The Trucking Industry Sucks, espec. WERNER and USIS,DAC

[Anonymous]

Werner promised me a truck and 500 bonus after completing 275 hrs with a trainer, at the 255 hr mark they asked me to stay another 3 weeks while they readied trucks for gradutes. I lived like a slave for 8 weeks and I said no I would rather go home and wait fo a truck. The next day they started asking me about my application, and me pulled off the road with 272.25 hrs just 3 short, and for 2 days I sat at the Lakeland terminal with 8 other guys that were waiting for trucks. They fired me for falsyfying an application. I had a case where adjudicatin was witheld but my background check shows Convicted by Plea. I had papers proving it was a mistake but one nebraska ******* (EDITED) wouldnt even look at them. All that and now Ive had 8 companys call me but wont touch me untill my DAC is cleared up . USIS says it might take up to 30 days to clear. The Trucking Industry sucks, Now I have to take a job with Waste Mang. Im gonna be a garbage man because a reporting company screwed up. The killer is I told Werner all about the arrest and outcome before going. We NEED TO UNIONIZE the truck drivers

[GMAN]

Truck drivers have a union. It is called the Teamsters.

[ibamars]

We NEED TO UNIONIZE the truck drivers

Yes it is Teamsters. And yes I agree with you as far as union. I joined with Sysco uphere in NY and yes I work my tail off but its a union shop. I get paid for EVERYTHING I do.

I was OTR for 14 months and I will never do it again. Its agreat gig and I had fun. But the pay is a joke. Sit for 2 hours before detnetion time kicks in and all the other crap these companies pull.

I bet no one would do that with their last gig before becoming a truck driver. Work for free that is.

Anyways enough venting on it. It is what it is. And it will stay the same until truckdrivers either get fed up and stand up for themselves or find a different career because they realize they are getting robbed.

As far as Werner goes. Yeah they pull some shady stuff. I never worked for them but I had two friends that did. One was happy and the other one got jerked around. I thinks its luck of the draw if you get the jerking around.

DAC the concept is good. But the program needs to be rewritten for more explanations of what circumstances transpire in a driver situation. My DAC is clean but again I have heard the horror stories.

My 2 cents

[inmate1577]

I'd rather work for waste management.
Its better pay and benefits and its all you can eat!!!

[Twilight Flyer]

Your anger is understandable, but keep people's names out of postings. Thanks.

i do not think we need to unionize because you lied on an app. or because you had a bad experince with someone...do we??

[kc0iv]

Werner promised me a truck and 500 bonus after completing 275 hrs with a trainer, at the 255 hr mark they asked me to stay another 3 weeks while they readied trucks for gradutes. I lived like a slave for 8 weeks and I said no I would rather go home and wait fo a truck. The next day they started asking me about my application, and me pulled off the road with 272.25 hrs just 3 short, and for 2 days I sat at the Lakeland terminal with 8 other guys that were waiting for trucks. They fired me for falsyfying an application. I had a case where adjudicatin was witheld but my background check shows Convicted by Plea. I had papers proving it was a mistake but one nebraska ******* (EDITED) wouldnt even look at them. All that and now Ive had 8 companys call me but wont touch me untill my DAC is cleared up . USIS says it might take up to 30 days to clear. The Trucking Industry sucks, Now I have to take a job with Waste Mang. Im gonna be a garbage man because a reporting company screwed up. The killer is I told Werner all about the arrest and outcome before going. We NEED TO UNIONIZE the truck drivers

Now lets try to get this straight. Werner did a background check and it comes showing "Convicted by Plea." On May 06 you said it was a "Withhold Adjudication felony." Reading case law on "Withhold Adjudication felony" I find that the United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit. says "plea of nolo contendere where adjudication was withheld is a "conviction"" See: http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bi...e&no=914020opa

Reading Florida laws criminal history is a matter of public records unless it is sealed or expunged. So it would appear to me you need to have the records sealed or expunged. See: http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/expunge/faq.html on having a criminal record expunge and/or sealed record.

I might not agree with Werner's policy of allowing you to start in the first place. You do have a criminal record that needs to be addressed.

