Good luck to you and your new venture Headborg. If Heartland works out for you and you ever end up laid-over down at your Jacksonville, FL yard holler at me. Maybe we can grab lunch or something if I'm home and not busy. BTW, here's what I was able to muster out of Shaffer. Looks like nothing really changed over the last few years. :roll:

Shaffer Trucking National Fleet Solo, Dec. 23, 2001 to May 20, 2003 (Training status Nov. 27 to Dec. 22, 2001)
Paid miles: 169,210
Average monthly miles: 9,953
Total loads: 191
Average length of haul: 886 miles
Days Working: 416 (77%)
Days Off: 124 (23%)

 

Well, I'm back here at the Super 8 motel- Olive Branch, Ms... just had the cab ride from hell. And I thought that one in Greensboro was bad. Good thing I drove down here first in the Rental and dropped off my luggage before returning the car. This haitian cab driver picks me up-- we end up setting there 35 minutes while I & his supervisor (on the phone) try to explain the "paid account voucher"-- he's been driving for them the last 7 months but has never taken one of these drivers all the way down to Olive Branch, Ms. When he discovered he didn't get to run the meter-- that it was a flat fee account-- he seemed upset that it would take him so far away from the airport business. He didn't know which way to go-- so I had to give him directions to turn east on Winchester then south on Lamar/US78.

so he's speeding along down Winchester in the center lane, and I must have dosed off in the back seat-- been driving last 2 days- up 48hrs streight--- suddenly I see the arrow for 78 south flying by-- I yell-- RIGHT HERE--- AND HE NAILS THE BRAKES AND CUTS OVER 3 LANES-- ALMOST THROWS ME OVER THE PASSENGER BUCKET SEAT-- ALMOST WIPED OUT COUPLE CARS.... then he's racing down Lamar--- runs up behind a semi stopped at traffic light... then I tell him the street just past the Flying J sign-- and he missed that too.

Night all.

 

Hey Cyanide??? I wish I would have listened to you...could have saved me a lot of pain and trouble at Shaffer!!!

 

You drive for RL? They are one top notch outfit. Too bad they are never hiring in my area. Is Harold still in truckload dispatch? What a great guy.

 

Well day#1 orientation is over-- very over. And I believe I may have made a serious mistake with this move. But here I am, so I'll keep focusing on the HOPE of 3 out of 4 weekends "by the house" and 2100-2200 miles. It's about all I have to keep going.

Today I got in trouble for an outburst during orientation- when I did some verbal math about the dental insurance weekly premium being $10 bucks a week x 52 weeks= $520 dollars a year for a max benefit of $1000.00 a year,
then when I read the direct deposit form-- where it said I was authorizing
Heartland not only to direct deposit my weekly payroll-- but also to Debit my bank account whenever they determine they've made an accounting error. And wasn't really digging that-- never seen anything like that before.
Couldn't they just adjust the next weeks payroll?

Anyway, I was called into the office and told any more comments or "outbursts" like that-- and I'd be sent home. He couldn't have me scaring the others.

I'm sure that will have an negative impact on my Road Test evaluation in the AM. Other than just out right saying--"we don't like your ATTITUDE" the road test is the only evaluation which is fluid enough with enough latitude for a real public- 'put him in his place' / 'make an example out of him' failing grade.

Tomorrow will also be the 3rd day with 0 sleep-- they gave me a roommate-- he's only 26 years old- 15 months experince( CR England+Swift+AmericanEagle) He's still living at home with Mom( when he's home) He sleeps in his cloths-- he won't turn off the TV or the Light over his bed! and Tuesday Morning-- he didn't even show or clean up-- there's a lock on the bathroom door! I'm not dangerous or anything. His alarm went off first-- I was completely Zombie dead-- so I yelled at him -- that he could shower- use the head first( I figured that would be nice--I know I hate using a shower right after someone else + I could get 20 minutes more eye closure-- before I needed a shower before the shuttle showed up-- If you're late for orientation here-- you're sent home.

