I dunno. My impression is that if you were to look in the dictionary under OTR you would fine Novacane. I think you have her all wrong. Put her in a nice neat rig, flatbed and run her coast to coast and she would be the happiest person on earth! From her postings I see her as the most enthusiastic person on this board. She's just stuck in traffic right now and waiting for that road to open up. My 2 cents.

 

Mad Dog, first off, there is no need to take any heat over this, but I think you misunderstand what I am upset about, it's not the fact I didn't get home on the weekend, I wasn't even planning on being home, but when the cell messed up, I didn't have much of a choice, I have to stay in touch with the family. I ASKED to see if I could come home to get it replaced, and THEY told me they would get me home when I wanted.

I am not complaining about them not getting me home by the time I said, what I meant was to tell people how the company works, do they do what they say or not. I told when I wanted to be home, and told when they actually got me home, no more no less.

However, what I AM upset about is the fact they let me sit for THREE days, do you think that is an appropriate time to sit waiting for a load, you wouldn't be upset over it? Anyone?

And before anyone suggests or thinks it, hometime doesn't have anything to do with it, they told me straight up that they didn't have any freight coming out of the area I was in(Charlotte NC). NOT that they didn't have any freight going towards the house, NONE at all.

Yeah, everyone told me about JB, but like you said, I didn't listen very well. And if it weren't for the fact that I trusted the recruiter, and especially the run I was HIRED for being so good, I wouldn't have ever considered them. My fault completely for not listening.

And as far as Barr-Nunn checking this site, I really don't care. I have said far more good things than bad, quite simply I am like you, I tell it like it is.

As far as a local job goes, there are none, sure there are some places you could get a job driving a dump, but being a woman, I am at an immediate disadvantage. I have applied to 4 local jobs, one with food service, a pipe company, a flooring place, and a moving place. All of them wouldn't hire me because I am a woman, and can't possibly do the manual labor a man can.(one place the food place, told me that straight to my face!). These were jobs that I had MORE than enough experience to work at, both on the driving side of it, and on the manual labor side of it. And dump drivers are never hiring, it seems as though all the dump drivers around here never quit, get fired, or retire, lol.

Am an otr driver NOPE! Which is why I specifically choose to be employed by REGIONAL optioned companies. I am not whining about the hometime, if it sounded that way, then you read it wrong or I typed it wrong, sitting for three days was the bummer. If it were hometime I was worried about, keep in mind I was given the option to dead head home with no pay at any time. I just kept waiting hoping a load would come my way. And the load I picked up wasn't supposed to be ready until Tuesday at 6pm, and I was empty on Friday at 10pm. Yet my company worked pretty hard to get me loaded early, and then worked hard to get me home.

Navguy, repeat pattern from me? Ha! Lets go over some of the things that were my fault I complained about shall we?

First off, I have been employed by 4 companies, the first one was the Nursery, and I LOVED IT, and do you know why? Because they did what they said they would do, every time, no exceptions, and if they couldn't do it, they would tell me straight up, no candy coating the subject. They said I was a great driver, and if they had any openings in their regular driving department, they would keep me, but it was a seasonal thing, and I knew that going in. They still give me excellent recommendations I might add.

Then I went with Roehl, lets look back at my posts to see what my problems were..........

I posted on Sun Jan 08, 2006 2:11 am that I was having battery problems, that was the first sign of a problem. I also had an issue with the fueling plans. I know people said to send in a macro blah blah blah, but I DID. Even though I requested fuel, I they would assign me a new fuel stop that was still out of my reach, not close, not running low, I would have run out of fuel. Say what you want, but that was my experience with fuel stops, were they all like that? Of course not, they were only a problem when I wrote about them, yet I fueled on a daily basis almost.

Wed Jan 18, 2006 12:19 am I posted how my truck went into the shop for a coolant leak, and not only did they not fix the leak, they didn't fix the batteries either.

Wed Jan 25, 2006 I posted about a broken exhaust stack.

