Stevens Transport aviary

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Size only makes a difference if you want to be known personally by the staff in the office.

Millis drivers may be pushing the limits of the DOT rules, and being put out of service more often. This may be a corporate culture thing with them that I would have to look into. The attitude of get the load there no matter what.

Yes the ratings work the same way with Safe Stat. Lower the score, the better the company is in staying within the rules.

Have NO idea what incident in NY you are talking about.

Stevens is working hard right now to correct the issues with trailers that have been causing the OOS violations. CSA2010 has identified that as a trouble spot for stevens.

 

Some millis driver watching a movie killed some woman in an accident...he was runnin way illegal.

 

to be fair, I've heard lots of stuff about lots of companies and again to be fair, I cannot tell you which company to go with.

I can tell you this. I'm 95% satisfied with the training I received at Stevens.

I love the stevens safety policy that says if I don't feel safe to run, I don't run. For example, we don't use chains or drive on ice.

Stevens has delivered for the most part what they promised. A friendly atmosphere and a place where you're more than just a number. For those people from stevens laughing with coffee shooting out your nose, you just haven't made an impression yet. Trust me, hand around a while and people get to know you. That can be good or bad, but for me, it's been great.

I'm happy with the company and content with the job. However as soon as my original career returns to michigan, so will I. The road is OK, but I do like going home at 5, going to church on sunday and having a life outside of work.

 

i am also satisfied with the training I got at Stevens. If I say I can not make a load, I am not pushed to make it. If I am uncomfortable with the roads, I shut down, and communicate, and have never had a problem.

Be around for a while, and yes you will start to be known. Your reputation becomes important, and on time deliveries.

I love the road, my home is where I am. wyoming will always be home, but I enjoy the road. I due wish Stevens would plan ahead more.

 

Let me add my two cents worth here also.,
Altho I am just coming to the end of my first phase of training, I am very impressed with the professionalism, commitment to safety and attitudes here at Stevens.
The primary reason I picked Stevens was their excellent reputation for training, and I've not been disappointed. The people have been great and seem genuinly committed to my success.

 

Again - thanks to everyone for taking the time to respond. I know get tired of answering the same questions. Have recently seen negative postings related to getting home time. I dont need it often but - would like to know that maybe what I am reading is not really as bad as they say.

Hows home time been for you?

 

Well, Fun Time is over. Back to the yard to see the doc and if I can clear med-hold(I hurt my knee hopping off a dock about three weeks ago and it isn't getting better. Then to OR2 and finish training. How's everyone doing, I haven't seen any activity around the aviary for a few days.

 

I've been lurking, but been too busy to contribute lol.

Trying to get a firm grasp on being a lease-operator. Definitely had to rearrange my priorities a bit, to put it lightly. But overall, been having a great time out here.

Take Monday night, for instance. Was heading from Paris, TX to Pueblo, CO. Get on I35 just inside the OK border and the CB starts going crazy. Southbound drivers telling all us northbound drivers to park it ASAP and to not proceed any further north as the weather was terrible, and getting worse by the minute. The drivers were talking about hail, heavy rains, strong crosswinds, and possible tornadoes. Now, being from and having lived in California my entire life, I'm accustomed to earthquakes. But tornadoes are another story. Not too excited to be anywhere near one, ever. But it was sounding like I was gonna get my chance. So I get to the Flying J in Ardmore and get parked. Good thing I did because not 30 minutes after I was shutdown, that place was packed. Not one parking spot to be had, and this was 1830 at the latest. By this time, the wind had really picked up, it was raining cats and dogs, and the news reports said a tornado was spotted two miles southeast of my location. The waitress in the restaurant closed all the blinds covering every window, told us to move to a table in the center of the room away fom the windoes in case something were to come flying through them . She also informed us of a hallway in the back of the kitchen that we were to report to in the event of a tornado touching down in the area. I could literally feel my table rumble as the winds picked up. Crazy experience for me lol.

