what to do?

I've found that to be true, "the squeaky wheel gets the grease", but I'm too hard headed to be the squeaky wheel. Be fair with me or I will leave and I don't tell the company that, I tell myself that and follow through. "You hired me, so pay me." I don't beg, but I will find another company. There's a certain low caliber dispatcher or even terminal manager that loves having the power to make people beg and grovel. I won't do it!

 

Have you talked to your dispatcher? He has to have noticed too. Also, how are you getting your load assignments? Qualcomm or peoplenet? And are you on elogs? Have the dispatcher do a conference call with you and the operations manager.

Right now, if I were you, I wouldn't jump ship. In your situation, I would deal with McDonalds money before quitting, that is unless you can get accepted to another gig. But see, I wouldn't want to do that whole training thing all over again. That's even less money than the McDonalds money. 2 months, I can deal. If 6 months experience can open more doors, I'm going for 6 months. It's a sure bet.

Is everything cool during the week? Take a short run on the weekend, get parked by Saturday afternoon, get a restart and run like hell during the week. Single man, no dependents...yeah, get your experience and stack as much money as you can. Just be sure to avoid your old friends when you go home with your money, okay? You know who I am talking about. If I were you, in a year, I would be planning to get my own rig. No more forced dispatch. Ever.

You sound like a machine. I like machines. Small fleet owners would love a machine...just be sure to take care of his truck. When you travel around, check craigslist for small fleet owners that run coast to coast. Just make sure they pay. And a 75-80 mph truck would be great. Although with the summer, heat, you'd have to run with the vampires ( I like those guys too...they can drive forever, but they wilt at first sunlight) to save the tires, but you should be able to crank out the miles.

 

I had a similar situation and asked "have I done something wrong? This keeps happening and I don't know why."

 

Don't give up and quit you have just started this career path for goodness sake! You have to be proactive and aggressive in this business otherwise they will walk all over you.Go up the ladder speak to the dispatch supervisor if you cant get anywhere with that person talk to their boss and so on until you get what you need

 

Going in steps is usually the correct way, by not over-stepping anyone in line.

I don't follow those steps however, I go straight to the top and piss off people.

Of course when I did that, I'd get shyte runs, then I'd go back and complain again.

I was not there to make friends. I was not hired to be a friend. I was hired to drive a truck, earn money for me and the company as I drove hard, was never late, never had a claim against me..

My union shop steward did not like it when I went above him to the business agent. but screw him too, my union dues went into the union, not the shop steward's pocket.

Shop steward would be pissed when he got a call from the B/A, told him to eff off and I still got anything taken care of.

But in today's world of nancy pants truckers, they scare themselves into not even trying to speak up for themselves.

 

Yes that's how you have to handle these people sometimes

 

How does that saying go " The squeaky wheel gets the oil " If you do nothing then nothing happens

 

I would call him up and be like "Maybe it's nothing but I'm noticing a pattern here and was wondering what is going on?" Ask him what happened to the load your were on originally. At the very least he now knows that you're aware of what he's doing for whatever reason. I would respect the chain of command because going over his head is just going to make it worse for you if you stay there. In the mean time update your resume and always be looking for better opportunities.

 

Well I am glad you asked. There "could be" a driver that needed the original load you were put on, so he could either get home, or to that location for a load later to go further away. If say for instance you are a rookie, and a more senior driver asks for more miles, he/she may get it over you, till you put in your time.

There had been many times when I'd have to "interline" or swap out trailers, after I was assigned one. I really did not care, as I got paid for the miles anyway. By not making a fuss about it, soon enough I got the miles as well.

If you feel "slighted" by all of this then talk with your dispatcher and ask, why this may be happening.

If you get an answer that seems to make sense, then go with it. There are things that go on behind the scenes. It is even highly possible that the original load you were given, was cancelled, ever think of that.??

Sometimes the customer calls and is pissed off at the company, maybe because someone made a promise to pick up that load at a specific time, and another company was at the dock at that time, and stole away the freight, for lesser money?