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Steve, do you still enjoy driving for Schneider after two years? My step dad had a cousin who spent 20 years with them, he loved them. And I've not heard anyone who works there complain about their company yet.

I drive OTR for Schneider (almost two years now) and everything the recruiter promised is what I've experienced.

Also, I went through orientation with some Dollar General guys and they got what was promised also.

Everyone seems to want to know all of the details about something not related to this post, for this post is about the Family Dollar account with Schneider. No problem. Here's how I was forced out of the truck.

As some of you know, I began my career, after mentorship, as a team driver. Well, after witnessing many things that I've disliked about teaming, my teammate and I began talking about going solo. So, he decides to take his hometime, while I decided to stay out longer (needed the money).

After two days, I asked my DM how hard it would be to make me a solo driver. Well, he comes back with "no problem at all. I'll just have to find your teammate another truck."

So, to squash any troubles that may arise with this, I offered my truck to the teammate, through my DM. I was told "no, it doesn't make sense to pull you off the road when he's already at home. It makes more sense for the company if I try and find him another truck." Ok. This was said to me twice, and I was told I was keeping the truck three times, directly from the DM.

Now, my teammate left a few belongings in the truck, and I made mention of this to my DM immediately after I asked about going solo. His response was to work it out with the teammate and let us figure out how to get his stuff back. My way of doing it was to drop his stuff off at the terminal. Well, that wasn't going to work for the teammate, apparently.

By the way, my truck was a KW T680.

After being solo for nearly two weeks, I'm told that while I'm on my way to drop off this next run, to swing by the home terminal and pick up my former teammate, deliver my load, and he would be driving me home. Then I was informed to clean my stuff out of the truck when I got home because the former teammate would be taking my truck.

First off, I was lied to three times. Secondly, I was pulled off the road just to wait for them to find me a truck. Third, I'm at home for nearly a whole week not making any money, and not because I chose to be off. And the biggest problem that I found with this whole scenario, is that my former teammate was offered another truck while he was on his hometime, but he refused it because he said he wanted my truck. And let's not forget that I have seniority on him. Whatever, right? Why start trouble, just go with it. Ok.

The problems that arose after all of this crap is that I arrive home on a Friday. The following Monday, I call my DM to ask if he's found me a truck yet (since he's known I would be getting another truck for at least five days at this time). His response was, "I can't get you a truck and hold it until you get back, so when are you coming back to work?"

Well, since I was forced out of my truck, and forced to come home by the DM, I just replied, "I'll be there in two days." His response was "ok, I'll get to looking for you one. If I don't call you back before Wednesday, call me." No problem.

Wednesday comes around, so I give him a call back. Now at this point in time, he's known for a solid week that I'll be needing a truck, since it was him who told me directly the week prior that I'll be assigned another truck. So I call, "we were short handed in the office on Monday and Tuesday, and it slipped my mind completely. I'll send a message to the person who can assign you a truck right now."

Seriously? So, his plan was to have me meet at the terminal, then ride down to Louisianna to get a truck with a few other drivers who need trucks. Of course, while I was forced to be at home, I used that time to search for jobs. And, of course, some of you know about that service failure threat, but I guess that never came to fruition in the end. Well, now I'm asking about this Family Dollar account at Schneider because it seems to work for me.

I hope I made everything clear, if I've not, then please feel free to let me know. I'll try to clear up anything that you feel hasn't been addressed. Thanks.

Devan, I don't mind the extra work. I actually hate being this lazy. Plus, I'd like to somewhat keep in shape.

I've held my CDL for 2 and a half years now, and Swift seems to be jerking me around these past couple weeks. So while they forced me to go home while giving my truck to someone else, not even looking for me a truck, and threatening me with service failures, I don't think this is the company for me. By the way, if you're not happy where you're at, then leave.

So I found Schneider hiring for this position while I was at home, due to being forced out of my truck and not making any money, and I just wanted incite about the position.

I don't mind leaving my comfort zone and jumping into something that may take a little more physical work, and a little more skillful driving. If you're happy where you are, then that's fine. But your happiness may not be the same for everyone else.

The pay is that low on this account due to my tractor-trailer experience level. I've heard nothing but good things from people who actually drive for Schneider. I cannot say the same for Swift, myself included.

You are aware how difficult the job is right? Also didn't you just start out solo with Swift? You shouldn't jump over to another company until you have a year experience and dependent where you are you can get on a dollar acct with swift. I wouldn't want to do it because of all the labor and I am not confident enough in my skills to maneuver around some of these stores. Also that is low pay for considering the work you have to do on these accts. I make the same amount just sitting on my butt most the time and maybe strapping a pallet or two.

The schedule and pay:

Sunday Evening - Friday Evening

Home Friday Evening - Sunday Evening

Home some during the week

.29cpm 1600-2000mi/wk

$25/stop, except 1st and last stop (4-5 stops/trailer) $75/trailer load (3-4 trailers/wk)

Palletized freight or roller carts

The information above is what I received from the Schneider website, and the recruiter. It sounds great, but I know not everything is as good as it sounds. I am sure the backing/parking will be difficult at many if these stores, and I've got no issues there.

