Potential Drivers - What are your expectations fro

[JohnMueller]

I'm curious what expectations potential drivers have prior to entering the Expedited Industry? What appeals to you the most?

Looking forward to some interesting posts that we recruiters may not have considered.

Thanks,

HotFr8Recruiter

 

[DocRushing]

RE: Potential Drivers - What are your expectations

One indispensable element is absolute honesty on the part of a carrier -- just as it is also on the part of a contractor or other driver.

Absolute honesty should include the three-way relationship involving a carrier, a contractor, and a subcontractor-driver.

A couple of years ago Marda and I became involved in an extremely regrettable deal with Conway Now and one of their contractors.

We had just returned from overseas and from serving as unpaid volunteer workers aboard the Mercy Ships.

Since we no longer had a truck of our own, we elected to drive for a small-fleet owner.

We made a deal with one under contract to Conway Now.

While in Ann Arbor for our orientation, the president of that company himself spoke to our group.

In his remarks he insisted that his company vigorously maintains zero tolerance for dishonesty of any type in any way.

One of those days one of the long-time workers there said to us, "You'd better be careful about that truck."

We tried to get him to elaborate about what he meant.

We wondered whether he referred to the mechanical condition of the truck.

He clammed up and refused to say anything more.

Eventually the time for our first monthly settlement came and went.

The two women running the truck (a mother and her daughter) failed and refused to pay us even one penny themselves -- nothing whatever in addition to the load advances which we had gotten directly from the carrier.

Meanwhile, though, we learned that the same two women had previously failed and refused to pay other drivers (during the previous year).

Clearly, various people at the company headquarters already knew very well about the dishonest behavior of the two deadbeat women.

Naturally, when they stiffed us, we declared a breach of contract, and we made another deal with a different owner.

Of course, we reported the details to the proper manager.

Even after that Conway Now continued to deal with the two con artists -- and continued to allow them to treat their drivers in the same way.

That's not only dishonesty but also dishonesty with the connivance of Conway Now.

The protestations of the president of the company (about his alleged zero tolerance for dishonesty) now appear to be thoroughly sanctimonious and hypocritical.

Again: Absolute honesty is indispensable in the three-way relationship among a carrier, a contractor, and a subcontractor-driver.

When a carrier learns that an owner fails and refuses to pay drivers without lawful cause, then the carrier should require the owner to deal with the drivers with basic honesty.

If an owner persists in doing business in a clearly dishonest and unlawful way, then the carrier should promptly cancel the contract of that owner.

Best wishes to all,

Doc.

 

[hounddog1]

RE: Potential Drivers - What are your expectations

I like the idea of being my own boss. Making my own decisions about where to go, what to haul, and not having some "corporate wheel" make a decision that adversly affects your life, like closing a major air freight hub after 25 years of operation. I have been doing my research on carriers and truck types and plan on buying one soon. My long-term goal is to make 10k per month doing what I like to do, which is drive!!!

 

[X1_SRH]

RE: Potential Drivers - What are your expectations

Hounddog,

Do you define "make" as what you gross or what you net?

 

[hounddog1]

RE: Potential Drivers - What are your expectations

My long term goal is to "gross" that amount and my longer term goal is to "net" the "gross" amount.:+

 

[X1_SRH]

RE: Potential Drivers - What are your expectations

Hounddog,

Now, that puts things into a better perspective. All I can say is that your long term goal is achievable, but you'd better be thinking straight truck or tractor...

Don't ever give up. Goals are something to work TOWARD.

Scott

 

[b3player]

RE: Potential Drivers - What are your expectations

Hi Scott,
I expect dispatch to understand what goes on out on the road. I've had great and unreasonable experiences so I know the difference. I look at dispatch as my ground control. The mediator between me and the customer, working in both our intrests honestly.

I expect to feel like part of the team. Many drivers have a high self efficacy....but corporate cultures in the trucking business, I have observed, obtain a very low organizational efficacy from drivers. While we want independence, we, as strapped to the human condition, need inclusion. If I do not know I cannot do. Honest information. Connection.

I expect to make a living wage as well as a good return on a substantial investment. I expect to work hard, and be a good representative for a company that provides that.

The appeal to me, once and maybe again crazy enough to pound around on nation's highways, is love of the inordinant and love of driving. We're the last of the cowboys. The drivers. Out on this cold road driving, the stuff that keeps those watching TV in their dark warm houses, producing and consuming. It's a certain connectedness that what I do makes a tiny difference.

Chain of humanity stuff all. That's the ticket. Or should I say hook?

