Things I do not like about ATS

Well good luck to you.
I was just asking about coming over.
I hate it when they are asking some H.H. guys to take time off due to lack of work, yet they are bringing on more lease trks. so A.T.S. can make money off them.

I hope it works for you ,but be prepared for a rough ride I believe.

I may be wrong and hope I am.

 

So passingthru69 your saying its slow to the point you are being asked to take time off do to lack of work and not because its getting into holiday season making this good time to take off because it normaly slow around x-mass?

I have not been to the yard so is it full of trucks with no drivers?

 

Well yes the holiday slow time is coming, but there have been several I know that they asked to take time off.
These are the guys with paid off trks. Thinking we have no other bills.
Well we do.

They will put you in a trk. and you will get lds. because you will be having payments to them.
Trust me ATS will get there money first, then you get the left overs.

 

I do not believe there is a lack of freight. Several indices show last week there were five loads for every truck. There are regional differences, I'm sure. I still say the problem is ATS is reactive not proactive as far as getting loads.

 

when your saying reactive your meaning no one FM-Planner does anything to help pre plan your next load, empty out make phone call then sit wait for return call offering loads. No body calls you 2 days ahead of delivery telling you guess what when you empty out dash to joes for your next one! its allways empty first, then look.

 

This is correct. They act suprised when you send in your empty. "You are where?", despite me telling them to the second when I would arrive and be empty days in advance and a day or two early at that! They are not risk takers and it usually cost me hundreds to a thousand per week, even several thounds upon occasions.

I make good money, but it could be so much better.

 

Thanks so much terry, I guess its hard for office staff sitting at a desk going home a 1700hrs to understand some of the little things that can inprove your/are bottom line. Although the last co I worked for Dallas Mavis HH , it was up to you solely to get ur freight lined up then have dispatch dispatch you on the load if you dident find it (by calling other agents, or broker board) you could sit for weeks they dident care, so I realy dont know what way is better, I do know if ATS did it the correct way the stress would be less!

 

I have recieved load offers before being empty before, on occaision. Once I was just bopping through Donner Pass on my way to Woodland, CA, not even CLOSE to delivering yet, and they offered a load of military stuff.

Sometimes it seems like everything is on the up and up here, and other times it seems like there's always a LOT more going on than they tell you. I guess that's not the worst thing, as I don't need to know every detail about everything, but that Oregon deal really got to me.

I'm POSITIVE they knew what was going to break at the end of the week, and held several of us.

Passingthru
Also, I was talking to a friend of mine who still works at my old company. He was hauling a blade for ATS a few years back, and there was an ATS lease guy there (whereever that was) who was bragging about what his load paid (67% of whatever).

My friend was hauling a brokered blade through ATS to the very same job for 4k more.

ATS does have the cheapest rates, but they also have the freight. That's why I'm here, and that's why Maddad is coming over. And often they pay outside carriers more than thier own people! Ive seen them personally bid wind jobs lower than everyone else, then farm out the work for the original bid. The strength they have is that they can throw massive amounts of equipment at a job and get it done rather quickly (minus a few busted blades, and bent sections).

Recall all OD movement in Texas stopped a few years ago because of three blades hitting the same bridge.

We got drunk, tailgated, and laughed and shook our heads for two days.

Maddad:

BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT VERIFYING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

They may just tell you some of your experince doesn't count anyway, but you won't know that until right at the end of orientation. That's when they zapped me.

I've been class 2 for a few months now, and I've hardly seen any 2 loads even offered, and the ones I've seen are god awful cheap, so I've been very selective. Id I'm going to burn up large amounts of time, it better help me get to class 1.

 

Sinister, You are correct about the rates sometimes better through Sureway.
Friend of mine used to work for a guy on the east coast. booked loads alot through Sureway.
But also that will include permit costs and escorts if in the rate.
ATS takes a big bite out for permits and then do not get me started on Sentinal pilot car service.
They have one dispatcher there that is cutting the rates so bad to get a big bonus..

Trying to read the Sureway board to see what we have is not a good inducator.
They have their regulars they call or email about lds. before it even gets posted on the open board

 

Oh, I know about the sureway board. Like anything else, it can be good or bad. They sometimes can and do pull loads off of there for us, but not often.

I just like to use it to sort of measure the volume of freight in an area.

I hear what you're saying about ATS paying for permits also. And escorts. That's a big chunk out of every OD load.