You could find pros and cons to both types of carriers. If I were looking for a driving position I think that I would try to find a smaller to mid sized carrier. I prefer a more personal way of doing business. Most of the mega carriers are not currently being run by their founders. The founders were usually truck drivers so they knew how to relate to their drivers. Many of today's owners have no clue as to what it is like to be out on the open road in a truck. They hire college graduates to dispatch trucks who have also never been in a truck. That is where much of the conflict come in. Some dispatchers have unrealistic expectations from drivers since they have never experienced what these people go through on a daily basis. Most probably don't even know the name of their drivers, only their truck numbers. Small carriers usually know the drivers name. It is all about what you want and in what environment you are comfortable. Smaller carriers deal more in personalities. With the mega carriers it is mostly about the numbers.

 

With the mega carriers it is mostly about the numbers




as in bottom line numbers.. you are just a number. & yeah it makes a difference to me. if you surpass your obligations & duties & get loads picked up & delivered thru difficult circumstances, like bad weather, multiple drops, e.t.c. you would want to hear things like, thank you g-man, we can always count on you, or we appreciate what you do for us. NOT... HEY... truck number 1234 got that houston load off earlier..

the reference to G-man is used in this fictional story as an example only. lol

 

I couldn't have said it better myself. Anonymity is where it's at!

As for the electronic over the shoulder monitoring? I certainly am aware of it. I'm sure they use it as often as they feel it's necessary. I rarely hear about it and then it's usually because I'm running close on a delivery appointment. I'm not inclined to abuse the equipment and don't run a whole bunch of out of route miles, so what the heck do I have to worry about?

As for Drivers in general, some need a lot of hand holding and I don't; some need a lot of positive feedback and I don't. I take some pride in the fact that they can send me a load and I can get the job done. If I do have a question or actually need help with something, I don't have to look too far or wait too long to get it. If I can't run the load (or maybe don't want it) I can turn it down and only rarely do I get any grief about it. Even then, I usually win.

As for the company itself, my only real gripe is that because it is a training company, many of our support people default to the "dealing with a noob" mode whenever I chime in. Some are smart enough to check the Driver code and some aren't. It's these morons that wind up in pissing contests with otherwise perfectly good Drivers and the otherwise perfectly good Drivers come to places like this and tell you all what a piece of **** company it is they work for. I try to educate them and move on.

 

[QUOTE=GMAN]. Many of today's owners have no clue as to what it is like to be out on the open road in a truck. They hire college graduates to dispatch trucks who have also never been in a truck. That is where much of the conflict come in. Some dispatchers have unrealistic expectations from drivers since they have never experienced what these people go through on a daily basis.[QUOTE]

Prime example, around Thanksgiving we had a lot of 1 stop 25 pallets live unload loads.. If the store work they suppose to work the Truck could be unloaded with in an hour/ hour half... So my DBL is setting me up for another run and he tells me the unloading shouldn't take no more then 30 mins for my current one stop load.. and i laughed at him and asked was he serious.. and he said YES... He clearly had no clue.. Still even after seeing it was a one stop full live unload he thought it would only take this wonderful wally world 30 mins.. it was sad!!

 

[QUOTE=Hawkjr;432183][QUOTE=GMAN]. Many of today's owners have no clue as to what it is like to be out on the open road in a truck. They hire college graduates to dispatch trucks who have also never been in a truck. That is where much of the conflict come in. Some dispatchers have unrealistic expectations from drivers since they have never experienced what these people go through on a daily basis.hey i get quite a few live unload 30min loads :-) ive found that if i do live load or unload i dont sit in the dock much anymore

 

A family that I've known all my life owns a Custom Harvesting business. I worked for them for 6 years. I still haul grain for them every once in a while. Anyway, If I could afford it, I would rather work for them than a big whoppin company, and I work for a big whoppin company. :lol:

 

That may be the case in your company, but it is not the norm for most smaller companies. Being "known" has WAY many advantages!

Anonymity does not equal being "left alone." And being well known does not equal being "watched."

I worked 3 years for a small (30 truck) outfit where everyone was "known" by name, and even "voice." Heck, they had our cellphone numbers on caller ID. Qualcomm was an administrative "tool," but most contact was by phone.

