Comments By Infidel

Ah I see. I have always said if I ever had a bird I want it to be a raven. Thats why I was curious.

Sorry... By "on" I meant recording. I can be "on" and not recording.

So some of you say that the camera stays on at all times, parked or rolling. Some of you say it's turned off when truck is not running. Which one is it? Different camera systems or...?

Well theres 2 ways they could keep it on all the time. I think... lol.

1. Store the data locally. Turn the record option on you cellphone camera or laptop and just set it down. Just too see how long it takes to fill up with data storage. Now hook up an external hard drive. And see how long that takes to fill up with day in day out constant operating. It will not take long at all. It could be done but would have to downloaded regularly. Like everyday.

2. Stream the data off site. How much data do you use on your cellphone plan a month? Try setting you tube up on your smart phone up to continuous play. You will run out of data lightning fast. Unless you have unlimited data. Which (unless you kept one of the oldschool plans) is usually expensive. Now think about all those trucks running all those miles everyday. All continuously streaming data. All this assumes a good signal too. Which as we all know doesnt happen.

So in my opinion. Neither of these make any sense. Not cost effective or time effective. But limit that data storage to any time it senses a certain amount of g-forces. Well that makes way more sense. Now ours did not stream. So it had to be downloaded everyday. It was the drivers responsibility.

Big question is in that case. If it has limited storage (which it does). How long till more critical events overwrite previous recordings? Sorry that last part is just me trying to get out of footage of me maybe going over a (non-painted) speed bump to fast...

The recruiter didn't explain it well.

The longevity bonus is $1500 you earn after completing your 75,000 miles BUT they advance it to you after completing phase 2.

You can deny taking the bonus but you can't request it at a later date. You only owe what you were given. So if after receiving the initial $300 you quit you are on the hook for that $300 only.

I signed the same paperwork today. I originally planned to opt out of the bonus but decided to take it. Why give up free money? 75,000 miles should come in less than a year.

Thanks Nate. Yeah thats the amount. Didnt know if it was bad form or not to mention the amount. But my paperwork clearly states that I will owe them $3,130 if I fail to complete the the 75k. Did you go flatbed? Im only thinking it might be a division or regional thing? And she was telling me that I would owe the whole thing regardless. It would be totally different to me if I only owed the amount given. But be automatically put on the hook for 3k is way too much for me right now.

Big problem for me is that this is my second try at trucking. My first attempt was a horrible experience. So I might be being a bit hyper vigilant. But I dont want to get stuck into a situation like I was before. And have a 3k bill to show for it! So I appreciate everyone's feedback to help keep me grounded.

Hyrnn: No I have very limited experience. Very. But I do have my CDL already. Which cost over $4k to get. So yeah Im not interested in another $ 3k in debt. BTW is that your crow?

So as I stated this morning in another thread. I am looking at starting orientation with Roehl flatbed division on 4 Jan. Well I just got some paperwork email'ed to me to go over and sign. And the first thing I looked at was the the longevity bonus agreement.

This agreement states that for an advance payed out over 4 weeks of me solo driving (after training). I will agree to this as a "loan". And basically I will agree to owe the company DOUBLE that bonus if I fail too complete 75k miles as a solo driver. At 75k miles that debt will go away. However, it seems to say that if I dont complete 75k I owe the whole amount too them. If I work 1 week, get 1 installment I owe the whole thing. Or I do 74k and decide this is not for me I owe the whole thing. It further states that if they can not recoup this money right away. They will charge interest on the remaining debt at the maximum amount allowed by law! I will also be responsible for attorney fees if charges are brought against me.

Wow......

Ok so I called them and asked "what if I dont want the advance (loan)?" I was told they need an agreement for me to work for a certain period of time. The 75k miles. Ok I get that. But I dont want to be on the hook for even the bonus let alone double the bonus if I decide this isnt for me. But apparently there is no way around it. I said I would sign saying I agree to the miles but not the money. No! You have to take the money.

Now I'm pretty sure I understand why they do this. They are hedging their bets basically. I have 2 problems with this right now. First they arent saying they are doing this to offset training and hiring costs. They are selling it as "look what we are going to do for you!". I don't like people being disingenuous with me. And they are throwing me into debt to insure my loyalty. Second... "so what". Hiring and training costs are the cost of doing business for every company out there. And I dont mean just trucking companies. Every company endures these costs. Its why I argue with people all the time that companies arent going to just fire you for no good reason. It costs to much to train new people. This whole the thing feels like the "I sold my soul to the company store" old song. Lol yeah I know thats kinda dramatic. But it does sort of feel that way.

Anyway. What do guys think about this. Is this common? Have other guys/gals that are going too, or work for Roehl had to deal with this? And what is your opinion on it? I was getting excited about going to work there. But this is setting off alarm bells in my head.

Im getting set up to go Roehl as well. Trying for 4 Jan in Phoenix. Flatbed division.

