The Anderson Lease thread - redux.

I met this guy.

He stays out NINE weeks at a shot, and goes home for 9 - 10 days at a time.

I guess that's great....if you have no life, and don't mind living in your truck. Or don't care where you end up or where you go, or anything. I was griping (I'm good at that) about the lack of hometime I'm able to squeeze in, and he says to me "That's how it is in flatbedding, man." as if he's talking to some 21 year old rookie.

This is not my first flatbedding job and common frigging sense should tell you that living as close to as much freight as I do, I should get home more.

Personally, I ended up thinking that he had some pretty convoluted ideas, and that if you have to jump through all these hoops as a lease operator, it really isn't worth it.

He really really loves this company. I think to the point where he's blind to common sense.

9 weeks out? Insane.

Most of the time at my previous job, we didn't even stay out that long on wind energy. I'm surprised at the number of people at this place who live near huge accounts, and can't get home.

I'm also running into a lot of people froim Texas who are told the same as I. That they live near a lot of freight, and ATS tells them every excuse in the book as to why they can't get them there.

As far as money goes, I'm sticking with the mileage thing for as long as I'm here. I hope to make the year, but I don't think I'll be staying longer than that. If I sense for one second they are going to screw me out of the payouts (remember, you have to WATCH your settlements and acounts for "mistakes") I'm screaming like a banshee.

I emptied out in Delaware EARLY morning, then autobounced (I invented that word as a reult of seeing all the guys who unload, then automatically head to the nearest gathering of drivers, no matter what) to Baltimore where I proceeded to sit all day, and didn't see a load offer until 1 pm, and it was a short load, that actually didn't pay. I ended up taking a load from Erie to Newark (theres another one the Sureway board) that had $150 tarp pay on it. Loads Tuesday, delivers Wednesday.

Half the week shot, and I'm barely out of the hole. I think by Wednesday, I'll have 300 bucks going home if I'm lucky. Fuel is 2.90 a gallon here.

Monday, first thing in the morning in Baltimore, for ATS, with customers in the area, and no load offers until 1 pm, and only 2 load offers all day.

This, plus the DOT audit, plus the qualcomm vs. logbook vs. fuel stops vs. GPS (and mine broke last week, how the HELL are they going to use that in an audit???) - I've about had enough of all the big company garbage I can stand.

If they tell us next (and I think they will) we are going to electronic logs, I'm pretty sure I'm gone.

 

Well, that second load to New Jersey was all I was able to get for the week, even though I was told I would be able to get a third laod and make a decent check. When I sqwauked about it, I was immediately called by my FM, and asked WTF my problem was. The ensuing argument was seemingly scripted and pedantic on my FM's part.

As if I'm supposed to be happy to take home $235, and just shrug it off.

I suggested loads on the sureway board. I sat 25 hours in New Jersey.

The gave me a load 9 miles away, going to New Orleans for Monday - that doesn't clear next weeks truck bills by Monday. So next week is going to be a struggle too.

"Don't worry about it. We'll take care of it, okay?" They tell me.

We will see. My wife asked me today, "Why is this going so differently than when it first started?"

I don't know. I'm not going to be one of these many many guys I've met who hasn't had a check in months, who simply pays ATS to drive for them. I came here to make a living.

 

Heh. Interesting coming from a company driver.

#1 - Bouncing home 1000 miles from New Jersey isn't really a business smart thing to do.

#2 - Tell me, do you consider 235 take home pay a decent check?

#3 - When you have an intelligent argument, and can display the first sign of smarts when it come to running a business, speak on it. Otherwise, do not.

When you sign up for the lease program they say you will bring home 8 - 1200 a week average. I fall far short of that a lot.

It's a business agreement on the part of ATS as well, and I'm tired of the pattern I see of them dispatching just enough to cover the truck bills, then trying to dispatch you on loads for next week.

This has happened to me as early at Tuesday night, after finaling a load.

It's not just that things are slow. They are playing games.

They just haven't gotten around to you yet.

 

If your truck is paid for, without an 1800 a month bill before insurance and fuel, and so forth, how do you think your cost is higher than mine?

I'm still "hanging in there" too, but I have just seen them just cover my lease bills then try to offer loads for next week one too many times to think anything else is happening except that they have destroyed this lease program and made it like every other one that has a bad name attached to it.

Out of 4 weeks out, at least ONE is going to be a freebie for ATS. I've been here since Memorial Day, and I've seen it enough times to be convinced of that much.

If you were never part of this program, there's not much for you to say on the matter.

If you never went to the ATS school, theres not much for you to say there either.

I don't see a thread for guys with paid for trucks, who have nothing in common with anyone else on the board.

So the only pissing contest would be between you and your attitude toward everyone else in this company, and that seems to be a negative one, since all you try to do is outsmart everyone eith smart alecky one liners, while not evfen offering the courtesy of reading the posts.

I've decided you're one of the ATS drivers I can do without.

Stop acting like everyone else is stupid, when you're not even in the same ballfield as they are. You have a paid for truck, enjoy it, congrats, now see ya.

This is the Anderson Lease thread.

 

Amazing.

Is is possible for you to make apost without berating everyone you're responding to. I was really beginning to wonder.