Venezia - Let The Games Begin

Crappy trailers, Venezia, you've got to be kidding! Venezia trailers are an insult to crappy trailers. I swear some are pulled right from the salvage yard. The loading operators just kind of shake their head with the junk we bring in - scully doesn't work, vapor recovery doesn't work, filthy, oxidized pieces of junk. Ridiculous runs - load 2-compartments in Baltimore, 2 more in Glen Dale, WV. Then unload 1 compartment in an Ohio cornfield, and the other 3 in Cleveland. Ends up being 2-days for a 400-mile run with no reload until day 3.

You get to load at the Gordon Terminal where you will earn detention pay. Where you will also back under racks that were designed in the late 1920's. The people at Gordon are friendly to a fault, and let you weigh your trailer between each product. Getting 3-products affords you 4-trips to the scale and 3 chances to load at the lovely Number 1 Rack! Gordon Terminal also offers free oil waterproofing for all your garments.

Everything is a pump off, some stops slinging three 3-inch hoses, while fishing the hoses from and putting them back on the God awful hose racks. The trucks are these narrow cab Petes. The freaking mirrors hang out there so far that you are always worried about hitting something. I swear PACCAR's Accounting Department designed the trucks, no way did they have ANY input from people who actually use the trucks.

As part of Venezia's Character Building program you are paid by HHG miles. Oh don't forget that all trucks are conveniently keyed the same. If you lock your keys in the truck don't worry. The next honest Venezia driver will gladly unlock it for you. Don't worry Venezia does not hire thieves and no other Venezia driver wants your $400.00 GPS.

On the plus side you can make $50k a year and be home weekends. Trucks run 70-mph. Dispatchers have no concept of Hours of Service regulations. Most drivers are still using paper logs (but elogs are coming). But the constant loading, short runs, and pump offs gets old.

 

I will close the Venezia book (and my employment with them) with one last "Driver Beware."

Equipment for Liquid Drivers is assigned out of Corporate HQ in Pottstown, PA. When you quit the expectation is that you return the equipment to Pottstown, PA. If you don't, you will get charged the "recovery" fee. They don't care how far away from Pottstown you live. Anyone in the Pittsburgh, PA or points westward considering Venezia - you have been warned!

 

wonder what mac is smoking? Hired out of Neville Isand. Last day of orientation they mentioned about the truck return policy. I am warning potential hires that aren't local to Pottstown.

 

Swedesboro to Pottsdown is a heck of a lot different than Western PA/Eastern OH. And yes they have a terminal in New Middletown, OH. The Ohio terminal was the only reason I ever considered Venezia.

My big complaints about Venezia are mine. They may not mean diddly to someone else. FWIW I hated their trucks, I felt cheated by HHG mileage pay, taking 2-days to go 400-miles and getting a reload on day three blew, and finally being outside for hours at a time to load and unload while the family jewels were freezing - shall we say "iced the cake."