Profile For Old School

Are you all insane?

You've got to love it when a new member joins our site with these four words being their opening statement.

The issue is shareholders.

How so?

Shareholders actually hold companies accountable for being efficient and productive. How else can a company gain trust and investment from the public?

It's great to hear your opinion on shareholders, but explain your position to us.

Have you looked at Prime or Schneider? Both companies hire rookies into tanker positions.

What's your hurry? I don't usually recommend tanker jobs to new drivers. There's a lot you could be learning right now that would help you be a better tanker driver.

I have sent an Email to FMSCA to request a hearing on the layover. I sent In 23 pages of Evidence to support that there was no weather in the area, he was headed to York Nebraska for the night.

Sharon, we've given you all the advice you need. You continue to ignore it. Your husband made a bad choice to move his truck so he could get a hot meal. He could have stayed in Lincoln, NE and prevented this from happening.

Quit trying to change the facts with all your so called evidence. The real evidence is a loaded truck laying on its side. That evidence is loud and clear. There's nothing in your 23 pages of nonsense that changes that.

We are not being snide or ugly. We are being truthful with you. It's the one thing you refuse to be with yourself. Own this accident. Admit responsibility. Face the consequences. That's your only hope of getting a job. Rollovers are very serious. Until you take it seriously, no one will take you seriously.

Are you aware we have an excellent training course on flatbed securement? It's absolutely free too. You'll find it in our High Road CDL Training Program.

Ask us all the "dumb questions" you like. There are plenty of flatbedders here who can help you.

Save your drama and focus on learning how to do this. The company cannot set you up for failure. You are the only one who can do that.

Be honest with yourself. Be honest with us. You don't learn securement and tarping from the trainer. Those things are taught in class before going with the trainer. Training is all about how the company dispatches you, fueling procedures, and general stuff like that. Those things are the same for dry-van and flatbed.

In trucking, you hold your own fate. Get that idea firmly planted in your mind and conduct yourself in a way that leads to your success.

Hey Jay bird, that was beautiful!

I’ve had very little activity here posting

That needs to change. You certainly understand how this career works.

I’ve found myself fortunate to be in the situation I’m in.

You are fortunate, but it's because you've made the right moves.

I’m finding it imperative to continue to build my reputation, provide the best service that I can, and be as positive as I can be regardless of any situation I’m in.

You're nailing it! I love your attitude and your observations. Hang in there brother - you are building your own brand of success. That's how trucking works.

OS, have you seen any impact on your end as you're dedicated?

Davy, I'm keeping as busy as I want to be. To clarify that... I'm on course this month to clear 12,000 miles. I probably won't reach that, because I'm taking about five days off next week. The last two months I did the same kind of miles.

They have kept me very busy. I can't answer for some of the other drivers on this fleet, but we've only got a small percentage of us who are part of the revolving door of malcontents. Since most of our drivers have been here a fairly long time, I'm assuming they are busy enough to keep them content.

Any word on whether your company is growing or shrinking its fleet?

There is a new article in Freightwaves about Knight-Swift cutting its earnings forecast for the first half of this year by a little more than 50%. That's a lot!

That's an indication of just how stubborn this freight market is. I was confident overcapacity would have eased at this point. That's one more good reason to not ask me for investment advice. My crystal ball is cloudy and murky.

Knight is even stepping away from some of its contractual freight and committing those assets to the spot market for now. I was surprised by that, but proud of the negotiation team for saying "NO" to the cheaper prices shippers are feeling confident they can force onto carriers.

This market is tough. I hope you all are surviving the ups and downs. It's always a wild ride, but this time around seems extra crazy.

I think it noteworthy that they aren't talking of reducing their fleet. They are mostly allocating assets to more profitable areas. That's a strategic move to be ready and able to jump on opportunities as they open up. They will open up, but the wait is hurting everybody out here.