I have heard BULK O MATIC is a good outfit on the PNEUMATIC side ..

Did you get my PM with the terminals etc for SUPERIOR / CARRY ?

 

Kentuck,

Yeah, I got your post about it. I plan on calling Bulkmatic Monday and getting the scoop, then probably calling Superior/Carry Tuesday or later Monday. Thing I like about Bulkmatic over Superior/Carry is they have a yard here in Knoxville and Superior's is 100 miles away. Thats where Heartland's closest terminal is, but I don't have to drive my personal vehicle there every time I need to go to work, I park at the Pilot 4 miles from my house. Also I won't have to get my tank/HazMat endorsements right off. Neither are listed as requirements.

Thanks for your help again by the way. I'm looking pretty fast and furious for another job, this just isn't working.

 

Soory to hear its not working out for you.

I got a neighbor that runs out of OLIVE BRANCH MS and he does VERY good to get 1600 at best with them last week I think he got like 1200 or so he is looking also but he cant get on with Superior due to some tickets etc..

He is trying to get out ..

I read an article that stated HLAND EXPRESS was down sizing by ATTRITION and have trucks sitting on the fence they arent replacing with drivers in them when the quit have you seen this?

Good luck to you in your search let me know if you need anything else on the SUPERIOR end of the business

 

I know when I hired, it was tough to find me a truck. They did it by Wednesday when the orientation was over, but it took them from Monday to then to find it (and it worked this way for all the guys in my orientation-a couple had to wait till the net Monday). Now when you go to Atlanta (where I did my orientation, there are probably 30 trucks sitting along the fence without drivers. Used to be if your truck broke down in ATL, they would get you a motel room while it was getting fixed. Now, you have to sleep in one of the older trucks and wait it out.

Sad thing is though, they are still hiring drivers every day! There were 3-4 guys who went through orientation from Mon-Wed in Atlanta and another 2-3 that went in the Wed-Fri class. How does that make sense? You don't have work for drivers, you are trying to downsize, so you hire NEW drivers?? Insanity!!

Guy in charge of orientation in Atlanta said they had to keep hiring some people because then the recruiters and orientation directors wouldn't have anything to do... Boo, hoo! Maybe they could get to work cleaning the bathrooms and showers at the Atlanta terminal, they could sure use it....

Anyway, I'm looking. Going to call Bulkmatic first thing Monday morning. We'll see how that goes.

 

Yeah,
I know what you mean you are downsizing by ATTRITION which basically means:

You are not hiring those whom quit and going to allow the law of numbers downsize you by your normal turnover.

It really makes no sence to HIRE just to HIRE ... Your current employees should come first who gives a D### if the RECRUITERS or THE RECRUITING COORDINATERS have a job to to to preform a class. Not saying FIRE THEM but a company as big as HEARTLAND EXPRESS their should be enough open capacity to free up some room for those folks to do something .

HE@@ heres an idea .... Instead of having a DISPATCHER dispatch 100 trucks and guys having to wait on a load or an EMPTY MOVE for 24 hrs or so hy not fill in some gaps here and cut the RATIO down to 60-65 which is still to many but maybe less time to wait on a load if they got any freight.

MY point is this ... DISPATCH, SHOP , ADMIN, CLEANING, TRAILER MAINT, etc , etc there should be some place to put these folks.

After all HEARTLAND is DEBT FREE or thats what they say.. So should be no problem letting ATTRITION takes place and make your current driver base more productive than whats going on ...

HERATLAND CARES RIGHT..?:thumbsdown:

 

Well, this week was a little better as far as miles go. I got right around 2000 for the week. BUT- it took me 6 days being gone to get them all!

Left Knoxville Sunday morning early to Pittston, PA. Got there Sun. night.

Monday went to Berwick, PA p/u for Baltimore (same day delivery). After delivery in BAL, went to Grantsville, MD to spend the night (on I68).

Picked up early Tuesday morning in Parsons, WV to Woodland, PA (same day).

Got an empty in Woodland, went to Kylerville, PA about 5 PM. Didn't have another load to pick up until Wednesday night.

