The Grass is Greener
 

I was talking to a driver a few days ago and the subject of drivers switching jobs came up. Drivers seem to change jobs for a penny a mile or some other small benefit. Most don't realize that they will lose at least 2-3 weeks wages when they make a change. If you drive 100,000 miles and make an additional penny per mile, that is $1,000 per year in additional wages. However, if you make $800/wk and lose 3 weeks wages you have actually made about $1,400 less for the year. :shock:

I think another reason some drivers leave carriers is due to personality conflicts with their dispatchers or driver managers. They get mad and quit without having thought their decision out. Most problems can be solved by talking it out. If you have a problem with a dispatcher and you can't seem to work things out, go to his supervisor and ask for another dispatcher. Just keep going up the ladder until you find a solution. Sometimes it is the person in the mirror who has the problem. We all have bad days. It is how we handle those bad days that makes the difference.

It is in the companies best interest to retain good drivers. Moving around is bad for the driver and company. It is expensive to constantly recruit new drivers. There are some carrier's who seem to not care about their people, but I think a good attitude can make a world of difference.

The grass is usually not greener at the next company. Constantly moving around can have a heavy cost in lost income for both the company and driver. :?

You have a good point GMAN. However, I want to add this. How many times has it been posted that the recruiters don't always tell the truth about the companies that they represent? Yes, it does cost alot to recruit new drivers but IMO if they spent more money on retention of who they have i.e. paying practical or even god forbid hub miles, sending drivers home when they promised they would, paying detention time every time, and getting on shippers and receivers to load and unload the things the driver is only supposed to get there on time and in one piece. I will give you an example. I have a friend who left a job because he wanted to get off the longhaul trips. So he took a job running regional which he liked very much which payed $.43 a mile practical and $20 a stop tarp. The company he had been working for decided they wanted to retain the good drivers they had so they went back through the list of drivers who had left, which my friend was on, and made them a proposal. I know this as a fact because I saw what the offer sheet that they faxed to him, using my fax machine, to recieve, sign and send back. Their offer was: he could have his pick of any of the new Peterbilt tractors on their lot to have as his own. He had his choice of the new conestoga trailers which would only be pulled by him. When he went home for home time his tractor wouldn't be driven by anyone else unless in emergency. For his coming back he would be compensated at a rate of $.51 per hub mile and each stop would pay $65.00. He would also retain the senority and vacation time he had accumulated when he left. Needless to say he signed the offer, gave his two weeks notice and went back. That was 6 months ago. I had called him after he had been back on the job 4 weeks and he told me that everything was what they said it was and out of the 12 drivers they sent this offer to 11 came back. The twelveth had already taken a LTL job and liked being home every night. It just goes to show that even though not every company could do this that some won't try and just rely on the revolving door of new drivers who think the grass is greener.

Re: The Grass is Greener
 

I have heard this claim before, and have yet to hear any sort of logical explanation on how this is possible. Most experienced drivers already have another job lined up if they are leaving a company, and in many cases, the transition is seamless (you are driving for one company one day, and the next day you are driving for another).

I have been driving for 11 years, and have pulled for 5 carriers in that time. The most time a job transition took me was a week and a half, and that was when I bought my truck, and that was by CHOICE. I could have done it in a day or two easily if I chose to.

Can you explain this 2-3 week claim?

Exactly my thought! If it takes someone 2-3 weeks to adjust maybe they aren't cut out for the trucking business. I personally never missed more than 2 days pay whenever switching, and I usually make up for that by asking to work a couple extra days within the first 2 weeks. I have changed jobs more than my share in the past and my wages have never taken a hit. If it does then you made the wrong decision. Making a change usually means you just drive a different color truck....The job is still the same. :wink:

I will be glad to explain it to you, Rev. If you go from one job to another you will need to go through their orientation. That seems to take about 4 days with most companies, these days. If you start orientation on Monday you may get a load out on Thursday. Even if it is a short run and you get it delivered the next day, your paperwork will likely not be in payroll until the next week. If you assume that they pay on Fridays, that means your first paycheck will be on Friday of the second week. If you only have a short run, your paycheck will likely be smaller than you are accustomed. If your paperwork doesn't get to payroll by the cut off time, then it could be the following week before you receive your first paycheck. At that point you will be looking at 3 weeks. If you don't have a job to go to before quiting your current job, it could be longer before that first check arrives.

Thank God we all get paid hourly over here. :wink:

Jumbo, I agree that some recruiters don't always tell the truth to prospective drivers or will omit key information that will aid in their decision to change jobs. I also see some drivers who will lie to companies about their background or character. It would be so much better if everyone was 100% truthful.

I,m bloody sure I,ll be economical with the truth when I get my licence back.
One foot in the door, prove I,m good at my job and then, who cares after that? :wink:

I just completed orientation with my first company this Friday. One of the guys in orientation had been with the company before and was coming back. A clear cut case of the grass is greener.

He left to work for a local company, he said he worked harder, even with getting more CPM he ended up with less pay. He was home just about everynight but the quality of home time wasn't great since he got home late and was up early not leaving much time for family.

He came back is going into the "Heavy Haul" division and should be home on weekends and occasionally during the week.

Not all carriers have orientation. Most of the carriers that I've worked for that actually had one, took 2 days at most.

Okay, but you aren't "losing" 2-3 weeks of pay - you are still getting paid for those 2-3 weeks. And the thing you fail to take into account is that you will still be getting a paycheck from your prior job AFTER you have already left, for the work that you did prior to leaving.

I think that "2-3 weeks lost pay" thing is just a scare tactic dreamt up by the carriers that have high turnover, to try and keep their drivers from leaving.

This was exactly the case when I was Ops Mgr for a trucking company. A guy comes to you starving when he gets out of orientation, then I spent 4 hours deprogramming him, meeting dispatch, reviewing permits etc. And of course they wanted an advance for "road money". He gets under his first load on Thursday/Friday and delivers Monday at latest for what we ran. He did not get paid for orientation, and the paperwork for this first load will not be processed and paid until the following week. So the driver has no paycheck on Friday following orientation or the next Friday, he receives his first check on the following Friday which is not 100% because he has taken advances on it and hopefully he submitted all paperwork timely and accurately. Some drivers jump company to company and I have seen some that I swear only came to be fired so they can collect unemployment. I will not fire a driver, he has to perform or he RESIGNS. Too many unemployment claims from drivers claiming they cant find a job driving truck. I told an unemployment judge to look in his local newspaper and see if he can find a driving job. Some of these guys arent smart enough to know a good deal when they have it.

And let's not forget that the grass really is greener on the other side at times. I know it is for me since I left USXpress and went to Celadon. Sure, I miss that Volvo 780 with the automatic tranny, but that's about it. I don't miss sitting for days on end without a load, and getting paychecks of $200-300 per week.

So, ya - sometimes it is greener.

I agree. When I quit Allied I was already qualified at United and went to work right away. Even if the driver isn't paid immediately, like 2 weeks, he still has the money coming in from the previous job and on paper, still earns the same, with only a few days loss pay. Thats how I see it.

Now, when people quit and take 2-3 weeks off between jobs without doing their homework on the enxt carrier, that can defintiely cause a "hiccup" in a company drivers W-2 form! 8)

G-Man I'm glad you brought this subject back to the fore front. I had been intending to bring back the original post I had done on this topic but time and board cleaning kept me from it...

The one thing I will add to your post is that a driver or Wanna-be should do all the HOMEWORK they can on the company of interest by talking to as many company drivers as they can not just one or two!!!!

Sometimes it's greener-Some times it's not but the Longer you drive the Greener it gets for options.