Later that night, the storm subsides and all returns to normal. I feel its safe to return to my truck so I can get some sleep. I walk out, get my PJ's on, and retire for the night. The next morning, I hit the road, heading northbound on I35 into OKC. Stop and take on some fuel at the Love's in Newcastle (or Norman, depending on who you ask). I run in to grab my fuel ticket, and I hoverhear the two clerks on duty talking about "the Love's that got flattened last night by the twister". So I inquire about which Love's, and she tell me the on at MM 169 on I40, just west of OKC. Wow! Had I not shutdown earlier in the night, I would've been right in that vicinity when all that mess went down. So I get back on the road, and 45 minutes later, I'm passing MM 169. She was right: the Love's and another gas station were destroyed. It was terrible. I heard on the news that 5 people were killed as a result of the tornado that night. I hope it wasn't anyone working or getting fuel at any of those two places.

Got to Amarillo later that day, and shut down, hoping to get a repower before heading into the abyss that is southeastern CO lol. The load I was on had WAY too much time on it. Low and behold, my DM finds a repower: load heading to the same receiver in Pueblo, just delivers at 0800 instead of 2330. The other driver shows up about 1600, we swap loads, and I hit the rack to get some sleep. Had to roll right at 0000.

Wake up at 2330, run in and do the SSS routine in the restroom, grab some bottled water, and hit the road right at 0000. Do the painful and often windy drive across US287 and US50 and arrive at final an hour before my appointment. This place is a drop and hook, so I do so. Send my e-call, and immediately get sent to Holcomb (no surprise there lol). Double-check my hours, yep....I can make Holcomb no problem. Head over to Lamar to fill up the reefer, then cruise into Holcomb, expecting to be sent to the Garden City Travel Plaza to wait for my load to be ready. Get to the guard shack, slide the tandems back, and walk back to the cab to find the guard waiting for me. She had already started the reefer, checked the fuel level, and was halfway back to look inside the trailer. I didn't have to go inside and ask or anything. She asks for my pickup number, I give it to her, and I follow her inside. Before I can even approach the window, she has my bills out (which is a great sign: means my load's ready! Yippee!!). I sign them, she gives me my trailer verification form, and I'm off with my empty to the wash dock. Get the empty washed out, drop it on the empty side of the lot, then hook up to my loaded trailer. Trailer #11011. One of the newer satellite-controlled units. Now, I don't know if the CSR's at Stevens have finally grown a pair and relayed all the nasty experiences and disgust us driver shave felt at some point or another towards Tyson meat plants, and how their security guards have been known to treat us drivers, but this was by far the best experience I've ever had at Holcomb IBP (or any other Tyson plant for that matter). Also, they're in the process of adding another lane at the turn at the end of IBP Rd, hopefully that's another sign they're getting serious about treating us drivers a bit better. That turn got "crowded" if you arrived there during shift change, and there are 20-30 4-wheelers racing through there on their way home .

By the time I got done at the plant, I was just about at the end of my 14, so I drove the few miles over to the Travel Plaza, scaled my load, and parked it for the night. So here i sit, getting blown around by the wind. The trucks rocking back and forth pretty good lol. I'm gonna run in and grab some dinner (the restaurant here is pretty good, BTW), then do some paperwork and get to bed.

Hope everyone's having a great time out here like I am! Stay safe!

 

Every now and then you will have a good experience at a Tyson plant. They are the exception. I picked up this morning at Waterloo IA tyson. Load was ready when I got there, along with 3 other trailers..and 4 bob tails sitting around waiting for loads. They were upset when I pulled in, pulled out, scaled, and pulled back in. Over Weight Again!!!!
Heard something about lease drivers getting treated special....took tyson 2 trys to get me down to legal weight. So now I get to do the 50 gallon shuffle all the way to Connecticut. I knew I was in trouble when I say the load assignment, 43,500...that does not include pallets, boxes. So tonight I set at Iowa 80, in the wind and rain.