Which Company To Go With For Not As Experienced Driver

Topic 32372 | Page 1

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IdahoPatriot's Comment
member avatar

Hey all! Im new here, from southeast Idaho. Been trucking foro nly a year and a half and I must say, its addicting! I was fired from my last company for refusing to do illegal things they wanted me to do. Dont drive for Maxway freight out of Salt Lake City!!! Anyways, I previously pulled reefer for Cool Mtn Transport out of Nampa Idaho. Don't really wanna go back with them for reasons. I have two reefer companies looking at me. The first is Eliason Ranch out of Tremonton, UT and the second is GLS carriers out of Twin Falls. Im not sure which to go with. I haven't really had much luck with any of the three companies I've been with as of yet. All three have screwed me or ran me illegally and just werent good companies. It's hard to trust again. How do I know one of these companies wont do that?

Eliason Ranch trucking pays 28% gross of the load. I can start out with 6 days out, reset at home for awhile and then longer time out after. They go pretty much all lower 48 but said if I wanted to do western 11 I can do that. It is nice to be home more with the wife! They have the typical inward facing cameras and whatnot, trucks are governed at 73mph. Low turnover rate also. I have talked to multiple drivers of theirs in the past while picking up at Simplot facilities and all of the ones I've talked to have said great things about them and that they make really good money. This company told me they would put me in an older Freightliner with over 500k miles because a guy who was a company driver for them is now owner operator or lease or something and got a different truck so im in hos old truck till January when they buy new ones, and then I will get a new truck. Since I've been talking with the recruiter guy, he has told me about their lease program and I've almost felt pressured into doing it by him even though I've made it clear I just wanna be a company driver. What I'm worried about is that they will let me go or demote me somehow if I decide to not become a lease operator with them. I must be there at least 6 months before I cab lease anyways. Just not what im interested in right now. Thats my biggest worry. Another, is the taxes. The first company I drove for was out of Utah and so was the last. On every paycheck, I got way more money taken out for taxes than I did with Cool Mtn and owed a bunch of money at the end of last year. Found out it's because I live in Idaho and worked out of Utah. So basically, I made less money than I could've if I'd worked for an idaho company. Thats what I fear with this company. That I will make as much as some lower paying companies and not get most of the money I made due to this reason. Is there a legal way around this? Should I go with the other company instead?

About GLS carriers They only offered me .50cpm woth $2,000 sign on bonus. I was making .54-60cpm with Cool Mtn. These guys trucks are governed at 75, and they do everything but northeast. They said I could pretty much run where I want if I wanted to go that route, be out as long or as little as I want, etc. Their sister company, is Giltner out of Jerome. Thats what scares the hell outta me! I've talked to Giltner drivers and none of them have said anything good. I've not ever heard of, or seen a single good thing about Giltner. GLS seems to have okay reviews, but they are still affiliated with Giltner. Worried about being lied to woth this company. How do I know im actually going to get the home tome and pay they say? How can I trust them? Really at a loss here. Anyone with any info on either company would be appreciated! Not sure what to do. Whatever company I choose, I plan to be with them for a longtime. Just want to make sure they are going to be a good company and not use me and make me just a number. Both of these companies mentioned are small companies with less than 40 drivers.

Owner Operator:

An owner-operator is a driver who either owns or leases the truck they are driving. A self-employed driver.

CPM:

Cents Per Mile

Drivers are often paid by the mile and it's given in cents per mile, or cpm.

Reefer:

A refrigerated trailer.

HOS:

Hours Of Service

HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.

OOS:

When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.

RealDiehl's Comment
member avatar
I haven't really had much luck with any of the three companies I've been with as of yet. All three have screwed me or ran me illegally and just werent good companies

These are pretty bold claims. Can you provide any specific information? Sometimes things aren't quite as they seem. Having other driver's look at the difficulties you are experiencing from another perspective might help clear things up a little bit. It might be easier to offer advice if we know exactly what the issues you had were.

Anne A. (and sometimes To's Comment
member avatar

Hey all! Im new here, from southeast Idaho. Been trucking foro nly a year and a half and I must say, its addicting! I was fired from my last company for refusing to do illegal things they wanted me to do. Dont drive for Maxway freight out of Salt Lake City!!! Anyways, I previously pulled reefer for Cool Mtn Transport out of Nampa Idaho. Don't really wanna go back with them for reasons. I have two reefer companies looking at me. The first is Eliason Ranch out of Tremonton, UT and the second is GLS carriers out of Twin Falls. Im not sure which to go with. I haven't really had much luck with any of the three companies I've been with as of yet. All three have screwed me or ran me illegally and just werent good companies. It's hard to trust again. How do I know one of these companies wont do that?

