My new adventure with Gordon Trucking

One topic that has come up is the com devices:

Heartland = peoplenet
GTI = Qualcomm

This is a real basic part of the infrastructure for driver communication and HOS compliance.

I would not expect major changes in the day to day operations for drivers until determination is made on which system goes forward. Once either fleet starts getting called in for "upgrade" that would be a signal for potential major changes in the future.

 

They probably won't retrofit. HTLD tractors avg 1.9 yrs. GTI tractors at 3.9 are already due for retirement per HTLD. Now, it's what the new trucks have, PeopleNet vs QualComm.

And that's when/where the two fleets start merging into one.

 

Htlnd system actually has the ability to run both at the same time. They plan to pit qualcomm and peoplenet against each other for pricing and the cheapest wins.

 

I just got out of meeting with Larry and Scott Gordon. First time I have ever met them but I wish I had known them. It is no wonder Gordon has been such a good company to work for these are some really fine people.
Larry did not try to b/s us and gave it to us straight. I respect that. In the end this will be heartland. It will take time but it will happen. No big changes expected for first year but no guarantees.

Heartland trucks will never have apu's period. Owner of heartland sees them as a waste of money since they only keep truck 2 years.

Heartland pays short miles.. this was something that obviously was unsettling to Larry but that wont happen to us in the short run.

Heartland does not pay tolls if you can be routed around them.

Heartlands new trucks will have bunk heaters and opti idle system. Larry and Scott both obviously did not agree with not having apu's but it is no longer their company.

Heartlands vacation pay is not as good as ours but that is all they could say. I was told I would not lose my 3 weeks paid vacation but we will see.

I am watching drivers clean out their trucks now. One guy I spoke to had 5 years here.

Many in the meeting told me they were not going to be here once things were final.

New indy terminal is on hold. They say the terminal will be here for 10 years. Larry said that very forcefully. . I don't know why unless to prevent an exodus of support staff. That would really cripple us.

 

Hopefully they look @ the driver UI. because the Peoplenet in my truck Sucks! Akmost launched it out the window a few times......

It is so slow it misses key presses when typing, It takes too much time to change from msgs to e-logs, the keys are so small and @ the edges they are hard to hit and a bunch of times it just does not read the button tap.

I have had the dispatchers e-mail me the dispatch because peoplenet won't get it to me.

 

Eventually.. yes.. however we have over 200 new smurfs coming in with apus. Will be running the for a couple more years.

Larry said that he is bidding to sell heartland trucks thru vfi and heartland has one specification ... CHEAP...

 

Not necessarily. . There are a lot of companies who still provide their drivers with quality equipment to do their job with. Companies who truly respect their drivers and dont see them simply as a tool to use to gain profit from.

I intend to eventually find one of those companies.

What I walked away with today was I now know that I have time to be selective.

No need to shoot myself in the foot.

 

Joe, in the event of this going sour would you head back to Lessors?