I got known early on as one who could be counted on to get the job done. But, in most cases, I didn't get dispatched until my turn came around. (First in.... first out.) So much for "driver politics." But, there WERE the occaisional loads they begged me to take because they HAD to have reliability for that contract. If it inconvenienced me, they KNEW it... and apologized while begging.

One time, under such circumstances, I went 250 miles out of route to avoid the usual I-80 road closures in Wyoming. The one dispatcher who thought he ran the company, let me know that he "knew" it, and somewhat protested, but the others "knew" I wouldn't have done it without a reason, and the load got delivered. I never heard another word about it. (the same dispatcher later recommended me to the new company he went to work for when mine closed down.)

Some truckers just want to do a job, with little or no complications. Others relish the opportunity to prove their value. The former MAY find what they seek with the megas, but can get "canned" for the smallest indiscretion. The latter will find a "career" with a smaller company, and will weather MOST problems for the very fact that they are "known" to those who control their future... and will actually get MORE independence in the process.

Trucking is certainly NOT a "one size fits all" industry. But, based on the experiences related here on CAD, and all I've learned of it, working for a smaller company is HANDS DOWN the winning combination for a driver who feels he is worth more because he is willing to DO more. Not ALL benefits of a job are measured in terms of 401k's and cpm.

When I took a load I didn't like for THEIR convenience, they remembered it and made it up to me just as soon as they could. The owner, and the head of Safety/Training, both asked favors of me, and never failed to thank me for my contribution to their success and smooth operations. I don't need "hand holding" or stroking.... but, I deserve and appreciate being respected and accomodated.

Yes, I LIKED working for a company that knew who I was. I was given an opportunity to make the job what I wanted it to be, and I wanted it to be MORE than just a load assignment on a qualcom.

But, that's just ME. I'm sure there are some advantages to working for a "MEGA," but.... I can't think of one.

 

Hobo how is the job search going? Any luck with getting back out there for a few weeks at a time? How many applications do you have out?

Very good post Hobo. I'm proud of ya!:thumbsup:

 

Come on now, Bel! You KNOW I am not "looking" right now. I have one of these "dedicated" runs that pay well. This year is dedicated to getting out of debt! NEXT year is when I get back "out there" with a good OTR job!

In fact, I hope to be able to buy a truck and haul loads wherever "I" want to go! I'm gonna get one of those "conversion" trucks that open up into a tent! Spend my downtime next to a stream and do a little fishing! Might even bring a woman along to wash the frypan and keep the "bunk" warm! :lol:

You won't find ME wasting MY line 5 time in the SAME local bar every night like you "Local Wusses!" :hellno::lol2::lol2:

OTR is the ONLY way to truck!!

 

Originally Posted by VitoCorleone99
I won't pretend to know all of the ins and outs of working for a small outfit and I'm not sure if my company completely fits the "mega" label (~3,000 trucks). That being said, I hear probably the same stuff that everybody hears from people who work at the smaller companies, e.g. - "When I call, I don't even have to tell them who it is. My dispatcher knows my voice." Really? That's one reason for me never to work for your company then.

I started driving a truck mainly because I wanted to be left the hell alone. I find that many people are largely ignorant and substantially annoying when you're around them too much. Now I don't have to be around them. As long as I pick up on time, deliver on time, and don't hit anything, there is no reason for anybody at my company to know that I exist. I like it that way.

There may very well be a thousand wonderful reasons to work for smaller companies, but that "they know who I am" nonsense is enough to keep me away.

Vito I think you stirred up a hornets nest with this statement.

I work for a small 100+ truck company. Three of the brothers bought dad out about 10 years ago. All three drove for dad and now they each run sections of the company (maintenance, safety and president). My dispatcher knows my voice and what I'm able to do. Since we run linehaul, any time a driver comes into my area and isn't sure where a customer is, dispatch has them call me. Dispatch knows what our preferences are (i.e. I hate Cali.) and won't send us to thse areas unless its necessary. If there is a payroll issue, Brenda knows the drivers and she can get it fixed. Same goes with log compliance. We arn't just a truck number to our company. We are part of the family, and yes, when the company has a christmas party.....its primarily for the drivers and its held at The South Point Hotel and Casino ever year with our suites 1/2 paid for by the company.