 

[outwardbound 2]

RE: Potential Drivers - What are your expectations

i just want to drive leaglely and earn a fair wage with no setting for days on end wondering when i'll get the next load. It's just that simple. I don't care about company politics. just a fair wage for a fair days work defind by the restrictions the goverment puts on us. and it would help if a company was not depandent on the automotive industry.

keep my wheels turning pay me on time and i'll be happy

ps no canada loads takes too many hours off the clock

 

[letzrockexpress]

RE: Potential Drivers - What are your expectations

Unfortunately absolute honesty is nothing more than a theory as are all absolutes...

 

[jrcarroll]

RE: Potential Drivers - What are your expectations

“I'm curious what expectations potential drivers have prior to entering the Expedited Industry? What appeals to you the most?â€

The most appealing part of this lifestyle is not working with others watching over your shoulder. Driving truck, or van over the road takes a special kind of person.
I expect to feel like part of the team. A name not just a number. I just want to drive legally and earn a fair wage with no setting for days on end wondering when I’ll get the next load. It's just that simple. If the wheels are not turning the company and I both are not making money. I don't care about company politics. Just a fair wage for a fair days work defined by the restrictions the government puts on us. I would like to be able to give input and express my opinions without fear of retaliation from the company.

Remove the black listings. Why penalize me if I refuse a load or do not care to drive in Canada? If running late or late deliveries, be reasonable and listen to why. There are times things just don’t go 100%.

Ps. Thanks guys, your words expressed better than mine.

 

[ATeam]

RE: Potential Drivers - What are your expectations

Thinking back to the days before we jumped in (white-collar newbies with no prior truck driving experience), our expectations were:

1. Earn over $150,000 per year, gross to the truck.
2. Never be pressured to drive in an unsafe manner.
3. Be able to drive nationwide and take in tourist attractions from time to time.

We had goals too, which were:

1. Increase our income
2. See the country
3. Simplify our lives
4. Spend more time together
5. Share a business project

Our $150,000 gross to the truck income expectation was based on what we learned after interviewing about two dozen fleet owners. All of them said a good team can produce that much. They and the drivers they refered us to helped us to also know that our second and third expectations were realistic.

It is now over 2.5 years since we started. We're pleased to report that our expectations were right on the money and our goals have been (and continue to be) achieved. We love the life and the work, aand can't imagine ourselves doing anything else.

 

[DannyD]

RE: Potential Drivers - What are your expectations

>I'm curious what expectations potential drivers have prior
>to entering the Expedited Industry? What appeals to you the
>most?

This is a pretty good question. I've been doing it for a bit & I'm w/ a company that's pretty much met my needs. So knowing what I know now, what would appeal to me in a company is:

1) Pay on time & what was agreed upon. Be reasonable (both sides here, driver & company) when unplanned things happen. For instance, if it's a 10AM pick up that's not ready until 1PM, that's part of our industry. If it's a 7PM Friday delivery & the plant is closed until Monday AM & the driver has 2 choices, go home & return or sit all weekend, the company needs to make things fair to the driver.

2) Understand that drivers who want part time work aren't lazy, they simply want a balanced lifestyle. It's 8AM & I haven't been to bed yet. Just because I'm not driving doesn't mean I'm lazy. My load acceptance rate is probably in the 95% range. Not everyone's goals are to make 100K.

3) Allow vans to be grandfathered in provided they're well maintained. I will need a newer van come Febuary. I've kept my van in good shape. Synthetic oil, tune up, wash it frequently, all that jazz. Come Febuary I'm going to have to trade a perfectly good vehicle in for something newer.

4) Have dispatchers who understand the drivers situation. I should say I've really lucked out in this area. Steve at EGL/Detroit is great as were the ones at Thompson, where I worked at before this. Going back even further, when I did this in the 90s, Bonnie & those people at Try Hours were great too. So I've lucked out w/ dispatch.

5) Not force drivers to have workmans comp. This might be more of a state by state issue than a company issue, I'm not sure. It's a real burr in my shorts to have to carry this rip-off insurance though. I'm just not sure if my gripe is w/ the government or the company on this one.

6) Never try & force a driver to continue to drive in bad weather. This has only happened to me twice in about 7 years of doing this, both times back in the 90s, & I didn't listen to em, but it still hacked me off. Both times (one was fog, the other snow/ice) I could only move at about 10MPH in the middle of the night. It only makes sense to get your rest in at that time, rather than being 20 miles down the road 2 hours later & then going to bed.

All in all I'm pretty happy where I'm at. But if I was to ever look for a different company this is what I'd shoot for.

Take care,
Danny