Which company actually cares about good drivers?

nightcreacher · Dec 14, 2006

RE: Which company actually cares about good driver

I'll try and keep this short
as was already stated,if your in a 24/7/365 and dispatch closes on week end,dont wait, get out fast.
many things can happen you might need dispatch for,and if they arent around,good luck.

highway star · Dec 14, 2006

RE: Which company actually cares about good driver

You're right Chuck. The past is just that. So I'll keep my criticism to just this thread. You say that our responces are the same "canned BS". Then, you encourage a newbie to ask questions. If you really believe our answers are BS, why would encourage someone to seek them out?

O.K., back to the past for a moment. You have said on more than one occasion that you were out of here. What are you, some kind of forum tease?

ACE · Dec 14, 2006

RE: Which company actually cares about good driver

You may already know this now but I will mention it for other newbies when you are 50 miles away from home and you have unloaded and you are not dispatched by 1800 friday start home.

When you receive a load offer ask the dispatcher if the load is comfirmed delivery. It sounds like yours was that is why you received detention pay. I agree that $70.00 a day is not much but is better than nothing. If it is not comfirmed you ask them if they can comfirm it for you if yes you will take the run. If you have a C-Link have the dispatcher send that the load is comfirmed. This will help you if a problem arises later. If you take an uncomfirmed load over the weekend expect the worst that you may sit all weekend.

Mondays are slow usually but if you work for a smaller company you may ask them how many loads do they get out of the area you are sitting at in a week. Some smaller carriers concentrate mostly in the Midwest. Not saying this is bad but it is good to know what part of the country do they get most of their business from.
Smaller Companies have less business than the 3 majors do but they have less vehicles also.

Again this next comment is for newbies and not directed at any individual. Treat the dispatcher,shipper and consignee the way you would like to be treated. This does not say that you will be treated that way or with any respect. But you will have a better chance if you start out with a proffesional attitude.

Remember it may take 90 days or more for you to learn how their system works and for them to determine how you will perform handling freight for their customers. Build relationships with the people you deal with the most.

Good Luck Flatbedin and Newbies.

chuckwagon · Dec 14, 2006

RE: Which company actually cares about good driver

It is in the past - see if you can drop it.

Concentrate on today and tommorrow.

Turtle · Dec 15, 2006

RE: Which company actually cares about good driver

By and large, most expediters are a friendly bunch, and will talk to ya or wave back. While driving, many use unseen headsets for their cell phones, so they may be distracted enough to not wave back. At a truck stop, curtains up means don't bother me, but I have yet to find a driver unwilling to chew the fat with curtains down.

As for CB's, a lot of drivers listen more to XM (or Sirius) than to the CB. Plus, many drivers, both regular truckers and expediters, don't like the chatter on the CB these days. Personally, I think it's very important to know who has, or doesn't have, their panties on.

TJ959 · Dec 15, 2006

RE: Which company actually cares about good driver

I've been at this for about four years now and in two different sized trucks. I'd say I was still a newbie. The people on this site have been very helpful but sometimes I was disapointed because there was no easy magic cure for my problem. Changing carriers may not be the right answer but I sure wouldn't stay at a company that isn't there for me when I need them. They may not see it the same way, but you don't work for them. You are in a partnership where you work for each other and both sides need to do their job. Good reliable drivers are in short supply and I guarantee you will be appreciated at a professional company. Big or small. I would give almost any company 90 days before I decided to leave unless there is a really good reason though.
There are unfriendly people in every business. I have had enough bad experiences trying to be friendly that I usually keep to myself. Still, I'll wave back or walk over to talk if someone looks friendly. Hang in there, it will probably get better.

silverdollar · Dec 15, 2006

RE: Which company actually cares about good driver

I would like to know how some one that is new to a profession can be the elite of that profession that he doesn`t know anything about?

lanier1 · Dec 15, 2006

RE: Which company actually cares about good driver

You can't say "Let's leave it all in the past" in one breath and accuse people of bs in the next and expect there to be no response.

Get real Chuck and please find a new way to pass your time. You give all us newbies a bad rap.

LDB · Dec 15, 2006

RE: Which company actually cares about good driver

Let's keep this on track of which companies are available 24/7, communicate important information like changes in p/u and delivery times etc.. Thanks.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA Life Member 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
----------
Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

chuckwagon · Dec 15, 2006

RE: Which company actually cares about good driver

We should, no matter what carrier we work with, be able to tell our dispatchers what is ailing us in regards to the duties we need the carriers to follow-thru with.

As an example, they use to call me and tell me they were bidding on a load and would ask me if I would take it, even though they could not tell me what it would pay.

I have since told them that if the load paid X-amount per mile then I would take it, pending of course I did not mind where the drop off was. And, now that they know that about me, things are going much better.