If I've calculated the above pay correctly, I could potentially make between $700-1000 every week, but I could be wrong.

Does anyone have any experience with Schneider's dedicated Family Dollar account?

Thanks.

Now, this service failėure will be a write-up. Do I sign the write-up, or reject signing it until everything is thoroughly "investigated" by someone in the company?

Unless they demonstrate to you clearly that you failed to do your job properly I wouldn't sign anything. If they decide to file it anyway I would again go up the ladder with it. You definitely want to protect your service and safety record because paid bonuses and opportunities in other divisions often hinge on those records. It's not just a matter of principle, which in itself would be reason enough to defend yourself, but it can also be a matter of money coming out of your wallet.

It's entirely possible that you did everything correctly and dispatch dropped the ball but they're trying to defend their own record the same way you're going to defend yours. So they might be able to label it as your fault and clear themselves of any wrongdoing. Then again maybe you did somehow miss a step in the process that you weren't aware of.

See what they do about it and follow through with it until you know there's been a clear resolution of the case. If you screwed up then so be it. You live and you learn. If they screwed up then make sure you clear yourself of any wrongdoing.

Thanks again, Brett. I'll just wait until some sort of verdict is reached before I do anything.

Well, you cats must be lucky, because I ran for 30 days straight, and sat at a darn terminal every Saturday and Sunday.... and I'm a team driver! Hahaha but I have learned

I don't understand... you mean you ran 30 days then all of a sudden had weekends off?. My company we all run 30 days straight the. Are entitled to hometime. But I have stayed out as long as 2 mos..... working every day.

You aren't getting the frieght cause of your poor attitude

What I meant by that, I stayed out for 30 days, and every weekend sat a terminal somewhere in this country. In other words, we ran about 5-6 days, then terminal for a day and a half, then repeated the cycle. In our second month, I learned how to avoid this..

Did you send your Mac 22's or just freeforms? Anytime you are going to be late for any reason at Swift, you must send the Mac 22 even if you also sent freeforms.

[To non-Swifties, Mac 22 is our "running late" macro, if that wasn't obvious]

I did send the Mac22, as well as freeforms and direct replies.

Like Brett said you have proof, no need to stress over it. I was once a day and a half late to a delivery but I wasn't service failed because I kept dispatch upadated.

Thanks, Devan. I might be alright. I've not heard anything more about it since that day (08/09/16).

How often does this happen? I ask because my FM messed up a couple times...he's human.. but he has overlooked far more of my screw ups. I had a situation where the load I got assigned picked up before I got my recap back and I had no hours at all. I made the mistake of not checking the date thinking it was the next days load.

Yeah I took a hit. But I didn't go ratting him out to his boss. I didn't want to ruin a good relationship over one mistake. Although..my FM would never say I didn't tell him ahead of time. That sorta sounds deceitful if they know it or lazy of they didn't read thru the messages

This is the first time this has ever happened to me, personally. Now, when I was teaming, my co-driver has caused us to received two service failures because he wanted to drag his tail instead of getting on down the road, but that's a completely different story.

This situation that I have been involved in, is the first and only time this has ever happened to me. And I'm a little upset about being threatened with a service failure even though I communicated everything 20hrs prior to the delivery time.

Well you have no concerns if you did indeed communicate that it would be late, especially considering it was done over Qualcomm. That's one important reason why you want everything on Qualcomm and not over the phone. That Qualcomm will protect you in cases like this. They save all of those messages so they can go back and see what was said.

If your driver manager gives you a service failure for not communicating then ask for clarification. If what he claims is contrary to what you actually did then take it up the chain of command. Go to the fleet manager, the operations manager, and the terminal manager if need be and get it straightened out. It's not that your job is on the line or anything but your reputation is. You should protect your service record the same way you would protect your CDL.

And remember, remain calm and professional with everyone you speak with about this. Getting angry, making threats, or anything of the sort will hurt you in a big way. Office people "turn off" when someone starts getting nasty with them. So just remain calm and talk it through.

Oh, and before you make any calls, make a list of points you want to make. Write down the times you sent messages and who you sent them to. Write down what you were told to do and how everything played out. That way when you get someone important on the line you have a well organized and coherent set of points to make. That's the way to get important people to listen closely and consider what you're saying. Speak to them professionally and make your points in a logical, well organized manner.

Thanks, Brett. I have kept up with the times and the messages received, and who they were received from, as I have the whole thing documented. Now, I am not sure if I will actually get the service failure, or if that's just the fleet manager's way of flipping out on me over the qualcomm. Either way, I will find out next week for sure.

Now, this service failure will be a write-up. Do I sign the write-up, or reject signing it until everything is thoroughly "investigated" by someone in the company?