Arrow Trucking

[Orangetxguy]

Found out today Arrow is no longer paying a safety bonus. This was $250 a quarter. No money to pay for it. I got a load of pipe Monday morn heading to Rock Springs, Wy. Good load. Delivers Thursday morn. Good chance not sitting another weekend.

Unless you get really lucky, you stand a good chance of sitting in Rock Springs a few days. Just not a lot of freight there.

[jvnd1953]

Compared to other Arrow drivers I've been lucky in getting what I have. Let's hope the luck continues. I do believe my days with Arrow are numbered though. Drive and be safe.

[jvnd1953]

Dropped my load this morning. 2 drivers before me were unloaded. First driver got a hay load right away. Myself and the second driver are still waiting. Heard from a very reliable source in Tulsa that Arrow is closing the training facility on Jackson St. and moving it to the Corporate area on Elwood. There is building going on at the Elwood location.

[jvnd1953]

I just got another load. Waiting time between loads was 3 hours. Going to Salt Lake City and pick up a load of brick going to Fort Worth, Tx. Delivers Monday so this will give me a 3000 mi. week Got a call from J.B. Hunt today. If I get my hazmat they have an opening in intermodal. 5 days a week, weekends off. When I was home last I picked up my practice tests and DMV hand book so I could study for my endorsemdent tests. He said I could make $700 to $1100 a week??????? $700 yes, $1100 sounds like recruiter talk. Drive and be safe

[jvnd1953]

I get to the shipper and they need a pickup number. There are 3 Arrow trucks in front of me. I call my DM. He calls back and says that a mistake was made. There are only 3 loads available. This is Friday am. He tells me the next load available is Monday am. I told him the shipper has loads going today and I'll call back. The shipper says he has 5 more loads with this order and needs 5 more Arrow trucks today. I call my DM back and tell him. My DM says to ask if I can pickup a load scheduled for Monday pickup today. The shipper says yes and I tell my DM. I then get a new load assignment but the load doesn't deliver till Thursday. My DM says to go to our Dallas terminal, drop trailer, and a local driver will deliver. What a screw up. All I needed was a pickup number.

[jvnd1953]

Took a load of wood crates and needed 18 straps from Jacksonville, Tx to Tulsa, Ok. (500 mi)Unloaded and then took my truck to maintenance for a PM. Only in Tulsa 2 days Got a load of pipe from Tulsa to Blythville, Ar. (500 mi). Then got a load of plate steel from Memphis back to Tulsa. (500 mi) That will probably be it for the week. 1500 miles. Less than the 2000 miles I said I needed. Got a great paycheck for last weeks 3000 miles. Need that every week.

[freebirdrfd]

Run forest run.............

[jvnd1953]

Surprise!!! Sunday night at 1700 hrs I get a call. Can I go pick up a loaded trailer from a driver in Oklahoma City who has a family emergency and deliver it in Houston the next day. My needed 500 miles. I said sure and met my 2000 mile quota for the week. This week will definetly be different. After dropping in our Houston yard I sat until Wednesday night. No loads at all. Finally they had me bring some of our trailers up to Tulsa. 500 mi. On the way here my AC goes out. I stop and open the hood and a green slime is covering the motor. Bummer. Now I wait for repairs in Tulsa. They tell me tonight or tomorrow. We'll see. Lots of loads in Tulsa. Begging for drivers. It figures I'd break down now. Drive and be safe

[jvnd1953]

AC was fixed in 20 hours. Not bad. Got a load to Blytheville, Ar. Only 500 mi and all weekend to get there. Better than sitting and layover.

[jvnd1953]

Immediately after dropping in Blythville I get a load about 2 miles away going to Emporia, Kansas. I deliver on Tuesday and they stacked a load on me picking up in Parsons, Ks. As I'm being loaded it's pouring rain and mixed with the water flowing on the ground is black oil. A lot of it. I stopped my motor and checked the level, empty. I sprung an oil leak. Mechanic comes out and says oil cooler. Arrow decides to send the company tow truck to pick me up. About 120 miles. The tow truck shows up nthe next day at 1300 hrs. I'm in Tulsa now and told 4 to 5 days. We'll see. This load was going to unload in Tucson but they gave it away. Arrow used to give drivers a private room at the motel, no more. We share a room with trainees and other new drivers. I had a friend call and wants me to drive dumptruck locally for $20 an hour. I will have to pay my own taxes, etc. I think I'm going to take it. I also have a job interview for manager of a door and window store. I installed doors and windows for 23 years prior to driving. Will sure miss Arrow.

[danske]

I had a friend call and wants me to drive dumptruck locally for $20 an hour. I will have to pay my own taxes, etc. I think I'm going to take it.

