Marten Driver (currently)

Well, no longer a Marten Driver. I won't go into the various reasons I quit at this time.

Marten is no unlike other large companies. They spend a fortune to recruit drivers with ads, recruiters, training, oreintation, etc.,etc.

Then they have their Safety and Risk Management Departments. Their function is to justify their paychecks by getting rid of as many drivers as they can through secret point systems that change daily or weekly or as they need to in order to get rid of drivers that have been recruited or those in the higher pay brackets.

Here is a good example of how to accumulate points and not be aware of it at Marten.

They insist that you log 15 minutes for an inspection of the truck and trailer at the END of your working day. When you have spent 11 hours driving, 2 hours unloading or loading with two 30 minute breaks for a total of 14 hrs. Of course you are tired, hungry etc, etc. at the end of that 14 hrs. Are you going to see that crack in the sidewall of a tire? Or that crack in the line spring on the bottom of the trailer. Or you really going to care? They insist upon it because the DOT "guidlines" say to do it that way because then the truck or trailer can go in for repair. This was obviously a written reccomendation for local or regional slip-seat trucking, not for OTR.

I always do a thorough pre-trip inspection in the morning or when starting a new 14 hr. gig after a 10 hour rest period. Taking my time, checking tire pressure, etc, etc. Tire pressure readings are much more accurate when cold than after running across the desert between Barstow and Needles on 130 degreee pavement the night before.

I receive a letter from the Safety Dept. They have done a random audit of my logs for the last month. They have a violation for every one of those days. I logged my pre-trip inspection at the beginning instead of the end of the day. The Regulations only say it must be done once a day and do not specify when, only in the guidline areas which are not law. No other violations.

I contact Safety and inform them of why I do inspections at the beginning instead of the end of the day. They tell me the DOT guidline story. Also that it is "Company Policy" to log it that way.

I ask them to send me a letter directing me to falsify my log book by following Company Policy and logging activity at the end of the driving day instead of what I really do. They refuse. I refuse to falsify log book as I will not drive a truck 600 or more miles a day without first doing a very thorough inspection.

This Mexican Stand off continued until I quit. Found out I had accumulated a lot of points because of my stubborn insistance on doing my inspections safely - MY way! And refusing to falsify the log book.

To top it all off, they put on my DAC after I left "violated company policy" for essentially refusing to falsify my Log Book.

What a bunch of low-lifes. I doubt if any of their parents were ever married.

But this is a game ALL the big companies play. They do this to 10, 15 and even 20 yr. veterans with the company. If they can't have you, they don't want any other company to have you either.

They are well aware they've lost a good driver.

The Insurance Companies know this. Which is why most of them ignore the DAC.

I am now pulling for a small company. Paid more, hassled less. No irritating Qual Com to deal with. No Dispatcher taking your nice 2500 mile load away from you after you've run 500 miles with it after waiting 8 hours to get it loaded. No more dealing with Moron - mentality people in the company beuracracy. Run from New Bern, NC to Long Beach, CA., Then from Salinas, CA. to Salisbury, NC. Repeat. Paid $.05/ mi. more than Marten. Practical Miles, NOT ficticious Rand/McNally or HHG miles like Marten pays. (Cheating you of time and money)

People know you by your voice on the phone. Very personal contact.

To sum up, my experience with Marten was very educational. Would I reccomend them to another driver? NO!

I now know how these big companies will screw you royally. Not to say a small one won't either, but it is easier to catch the small ones in the act.

 

Thunderdog:

Quote:If your BOSS / employer tells you they want something done their way and not "your way" then you do it the boss's way or find a new boss.

I WOULD have logged it THEIR way if I had know about their "point" system even though habit and common sense dictates actually doing it the opposite way.

That was just one of the many reasons I left Marten on my own. It is just symptomatic of what is wrong with that Company. The other reasons too numerous and requiring too much space to give in detail.

It would turn into small novel.

However suffice it to say, they are not the only companies that have similar attitudes and problems.

No wonder there is such a large turnover of drivers at all these companies.