Picked up WED night in Milesburg, PA WED 6PM for 5AM delivery Thursday morning in Milton, WV. Got to TA in Teays Valley, WV around 7AM. Didn't get another load until Friday morning from Lexington, KY.

Dropped loaded from LEX in Sheppardsville, KY (relay @ truck stop). Deadhead to Ferdinand, IN. Delivers in Atlanta Sunday night before 2330.

Here are the main problems I've had this week:

1. Sleep. Its not that I've not got enough, I've got too much. For instance, I got to Kylertown, PA around 1700 Tuesday, right? Well, I slept that night (makes sense don't it?) but my next load didn't pick up until 1800 the next evening, and it had to go straight to the delivery. Sleep all night, then they expect you to sleep all the next day and drive all that night. Is that safe? I wouldn't think so.

Then, I get to Teay's Valley (Hurricane), WV around 0700 at the truckstop. Got my shower, ate some breakfast, then hit the hay around 0900. Woke up at 1530 with a preplan on me. Pick up in Lexington, KY at 0800 the next morning! What? I've slept all day, and now they want me to sleep all night again!! This is crazy...

2. Fuel. I got fuel at the terminal in Carlisle, PA on my way up Sunday, but that was the last terminal I saw all week. Every time you have to call in for fuel its like getting an act of congress! 75 gallons here, 75 gallons there. That means I have to log fueling every day pretty much when I get past a certain point. Then they acted like it was horrible I was away from any Pilot to get fuel. I had to get it at a TA once and they didn't like it too much. I hate calling in for fuel, they act like they know it all and your just a dumb old driver.

_________________

Hopefully this week I'll be a little closer to home. I told my dispatcher Monday, my wife is due to have the baby February 20th. If she goes into labor at any time, day or night, between now and then, they are going to let her have him. If she calls, it means I need to get home NOW!! If they do something to try to get me to stay away from home when I call it will be over real quick. When I hired in I told them my wife was pregnant, and that I would need a few days off when she had the baby. My dispatcher told me it would be no problem, and they would keep me close enough to get home quick when it got closer. Due to that, I can understand if my miles are a little short this week.

Thats it from the Heartland camp. Lots of fun. I filled out my application for Bulkmatic and I'm supposed to call the recruiter next week. She said last Monday my location was good and they are looking for drivers here. My work and safety history are good as well. I've done pretty well keeping my nose clean out here on the road. No tickets, no accidents. Its hard to run into their drivers in a truck stop. First, they don't have many trucks as some companies (somewhere between 700-1000) and second, they get to sleep at their terminals or transfer stations. They have 41 terminals, and who knows how many transfer stations across the country.

Wish me luck. I'll let you know what happens at Heartland next!

 

Sorry I haven't written on here in a while. Things have been rather busy around here.

Heartland is going downhill for me faster all the time. After I wrote I had a 2100 week (I'll have to look on my calendar). Got home on Thursday the 26th of Feb. My wife had to be induced the 27th. She had a boy, 8lbs. 6oz, 22 inches long.

Anyway, got home Thursday night, left Tuesday morning. I figured it would be a short week, no problem, I've been home 4 days. Got to Mt. Jackson, VA before my 11 was up (long story, bunch of issues at p/u with the trailer). Got to Carlisle, PA terminal 1000 Wednesday morning. My load was supposed to be in Pittston, PA by midnight Wed.

First, my trailer needed service. Did that. Then they needed to put a new brake chamber on it (it wasn't bad, but it had been a road repair and they wanted a 3" on it, not a 2"). Took about 5 hours to get inspection, trailer serviced and then brake chamber. THEN I needed a steer tire on the left. I just had a right steer put on in Olive Branch the Thursday before--LESS THAN A WEEK!! Parked my truck by the shop at 1500 Wed. Didn't get it done until 1200 Thrusday! 21 hours for one (yes, ONE) steer tire. Already mounted, just take one off and slap on another... Unbelievable...