I waited...and waited... and he eventually said-- he had showered before I got back to the room( from dropping off my rental).

Heartland doesn't provide recruits with rooms to themselves-- if you want a room to yourself-- you have to pay $30.00( half their rate) for it.

 

That is reasonably cheap on their part.....

 

I find most dental and vision add-ons to be a rip-off. Is Heartlands a "mega orientation" or a small group. I have been at orientations with as many 30 people and others where it's just lil ol me. Let us know if you made it through.

 

Still here;

Today was 75/25 on the up side. Got more briefing, discovered some Positive things about Heartland.

See I've taken my prozac:

Heartland vs Others

Heartland pays based on the Honor system-- which means you don't have to "race" to a transflow by midnight the same night you get empty- if say, payroll cut off is Friday. Haven't seen this in 15 years--- since JBHUNT.

Heartland's Transflow cover page is simple-- compared to say: Westside Transport, or Crete/Shaffer.

I will say this-- the company has enough "safe guards" in place to prevent
themselves from being taken advantage of by -- dishonest drivers-- crack head drivers-- and basic low lifes.
It was refreshing to find a company that distrusts me as much as I distrust them. Now maybe with some time and getting to know each other-- things might get better.
I don't really believe Heartland is out to rip me off- and I'm not out to rip them off-- I respect they still have MANY "old school" ways--- every body has to CYA.

They say they live and die by the PTA--and drivers actually get PREPLANS here-- compared to Crete this means there's someone in the office with the intent of finding work for those who want to work.

Of course, there's no LOAD OFFERS over here-- but NEWS FLASH--
Shaffer drivers arn't going to SEE many more load selections-- with the price of fuel going through the roof--- zone dispatch's only concern is THEIR JOB-- which means they MUST KEEP THEIR zone's deadhead %% at an absolute minimum--- which means-- not letting drivers CHOICE between loads with different deadhead miles--- ex 20, 30, 100-
you can't control deadhead when the driver is making the call.

The "no sleep issue" has been resolved-- got the room to myself now--
the same day I got in trouble for being too "talkative"-- roommate got in trouble because he was stating-- he refused to go to NJ, NY-- and he was applying for a regional position in OH which might have meant he'd need to go that way- but, alas--- that's just the concensus of the remaining 4 out of 8 of us we'll never really know "the rest of the story". Maybe it was his 15 months of experience and 3 jobs already in that time--- which means even more-- you got to be willing to stick it out for a while with your 1st and or 2nd.

we were scheduled for 8, I believe we had 2 no-show first day.
then lost roommate + 1 other due to Medical issues(old injury)???

There was a Mon-Wed class + they bussed in a bunch from Atlanta- looking for trucks.

 

Glad your second day was better. 3rd day should be a cakewalk.

You're right in that Heartland is old-school. If you can live with that, there is no doubt you can do well here. Some people can and have been here for years; others have a problem with it and won't hang around. To each his own.

One thing I've learned about Heartland in the nearly 7 years I've been here...they're consistent, if anything. The company runs in a straight line and always knows where they are going. There is no deviation from the business plan or the rules, because the plan works and the company and its drivers are successful.

I do not agree with every policy and rule that Heartland has and I'm far from a company shill. But I've never worked for a more stable company or a company that takes care of you like Heartland does. They don't baby you or pamper you; they expect you to work hard and honest. And in doing so, they take care of you. That is what has earned my respect and loyalty to the company.

Good luck to you, Russ. Hope it all works out for you. It can...you just have to learn to work within the system and the expectations. Not every day will be perfect...never will be no matter where anyone works. But remember, it's a job, not a lifestyle. Hope this job works for you for a long time to come.

 

WHAT??????



When did truck driving become a JOB !!!!!



Please please please...TELL ME it ain't sooooooo!!!!!



:wink: