SRT: My Road So Far.

I have two friends who work for Swift and they're doing well. Listen. Any company is what you make of it. I've seen many a bad review on some here and good ones on the same ones. Really it comes down to the driver.

 

Never thought I'd see you here @Lonesome . When I get home on the 28th for break I will be doing a full recap.

 

@Rocknroller4 did you ever consider flatbed? I've heard great things about Melton and some about Maverick.

 

Welcome back peeps. Now that I'm home for a few days, I'll recap some of the experience from the short time I've spent in SRT.

As we know, I was hired by SRT on 09/01/2017. Upon graduation, I received $200 for coming aboard. After graduation, I was teamed with another driver from the orientation before so that we could do FEMA loads to Schertz, Texas for the Harvey victims. I'll leave that alone and just say that it wasn't a slice of Heaven and me and the sad sack didn't get along. All he did was complain and want to waste time while I wanted to dig back into the OTR scene after a near three year absence. I went solo on 09/07/2017 and picked up my first load from Grand Prairie, TX and was sent to Amsterdam, NY Laughing at myself because I showed up a day early to the party. It was here that I've been almost all over the different places in my beautiful country. I will say that having the X class on my CDL did help as I did do pretty well because of it. I did end up getting a new home to live in yet I've still got some catching up to do. I've gone from the East Coast to the West Coast and back again. Ended up back in Arkanas a few days ago for review with just a couple of minor dings, but nothing that would jeporadize my job. After a day at the terminal with some outstanding friends, I was sent to Hope, AR for a Tyson load down to La Porte, TX. After delivering that load, I was dispatched home where I sit now and will be here until Sunday morning for more fun. Now I will give you my honest review.

SRT, while not perfect in the aspects of a trucking company (yeah, find one) is actually trying to turn things around from the hell hole every claims that it is. Of course you see the reviews on the company and people want to call it the watery ####s for what it is. Well it isn't. From my experience, if you can give the company what they want, you will get what you want. For example. The three weeks I was out here I had only two late loads that I had to answer for. The first on my way to Chicago, I was late due to a rainstorm in Ohio. And my load from West VA, to Nacogdoches, TX was due to the fact that my recap hours didn't come in. However, communicating with dispatch and IRC (if pulling HazMat) is key to keeping down the B/S. And if they don't answer the first time, ride them until they do. I asked for the exact days I wanted and I was sent home a day early. It is a day for every week out and you can even store days like vacation. Like so:

3 wks out = 4 days home
4 wks out = 5 days home
5 wks out = 6 days home
6 wks out = 7 days home

Basically you gotta belong to what you're doing out here and show them what you can do. I do happen to have a great dispatcher that kept me running and kept the loads consistent with my log books. So I haven't found anything to complain about except for the fact that we are only allowed to fuel at T/A/Petro and that night and weekend dispatch is quite nerve wrecking (takes them a while to answer you). Other than that I can only hope that the trucking gods and the powers that be see fit to allow this love to flow. I also hope to go regional by the time the year changes.

Until next time, Oink! Oink!

~<3~ Voodoo Pyg.

 

I've been gone for way too long people. Ok. Recently I've accepted a dedicated lane for DOW Chemical company. My main lanes will fall between TX, PA, IL, and GA. Pretty standard and the hometime stays the same as when I as OTR (though this still feels like OTR). Only problem I have right now is if I want to leave after a year or do I want to stay? I was considering staying for maybe a year, but well... They've been throwing more miles at me that I didn't even ask for. What driver has the right to complain right? Better too many miles than none at all. And the pay is still consistent. Still... I love what's going on and if there is anyone who has more questions, I'm still here.

Oink! Oink!

~<3~ Voodoo Pyg.

 

Thank you for that. By "dings" I meant that I had went over a few times that also being the late loads i mentioned. I really hate the NavGo yet you're expected to abide by it (i prefer my good old Atlas). I know what you mean. I know they busted a guy for not using the Zero Defect Customer Form. But I do wonder what we can do when traffic and construction hit. In Georgia the freaking shipper took forever and it seems everyone is so infatuated with wrecks. Seriously, it won't be 12 Noon or 5 and they'll drive at 5 mph. Also I was made to turn around by IRC in Cali just to see what kind of containers were on the trailer and get a seal (could've bought one). I also hate that I get critical events even if I'm driving as safe as I can. But other than that, they've been good to me. Are you still there?