This here comes from a driver who is at Covenant and I do agree that Covenant is a pretty low company. While it is not horrible here, like we have great equipment, and I think I've been treated pretty well, they haven't messed with my pay or anything, I do think they take too much from the drivers. I'm only here for 3 more months to get my year of experience then I'm off to greener pastures.
For example, we have to pay to use Trip Pack. We, out of our own pockets, have to pay if we want EZPass and Prepass. We have to pay to get boosted if they determine it was our fault the truck's battery went out. I could list many other examples but I think most would agree that those are not things a company driver should have to pay for.
Although I think this is a problem at many comapnies I sat in LA for 2 days waiting for a load to go back east. I got the impression that they have way many more drivers than than they have freight needs so their fleet utilization is probably very inefficient. I was also told by a trainer who had been here for a while that the ones that get moving first are the teams with a student on bored because they don't have to pay them as much. That migth make business sense but it doesn't make me feel valued as a driver.
I picked up a load the other day that was going from Arkansas to California, and had plenty of time to spare getting it there. So even though I had the hours to roll right away from the shipper, I decided to get a good night's rest and roll the next morning. I got in trouble because they said I should have rolled right away and not sit overnight. The way I look at it, if I get it there on time that is all that matters. They like to micro-manage everything that you do.
When I was in LA I got dispatched on a local load for like 20 miles. My fleet manager could not even tell me how much I was getting paid for it. He said he didn't have that information. I didn't find out about the load assignment until 2 hours later after it was assigned to me. I had told my dispatcher I'd be out of the truck and to call my cell if I got a load. Well I get back to the truck and find some nasty messages about why I hadn't confirmed the load assignment and that I need to hurry up to get it delivred on time. When I reminded me dispatcher that he was supposed to call me, he said he had 60 drivers on his board and forgot, and that it was company policy that he can't call me anyways. Suffice it to say I think there is a lot of communication problems at this company too.
That is a factual, not emotional (unlike what some on this bored do) assesment of some of the thins wrong with this company. Having said that, I'm determined to make the best out of my 3 months here. I have a nice truck, and as long as they keep me moving, I'm happy. After that it's off to probably Crete, maybe an LTL company or tanker.
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