Wed Feb 08, 2006 I posted about a load I was assigned, that I didn't have the tarps to cover, and they knew it, this wasn't new information. I fixed the problem myself by getting some tarps off another Roehl driver. One thing that was my fault was catching the air hose and breaking it, and turning down a load that I didn't feel safe tarping, which should have been no surprise, since they said I would never be asked to haul that type material when I brought the subject up before when talking face to face with the head honcho. I also mention I finally got the stack fixed, and it only took them 2 weeks.

Fri Feb 10, 2006 I post about getting chewed out because of my overspeed, turning down the load of wool, and log book stuff, completely my fault. I also posted that the coolant leak that was supposed to be fixed wasn't, and it had indeed gotten worse.

Tue Feb 14, 2006 I complain about them not getting me the proper paperwork in a timely manner.

Thu Feb 16, 2006 I mention that the clutch is going out on the truck, take it to a terminal, they think they fix it and don't. They end up keeping it a while and giving me a pos loaner truck.

Fri Feb 24 I mention I get my truck back.

Wed Mar 01, 2006 I write that I had dead batteries again, and it wasn't the first time since it started, I just didn't bother writing about it. This is also after the truck has been to the shop 2 times, and both times were told something was wrong with batteries. By the way, the coolant leak was still there to.

Wed Mar 15, I make a stink about a load I didn't want to accept because I felt it was unsafe. After waiting all day, I was told to take it anyway, event though they knew it was an ongoing problem with this place.

Thu Mar 16 I was late for a load, totally my fault.

Thu Apr 06, I have to wait for paperwork again.

Thu May 11, I mention dead batteries again, same problem, still isn't fixed, yet I got yelled at for it.

Fri May 12, I talk about being chewed out over being late(which I was) and after explaining that the shippers won't load me correctly and I have to tarp, go scale, come back untarp, get reloaded and tarped again the way it should have been from the beginning. This is my fault, I should have made them load me correctly to begin with, I don't know how I would have accomplished this, since I tried everything, but it was my fault nonetheless.

Tue May 16, Dead batteries again. Take the truck in, and they work on it again, say they fixed it, but it still won't start. They work on it again, and don't find anything wrong with it even though they just boosted a couple hours early to get it to start themselves.

Tue Jun 13, Dead batteries yet again, but the big news of the day was the fact I had a tarp blow off going down the road. This is what made me want to switch, because I loaded and tarped the load the right way from the start, didn't cut any corners, yet it still happened. I don't get in trouble for it, but it is a major pain in the rump, but it's my fault, and I admit it, I should have done something more, or anticipated the crosswinds, something. I also mention that they finally got my dead battery situation fixed. Took them just over 5 months and several shop visits to find a dead battery out of the four my truck had.

Wed Jun 14, I mention I am quitting Roehl because they can't offer me a regional run in their van division, I tried every way I could to stay with the company, and if they would have let me drive van regional, I would still be working for them.

Now, I didn't mention all the times I was run low on fuel, or had to wait to be loaded or unloaded, mainly because these are normal things that are going to happen, I just went over the "major" points that were made, how many of them were my fault?

Then is when the whole JB fiasco started. Sure I missed the "phone call" that gave me my truck, but keep in mind I was waiting 2 weeks up till that time, so I had to do something about it, so again, I am told that I am the problem, I just don't understand, I called everyday waiting for a truck, I even talked with the recruiter that hired me in trying to get him to help, which he did try to do I might add, yet it's my fault I messed up with another company.

Finally, I get hired on with what seems to be a really great company, one that I think I will enjoy working for, and hope to have a long relationship with. The only problem I have had with them was waiting 3 days for a load. I would have liked to have gone home to get the phone fixed, but was prepared to work through this weekend, in fact I planned on staying out a few weekends in order to build up some miles and money.

Some how my post gets turned into me complaining about not getting home. I only told when they said they would get me home, and when they actually did. I even had a load assigned that wouldn't have got me home until next weekend, and I accepted it. But it was a load that needed to be relayed, and the driver wound up taking a different route and we couldn't meet up. HOMETIME HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHY I AM DISAPPOINTED WITH BARR-NUNN! I just don't think it's right to sit and wait 3 days for a load, that is ALL, everything else is wonderful.

