Marten Driver (currently)

Kicking Deer, I'd be interested in finding out more about the driver suing for illegal termination. A Google search doesn't get me anywhere. Can you help?
I think you're right about Marten firing you if they want to. I got fired last week over a very stupid incident (not to my credit) where they gave me 4 points (then doubled it to 8) for basically scratching the paint on a guy's fender and breaking the smaller of his two side view mirrors. The mirrors didn't even get moved. Four points seems like a lot for that. And I was almost at the end of my first year. Actually I've worked for them for more than a year but was off two months last summer when I quit rather than drive a truck with most of the gauges out (including speedometer). So they started counting again when I rehired in September. I've driven 120,000 mi. now in just under 13 months, all of it for Marten.
I'm making an appeal tomorrow but I imagine they do want me gone, if only because I've been complaining about a whole series of local deliveries/pickups they made me do from Ontario when they brought me in 5 days early for hometime. The last pickup took me over my 14 so I had to park on the street and then the team that was going to drive it showed up and told me they'd been asking all day to pick it up themselves but were told that, no, somebody else was picking it up. And here was I, being very late on it because of a delivery only an hour before the pickup time, ended up being 5 hours late picking it up, dying to get to the car rental place before it closed and go on hometime. Didn't make it. Had to delay visit with daughter. Arghh!!
So I guess I'm moving on but I'm really grieved. Marten was the only company I had ever worked for or wanted to in spite of new fuel policies and the like.
Anybody got advice on a good company to work for that will team me with someone?
Thanks.

 

If they want you gone they will find a way do to it. I will make a little warning about unemployment and filing ... Don't sign any papers. They will tell Unemployment that you were released due MISCONDUCT because they won't have to pay Unemployment if the reason is misconduct...tell unemployment you don't know why you were fired if Marten sends you a letter for the reason you were fired ... you never got it.
They (Marten) will also put on your DAC that they release you due to SAFETY REASON this is the part that if Marten doesn't want you they will make sure no one else will hire you.
Marten currently has a lawsuit pending in court due to Unlawful Termination. Of course there is no talk about this lawsuit. Type Trucking Industry Defense in your search engine this will bring up lawyers for the trucking industry. When I first sign on with Marten, I too thought it was a good company until I started to bit*h about the Mid-roof that they put me in after they just put an APU in my condo cab. The mid-roof had a lot of damage from the other drivers and I made note of the problems, Marten tried to charge me with the damages...they said they didn't have the write up and I told them to look again. The war was on.
Did you lease your truck through them? Call the companies that you want to work for tell them what happened see what they say about the incident or get your DAC report go to the USIS.com website and download the request (it take 3-6 weeks to receive it) then you know what Marten put on your DAC. Most companies will tell you that you have to drive with an O/O for a time period with no accident or incidents. O/O don't report to DAC. If you do hire an attorney and sue ask to be reinstated to your driving position.
I am looking for someone that I can team with so I can get back on the road again.
There are a lot of Trucking Companies there in West Valley next to UT-201 go there in person and talk with them.

 

One more thing...you are suppose to have 12 points during the first year.
The math is not adding up. If you had 12 to start ... they said you were charged 4 points that they doupled so that is 8 points (according to Marten) What happened to the other 4 points? Marten has this point system then use the points how they see fit. If you still have your big book check on pages 180-200 (not sure where) they have the so-called point system. If you can't find it let me know, I have a copy of this Ha! Ha! bogus system. I think you better get a copy of your DAC to see just what things they put on it. They told unemployment that I had a accident history. I did have one accident and one incident (much like your paint thing) so Marten said that they fired me for MISCONDUCT.
You are lucky in a way, there a lot of trucking companies just off UT-201 in West Valley these companies may not be the top of the line but if they are willing to give you a chance ... What harm would it do to check them out. DO NOT sign on as a leaser until you get up and rolling again. If you already have your own truck then lease it out.
I personally would like to get former drivers together for a Class Action Lawsuit just for the reasons that many drivers have listed ... Unlawful Termination. There are a lot of brothers and sisters that have been screwed by this company and companies like them.
I will try to help you out as much as I can.

 

Check out my thread on ''Please help me out on this'' something like that. Go to my info page for Threads started by Kickingdeer look for the word Please read what my other brothers and sister replied.
They were a lot of help to me.

 

Retracted.

 

I talked to a lawyer that specializes in labor law with the same question on behalf of my cousin who was fired from a west coast tire dealer chain, despite 15 years of positive evaluations. The labor lawyer says they can fire you for any reason, or for no reason. Now, if you get a gov't job, or a union job, you have some protection, but none in the regular private sector. It sounds like you could probably qualify for unemployment. I know a guy named Jim who has had so many incidents in his career that you just simply would not believe one man could get in all those wrecks a still be alive, and yet he still gets hired. He gets more than his share of tickets, and he was caught selling tire chains off the truck once, but it was a small company that hasn't heard of DAC, so that didn't follow him. Anyway, the latest incident is he got caught stealing diesel and was fired. He qualified for unemployment and just went fishing every day until he had drawn it all out; now he is looking for another driving job and I bet he gets hired quick, cause this industry is desperately short handed and the perfect resume doesnt exist. Your resume will appear to have very minor flaws compared with most, so not to worry.

 

Hi. Can anyone tell me if marten hires student drivers, if you can take the truck home, how many miles would i get per week, what is the speed of their trucks and if they are a good family atmosphered company. Thanks and be safe.

 

I started off as part of a team 4 years ago. Having 3 dispatchers was a pain in the @zz. They never signed thier msgs, so you had no idea who to reply to. Then A dispatcher would ask something, you would reply , and either b or dispatcher would reply back , what?

I can't understand why teams can't be ran buy solo dispatchers. Other companys seem to do it just fine.

 

No we do not hire students from driving schools. You need to have 6 months expreanace. Then they will put you on a training truck, so the trainer can watch how you hanlde the job, and it's up to them when you go solo.


If you live 75 miles from a terminal, yes you can take the truck home, as long as you can see it from your house.
NO LEAVING TRUCK AND TRAILER AT UNSECURED TRUCK STOPS

if you take a trailer home, it has to stay attached to truck. (as per qc msg, my dispatcher sent to his trucks last week)


We have many custormers where we drop trailers as told by dispatch. Then return there to grab an mty, when we come out of the house.

The fleet i'm on, there are many other Marten drivers that live in the area. Most times one of us 5 or 6 drivers is home, dispatch arrnages us to get a trailer from one who is coming home. And vice versa, when we come home and another needs a trailer. If all else fails we have to drop our mtys in our Stockton,Ca drop yard, and bobtail home.

 

Yeah, how about just recently a Marten truck with a load was stolen out of Laredo, TX.... We got a fleet message on the Qcomm last month saying to 'use your head' when it comes to using the steering gear lock. Guess what, that driver was fired. New or not, use it! They gave us the 'OK' to use air brake locks that we got from Crete. Not the plastic flimsy things, but it works well.