System Transport

I always hoped for no load over the weekend

 

System just lost Don, who was the weekend guy for poles. Terrific dispatcher. He could direct you to an EXITwith decent parking. He knew the stuff THAT well.

Weekends, you should already have a pre-plan. If you don't, you need to be making loud complaints on Thurs/Fri. There is no reason for you to sit for more than a few hours, maybe a day if you're in a really bad area for freight. (And that rarely). Sounds like you're on the Phoenix regional fleet. Haven't heard a lot about that. Only one guy I know on that fleet and he's as busy as he wants to be.

Overall, system is decent. Poles pays well. The trucks are KW t800s with no APUs, 1500-watt inverters and REALLY crappy cabinet setups. Like if I TRIED I couldn't make a worse setup for OTR. But, it's liveable, Buy a fridge and MV. Problem solved.

Brett, the main poles dispatch guy is the best in the company. BY FAR. You will look long and hard to find his caliber in a dispatcher. His second is also decent, though you may need to ride him a bit harder.

Also have heard Dallas regional is good. The pay is middling good. If you have over 2 years you can certainly do better. The insurance is psychotically expensive. -285 per month for a single guy. $1125 for a family.

System is a decent company and I will never say a bad word about them other than don't get injured on the job near Spokane.

But if you have the time under your belt and the skills in flatbedding that go with it, go with Melton. Better pay, better trucks. I can't speak to insurance costs. I know they have driver-facing cameras. for me, .45 CPM+ would beat the Hell out of system's offer for experienced drivers.

 

Poles is 48+ Canada.

Figure Three weeks and three days as far as hometime goes. If you live in Spokane you may get the odd night home also.

Poles is 90% general freight, 10% poles. Count on a lot of tarped loads. They pay a bit better than most fleets, but also expect you to know your stuff. There is very little room for screwups. The trucks suck compared to the 660s most of the rest of the company runs in terms of living OTR, but you can make it work. (No APUs to start with).

On the really upside, you will have the best dispatcher in the company managing you and that's a big deal.

Brett growls a lot and can be a bear at times, but you will NEVER feel like he doesn't know what he is doing, which puts him head and shoulders over 90% of the dispatchers I've ever heard of, much less dealt with.

My experience with System was simply outstanding.

I only left for a better, local job, which sadly turned into a puff of smoke with one lost customer. I'd go back to work for Brett in a heartbeat but I think my body will be happier with no chains/tarps.

If I was 10 years younger, much less 20, I'd be back on poles and happy about it. As it is, I'm back to work but as a door opener. I make the same or better money, but I honestly miss flatbedding.

 

Yes, I second your GASP

 

Even at meltons pay all the drivers I spoke too still make what I make on avg.

 

Don Walters?

 

One time I saw a System pole truck going down the I-90 in Montana, it was a freakin ancient looking cabover, haha. Not sure if it was an O/O or if some of the pole fleet trucks are like that.

 

Yes, Don retired.

I heard some guys complain about him because he can be crusty and doesn't suffer fools gladly, but he was a Heck of a guy and REALLY knew his stuff. He put me into fuel in BFE NE one time when I was going to be in real trouble without an authorized fuel stop and put his own butt on the line to help me out.

He also chewed my butt one time for doing somethi0ng stupid. but it was a well-deserved butt-chewing and he wasn't a jerk about it, Just jerked my chain nice and hard to make sure I knew it was a big deal.

I was very glad I heard he was retiring and got the chance to thank him for being such a great guy to work with. Not a lot of people I'd call to thank like that, but Don was a real gem, and System will be hard pressed to find his equal to replace him on weekends.

 

We don't run the few cabovers we have left OTR. The pole fleet runs KW t800s OTR. the cabovers are strictly local.

 

Could be. As always, it's all about the miles. Ask the guys on NW regional supposedly making 50 CPM+. Doesn't make a darn bit of difference if you're only making 1500 miles a week.

I'm coming to find out that even GOOD companies have craptastic fleets and dispatchers that make their drivers earn $200+ less per week than anyone else in the company. And even supposedly "bad" companies like Werner and JB Hunt have fleets where drivers make big $$ and are happy.

I hate that it's such a crapshoot and that you can't EVER count on what a recruiter tells you. To me, that's the worst thing about the industry; The LIES.

Never dealt with anything as relentlessly awful as truck-driver recruiting in ANY field I have ever worked in 40 years of working.

Even in commission work, you get a specific number. With trucking, they tell you one thing and at orientation you find out they lied out their butts. Only solution is to get it in writing BEFORE you show up for orientation. At least that separates the complete liars from the rest.