Van Buren

One other thing I'd like to say about the loads we get asked to pick up from yards and terminals and deliver nearby. Think about this folks. Those loads that we ##### about taking 1-20 miles away from the yard and sitting on.....those are loads they let somebody drop so that they could swap loads to go home or just outright go home. They don't end at a terminal. The carrier still has an obligation to deliver that freight to the customer. Now also think about this. How many times has your FM let you drop a load to go home? Or drop it so you didn't have to sit on it for an extra day? You don't stop to think who will be the one to get stuck with delivering it do you? Of course not. I don't either when I get to drop something. But what goes around comes around right? When you have to pick up a short haul, just remember that somebody got to go home for whatever reason they needed to go home. Before you gripe, remember, somebody will pick up your load when you need to go home.

 

In 2 years I've NEVER picked up and delivered from a shipper to a consignee in less than 50 miles. I have had some less than 100 when something was going from say Texarkana, TX to Little Rock, AR. In fact, I've never picked up and delivered within the same state on anything but a multistop and from one end of Texas to the other lol!

Not to say this has NEVER happened for anybody but it just seems like either I almost never get the trash loads or you always get them. In fact, with you living in Charlotte, I don't understand why you aren't on a lot more high mileage loads. I've taken tires from Goodyear in Fayetteville to Dekalb, IL, Tonawanda, NY, and even as far out as Topeka, KS. I've picked up stuff in Mt. Airy and Raleigh/Durham that went all the way to Colorado. I just don't get it. You say you stay out 3 weeks....perhaps you are on a regional fleet? Or you've asked to run regional? Its not like you are in a bad freight area for us.

 

The only department here that has ever had a habit of disrespecting me is Breakdown, and thats only because they seem determined to find ways to prove that I caused every issue with the trailer or tractor each time. I've never had to bark at anybody at this company except in my very first 2 months and it was only because I was tired of living in hotels for a truck that spent more time in the shop than on the road. In deferance to you, yes that FM did suck. He really did little for the drivers. But in the end he was fired and its been uphill since then. Am I getting rich? No. Does anybody bend over backwards to kiss my rear? No. I am provided with satisfactory equipment, I'm compensated fairly for the work that I put in, my home time requests are honored, and I set my workload depending upon my motivation level.

I'm sorry that you had a bad experience here. They really should put a disclaimer out like they do for the "magic bullet" weight loss pills and investment advice. Something like "Drivers CAN earn up to $35K in first year. Drivers can go home every 2 weeks plus have opportunity for more if they live in high volume freight areas. Individual results may vary." All kidding aside though, one thing I like to remind the new hires when I meet them (especially the disgruntled ones), is to remember their place upon the totem pole. I think my resilience may be different than most drawing upon 9 years in the Army but I must stand firm in my belief that USA Truck is no different than any other employer. The amount of attitude that some of the new drivers exhibit, or sense of entitlement, is astonishing. I suppose that many of the people that use words like "disrespect" would probably tell the manager at Burger King on their first day of the job that they had no intentions of working nights, weekends, or cleaning toilets at minimum wage.

I use Burger King not to demean BK, as I love it, but in comparison to USA Truck or any other training company. Nobody enters the restaurant or hospitality industry with no prior training or experience and starts out at a 5 star place or even as a manager at a lower echelon diner. We all have to start somewhere. Does it mean that USA Truck is a bad company? No. Not at all. Just like the fast food chains, you can stick around long enough to move up into better pay, better equipment, better benefits, or more leverage. Or you can take your 1 year experience and try your luck elsewhere. I'm glad that you have found greener grass on the other side of the fence. Maybe you've found your niche? Or maybe the warm glow from a new place just hasn't worn off yet?