Eliason Ranch trucking pays 28% gross of the load. I can start out with 6 days out, reset at home for awhile and then longer time out after. They go pretty much all lower 48 but said if I wanted to do western 11 I can do that. It is nice to be home more with the wife! They have the typical inward facing cameras and whatnot, trucks are governed at 73mph. Low turnover rate also. I have talked to multiple drivers of theirs in the past while picking up at Simplot facilities and all of the ones I've talked to have said great things about them and that they make really good money. This company told me they would put me in an older Freightliner with over 500k miles because a guy who was a company driver for them is now owner operator or lease or something and got a different truck so im in hos old truck till January when they buy new ones, and then I will get a new truck. Since I've been talking with the recruiter guy, he has told me about their lease program and I've almost felt pressured into doing it by him even though I've made it clear I just wanna be a company driver. What I'm worried about is that they will let me go or demote me somehow if I decide to not become a lease operator with them. I must be there at least 6 months before I cab lease anyways. Just not what im interested in right now. Thats my biggest worry. Another, is the taxes. The first company I drove for was out of Utah and so was the last. On every paycheck, I got way more money taken out for taxes than I did with Cool Mtn and owed a bunch of money at the end of last year. Found out it's because I live in Idaho and worked out of Utah. So basically, I made less money than I could've if I'd worked for an idaho company. Thats what I fear with this company. That I will make as much as some lower paying companies and not get most of the money I made due to this reason. Is there a legal way around this? Should I go with the other company instead?

About GLS carriers They only offered me .50cpm woth $2,000 sign on bonus. I was making .54-60cpm with Cool Mtn. These guys trucks are governed at 75, and they do everything but northeast. They said I could pretty much run where I want if I wanted to go that route, be out as long or as little as I want, etc. Their sister company, is Giltner out of Jerome. Thats what scares the hell outta me! I've talked to Giltner drivers and none of them have said anything good. I've not ever heard of, or seen a single good thing about Giltner. GLS seems to have okay reviews, but they are still affiliated with Giltner. Worried about being lied to woth this company. How do I know im actually going to get the home tome and pay they say? How can I trust them? Really at a loss here. Anyone with any info on either company would be appreciated! Not sure what to do. Whatever company I choose, I plan to be with them for a longtime. Just want to make sure they are going to be a good company and not use me and make me just a number. Both of these companies mentioned are small companies with less than 40 drivers.

Hey, Patriot;

Welcome to TT !

Our own IDMtnGal worked for GLS for quite some time; look up her profile and her posts, for more info.

I'll try to get Ms. Laura herself, to stop in as well!

Best to ya, in the meantime.....Don't Fleece!!

~ Anne ~

Owner Operator:

An owner-operator is a driver who either owns or leases the truck they are driving. A self-employed driver.

Dm:

Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager

The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.

CPM:

Cents Per Mile

Drivers are often paid by the mile and it's given in cents per mile, or cpm.

Reefer:

A refrigerated trailer.

HOS:

Hours Of Service

HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.

OOS:

When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.

IdahoPatriot's Comment
member avatar

Yes. Cool Mountain would run me illegally over my hours, or have my pc to a shipper/receiver or truck stops what not. Tell me to logout and move my truck certain places or dont log in and the. Drive somewhere and login at a certain point, etc. They safety lady would edit my logs and such too. Cool mountain also almost never paid detention pay. One time I sat for 18 hrs to get loaded. I didnt get a dime. Ended up being late delivering that load. Most of the time, I was always on time when the shipper wouldn't take forever to load me. Both companies had complete disregard if I didnt feel safe driving due to not having any sleep. Told me to drink an energy drink and suck it up. Words of the owner of Maxway Freight. With Maxway, I hauled mostly car batteries and oil/washer fluid drums. I asked about placards and they never had me use them. I would flip the placards on the trailer and they'd get mad and tell me not to. They would have me and other drivers go thru a port and then meetup at a truck stop after and add more weight on because there were no more ports the rest of the route. Have my run my dedicated run from Pocatello to Salt Lake, which took 8 hrs round trip with loading and unloading and what not. They'd have me do that route, then come back and do another in a box truck (no placards, no bols, no logs) for another 7-8hrs. So I was working from 4pm to about 8am. Coming home and getting a little sleep and doing it again. They didnt care that I was tired. I questioned what they had me do and contacted dot and fmcsa about it. They then let me go for questioning and sent out mass messages to drivers saying that from then on if any drivers expressed concerns to law enforcement, dot, or anyone else about how they were being ran that said driver would be terminated indefinitely. I dont wanna deal with all that garbage again.