As far as having a union. Truck drivers can't agree on what time it is. Let alone agree on having a union. Its not going to happen.

kc0iv

[Sheepdancer]

Kc is right, even though with the adjudication, your record is felony free. Meaning that you can still vote and buy a gun. As far as employment in the trucking industry its going to be treated just like a conviction. Also if you ever try to get a concieled carry permit for guns....quite a few states wont give that to you with that conviction. To be blunt....its not werners fault you committed a crime and then didnt put it on your app.
Perhaps you might not understand why companies do this and why they dont hire people with records like that. Its about liability. Even that adjuticated charge has a paper trail and that paper trail makes you a liability. I dont know anything about you or your charge. But I will give you an example of why this is. Say a big trucking company worth billions gave a person with a drug record a chance. And then say that driver got high and then ran over and killed a busload of nuns and orphans. This is how the lawsuit would go.
Lawyer: You mean you hired a person with a known drug record? You mean, you saw the adjuticated conviction on his record and you hired him anyway?
Company rep: Well yes, he seemed like a nice guy so we thought we would give him a chance.
Lawyer: Here is a blank check.....just sign it and we will fill in the amount.

Liability...This is why companies have to protect themselves.

[golfhobo]

Sheepdancer:

I'm not taking sides WTH the O.P. or against him. But, this does smack of an intentional practice of bringing an applicant up JUST a bit short of the "legally obligated" policies based on miles, then using that as justification to "find" a way to fire an employee who doesn't accept the company's will. (Meanwhile GAINING a driver for a short time to make a profit.)

Since I actually enjoy, and value your opinion on this board, how about addressing the following relevant topics for me:

1) Tort reform. Would the insurance companies slack up a bit? Or take their increased profits to the bank and continue on as usual?

2) Recruitment practices that are designed to put a bonus in one's pocket for getting someone there, with little regard for what it costs him when he fails to pass muster (which takes far too long to cook.)

3) An increased responsibility on the part of the recruiter to ENSURE that the applicant UNDERSTANDS beforehand, how to answer certain questions on the application.

4) Your opinion of the real BASIC requirements for being a driver. (i.e: Your true feelings - not based on hiring criteria as it stands now - on how much of a person's past should REALLY matter.)

5) Company responsibility. Meaning just how well do you think THEY are passing muster concerning their concern for those whose lives and livelihoods they have so much control over.

Thanks!

[Sheepdancer]

1) Tort reform. Would the insurance companies slack up a bit? Or take their increased profits to the bank and continue on as usual?

I think they would a bit. Tort reform would reduce the liability. Im for tort reform however I cant say if Im for reducing the hiring requirements trucking companies have.

2) Recruitment practices that are designed to put a bonus in one's pocket for getting someone there, with little regard for what it costs him when he fails to pass muster (which takes far too long to cook.)

You are right, Im paid to get the driver there. I get my commission when he gets in that truck and drives. However there is much more than that too this job. It actually does make me more money if the driver comes over here and succeeds. A high % of my hires come from referals from drivers Ive already hired. There are companies out there that pay their recruiters in different ways. Personally, I like the way we are paid here.
Like us JB Hunt recruiters or not, we are the most successful recruiting operation in the industry. So much so that other companies have been asking corporate to outsource us out and hire for those companies too.
Strangely enough, that is about to happen. We are going to start recruiting for other companies too. Mostly companies that dont compete with us. Tanker jobs, class b jobs, flatbed jobs, autohaulers...stuff like that. Something to keep in mind for any of those drivers who like to cuss us out or just hang up when we Jb recruiters call you 1000 times a month :evil: ....In the future you might want to listen. I might have another company job that you might want.

3) An increased responsibility on the part of the recruiter to ENSURE that the applicant UNDERSTANDS beforehand, how to answer certain questions on the application.

Hell, we are supposed to have that now. However I feel that its more of the drivers responsibility to know what everything means. Reality: and this happens: if I get a phone call right now and a driver says. I need a job, sign me up. Im going to quickly sign him up without wasting any time telling him details. I will take as little or as much time as it takes to get a driver on. But being a commissioned employee, the less time the better for me. if I driver has 1000 questions I will take the time to answer every single one of them. Whether the driver asks those questions or not is up to him, not me. If that makes sense.

) Your opinion of the real BASIC requirements for being a driver. (i.e: Your true feelings - not based on hiring criteria as it stands now - on how much of a person's past should REALLY matter.)

