May Trucking?

TB John · Oct 5, 2010

Thanks WKH I think that's the kind of info most people need but fail to ask for. I think it's more important the right questions are asked than whether I'll get a Prostar or a Cascadia.

Screaminpete · Oct 5, 2010

workingklasshero said: ↑

I worked for May for a couple of years. When I left 3 1/2 years ago I was making 37 cents per mile. I made a little over 50 k per year.

Policies change so I hesitate to answer specific questions. They allowed pets when I was there. Health insurance coverage wasn't great, not compared to what I have now. Riders yes, just let them know so they could add to them to their insurance.

They had a weird "idling policy" where you could end up paying for idle time (heat or air while sleeping). It came out of your pay. That sucked, but your dispatcher could credit you hours toward it. You had to stay on top of it.

When I started I had a few years old Volvo that I liked. Later they gave me a new Pete.

The main terminal is in Brooks, OR, but I worked out of a little terminal in Ogden, UT. I live in L.A. It had maybe four dispatchers, a three bay shop I think, and a gravel lot.

The terminal manager there was a very down to earth and nice woman. My dispatcher was female as well, and we got along. I performed my job well, and tried not to be the typical whining trucker. I never had a late load. They wouldn't bother me enroute.

They run legit, which was refreshing after some of the other outfits I had worked for. I got enough miles, around 3k per week.

I ran all 48 and was often at the same customer. Kodak was a customer and I could pick up in White City, OR, drop and hook at Kodak in Windsor, CO, and then go on to Rochester, NY. The day before the load was due the Qualcomm would beep and my next trip would be scheduled, maybe all the way back to L.A. from Rochester. It was pretty smooth.

The word was they had 6-800 trucks then. It's a family outfit.

I had an interesting experience in orientation. A young woman came in and was selling us on additional insurance. I asked what it would cost and she said $11.00 per week. When I got my first check something like $40.00 had been deducted. I made a few phone calls and was faxed the form I had signed agreeing to the $11.00. Several additional boxes had been checked signing me up for additional coverage. I had not checked them.

I was brand new but I started to politely raise hell, speaking to my terminal manager and calling an executive at the insurance company demanding my money back. I calmly stated I would have to contact the state insurance commissioner.

My money was refunded promptly and I later learned the young woman no longer worked at May. Months later I found out she was a niece of the owner. Despite how it went down, I felt like it had been handled well by May, and I never suffered any consequences.

You won't get rich there, but my experience was all in all pretty good. Maybe it was the individuals I was lucky enough to meet, and I can't promise you the same...

I would stay out many months at a time. One of the reasons I left, other than OTR burnout, was because they wouldn't give me more than 5 days off even though I had stayed out maybe 6 months. After that period of time in the truck, I wanted at least 10 days. They wanted me to take 4 days per month.

So my home time problem was a bit different.

Well my weekend just started and I won't be pulling a LOX trailer for a couple days. That is what I do now.

Good luck.
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Thank you very much for your information. That's the info I'm looking for! Greatly appreciated! Also thanks to the other members for their info as well!

Thanks guys!

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