The Sygma Network

....now thats two conflicting reports on the same company.

 

Tackman - I noticed you're from Central Ohio. So am I. Let me know if things don't work for ya with Sygma. I might have an idea for ya.

 

um..ok..but where?..i find it funny how guys on here all ways bad mouth one company but never tell you the dream job there currently working.

 

y wait?..u aint gotta job..get out there.

 

ummm..sir i went to an alternative highschool..so could u break that down 4me?..thankz?

 

Basically he's saying he's gonna go and shoot something in the woods.

 

Obviously, they didn't explain the job very well to you. It's also possible you didn't ask the right questions during your interview. When I interviewed prospective drivers or helpers, I tried to "scare" them off. I would describe the worst kind of nights... 40,000 pound loads, inclement weather, the fast pace and time considerations. I may have lost some guys, but honestly, they weren't the type of guy that would fit in.

I don't know how they ran their extra/relief board at your center. It doesn't sound like it was very fair. Generally, those guys are used to cover routes for drivers on vacation, or those that call out sick. Not sure why you would have been given "crap" routes in the "ghetto" when there are plenty of routes that need to be covered on any given night.

Long runs with huge piece counts generally mean more money. In most cases, those are the preferrable routes.

There are a lot of veteran drivers who are set in their ways. They're also going to be very demanding, because their bonuses depend on you pulling accurately and you keeping up to speed to stay on time. It's not an hourly pay job, so hustling is a way of life. The faster you get done, the more money you make "per hour." The guy laying in the sleeper I can agree was not doing the right thing by you. I had the same thing happen to me once, and I wasn't thrilled.

If you were fired for refusing to work tired, there were other options you had. The HR Manager, Safety Manager, labor board, the DOT, FMCSA, and the state Attorney General are all people you can contact. SYGMA works on computer logs, so there's plenty of record there to back you up. Also, knowing that SYGMA has a "three strikes" policy, it would be odd to see a driver fired for the first time in an instance like yours. I would never send a driver back out on a route after just returning. It's not safe, and I wouldn't want to ever put someone on the road who could fall asleep and kill others or themselves.

It sounds like you weren't a good match with SYGMA. That's fine, because most aren't. My time as a driver there was very good. I worked 3 routes a week, was home on weekends, and still made 60k a year. There's not many driving jobs that can give you that type of home time and pay as well. Certainly not any of the OTR outfits.