This is a tough one and very hard to answer. Kind of a contradicting duality here. You know me the rabid right wing conservative who wants to be very very tough on crime. That part of me says screw the criminals and screw those 5 drivers of mine that failed the drug test this week and last week.
The recruiter part of me, Sure, i want to hire everyone. Uh oh...does this make me a liberal recruiter? The HORRROR! :shock:
Reality, my core belief system overrides the greedy recruiter in me. I honestly feel the hiring standards should be higher.

5) Company responsibility. Meaning just how well do you think THEY are passing muster concerning their concern for those whose lives and livelihoods they have so much control over.

oh man, we are going to differ big time on this. I think the truck driver still has control over his life, not the company. The responsibility remains there. I have had this debate before here and me and drivers are going to always be at a disagreement over this. Drivers think the majority of the time the company screws them. I personally think the majority of the time, the driver screws himself and blames the company. I came to this conclusion after working here for so long and when we started getting emails everytime a driver leaves us. And we were also given the ability to pull up his or her record and see what he did when he was here. Ive seen drivers fail the drug test who are now saying the left because JB screwed them on miles. Ive seen people get fired for service failures and they said the recruiter lied to them....In other words the stories dont match the truth. I said this before. The MAJORITY of the high turnover rate at large companies DOESNT come from unhappy drivers quiting. Its drivers being fired. Like I said, this is my opinion and the drivers and I will never see eye to eye on this one.

[Sheepdancer]

This will be interesting for you and will demonstrate why I think the way I do. Im going to copy and paste the last 10 reason codes why drivers Ive hired have left in the last week or so.
1.Termination Reason: Failed drug / alcohol test
2.Termination Reason: Declined - Other <dont know why he quit, havent looked it up yet.
3. Termination Reason: Violation of Rules
4. Termination Reason: Min Req-Moving Violations-MVR
5. Termination Reason: Family Reasons/Domestic Oblig
6. Termination Reason: Pay
7. Termination Reason: Violation of Rules
8. Termination Reason: Failure to Meet DOT Standards - JBH
9. Termination Reason: MVR- Accident.
10. Termination Reason: Declined - Other < this driver was moving out of the country.

10 drivers left
4 out of 10 quit.
1 quit because of pay. Honestly we dont known if he just didnt work hard or it was the company.
1 quit for reasons we dont know at this time.
So when you start talking about turnover rate, if I dont hire 10 drivers in that time frame ( which I didnt....#^#%@$% drug test failers)...I have over a 100 turnover rate. Over 100% turnover rate looks bad on paper, especially when you assume that its all drivers quiting. Reality: 40% of those drivers quit and only 10-20% quit for what might or might not be valid gripes.
Side statistic. 99% of those drivers who were fired will blame the company or me the recruiter.

[DD60]

This will be interesting for you and will demonstrate why I think the way I do. Im going to copy and paste the last 10 reason codes why drivers Ive hired have left in the last week or so.
1.Termination Reason: Failed drug / alcohol test
2.Termination Reason: Declined - Other <dont know why he quit, havent looked it up yet.
3. Termination Reason: Violation of Rules
4. Termination Reason: Min Req-Moving Violations-MVR
5. Termination Reason: Family Reasons/Domestic Oblig
6. Termination Reason: Pay
7. Termination Reason: Violation of Rules
8. Termination Reason: Failure to Meet DOT Standards - JBH
9. Termination Reason: MVR- Accident.
10. Termination Reason: Declined - Other < this driver was moving out of the country.

10 drivers left
4 out of 10 quit.
1 quit because of pay. Honestly we dont known if he just didnt work hard or it was the company.
1 quit for reasons we dont know at this time.
So when you start talking about turnover rate, if I dont hire 10 drivers in that time frame ( which I didnt....#^#%@$% drug test failers)...I have over a 100 turnover rate. Over 100% turnover rate looks bad on paper, especially when you assume that its all drivers quiting. Reality: 40% of those drivers quit and only 10-20% quit for what might or might not be valid gripes.
Side statistic. 99% of those drivers who were fired will blame the company or me the recruiter.

Drivers need to be prescreened BEFORE they get the Ok to come to orientation. From what I have been hearing J.B. flunt doesn;t even do a background check before approving drivers for orientation.

[larryh31]

True, drivers should be screened prior to traveling hundreds of miles to orientation. But, I do understand why some companies don't do complete checks prior to orientation.

Most drivers will send in applications to 3 or more companies and then select the comapny with the best offer. So you end up with 3 recruiters spending time and money doing background checks and the driver can only drive one truck. The other 2 recruiters are just spinning there wheels.