I even mentioned how happy I was several times, and was happy with the almost 1400 miles I built up in only 3 days, and many other things!

But anyway, with all the things going on right now, I just don't think I will be updating the "my day" post anymore. I have enough to worry about without trying to defend myself on here. I started this to let the newbie's see how it was. I didn't lie, exaggerate the good or the bad, or leave anything out or add anything, I wrote as it happened.

I used to enjoy posting, but it seems as though what I write doesn't look as good or bad on paper as the way I mean for it to. My words aren't read the way I mean them at all most of the time, and until I can make them be readable they way the story sounds in my head, I will just bow out, and let this post die away.

I will still hang out on the boards, giving advice when I can, helping when I can, but I am done with trying to give daily posts. I know that I am made to be a truck driver, I have always had a knack for it, clutching, backing, all the things that are usually harder stuff for people to learn just wasn't that big of a deal. Growing up around trucking helped, as well as being on a farm and having the experience of driving everything you can imagine, if it has wheels, I have most likely driven it, from the farm to the factories, to odd jobs I have had through the years, to drag racing, and even boats, I have had a knack for driving.

I mention that I am not otr material, and while that is true, it also isn't, the only reason I don't want otr is because of the family, Chris is disabled, and I have a great son, if they weren't in the picture, I wouldn't need to come home. I ask to be home because THEY need me, not because I don't have the ability or stamina to stay gone for long periods, and if they will give me the miles, I will put them in my pocket.

I understand that there will ALWAYS be delays getting loaded and unloaded, and waiting for a load to be assigned, I don't expect there to be NO waiting time, I just don't think that waiting 3 days is very fair for me, and don't see how it's my fault either.

I will miss my updates, and will eventually start a blog, and when I do, I will make sure to remain anonymous to prevent making anyone angry or getting fired for telling the truth, over 38k views is a pretty darn good run, thanks everyone!

 

Well that just blows monkey balls. :P

Thanks for the updates while they lasted.

I, for one believe they were trying to get you another load as best they could. NO company wants to let a brand new driver sit for 3 days. Talk about breeding resentment.

Good luck.

 

I do to, but it's hard to think that way when you are waiting and waiting to earn some moolah! Matter of fact, I don't think it will happen again any time soon, I really do believe it was just "one of those things" that happen every now and then, Roehl let me sit over a weekend once too, so it's not like it never happend before, and it will happen again eventually, but if they make a habit out of it, I don't know what I will do.

 

I have a question in all this mix.....you have a cell phone, correct? Why did you have to go home to get it fixed? I think there are places on the road that could have helped you and you sat for 3 days in Charlotte, pretty sure you could have gotten it fixed there.

As far as 3 days waiting on a load.....yep that sounds like a van stuck in NC. Pays to have a reefer. :lol:

 

ARGH! Don't stop posting! ARGH ARGH! Wow, I sould like a pirate. Get a thicker skin and keep posting. I like reading baout the "inside" life of a driver!

 

Yeah, i like reading this post...pretty entertaining to me to see what other people are dealing with. Dont let others on here bring you down, its just a message board. I have observed that a lot of truckers only think that their problems are real and that everybody else are just hacks that dont belong behind the wheel, sort of a super truckers mentality. Keep posting, its a good read.

 

NOVA!!! MORE POSTS!!! ARGH!

 

I'm sorry to hear that you are leaving this post. I have really enjoyed reading it. My husband is a truck driver and doesn't tell me much about his job unless it is negative. Anyways, I hope that things work out for you with this company.

 

:sad: Sorry to see that you won't me post in the "my day" thread anymore, Novacane.
Thank you for all the great info for the rest of the newbies.
You know, you have shared a lot of good info and
great stories and given, probably, a pretty good 'picture' of driving
as a newer driver. Please don't give up completely on the CAD
Forum, you are very good at describing situations/problems and
you can still be helpful to the rest of us newbies. If not for your
"my day" thread I would still be trying to figure out if I have chosen
the right path in attending CDL School.
I start classes in mid-August.
______________________________________
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.