Truck Driving Jobs

driver67373 · #1 05-04-2007, 01:12 AM

I'm just curious...I'm looking to get back on the road (only 7 months prior experience). Swift, Covenant, and JB Hunt have approved me for orientation. Schneider Bulk is pending. USA Truck also approved me but they want to take so much out of my paycheck every week to build an escrow account for $500. They said this is to cover orientation expenses. That if I quit before I year I lose it, if I stay a year then it's mine to keep. They said it builds interest. My question is WHY? Why would they do that for a company driver? I can understand doing a thing to build an expense account for a l/o or o/o, but not for a company driver. That sends red flags to me. Benefits of this job in particular is it's regional and home 3 out of 4 weekends.

Doghouse · #2 05-04-2007, 01:27 AM

Like any good trucking company,....they had a bean counter meeting and came to the conclusion that:

Even though they are making a mint paying you to drive (a weekly wage,..around $350.00) during their "training" period. Instead of the miles you will drive.

They now will deduct a %% to offset the loss (AKA to profit even more from your misery), and fill your truck seat as quickly as possible,....because you got fed up and quit,...they get your escrow money, and you get a lesson in company driving.

Company owner asks,"how can we make more $$ of the current pool of newbie truck drivers",..bean counter says,...."hey,...I have an idea", blammo there's the new idea. Its a shame, but he with the gold makes the rules.

GMAN · #3 05-04-2007, 11:35 AM

I would not be surprised if you had more companies going to escrow accounts for drivers. Carriers have had a lot of drivers who have abused their assigned equipment. For this reason alone, I could support having drivers put money in an escrow account to pay for damages to the truck. I don't think it should be used to pay for company orientation.

Doghouse · #4 05-04-2007, 12:40 PM

I didn't consider the damages Gman, thats a good point. I do get the impression that once they have your money,.....you won't get it back even if there are no damages.

Cynduck · #5 05-04-2007, 12:58 PM

I think the big thing with this is if it is a reputable company or not. We talked long and hard about this one when we picked the company we went with. That money isn't used for orientation (although if you leave before completing 90 days they do take out the physical and drug screen cost). That money is used for damages or the cost of getting an abandon truck if a driver does that. It can also be used to pay a ticket if you get one. We decided to go ahead and do it because the company has a good solid reputation.

larryh31 · #6 05-04-2007, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doghouse

I do get the impression that once they have your money,.....you won't get it back even if there are no damages.

You can probally kiss that money good bye. They will also keep it if you abandon the truck. USA Truck and PAM both charge their drivers for an escrow account. Both companies hire mainly rookie drivers, so what are the odds of a rookie driver making through a whole year without at least a minor incident like hitting a curb or something. With driver turnover rates over 100%, how many trucks do you think the company will have to "pick-up" during a year?

GMAN · #7 05-04-2007, 01:33 PM

There is NO EXCUSE for a driver to abandon a truck. If he wants to quit, then he should tell his company and take the truck back to where he picked it up or where the company wants it to be taken. That is the professional way to handle things. In most cases, it will likely cost more than $500 to recover an abandoned truck. In the case of a driver having an accident, why shouldn't the driver take responsibility for the deductible? It would probably reduce the number of accidents if a driver had to pay his share of the damages. Most will absorb the amount of the deductible. It is something to consider.

Skywalker · #8 05-04-2007, 01:46 PM

The only, and I do mean only way I would pay anyone any kind of "escrow" money as a company driver, would be if the President and CEO of the company signed a statement/promissory note to me that stated that I would get my money back with interest....say Prime + 2% at the end of the year.

What the thieves are doing is "bankrolling" their operations off the backs of their drivers after a fashion.... :evil: :evil:

Gman, your idea has some merit....and its justifiable to a point, but it would need to be specifically limited to "damages" to the equipment. Or as a deposit against issued equipment, chains, locks, brooms, straps, etc. If you leave the company...you get the money back. CFI does that, as far as a deposit that covers the issued items. If you keep the stuff, its yours and they keep the money. If you turn it in, you get the money back, period.

Sounds to me like USA trucking has found a new way to "skin" their drivers and beat them out of money. :x :x Sounds like a beancounters wetdream of a way to cheat employees..... :evil: :evil: Sounds disreputable and dishonest to me.

Skywalker · #9 05-04-2007, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GMAN

There is NO EXCUSE for a driver to abandon a truck. If he wants to quit, then he should tell his company and take the truck back to where he picked it up or where the company wants it to be taken. That is the professional way to handle things. In most cases, it will likely cost more than $500 to recover an abandoned truck. In the case of a driver having an accident, why shouldn't the driver take responsibility for the deductible? It would probably reduce the number of accidents if a driver had to pay his share of the damages. Most will absorb the amount of the deductible. It is something to consider.

GMAN is 100% correct!! There is absolutely no excuse for abandoning a truck. Anyone who does it...is stupid and immature, and just not only quit their jobs....but effectively "blacklisted" themselves in the industry....and all they did was prove they were stupid, immature, foolish....and lemming-like.

You can get as pissed as you want....at a company or a person....but rather than cut your nose off to spite your face....why not get your licks in on the person that aroused your ire? And at the same take the equipment back where it belongs, and keep your career intact. Besides, by taking your problem and grievances high enough in the company, you may get a favorable resolution, the problem maker fired, and you would be doing every other driver a good turn. All you do by getting pissed and shooting yourself in the foot....is giving a jerk his lollies....and proving you are whatever they choose to label you as.

Take the equipment back, and have them sign a receipt for it, that also states that you returned it intact, damage free (if it was) and that it was returned to a proper and specified location of the company's choosing.
You get that determination from the Safety Department....not some dispatcher.

Sorry for the "rant"....but it just really irks me that some people complain about this and that.....and then do stupid things like abandon equipment...

GMAN.... I never thought of it quite that way, but you have a good point..... If more drivers knew that they would in fact be held actually financially accountable for a deductible amount for damage or accidents ....then the number of accidents and damages would surely decrease!!

Ridge Runner · #10 05-04-2007, 07:16 PM

While I a lot of respect for you ( GMAN and Skywalker ) and while the idea does have some merit, I know of no other industry that does such a thing. You could apply this standard to almost any industry and any accident. What would be the next step? Let's use that money to off set Worker Comp. ? Hey it was the employee that was unsafe not the company.

I can agree to holding it if the employee fails to fulfill his contract, but that is about all I could agree to.

BTW: I ran a fab shop for many years and I saw more than my share of equipment damage. It is just part of doing business and each employer must decide when an employee is "costing too much" to keep around.

As to the abandon truck, I agree that there is NO excuse for that but I might offer a simple solution that would benifit all parties. Where ever the company wants the truck taken they get the employee ( and his stuff ) home. Far cheaper than having to recover a truck.