More negative posts than positive

yep, bottom line its a cut throat industry...

 

There is some positive in the trucking industry still. For example, they havent made cruise control illegal yet.

Seriously tho if you have a career you can make work for another few months you are far better off. There are so many new drivers coming into the industry right now it is pathetic. It makes it harder and harder to find a good (and i stress good) job. Anyone of us can find a bad company willing to put us in a truck. But find one that takes trucking serious and knows how to treat people is not commonplace right now.

I spent the last 2+ years with one company. In August of this year I got a red light ticket. And they went out of their way to starve me out. Thats the only mark on my record of any kind. On time performance is perfect, safety record is immaculate, minus that one ticket. They went so far as to audit my logs 5 times in 6 weeks. When they couldnt find anything they accused me of stealing a former students log book. This student had been off my truck for over a year. And somehow they couldnt find 2 days worth of his logs, altho mine were present and accounted for. So I had to have stolen his log book?? I was drug/alcohol tested 3 times in 8 days. Once in downtown Houston at 8:15 AM. Once in Phoenix, notice given to me at 3:30 and the last time in the sticks in Illinios. I was told to be 100+ miles away in Chicago within 2 hours. Now I use the times and locations of the tests for a reason. When you get tested in this industry most carriers give you 2 hours from the moment you were notified to complete the test. That means find the facility, fight traffic, find a place to park, check in and hope the line in front of you is short. And if you fail to do that? They report you as a failed test, ending your career! I passed every test given of course. And my logs to this day have not been found to be a problem. No violations found at all.

So the moral of the story is if you decide to go into trucking now, be extremely careful about everything you do. One ticket in my life has effectively cost me everythiing I own. I will recover of course, but I will not forget the mega carrier drama and politics. So I will pass along facts (positive or negative you decide) to anyone who wishes to hear the truth.

And for the record yes I worled for the carrier Dan Rather focused part of his special on. And yes Tom was telling the truth in every word he spoke.

 

I think the only reason for my stability is that I literally HATE to switch jobs. It is a royal pain in the butt to have to learn everything all over again and try to do things the way someone else wants it done. I started driving over the road for Thomas Produce. Stayed with them for 2 years running east coast/west coast ... hated it never gettin' home.

Promised the wife I would try to find something local after missing everyone's birthday, Christmas, New Years, 4th of July, Labor Day and Thanksgiving the last year. I put in one application, it was for a local oil company who wanted me to drive a gasoline tanker hauling gas for his stores. Stayed with him for 15 years ... until he decided to sell his rollin' stock out to a common carrier named Wendell. They bought all the rollin' stock and I was cleaning out all my stuff from the truck when the new owner saw me and asked if I would work for him. He said I could keep the same truck and keep it in the same place (about 4 miles from my house) and he would even honor all the time I had with Laney Oil company ... start me off at top pay and 3 weeks of vacation as soon as I signed on. Two years later, Wendell decided to sell all their stuff to Eagle Transport and basically the same thing happened all over again. They honored all the time I had with Wendell and Laney which was 17 years, let me keep the truck at Laney's place ... top pay again and 4 weeks of vacation. That was 5 years ago and I'm still truckin' with Eagle. Yeah .... there are some parts of this industry that are "cut throat" but there are some parts that are pretty decent also. I have been very blessed

and I know it!

 

Thanks for sharing that story. That is why I stress hiring an attorney for ANY ticket. Best Of Luck !!

 

I got my license two years ago and my experience has been nothing but positive. I can't say everything has been perfect but the ups far outweigh the downs. I've always believed that if you're realistic, responsible and work hard you'll get where you want to go and things will work out good.

When I read of some of the bad experiences people have I tend to think they are only telling part of the story and they probably did something to deserve what happened to them. However, after reading numerous threads like this one I think I'm wrong.

There's no doubt it's an employers market right now, and with many decisions being made by insurance companeis and people who are 'book smart' on what it's like out there I think you need more than just a good attitude and work ethic to get through that first year. Best of luck to you.

 

That was a great post. My favorite one, which was a while ago, was from a trucker who attended an orientation and then, while at the orientation, decided not to continue because of the bad routes and condition of the trucks. After few hours into the orientation, he decides to leave and on his way home, the company tells him that he has to do a random drug test. Well, he is 2 hours away so he refuses and the company puts a refuse random drug test on his DAC / HireRight record. On the advice of his attorney, he quickly went out and took his own drug test the next day and then paid to list it on his DAC / HireRight record.

 

Wow, I'm impressed. Someone actually pays attention and has realistic expectations entering the industry. You'll be fine - In my opinion, you've already won half the battle.

 

What I've found is that a great many people pop on this forum, ask "what company should I bestow my greatness as an untrained, unskilled, absolutely new driver upon and in return be paid $5 per mile, home every weekend, and get a shiney new KW every year?" Then they get ticked off when people laugh at them and start telling them the truth, the cynical views, the BS and the "I'm a super trucker and we don't want no newbies comin' roun here".

Yes all of that gets told on this board.

I was a wannabee, now I'm still a "newbie" working on becoming an "old hand". It'll take a long time but I'll get there. What I've also noticed is the people (like myself) that are looking for truth aren't trying to find it in one easy post. We search, we research, we listen, we compare. Then we make the best decisions we can for our own situation.

And that's the way it should be. The TR isn't a fast food job drive thru window. No one can or would toss someone an easy answer about trucking because it's not an easy profession. But it's ours. Yes. OURS not just the old hands, not just the independents or unions......it's OURS. The newbies, the Swifties, the company drivers, the old hands, independents, the Werners, the Schneiders, the bullhaullers, the union drivers, heck even the Fed exes. If you a wannabee wants it enough you'll do what you have to in order to get it.

Just my little thoughts.


*Note: I'm not saying you were looking for an easy answer!*

 

OH Nana ......you tell it like it is....

OK my 3 cents......
1)pick a horse "carefully" and ride it.....don't be hoppin around and the complain...it takes several months to "learn" a company and how they operate....I don't care how long you have been driving......
2)don't confuse solid advice as negative if it doesn't fly the direction you want to go.....and you can always find someone to do the sunshine around every curve too......we got one guy who every time he is in the yard is soooooo negative and he has been with the company for a long time.....there are just them people......
3)keep the door closed! don't be foolin around the truckstop spend your money wisely.....
4) and if you are lucky enough to get to pick loads......nothin' times nothin' always equals ....thats right nothin'......weight the pros and cons and keep the wheels turnin if possiable......