Comments By Tinker G.

Tinker G., I think you'd hear other drivers complaining no matter what the company was doing. If truck drivers stopped complaining I'd be concerned that the world might stop turning! Look, every company out there is trying to come up with the best way of handling their freight and keeping their customers satisfied, and if they don't change up this new gig of yours within a years time I'd be surprised. So enjoy it while you can, and make some hay while the sun is shining.

Congratulations! Make the best of it.

Thanks Old school too.

Thanks Guyjax and Starcar, I appreciate kind words.

Wow, my first run could not have gone any worse. (Actually, I am sure that I will eat those words someday.)

I started out by attempting to log into my Qualcom. The system just would not take my login. I called dispatch 3 times. The first he told me to send a message that I was the active driver. I did not have to do that when I got my last two trucks but, ok I did that. The second time he said to give it 5 minutes, then if that didn't work to reboot the system, did that. The third time I called he said to go on paper logs and go. Finally, after he sends me the load info, I try it one more time and it logs me in. Good, I hate the paper logs, especially since I no longer will have to fudge times here and there to make sure that I don't get a violation (ha, yea right).

I hook up the trailer I am to take up north and am on my way 10 minutes after I finally get the thing working. But I am planning on arriving early for my first rendezvous to fuel and get my bearings. I already know that the other driver is going about 50 miles farther than me so my leg will get me up there an hour quicker than she can possibly arrive. In the future I know that I will normally leave my house later. About an hour into the drive I get an alert that I have a new important message but since I am the only one logged into the Qualcom I cannot see what it is until I stop. I assume that it is load information for the trailer that I am picking up and decide not to pull into a rest area to check it out. When I get to the truck stop where we will be exchanging trailers, I check the messages first and get a surprise; they are telling me that the other driver does not have her truck yet and to hold up, and then 5 minutes later that she is on her way. Lesson number one: check the messages right away.

I fuel up, park and use the facilities then send a message to dispatch asking for an ETA, knowing that it will be at least two hours now. I get back a response that I need to split the load first. This is where my lack of any kind of Net Ops training doesn't help. Normally, when I was OTR, I would send in a message that we swapped the load instead of splitting. But I am learning this as I go along and anyone that works for Werner will attest that the night shift guys are not the most patient or tactful, something I know that I will have to live with. Anyway, after I send in the split I get back the message that the other driver will be another 3 hours, it wound up being 4. I don't get back to Werner until a half an hour after my shift is supposed to end. Then to add the icing on the cake, I have to pull the trailer through the inspection lane and I finally get on my way home an hour and a half later than I was told that I would ever leave.

Not a great start to my new position but I am hoping that this is an anomaly. We will see come starting Monday if things go smoother on average.

Tonight I am starting pony express-type runs overnight. I am looking forward to having weekends off and home everyday. I will try and keep everyone posted about this run.

I have heard a lot of complaints from other Werner drivers about how much Werner is utilizing the Net Ops people and taking long haul loads away from all-48 drivers. I know that some of you refer to what I will be doing as part-time driving. Having spent that last 6 months on the road I realized that it really isn't for me. There are parts of it that I really liked and 15 years ago I would have just been one of the homeless truckers out there. But now, my wife needs me at home and I am happy to get this position.

Welcome Bill !!! You are our very FIRST parking lot !!!!! I've heard such horror stories about hauling cars...So I'm glad you came here, so we can get it from someone who knows !!!! Fell free to post about your experiences and the learning curve...

A"Look Bill, we stuck you in the truck with only 3 days training. We told you you would get from two weeks up to two months! Don't even worry about it!"

What a great company!