So, while we expect certain things from our dispatchers and carriers, they need to know certain things about us as well. And like it has been pointed out several times from the 'vets' - sometimes that takes a little bit of patience and time working together.

x06col · Dec 15, 2006

RE: Which company actually cares about good driver

I have to chime in here on this subject I guess. First, a hundred fourty bucks to babysit freight a couple days over the weekend really ain't bad. What was you going to do those two days, other than dead head home? Second, instead of being at point B, with a grand in the kitty, plus the hundred fourty, you could have been at point A, look'in out your windshield, wonder'in where the freight was, or, dead heading home to MI. To me 1140 for the week end ain't bad. Third, please advise me how you KNEW you wouldn't get a load out of the same spot a day or two later. I'd sure like to have one of them there crystal balls, if'n thats what you got. One thing for sure in this business, thay ain't nothing for sure.

Tennesseahawk · Dec 15, 2006

RE: Which company actually cares about good driver

If he would've known when dispatch found out, he could've gone home till Sunday morning, rather than spend money on the road. Gotta admit, the communication from his dispatch sukked.

"If I claim to be a wise man, it surely means that I don't know." - Kansas

x06col · Dec 15, 2006

RE: Which company actually cares about good driver

A trip to the grocery store for milk, Dr Pepper, whatever, cheaper in Michigan than Pennsylvania? You will never convince me! Regardless, slide'in home, while under load Will bite you in the A$$ someday.

flatbedin · Dec 15, 2006

RE: Which company actually cares about good driver

I don't hide stuff on my profile. I live in FORT WAYNE, IN.. And I would probably have spent time with family and freinds instead of looking at the four walls of a hotel room.

Business is business, but I still have a life.. And yes, I would much rather be sitting in Fort Wayne, than sitting in Elizabethtown PA.

Some people really kill me when all they want to do is jump on here and put people down for asking simple questions. I don't believe that I asked for any type of critism or anything else. All I did was ask a simple question on whether or not this was typical..

If a person doesn't ask questions, How are they ever going to learn??

chuckwagon · Dec 15, 2006

RE: Which company actually cares about good driver

flat -

i understand, ever since trying to get some of my past post comments behind me and i ask good questions i still get kicked around, put down and insulted because of the past.

in your case, dude, i think you are being 'yelled' at because some of these people have more experience than you and i - they tend to forget what it was like when they started out, you know asking all the questions that seems pointless to some who have been around but are serious questions for the newbies.

all i can say is roll with it, i honestly think they are trying to help but, and here comes the attack on me again, i think a FEW of them could use a course on 'being a newbie in the year 2006' - and maybe a course in communication.

ok - stay with it and now sit back and enjoy the attacks on me now!

highway star · Dec 15, 2006

RE: Which company actually cares about good driver

Flatbedin, I can assure you we want to see the newbs get good info and enjoy using this site. The posts that related to your question were, for the most part, helpful. Based on my experience, your problem delivering in PA is something that is VERY rare. I can understand your frustration as going by the house would have been highly preferable to camping all weekend.

Just because no one is in the office doesn't mean they aren't working for you. And I am saying this without knowing anything about your company. Forwarding calls is an easy thing to do and most people have computers at home. Weekends are slower, but freight does move. I sat last weekend. This weekend I picked up Fri afternoon for a Sunday night delivery. 1056 miles. And, I'm pre-dispatched for Mon.:7 :7

Hang in there, and best of luck.

x06col · Dec 15, 2006

RE: Which company actually cares about good driver

Flatbeddin: I'm certainly not putin you down, if you are typing about me. Fact is i'm trying to help you understand the business. It is an imperfect world. Read what I typed. I will say tho, that if spending time with family and friends is more important, then, the Post Office is hiring.

RichM · Dec 15, 2006

RE: Which company actually cares about good driver

Well Chuck for a guy who keeps saying forget the past you keep refering to it,so what's it going to be. Since you constantly put us so called veterans down and insult us plus question our integrity,threaten to leave EO (like we all care) but you are still here. Question is why?

chuckwagon · Dec 16, 2006

RE: Which company actually cares about good driver

RichM -

Let me see if I can slowly explain this to you.

You stated "Chuck for a guy who keeps saying forget the past you keep refering to it,so what's it going to be."

My response: Let it be. Forget it. Me refering to a point in the past is not a reference to my past commments.

You stated "Since I constantly put you veterans down and insult the veterans plus question the vets integrity,threaten to leave EO but I am still here. Question is why?"

My response is: I am not directly insulting the veteran drivers here, or question their intergrity. What I stated is that the answers appeared as canned responses, almost scripted - that was just my viewpoint.You along with other veterans of this business have stated they are not and I believe that, I no not doubt your honesty in that response. I have since tried to explained my stance on that, stating I now understand that and believe the veterans and their response to my claim. However, you seem to want to keep beating the horse to death here.

Is it impossible for you to ever accept someone who has said he was sorry for his comments and understands his comments may have been harsh and rough to many and is sorry about any hurt feelings. Man, if you can not forgive someone for some poorly worded comments then I pity living in your world.

LDB · Dec 16, 2006

RE: Which company actually cares about good driver

>Let's keep this on track of which companies are available
>24/7, communicate important information like changes in p/u
>and delivery times etc.. Thanks.
>
>Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA Life Member 677319
>Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
>Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
>EO Forum Moderator
>----------
>Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you
>like.

Apparently my first request was unclear. STAY ON TOPIC. TAKE THE PERSONAL SPARRING PRIVATE. IT DOESN'T BELONG IN THIS THREAD.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA Life Member 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
----------
Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.