My experience with Schneider so far

Well, I've been signed on with SNI for about 3 months now...and it is not all roses let me tell you...

The recruiter offered me a choice of the "Choice" program where I pick my own freight or the "Mileage" program where I get paid $0.94+FSC per mile. When I arrived (actually, 2 days into orientation and 5 days after I arrived) I was told that the mileage program pays $0.90+FSC per mile and that they would not let me join choice because I have a Florida address.

So, I started on mileage program because there was no choice in the matter...I've been trying to switch ever since. First I was told that if I changed my address out of Florida I could come over...good news because I only have Florida residency for tax reasons, my house is in Wisconsin. So I changed my address with them and was told I would have to change my CDL as well. To do this, I would have to give up Florida residency...so it isn't an option. Even if I did it, I somewhat doubt I could get onto their choice program, as they have already lied to me about this twice.

My first load was nice...well over 1000MI. After that, things went downhill fast and I have yet to get another load that was even 900MI.

I was told over 75% drop-n-hook...maybe 75% of loads are d-n-h on one end...maybe. Then again, I'm not so sure that d-n-h as Schneider is a good thing. I have lost count of all the times I have dropped somewhere to be told that the receiver won't release trailers because they are holding them all to be loaded...and surprise, surprise, dispatch won't give me any of those loads so I get to drive all over the state looking for an empty trailer so I can do a live load and drop it at some other company that won't release any trailers.

I was told no forced dispatch...obviously they didn't tell the dispatchers this, nor the people setting up the Qualcomm computer. When a job is "offered" there is only an "accept" option, no "refuse" option. In order to refuse a job, I have to send a message...generally it takes them about 10 hours to reply and when they do, they say it is too late and no one else can cover it, so it is mine now. Don't get me wrong, I'm not constantly trying to refuse work...but when they want me to deadhead 50 miles, do a live load, drive 50 miles, and drop it in a yard for some other driver...and it only pays a total of 18MI between loaded and deadhead miles, I'm refusing it...and then I get a service failure when they respond to my refusal 10 hours (and 3 hours after the pickup deadline) after I refused the job.

Schneider likes to talk about practical miles, but obviously they don't have any idea what that means. I can pick my own routes as I am an O/O...but they still give me "recommended" routes. These are generally shortest legal miles routes...cutting corners between interstates that intersect and crossing entire states without touching expressway when going the interstate route would only add a few miles. In spite of this, every single job pays fewer miles than the computer comes up with, usually by at least 30 miles for the job itself and at least 20 miles for the deadhead. As far as I can tell, the mileage paid is "as a bird flies" mileage.

Dispatch might be the worst part...they claim that drivers are pre-planned on their next run before delivery 75% of the time...in my experience it is closer to 5% of the time. Generally I have delivered, gone to a truck stop, sent in my paperwork, taken a shower, and gotten some food before I get word on the next job...and that's during weekday business hours. On a weekend it is truly terrible. Yesterday is a typical example...I delivered a little before noon in Detroit, with no preplan and 5 hours available. I waited almost 2 hours at the customer site partly hoping for a job, but mostly because I couldn't even finish the delivery process in the Qualcomm without them responding to my message that the receiver refused to release any trailers. Finally I had to leave because the receiver would only let me be on the lot for 2 hours. I bobtailed to a nearby strip mall because the closest truck stop was 40MI away and I still had no idea what direction I was going. I parked with about 3 hours available, and they soon (finally) updated the Qualcomm information to let me officially complete the delivery. They told me to "sit tight" and that they "were working on getting a preplan". Two hours later I had nothing and I realized that I didn't have enough time left to get a trailer and get to the closest truck stop anyway, so I went to bed. I woke up a little before midnight with a fresh 11/14 and tons of time on my 70...nothing. It is now after 2AM and it has started snowing...I still have no idea what I am doing. I'd go back to bed, but I can't sleep any longer.

It is bad enough they won't let me dispatch myself...but they won't dispatch me either!!!

Well, enough ranting here...I could go on an list a dozen other issues, but I gave Schneider 3 months as I promised myself I would, now I have to fill out some applications.

 

I wouldn't say that...Schneider is better than TransAm was...but considering the fact that Schneider required me to sign on with a truck I already owned and 6 months experience while TransAm took me right out of school and leased me a new truck, they are hardly in the same ballpark. If someone could get on with Schneider right out of school instead of TransAm, I would recommend them over TransAm...I hear that is the case in a few places where Schneider is desperate for drivers...but then again, you would be on the company driver side, and I wouldn't know anything about that.