Shipper:

The customer who is shipping the freight. This is where the driver will pick up a load and then deliver it to the receiver or consignee.

Dedicated Run:

A driver or carrier who transports cargo between regular, prescribed routes. Normally it means a driver will be dedicated to working for one particular customer like Walmart or Home Depot and they will only haul freight for that customer. You'll often hear drivers say something like, "I'm on the Walmart dedicated account."

CSA:

Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)

The CSA is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative to improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities that are related to commercial motor vehicle

FMCSA:

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

The FMCSA was established within the Department of Transportation on January 1, 2000. Their primary mission is to prevent commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries.

What Does The FMCSA Do?

  • Commercial Drivers' Licenses
  • Data and Analysis
  • Regulatory Compliance and Enforcement
  • Research and Technology
  • Safety Assistance
  • Support and Information Sharing

DOT:

Department Of Transportation

A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.

State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.

Fm:

Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager

The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.
IdahoPatriot's Comment
member avatar

Thank you Anna A! GLS seems like a legit company, but I just have a hardtime trusting ya know? And also dont wanna be making low wages and not be home but only once a month. i just got an email from the recruiter at GLS also now saying I will be starting at .55cpm because I asked them about Giltner and how they were affiliated with them and that I hadn't heard any good things about them or seen any good reviews. This seems a little concerning, almost like they are trying to get me to come on now because they know I haven't heard good things. They've also offered a $2,000 sign on bonus.

CPM:

Cents Per Mile

Drivers are often paid by the mile and it's given in cents per mile, or cpm.

ID Mtn Gal's Comment
member avatar

Thank you Anna A! GLS seems like a legit company, but I just have a hardtime trusting ya know? And also dont wanna be making low wages and not be home but only once a month. i just got an email from the recruiter at GLS also now saying I will be starting at .55cpm because I asked them about Giltner and how they were affiliated with them and that I hadn't heard any good things about them or seen any good reviews. This seems a little concerning, almost like they are trying to get me to come on now because they know I haven't heard good things. They've also offered a $2,000 sign on bonus.

You need to answer RealDiehl's questions. In this day and age of ELDs, I find it very strange that you have worked for three companies in a row that ran you illegal. I'm not buying it...either that or you are the unluckiest SOB out in the trucking world.

I'm surprised GLS is looking at you since you don't have two years experience. If you are truly wanting info about GLS, my phone number is in my bio. I need to get moving so I don't have time to type out a comment about GLS, who I worked for for 4 years, so you can text me and I will try to answer your questions.

CPM:

Cents Per Mile

Drivers are often paid by the mile and it's given in cents per mile, or cpm.

IdahoPatriot's Comment
member avatar

Sounds good idahomtngal thank you! Really only the kast two companies ran me illegally. SLS was just not a good company. Cool Mountain and Maxway are the culprits. I will text you. Thank you!

Drew D.'s Comment
member avatar

Doug Andrus is out of Idaho Falls and they are exceptional. For my first company, they have made my experience great and they are very easy to work with and work for. Very family oriented.

Drew D.'s Comment
member avatar

Also, their equipment is top notch and offer Reefer and Flatbed. My truck as a rookie is a Pete with 200k miles. Nice facility and let you keep the truck near home. 7-10 days out with resets at home and consider your home life needs heavily. We also don't touch West coast or East coast.

Not trying to sell you for any other reason than I genuinely love my company.

Doug Andrus is out of Idaho Falls and they are exceptional. For my first company, they have made my experience great and they are very easy to work with and work for. Very family oriented.

Reefer:

A refrigerated trailer.

Deleted Account's Comment
member avatar

Did you move the truck while over your hours? Did you PC to the shipper? Did you run without being logged in? Did you accept the ELD edits? Well I'd say you allowed that behavior. I refuse to run over my hours especially if my company was telling me to do it. Why have you chosen to go with smaller companies? Mega carriers get alot of unnecessary flak online but I guarantee whoever was telling you to break the law wouldn't be employed anymore at a mega carrier.

Shipper:

The customer who is shipping the freight. This is where the driver will pick up a load and then deliver it to the receiver or consignee.

HOS:

Hours Of Service

HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
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