What do you mean that you will have to pay your own taxes? Best of luck and thank you for all your input

[freebirdrfd]

What do you mean that you will have to pay your own taxes? Best of luck and thank you for all your input

it's called a 1099 form. you are responsible for your own taxes. arrow sucks. now run from them and don't look back

[danske]

it's called a 1099 form. you are responsible for your own taxes. arrow sucks. now run from them and don't look back

My understanding of the tax laws is you can't drive someone else equipment and be considered self-employment. I wish it was so, but the IRS seem to want everyone employed by another. I think our government finds this easier to collect taxes.

Perhaps, I should start a thread and ask who are driving, have their income report on a 1099, and have not run a foul of the federal and state tax laws.

Oh, and from following this thread I have to agree that Arrow is a bad company.

[jvnd1953]

Hey danske, how ya' doin? We met when I started with Davis. Freebird is right. At the end of the year the employer files a 1099 form and the IRS and state get a copy. You must pay the appropriate taxes. I was self-employed for 23 years prior to driving which I started20 months ago. I get a weekly check for the hours worked. 40 hours will be $800. I will take $150 out immediately and put into a separate acount. I will pay my taxes and medical insurance out of this account. At the end of the year if there is any left, it's mine. Bonus pay. This should be a pretty good bonus with Obama's tax cuts huh? LMFAO. Anyway, just talked to my buddy and the truck won't be ready for a couple of weeks. Needs to get registered, etc. Also, right now he has only work for 3 days a week. In a few weeks he will have work that will be 6 days a week and should last for a long time. 3 days a week is more then I made this week. Paycheck was $280. Next week will be worse. Sitting here in Tulsa I see a lot of existing drivers going to the bus station. There is no slow down in the number of new drivers. Both experienced and trainees. Arrow can't afford to put existing drivers in their own room anymore so I share a room with a driver waiting to go out with a trainer. Mixing existing drivers with new drivers is a big mistake for Arrow. Arrow told these new drivers they could expect 3200 miles a week. I LMAO and set them straight. They were not happy. I think they all believe as I did at first, I'll be the exception. I told them I think I've had 2 or 3 3000 mile weeks this year and I've been fortunate. There are many drivers getting less miles then I have. I said to expect an average run to be 500 to a 1000 miles. A 500 mile run picking up Friday morn will not deliver till Monday morn. This is flatbedding and receivers close at 1500 hrs if not earlier on a Friday. This means a driver can drive the 500 miles on Friday and sit the weekend and because they are under load, will not receive any layover which at best would be $25. Unload Monday and wait till the end of Monday to get a load. Maybe you have the hours to get there that day but the shipper will be closed. Pick up Tuesday morn. A 1000 mile run will deliver Thursday morn. This is assuming you weren't held up at the shipper. Unload Thursday and wait till the afternoon to get a load that will pick up Friday morn. 500 mi load will deliver on Monday morn. Total is 2000 mi. This is a great week with Arrow and this would be a problem free week also. Everything went perfectly. Then you wake up. Drive and be safe.

[jvnd1953]

Went to pick up some parts for the shop at the Kenworth dealer. I've done this a few times before. Before I just signed for the parts because Arrow had an account. This time the parts had to be prepaid which was done with a credit card. I asked the counter guy "what, doesn't Arrow have an account?" and he said not really. They have to pay for each transaction. I also found out that the reason we don't stay at the Days Inn anymore is because Arrow couldn't pay the $10,000 bill which the motel sued for and won.

[jvnd1953]

Anyone know what happened to dewercs2? I would call him but I hate to bother him if it's bad news from his accident or medical and he doesn't want to be bothered.

[jvnd1953]

danske, some O/O wiyh their own authority are basically self-employed. They contract to carriers. These carriers will file a 1099 at the end of the year. Maybe an O/O can confirm this for me. I know in the civilian world that's how my construction business operated. As far as driving someone else's equipment this is how it works. You are employed by the company, in fact, I have to be approved by their insurance which is why my friend needed me to get experience before he could use me. They just choose to pay you as a contractor. Perfectly legal and quite common. I wouldn't do this if it wasn't above board and legal. I will also pay more taxes then you. Your employer pays 1/2 your social security. I have to pay the whole thing. Self-employment tax for self-employed is usually 110%.

[jvnd1953]

Well it took Arrow one hour to fix my truck. I spent 6 days waiting. Now I have to wait for a load. Told there is no freight. Number 20 on the list. Every Arrow driver I talked to is unhappy. I found one driver out of about 25 that is getting miles and he's been with the company 2 months. He's making less then us so they run him more. He'll join us in a month when his pay increases to ours. I've made the decision to leave Arrow after my hometime. I will turn in my truck at Phoenix. I see things getting worse with the winter slow down. I have some interviews coming up with a solid job offer.

[freebirdrfd]

goodluck jvnd1953, i don't think it can get much worse than where you are now...

[Jumbo]

Is there more then one Arrow Trucking out of Tulsa? I met a driver tonight who had a clean truck, a nice trailer and he liked his job. He cant work for the same place.