Then I don't get a load out of there until Friday around 1100. Picked up in Chambersburg, PA and went to Greensboro, NC. I figure, its Friday night, freight is obviously slow, I'll get home now. Nope. Drop a load from Greensboro in Chester. I didn't get to Chester until 0200 eastern Friday night/Saturday morning so I won't get it until this weeks check comes in.

Grand total for Tuesday-Friday midnight?? 800 miles...

Then I got to sit in Chester, VA at the terminal from Friday night/morning to this morning (Monday). Sure, I'll get layover, but give me a break, it'll be like $75 a day.

I'm thinking of going with Henderson where I worked before. I did the dedicated route, but a guy I started with whose run got cut out has been OTR since a little after the first of the year. He is averaging around 3200 a week. You have to be out 2 weeks at a time, but I'm almost doing that now. Plus, they start at .38 a mile, I'm making .41 now. I've heard several guys at terminals this week say "I'd go somewhere else, but I'm making .49 a mile, I can't get that anywhere else!" Well, 3 cents isn't bad for a pay cut if I'm making miles.

I am leaving tomorrow night for Memphis for a Wednesday afternoon delivery. I told my dispatcher I would work next weekend ONLY if I went west from Memphis on Wednesday or Thursday. I haven't been to Texas or Oklahoma in a while. I need to get out in the plains and off the east coast. I was very specific though, if they try to send me east or north out of Memphis, I'm coming home. Might sound foolish, but there are just too many Heartland trucks in this part of the country. Too hard to get a load.

Well, I'm going to go. I'll let you guys know what I find out. I'm going to call the Henderson recruiter I know tomorrow and see what she says. I'd like to get on something from here to Arizona or So Cal and back. That'd be pretty sweet. I know Henderson hauls a majority of the Dole lettuce out of the fields in Cali and Yuma. I hate grocery warehouses, but you have to make money somewhere and reefer is somewhere right now.

Here's a little tidbit for you. My dad's dispatcher told him the other day this: If we're giving the guys the loads, and they aren't averaging 3000 miles a week, we're getting rid of them. They are having a big problem with guys refusing high milage loads. One guy on his board has only averaged 1000 miles a week. He tries to give him loads, but he refuses. Now, we all know sometimes you have to sit, but right now Henderson is busier than they have the trucks to cover. The only reason I believe this is because it came from my dad's dispatcher to him. Dad already drives for them, he doesn't need to be sold on the company. He already has 2 years. Dad just asked him how they are doing right now with the slow freight.

I don't know. Hopefully I'll make my decision here before too long. Most places I've applied for (Bulkmatic, A&R, etc) aren't hiring. I know Henderson will hire me. I have a good record with them and I gave them the full 2 weeks notice. The VP of the company told me I was welcome back anytime I needed a job.

Talk to you all later. I'll write back before I head out tomorrow night if you write me.

Keep on truckin'!

 

Sorry, I missed a week. After I got to ATL with furniture, picked up the next afternoon for Fairfield, OH, deadhead to St Louis (I stopped at my parents on the way). Stayed for 2 days, picked up at Pontoon Beach, IL on a Friday, went to KY (less than 150 miles to my house). Deadheaded me back to Pontoon beach (not home) for a Sunday pickup. Not good miles that week. This starts the week I got like 2100 or so I think...

Pontoon Beach to KY (second time, different delivery)
Bowling Green to Jacksonville
Jacksonville to Charleston, SC
Charleston to Detroit (weekend in between these two)
Detroit to Romeoville, IL
Romeoville to Mt Vernon, IL
Deadhead to St Louis
St Louis to Olive Branch (did a local run while I was there, got $25 for the hassle of driving 1/2 a block, sitting for an hour and driving back)
Memphis relayed to Flyin J in Knoxville (this is the Thursday before my wife had the baby)

Now read the post above about this week. Sorry for the confusing way this all read. I forgot I was 3 weeks behind!

 

good luck to you P A where ever you decide to go...

 

Where have you been HB? I've been looking for an update on you when I get home to check the net, how ever often that is. I guess I ought to buy a cheap laptop for the truck, but I was hoping I wouldn't have time to use it. BUT with Heartland--You've got plenty of time to sit in the terminal and soak up the free WiFi...