And this is a big BUT. I feel like I am adressed. My complaints are taken seriously and I gt some concrete solutions. The culture of the company is driver-centric.

I LIKE the company. I LIKE the culture. The equipment is awesome. The pay is decent. But, like I said, for a new driver for magnum, there are issues to deal with, some of which are maddening, because they don't tell you about them in orientation.

But you know that complaint I had about XLS formats a week ago? They changed it back to PDFs. I #####ed about 4-stop loads with no miles for $90? They're looking at adding spiffs and told me it's ok to say "no." I did, and Ashley, who everyone #####es about was nice as could be and hooked me right up.

This thread has never been and SHOULDN'T be about silencing unhappy people. This should always be a place where people can #####, anonymously. Prospective drivers should know the good, bad and ugly. Brcause in the end, it's a decent place to work.

But there are some serious issues. And if we don't talk about them, people don't know that they aren't the only ones with XYZ complaint. And that means Magnum doesn't hear about them because noone wants to rock the boat.

Codey, for instance, doesn't give a rat's ### if we write the trip #s on every page. I asked him. As long as it's legible on the cover page.

We also don't have to turn in originals until we've been paid on them. I asked, we can wait a month or more.

Let's all let each other vent all we need to. God knows I've said some intemperate things here. But there needs to be somplace we CAN vent. nd let the world see it. At least everyone knows it's honest. Truth will Out, as it's said.

 

Glad your settling in. Of course anyone can and should vent. But also, new drivers shouldn't bristle up when an experienced driver gives his opinion or feedback also. This forum is a give and take. Not a therapy session. There is a lot of great info here. I myself have #####ed when I've had a good day...and post about good days too.
The very Trip Sheet you speak of, says very clearly, to put the FB# or Trip # on every page of the bills. I didn't make it up. It says it on the form we fill out for every load. You don't want to do it? Cool with me. I could care less...But I didn't pull it out of my ### to be a pain in yours.... And I will continue to do it. The originals? I just turn them in as I get to Coon Rapids or Fargo. That may be a week or two months. It doesn't matter.

I think they should have a 'mentor' program for the experienced guys. Someone to call when they have questions. Trainees spend a month learning all the ins and outs. The experienced guys don't get that. But I am sure they don't want to ride with a trainer either... Pay the mentor $50 a week to 'sponsor' the new guys for a month or two...
Communication is key at Magnum. Don't know something? ASK. Get an experienced drivers phone number and ask questions.
You don't like something... Call Chad or Paul and Make a suggestion.

Good to see you post when the blood isn't bubbling out of your eyes Jubal3!! Lol thanks for sharing your experience here.

 

How does one know (or how does one learn) when to say no? And, can saying no (diplomatically) be done without repercussions during the probationary period?

 

Talk respectfully to the dispatcher when you believe you have been given several bad runs, ask if there are any options that would be a better fit.

Do you do this every time, no, we are part of a larger team and we all have to take non-ideal loads at times. Sometimes a driver can get more of there share of difficult runs and that can cause a problem.

Chad is a pretty cool guy and easy to deal with, and Paul is in place to be a liaison between drivers and management and he's always available to help. As a last resort as you form relationships with experienced drivers here you can always reach out for their help as well.

Hope this helps.

 

That certainly does help, Winny. Thank you!!!

 

What does FB# stand for?

Perhaps something like this could help with repetitive numbering of pages.

 

When I talked with Chad,he said that I'd got way more than my share of bad runs. He explained that because of the regional dispatch, one dispatcher may not relealize that you just had one and load you up with another if you don't say something.

He said he's trying to address that with the new utilization/velocity scoring, but it's going to be a while til that gets into place.

I got two runs this month which amiunted to two weeks where I got hammered with multiple stops, no miles and no layover. Same thing happened last month with low-mileage, long delivery times.

When I talked with ashley about the next run, she hooked me up with something a LOT better and had no issues about changing plans cause it was another 4-stops, 2 days and no miles on the stops. Just be polite.

 

It stands for freight bill

 

Hey nice meeting you and having dinner, hope you're feeling better soon.

 

Reload tomorrow going to Sioux Falls SD for Monday.