Profile For Christopher P.

Thanks, Old School. I appreciate your advice.

I feel I'm being punished for doing the right thing and reporting the defect. Would you have just ignored it?

Welcome to the real world scenarios of trucking. Hey Christopher, there's a lot of what we sometimes call "grey areas" in trucking. Those are areas where you are required to make a decision which may or may not have a bad effect on your ability to be productive. All rookies struggle with this part of their new career.

Here's how I handle situations like this. That trailer is safe even without the ABS system working properly. I would complete the load, but inform my DM about the light. He and I would coordinate a way for me to drop it off somewhere for repairs after I've finished the load. That way I'm making money, the trailer gets looked at, and I'm getting dispatched on my next load. Everybody wins!

Don't let that attitude take root that claims the company is punishing me for doing the right thing. That will grow into things you don't want preying on your mind. You just didn't know the most efficient way to handle the situation. You'll have hundreds of similar decisions to make during your first year.

Safety is always your priority, but don't forget productivity is right up there at the top also. You've got to make good decisions when you encounter these "grey areas." You just didn't know how to handle this one. Now you do! Mark that one up as a lesson learned.

I drive solo as a company driver for Western Express. After picking up a load of lumber, I noticed the ABS light for the trailer had come on. I reported it on my DVIR for the trailer. I've been stuck at my terminal waiting for the trailer to be repaired, and I find myself hunting for an empty trailer. I talked to my trainer, who says I made a big mistake and should've just delivered the load. As long as I've been waiting and no longer have a flatbed trailer, I'm starting to believe he was right. Just trying to find an available trailer is a challenge in itself. It seems like everybody is fighting to grab an available trailer. Even after I saw an available trailer, another driver took it right after I reported finding it to my driving manager. I learned rather quickly that I should never let a trailer go once I find a trailer. I feel I'm being punished for doing the right thing and reporting the defect. Would you have just ignored it?

Thanks for the information! I signed a one-year contract with Western, so I am locked in. I am thankful I finally got my foot in the door to gain experience.

Christopher, there are a lot of regional flatbed opportunities. Western Express has a couple of positions, or at least they did at one time. I'm thinking it was mostly in the Northeast, which may not work for you. After getting established, you can always ask about opportunities that might be available.

Many flatbed companies like McElroy, TMC, and Maverick like to operate in a regional way. This allows them to get drivers home for a 34 hour reset on the weekends. If Western can't provide what you need, someone can. That's basically how I ended up leaving Western Express. Knight offered me a deal my former employer couldn't compete with.

I still recommend sticking with that first job for a full year. You'll learn so much by doing that, and future employers will really respect your ability to hang in there getting things done.

I am currently a trainee working flatbed for Western Express. I love it and am very excited to get my own truck soon. I have wondered about doing regional after a year of OTR. Would I still be able to do flatbed work with regional? I like flatbed work! I don't know if I would do dry van again.

If you've got what it takes to be a success at this it's not going to matter whether you go with Werner or Western. Just take a job and do it successfully and safely for one year and your opportunities will be wide open for you in this career.

Update: I have been invited to attend orientation with Western Express. I am grateful for this opportunity. I am trying to figure out what to do with the food in my home. I will pack what I can to take on the road with me. I hate wasting food, but some of it will have to be thrown out since I will be gone. Do you have any advice on what to bring with me? Thanks.

Update: Well, I fixed the issue with my medical card. It cost me $6 to correct a mistake they made 🙄. I guess I should be grateful I didn't have to pay more. I have been filling out applications for IT and truck driving jobs. I have even applied for dump truck jobs, yard dog jobs, labor jobs operating machinery, etc. I wish someone would hire me. I am sick of all these rejection letters. I wondered what would happen if I got into a year contract with a carrier and got a job offer working in IT. I have been reading about the consequences of breaking these contracts. It doesn't make sense to owe money if you already paid for your CDL through a private school. Has anyone ever had to break a contract for a better opportunity? Did you have to pay?

Update: Well, Hogan has rejected me. I am looking at either Western Express or a company called Veriha. So, something weird happened with a system upgrade for the DMV. My medical card expiration date is a day off in the system. Western Express cannot move forward with processing my application because of it. System upgrades are a pain. I am still filling out applications and trying to find a job. Veriha is far from my home state, but I am not bothered by home time. This whole situation sucks.

Very few companies are going to let you have a pet from day 1 and when they do a lot want a pet deposit the dog might be a problem for you!

I found a few companies that would train me, and I would be able to bring my dog afterward. It will probably take a month or so. I hope not to have to board him for too long.

Dude, you say you have family, so leave the dog at home with them....You can't be too choosey in your situation right now. Companies can be and are choosey during this uncertain time. You gotta take what ever gives you a shot to drive. 1 year contract ain't really that bad, as the time will fly by pretty fast. Yes team driving can be daunting to some, I wasn't wanting to do team driving in the beginning, but that's what I had to do to start. And it wasn't too bad, the biggest pain was finding someone you get along with.

Took me til my 4th co driver, to get a guy that could drive, and do the miles we were given, 6-7000 a month. And we were on the same page, and got along great my 2nd year at the first company. Many drivers there also had dogs in the trucks, me, I'd rather not have a pet also sharing the space, and all the comes with caring for it on the road....

Just like Forrest Gump, "Life's like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gunna get" lol

I am divorced and I have no one to watch the dog. I cannot give up the dog. I love him too much to give him up. He is all I have left really. The thing with team driving that scares me is the fact the truck is always moving. There is no stopping and getting out of the truck. I am not sure if I am ready for that.

So, here's a quick update: I'm still waiting for Hogan's reply. They say my application is in review, and a decision should be made by the end of the week. Western Express had me on their waitlist. After I told them about what happened at my previous company, they told me they would require me to sign a one-year contract because of my safety violation. I still don’t understand how I have a safety violation when my record shows zero safety violations, but it is what it is. I keep reading on Reddit that Western Express is not a good company to work for, but I always take what I read there with a grain of salt. I’ve been applying everywhere and have been rejected by a few companies who categorize my termination as a safety violation. I fear getting into something that will hurt me, my family, and my financial situation. I’ve been praying hard for another company to come and give me a chance. So far, the companies I’ve talked with have pushed me to do teams, get rid of my dog, or do teams with my dog. How do you do teams with a dog in a truck? I don’t know how that’s possible. Some companies won’t let me take my dog until six months or a year have passed. Or, my dog is too heavy. Boarding my dog for that long is expensive.