My first couple months with Shaffer / Crete

Well, I started with Shaffer in March as an OTR driver, coming from Stevens Transport.

For the first three weeks they kept me up in the NE region, which was painful, but in April I was taken off the new employee driver manager system and put with a regular fleet driver manager.

Pay started at 0.49. No raise yet, don't expect one for a few months.

I'll say what I don't like before saying nice things:

1) Opti-idle is crap. I would prefer an APU. As far as I know there are no APU trucks in the Shaffer fleet. I sleep better with the drone of an APU as white noise, as opposed to the occasional lurching of the truck as the main engine turns itself on and off.

2) Pay is weekly. Stevens spoiled me by paying me 2 days after turning in trip data.

3) I can't talk to planners directly, like I could with Stevens.

4) Shaffer does not supply Prepass, so they lose money every time I might have otherwise bypassed a scale. Yes, I could buy it myself, but I won't. Not as a company driver.

5) At least some driver managers are not experienced drivers, and therefore don't understand that chasing your 70 on recaps does not allow you to maximize miles if the company actually has good freight.

6) The company appears to have an irrational fear of toll roads.

Now for what I like.

1) 0.49cpm practical miles with one year experience.

2) If you show them you are willing to bust your butt, you can get good miles. In the last six weeks, I have managed one 3600 and one 3900 mile week. My truck was governed at 62. I did this by beating my 70 to death in 5.5 days, doing a 34, then rolling again before the end of the week. I think this has convinced my driver manager that I knew what I was talking about with not running on recaps.

3) Quite a few drop and hook reefer loads. This might be because they know I will roll hard and get the loads to final ASAP, making both me and the company more money.

4) Governed speed changing from 62 to 65, which should happen today after 'A' service on my truck is complete.

5) Company is good about keeping a preload on me, so i can plan ahead. This is at least partly because I pester them every couple hours if I have less than a day to final and no preload.

6) I get home on home time when I ask to be home - even if I have to haul a dry van load to make it happen.

I'm hoping that the company will start to order new trucks with APU units soon, that's my biggest practical issue.

 

I think they hope drivers will pick up the tab. It costs us money too. But it doesn't cost me enough money that I'm going to add yet another bill/complication to my finances.

 

No. But it does have a front-facing radar for vehicle detection.

 

Well, I just had another good week. Went to the Marietta terminal, and did a 34 there while getting service on the truck as well as the 65 MPH governed speed update.

Came out of Marietta on the night of the 26th, picked up a load in Atlanta. Rolled to Johnstown, NY. Next AM, Deadheaded to Naugatuck, CT. Loaded and rolled to Salt Lake City, UT.

Two hours ago, shut down for 34 with 5 hours left on my 70, after driving 3600 miles in 5.25 days. When I come off my 34, If i get moving quickly, I can knock out another few hundred miles before 7 full days are up.

I can put up with mediocre equipment if I keep getting miles like this.

 

That doesn't sound right. I think it's 21/3 ratio. I don't know for sure because I stay out 35-40 days and stay at the house 4-5.