I choose them cause I have seen very little bad posted about them. No company is perfect, but for a large company they very little negative press out there. Most of what I did see was years ago. And I'm going flatbed to help eliminate the possibility of having a OTR trainer like my last one. There was no way this guy was going to be doing any tarping..... They have a 14/7 fleet here that I was going for. I was told I will have to start in the national fleet 11-14/3 to start with. For maybe about 45k miles. Also my recruiter said the do run APU's. She is a recruiter so we will see. I also have no idea what the difference is between APU's and EPU's. If there even is one.

So yeah this is my second attempt. My first attempt (with another company) went very wrong and only lasted 3 days. So I have to say I'm a bit nervous now that everything is getting back in the works again.

Nice! Yenz guyz have fun en at! Go Stillers!

Im pretty alarmed at some of the rational given too people to make them feel like their feelings are not valid.

1. You are already on camera every where you go. Well first, there has been cases where some of these cameras have had to be removed, or recordings weren't able to be used cause of privacy right violations. Lots of these cameras out there probably violate privacy laws. But you will never know until something has to go too court. Secondly this is really a apples to oranges comparison. Here is why. It comes down to EXPECTATION of privacy. You do not have a expectation of privacy when in public. In your home, backyard, you do. So we live in these trucks am I right?

2. Other assorted invasions of privacy. Are we going to really have a conversation that says a agreeing to take a physical is in anyway akin to having a camera in your face? Really? You know that a medical worker can be prosecuted for illegally revealing any medical information. So you have a lot of protection there. All they can say is that you passed. And I have to say that these DOT physicals really are bare bones. I didn't feel convinced at all that Im all that healthy after one. I go too my own doctor for a much more thorough physical. So you use a cellphone, a fitbit, facebook, whatever. Well we don't all use those. You can even buy black phones if you want. But thats just it "if you want". Its a personal choice issue. You can say you have a choice as which company you work for. And thats true, but comparing that choice with deciding whether or not to use facebook is a bit disingenuous. They are worlds apart in all that they entail. And just from a physiological point of view people always feel better about things they can choose or things they feel they have chosen! So how about a 1 cpm increase to "agree" to have a camera? Or tie it in with safety bonus some how?

3. No company has any interest in your personal life. Well first I strongly disagree. People have been fired for things they have said on social media. Social indicates that its personal. They may have been admitting to illegal activity or bad mouthing there company and so on. Im not arguing that they dont deserve it. Just arguing that companies DO care about your personal life. Second, it may not be the company as a whole that would "spy" on you or whatever. How many people do you think are involved in going over these critical event recordings? What if I didn't make sure my curtains sealed all the way. And while changing my underwear I get backed into.... I will not be responsible for the person die'ing of pure bliss while viewing my pristine, lilly white, overweight backside lol! But seriously this really wouldn't bother me much. But obviously it would bother others. And if you dont think that theres people out there that would take advantage of that opportunity I dont think you are being realistic. I mean in that case why even have curtains on your windows. No one cares what you are doing in your house anyway....

But now heres the funny part. Im not actually against these cameras lol. I have some misgivings about them sure, but overall I see them as a positive. I had one in a bus I used to drive. I had a guy run a stop sign and plow into the front of my bus. I saw the footage and I saw how it records. It was very very very obvious who was at fault. And i was very very very relieved. As others have said. And if these are the same types of cameras we used. They record only 10 seconds before and 10 seconds after a "critical event". Basically the camera feels a certain amount of g-forces.

My problems with them is mostly the inward facing cameras. For most of us ( I think anyway ) the outward camera will be a useful tool for us to prove we did nothing wrong. The inside camera (imo) will be used as a tool by companies to say that we did. Companies can limit liability by putting some or all blame on the drivers. And heh Im sure sometimes its deserved. Hell a lot of times it might be. But can you tell me that 11 hours a day you guys always are doing the absolute right thing. Things that might not lead too an accident. But maybe you didnt have your hands on the proper place on the steering wheel right before that guy in front of you had a heart attack or whatever unfortunate event that may happen. This may be a one off situation but it could happen to anyone out there. How many trucks are out on the roads at any given time? And all are driven by fail-able humans. You could find yourself in bad way very easily for a small mistake that in no way caused the accident. But companies will do what that they have to do to limit their exposure.

But yeah anyway like I said I liked having one. And I have to have one again, so be it. I just found some fault in some of the arguments being made to justify them. At the end of the day if you are a company driver. Its their equipment they can do what they want with it. I would like to see the inside cameras done away with though. I dont think they help us.

Lol yeah I guess the Sedona guys dont really. I worked for Pink Jeep Las Vegas for years. Been too Sedona, beautiful town. We went lots of places in Las Vegas.

I too am changing careers. Thought very hard about going with Knight myself. Might go with Roehl though. Kinda want to go flatbed now. Still getting over my terrible first attempt at trucking.

No Pink Jeep?