[Anonymous]

Truck drivers have a union. It is called the Teamsters.

In fla you have Police Fire and Teachers unions. Fla is a right to work state Republicans control the house senate and Gov. In otherwords workers dont have any rights

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the replys Hey Sheep you sure your just dancin with those sheepLOL. Fiqured your answer was from a goose steppin Conservative. But for your info I guess you never broke the law, never cheated on your taxes or bought somthing that was stolen and never used an illegal drug. The states attorney defines a withhold as the "Judge witholds the judgement of Guilt or Conviction in a case" In other words gives someone a second chance, and yes its used often that like recruiters they just want to move the bodies along. But I told my recruiter word for word of my arrest and outcome and they still brought me to orientation. Now it turns out Werner got bad info from USIS and that is being fixed. But to run someone to 272.25 hrs of a needed 275, is criminal. And I dont thank they will respond when USIS sends them a letter stating I was never convicted of anything. Werner has one of the highest rate of drivers leaving in the business I think. Why didnt they look at the court papers I sent them proving I didnt falsify my app

[Sheepdancer]

Drivers need to be prescreened BEFORE they get the Ok to come to orientation. From what I have been hearing J.B. flunt doesn;t even do a background check before approving drivers for orientation.
_________________

No we will prescreen before a driver gets to orientation. Its actually pretty simple to do it that way. I tell the driver he has to find a fax machine, I will fax him a form, he will sign it, fax it back and we will run his stuff before orientation. If he doesnt do that, he will sign the form at orientation and we will run it then....ITS HIS or HER CHOICE. How hard is it to find a fax machine? Obviously many think its reallly hard because only about 1/2 of my drivers actually sign it before.

[Sheepdancer]

Fiqured your answer was from a goose steppin Conservative. But for your info I guess you never broke the law

I have never been arrested, I have had about 3 traffic tickets in my life....does that count?

never cheated on your taxes

NO

bought somthing that was stolen

No....that is as bad as stealing it.

never used an illegal drug.

Nope never....I have never needed to be high to enjoy life.

The states attorney defines a withhold as the "Judge witholds the judgement of Guilt or Conviction in a case" In other words gives someone a second chance

Sorry, i was just telling you that many employers our going to count that as a conviction. And that in many states you cant get a concieled handgun permit with an adjuticated charge. Ive held concieled carry permits in 3 states. VA, TEXAS and ARKANSAS. Virginia, will NOT issue a permit to anyone with an adjudicated charge. Until a couple of years ago, Texas wouldnt allow a permit with an Adjudicated charge, now they do. Arkansas allows permits on a adjudicate charge on a case by case basis.
As far as companies denying employment for an adjuticaded charge, it happens...... Its not my rule as a recruiter, I dont make policies, I just have to go by them.

But to run someone to 272.25 hrs of a needed 275, is criminal.

if its criminal...procecute them. I think you should.

[Mack 10]

Sheepdancer, I was reading these post from you guys that are from last year. But, I'm sure this question still applies. So, when we're waitin to be sent to orientation they haven't done the necessary background information yet? I thought they were doing that while the new potential hire is waiting. And you being a recuiter and all probably will know this; when are newbies officially hired? When called to attend orientation, or once we are with the trainer? My recuiter didn't give me much to go on. And I have gotten their voicemail like three times. So I decided to waite it out. They said a few weeks. Whatever!

[gmh]

I don't think sheepdancer posts here much anymore. I know he's not with JB Hunt any longer.

Heard from my recruiter today. He says my file is with security, so I imagine they're doing the background check now. If not...wtf am I doing sitting around twiddling my thumbs?

I don't think most companies count you as 'hired' until you are in your own truck. Until then, you are just in training.

[scania]

Drivers need to be prescreened BEFORE they get the Ok to come to orientation. From what I have been hearing J.B. flunt doesn;t even do a background check before approving drivers for orientation.
_________________

No we will prescreen before a driver gets to orientation. Its actually pretty simple to do it that way. I tell the driver he has to find a fax machine, I will fax him a form, he will sign it, fax it back and we will run his stuff before orientation. If he doesnt do that, he will sign the form at orientation and we will run it then....ITS HIS or HER CHOICE. How hard is it to find a fax machine? Obviously many think its reallly hard because only about 1/2 of my drivers actually sign it before.

Sounds like your company was running behind a little on his background check.