Truck Driving Jobs

nrvsreck · #1 10-13-2006, 07:44 PM

I'm currently considering an OTR flatbed carrier out of Oklahoma. It's a smaller company and there's not much info on here about them. They seem to be in a bit of a rush to get me going, but that in itself makes me suspicious. Companies that rush the driver in like that are typically "outlaw" companies which I want nothing to do with. I do need to get to work though and I've always considered working for them. I want to get everything the recruiter says in writing first. What would be the best to go about it? Email, fax, snail-mail? And how much leeway would I actually have in holding them up to thier claims?

Sheepdancer · #2 10-13-2006, 08:29 PM

Just because that smaller company is rushing you doesnt mean they are an outlaw company. Hell, I work for one of the largest companies and I rush drivers all the time. The reason for this is: The freight and customer wont wait for the driver. If I have a dedicated run that only needs 1 or 2 drivers, Im always going to rush the driver. It might not seem fair, but thats just the way things are. We have many other recruiters here, and if I cant get a driver in a job quickly, then someone else will.
Now...Like I said the freight wont wait on the driver. If I need a driver on a postition, that means not all that customers freight is getting hauled in a timely manner. I dont know of any companies that would tell a customer..."just wait a few more weeks while the driver gets ready to come work for us" That would be a great way to lose a customer.

As far as putting things in writing...Personally, i just dont do it. There are many reasons for this. But my main reason is it just takes way too much time. Between the time I schedule someone and the time of orientation a lot of things can happen. With any company, you dont have the job until you are done with orientation. For me to put all of that in writing with all the stipulations would take hours. I will pass....in the time I write all that out, I could find two other drivers for that same run that dont want it in writing. Once again, this isnt that Im trying to hide anything or lie about anything. When Im recruiting someone they are welcome to record me. That doesnt bother me a bit. Im just not going to take the time to type out every little thing for a driver. Like I said....by the time I type everything out....send it....the driver reads it....calls me back....THAT DEDUCATED JOB HAS LONG BEEN FILLED.

Bigmon · #3 10-13-2006, 08:53 PM

A recruiter can have a template and fill in the blanks. It's no big deal. You can even dictate it.

Sheepdancer · #4 10-13-2006, 09:09 PM

But here is the thing.....You dont have a job until you get through orientation. Anything can happen.....you could fail the drug test....fail the driving test.....you could decide you want to go crazy at orientation and cuss everyone out and get sent home (yes thats happened more than once)...Thats the thing with "Pre-hire".
Hell....Ive never seen this happen, but right in the middle of orientation the company could lose the account. Like I said....with all the stipulations that could happen, I would have to write an essay to cover all bases. Im just not going to take that much time to do it. You know in the many years Ive been here, Ive only been asked to put it in writing about 5 times. Most of those drivers I told..."Look...I could spend the next hour putting this in writing....send it to you...you could look it over...call me back and want the job and my recruiting buddy beside me will have already filled that postition. Do you want the job or not?" 95% of the time the driver will just go on and get set up for orientation.
But...like I said before...if you dont trust me...just go ahead and record me. I have no problem with that.

dollarshort · #5 10-13-2006, 09:10 PM

What a bunch of crap! You don't have time to put it in writing? Then I would say I don't have time to come and work for you. The real reason a recruiter will not put anything in writing as because they can't remember all the lies they told you during the process to get you to come aboard.

starman5196 · #6 10-13-2006, 09:18 PM

If you were to go to work in another industry how much of what was said or promised would you get in writing? It seems to me that if you feel the need to make sure things are on the up and up by getting everything in writing that maybe you really shouldn't be considering that company. What happens to all the "little things" that aren't thought of in the writings?

Just doesn't seem like good business from either side. And I'm basing that feeling on decades of working in a variety of different industries.

flyncasafo · #7 10-13-2006, 09:19 PM

You took the time to put all of your thoughts here in writing here. Why can't you place the high lights of your phone conversation into writing? You must have a schpele that you give every driver? If you don't have a general outline for the converstation that tells me your have something to hide. What are you hiding at JB Hunt? Maybe your turnover rate would be much lower if you put it in writing. But then you would not get your commision for every driver you bring in. Then you would be asking prospective companies for your job in writing.

Sheepdancer · #8 10-13-2006, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dollarshort

What a bunch of crap! You don't have time to put it in writing? Then I would say I don't have time to come and work for you. The real reason a recruiter will not put anything in writing as because they can't remember all the lies they told you during the process to get you to come aboard.

You're more than welcome to say that. I have tons of dedicated jobs that open up every day. If I call a driver with a great local job and he says "screw you I want it in writing"and hangs up I will just get the next driver I talk to. Now....who lost out? I sure didnt. The driver who signed up for the job sure didnt....I guess the guy who lost out was the one that got all angry and hung up, because he didnt get the job.
Like I said in the first post...THE FREIGHT ISNT GOING TO WAIT ON THE DRIVER. Dedicated jobs need to be filled fast to keep the customers happy. OTR is another story....If you want OTR pay in writing, I would just tell a driver to go to our website....print off the page and "POOF" you have it in writing.
Example from just today: About 11:00am this morning, I had a great local job open up in Houston Texas. I hardly ever have local jobs open up there. We needed 5 drivers. I personally put two drivers on it. It filled up in about 15 minutes and closed for hiring. All of those drivers are going to be in orientation monday. Now, what if I would have taken the time to write everything out to send it to the first guy I talked to? This is what would have happened...THAT DRIVER WOULDNT HAVE GOTTEN THE JOB....AND PERSONALLY, I WOULDNT HAVE TWO DRIVERS GOING INTO ORIENTATION ON MONDAY.
Like it or not, this is just the way things are....good jobs dont wait on drivers. First come, first gets the job.

Knowingly lying to a driver will get me fired faster than anything around here....This is my career, Im not going to risk it by lying about a job.

And once again...if I was lying about anything why would I say I was OK with people recording me?

Sheepdancer · #9 10-13-2006, 09:40 PM

Once again...this is all a moot point anyway....I hire hundreds of drivers a year...ive been doing this for many years and Ive only had about 5 times where someone has asked for it in writing. It just doesnt happen.

How about this.....How about you drivers do this for me. When I schedule you, put in writing "I promise I will show up to orientation, pass the physical, pass the drug test and driving test and if I get sent home from orientation for any reason that was my fault I personally will pay Craigs commission anyway"
That works for me...

starman5196 · #10 10-13-2006, 09:41 PM

sheepdancer - ever get anything in austin? I wouldn't even make you put it in writing!! :lol: