Does Your Company Get You Home In Time?

Given sign-on bonuses and poaching that seems to be prevalent in trucking, maybe she should get someone who works for a good home-time company to pass her name on to the recruiter that recruited him/her.

If one company just isn't doing it, them maybe it's time to look at other companies.

Given sign-on bonuses and poaching that seems to be prevalent in trucking, maybe she should get someone who works for a good home-time company to pass her name on to the recruiter that recruited him/her.

If one company just isn't doing it, them maybe it's time to look at other companies.

Not true for many reasons.

Firstly, Central trainer her. If she quits then she defaulted on her contract and now owes a lot of money to them for training. And she leaves jobless.

Secondly, Kathy is still very much a new driver (no offense). She wouldn't be in a good place if she quits with only a few months of experience.

Thirdly, Central does perfectly fine with getting their drivers home on time. Unfortunately not every dispatcher in the world is good at their job. She simply needs to either resolve the problems with her current dispatcher or request a new one. Through all these struggles she still must keep a professional attitude and be kind about it or else she won't get anything.

It's better to stay at the job and find someone who can take care of you rather than running away at the first sign of hardship. There will be so much more tough situations for her and just going to a different company with the assumption that the grass is greener on the other side will be her demise.

There will always be struggles, especially that first year. We all had to go through them. The best thing to do is to professionally resolve the problem. I started on a terrible foot with my dispatcher. I actually think he hated me in the beginning. But now we are best of buds. We got through our disagreements and we now compliment each others work. I sent Kathy an email hopefully she will talk to me I know a few "Building 1" people she can talk to.

Shes finally on hometime Daniel but im more than sure she'll get back to ya.

Firstly, Central trainer her. If she quits then she defaulted on her contract and now owes a lot of money to them for training. And she leaves jobless.

I'm not sure about US law, but under NZ law Central is actually already in Breach of Contract status on the basis on not providing home time on time or as requested and provided for in the contract. As such under NZ law as Central breached the contract first and the repayment of training would be in that contract then the repayment for training is void as the breach is on Centrals behalf.

I was sure I saw an article about your rights as a driver on this site, a quick google and here it is: Understanding Your Rights In The Trucking Industry.

another that showed up on google is: http://www.adslogistics.com/blog/bid/95866/Understanding-Your-Rights-as-a-Truck-Driver

If you want to blacklist yourself in trucking, messing with a lawsuit over home time will do just that. We always say here, that your first year is the toughest...not just because you are learning, but also because the company KNOWS you owe that money to them, and they hedge that you will take any treatment until that debt is paid. I'm not saying that Central is doing that...I agree with Daniel...its the dispatcher who needs to get a clue....HAPPY DRIVERS get home time....period.

FFE got me my time off on time, although this is just my first time off. I was out almost seven weeks before going off. It almost got sabotaged by a reefer breakdown though that was not the companies fault. I have not heard of any real problems yet with my company from others either.

I know I'm a bit late to the party here but I wanted to chime in quick.

I totally agree with Daniel here. This is not the type of thing you quit a company over. These type of issues will come up from time to time. This is something that needs to be worked out with dispatch. If your dispatcher isn't getting the job done then you'll want to let your dispatcher know in a kind, professional way that you're going to make some phone calls to the supervisors to let them know you're not getting the proper home time the company has committed to giving you.

This is not a "bad company". This sounds like a dispatcher who is just pushing to see what he/she can get away with. Remember, most dispatchers get paid bonuses based on the performance of their drivers, including mileage and on-time deliveries. So they're going to push you a little bit to see how much they can get out of you. It's up to you to first understand the policies of your company and then hold them to it while keeping up your end of the bargain. But jumping companies everytime an issue like this comes up would be a big mistake because you're not solving anything. You're simply moving to a new company where new issues will come up. The way you get into a great position in trucking is to stick with one company, prove yourself to be an awesome driver, and then find a great dispatcher that will give you the miles, home time, and treatment you have earned and deserve.

Try working things out with your dispatcher. If he/she won't budge and you know you're not getting a fair shake then let your dispatcher know you will be speaking with their supervisor. Call the supervisor (and that person's supervisor) until you get someone on the phone that is willing and able to help you. But above all else be kind & professional at all times with everyone you speak with. Do not raise your voice, do not threaten anyone. Just be logical and spell out your situation clearly.

This is one of the toughest facets of trucking in the beginning - learning what to expect and how to deal with situations when they arise. Be patient, be professional, and keep speaking with people in the offices. If you're a great driver you will find people willing and able to make sure you get treated fairly. If the dispatcher you have now isn't willing then they'll match you up with someone who is. But quitting the company isn't going to solve anything.

CRST has always been good about getting us home on time. Though I have been staying out for 6 or 7 weeks at a shot.I did that to make some money. Also to get through the contract. One time CRST ended up getting us home about 3 days early. I think that just had to do with the availability of a load going to Florida.

CRST has always been good about getting us home on time. Though I have been staying out for 6 or 7 weeks at a shot.I did that to make some money. Also to get through the contract. One time CRST ended up getting us home about 3 days early. I think that just had to do with the availability of a load going to Florida.

How is CRST treating ya?

CRST has always been good about getting us home on time. Though I have been staying out for 6 or 7 weeks at a shot.I did that to make some money. Also to get through the contract. One time CRST ended up getting us home about 3 days early. I think that just had to do with the availability of a load going to Florida.

How is CRST treating ya?

They have been good to us. We told them we wanted to work, and they believed us. I just fulfilled my contract and my school is paid for. I am actively looking for a solo gig, but not for anything being wrong with CRST. Its just I do not get good rest in the moving truck. That and I want my life back. We do mostly long runs to the west coast and back with quick turnarounds, and sometimes spend days on end in the truck either in the drivers seat, or in the sleeper and very little else. I figure working solo where I stop every night, I can get back on my walking regimen, and do a few things before I sleep at night. Among other things I am an active musician, and I plan on taking a guitar with me once I go solo so I can get back to working on my music. There is no room for one on a team truck.

My co driver is single and lives in a rented room at his sisters house, so he does not mind the long stints out. I did it to make money and get the contract period done. Now I dont want to stay out 6 or 7 weeks. So that will mean he and I will probably part ways anyway. His sisters husband drives for another company, and his plans are to move over there at some point and team with him.

In all honesty though, if I liked the team thing more, I would seriously consider staying with CRST. I mentioned this in the CDL Training Dairies, but they just gave out across the board raises, started extra pay for HAZMAT loads, at .04 a mile, which is better than a lot of companies. They have also started a tiered bonus program based on total miles driven in 90 days, that is very attainable. Based on the miles we run, we would qualify for the top bonus if we stayed the whole 90 days which would translate into about 1200 dollars. The lowest tier would mean about 300.