Sometimes the grass really is greener...unless you live in Kentucky - then it's BLUER! :lol:

Rev, most of the larger carriers do have orientation. I don't really have an orientation, but I am a smaller carrier and don't have the large number of recruits to check out. I have spoken to several carriers who have basically told me the same thing. They have the recruit do a drug test once they get to orientation. Most will send it out to an independent testing laboratory. I am told it takes about 2 1/2 days for some to get the results back. In the mean time, they bring in a group of people with various functions in the company so the driver can see how things work. Much of the time is busy type work until the drug test gets back. They will not be offered a position until the drug test results come back negative. Once that happens, the recruit is offered the position and signs his contract. He meets his dispatcher, is issued fuel cards, etc., By the time everything is done, and he gets a load he has spent about 3 1/2 to 4 days. When you bring in a group of drivers things need to be done in preparation for them getting on the road. It is not just a one on one situation, in most cases. They may have 20 or 30 new drivers with which to deal. The driver will be assigned a truck. He should inspect his new truck and sign off on it's condition. He will probably need to find a trailer. If one isn't readily available one must be found for him. He could go to a shipper to pick up a pre-loaded trailer. There is a lot to be done, but nothing will proceed until the drug test is back. If the carrier tests locally, they may get the results back sooner. From the time the drug test gets back, it can easily take 1 1/2 to 2 days to get the driver on the road.

And by the way, I am not talking about a driver not getting paid for work performed. I am talking about a gap in pay from the time he leaves his old company until he gets his first paycheck from the new company.

My slow whitted brain with all its' limited knowlege agrees with Gman.

CR England has orientation on Mondays, done on Wednesday. You then wait to get your truck. Unless you get orientation in Salt Lake you have to wait for a driver going in that direction that has room for you.

You may not loose 3 weeks pay, but rest assured you will loose about 5 days as orientation is unpaid.

Doctor Who, I am sure you and the others have had your hands full keeping things cleaned up. I appreciate the efforts you all spend in keeping things up and running smoothly.

I see a lot of new drivers talking about "starter companies.". It seems that some are looking for their second job before they get the first one. :? Every company will have it's idiosyncrasies and corporate culture. Some people are better suited for a smaller carrier, while others fare well with the corporate culture of a larger carrier. Some people don't take the time to do enough research about specific characteristics of a carrier before going to work for them. At least with this forum, they are given an opportunity to find specific information on various carriers.

For instance....Last company I quit....Had next job already lined up. Worked full week at previous job. Had orientation on following Monday at new job. Got truck Monday night. Ran a 640 mile run on Tuesday and finished the week on Saturday with 2,900 miles. Still had previous job check coming from previous week, and then received paycheck from new job the next Friday. So what's the problem. Any company that has a weeks worth of RED TAPE orientation to go through should give you a sign not to work there.

I had a couple of carriers to tell me the main reason they take so long with orientation is because of the drug test results. Some require hazmat and will have you sit through a film and take a hazmat test. Others may do the same thing with safety. I think you will find it more with larger carriers than smaller ones. It isn't nearly as difficult to set up a single driver or two with a truck, as it is when you have 20 or 30 drivers and trucks to put together. I can tell a driver everything I need him to know and give him what he needs in a few hours. I will already have him checked out before we get to that point. Some carriers don't start actually checking out references until the driver gets to orientation. It is my understanding that these carriers also have a lot of no shows at orientation, so there is no need to spend their resources getting a driver qualified until they are sure he is in orientation. It is expensive qualifying a driver and checking references. No company wants to waste their resources. At the same time, I think 4 days is a bit long for orientation, especially when you aren't usually paid for your time. How many trucks and drivers did the company you went with have, dollarshort?

Those "larger carriers" that you are speaking of are a small percentage of the total trucking companies in existance.

And that driver should still receive AT LEAST one paycheck AFTER he has left the company, which should take care of this "gap" that you are referring to.

I am glad you like it, Useless. Add all the thoughts you wish.



:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Many companies pay for orientation. Hell, Schneider even pays $500 for orientation for o/o, for example. :wink: I'd recheck your sources, as many companies promote that as an incentive in their recruiting. Some even supply the food and motel fees.

Either way, a company driver that can't go a week or two without pay has personal financial issues. Sometimes the risks that pay the most, have the most risk :)

We all point rigs down the road and get freight places. I kiss ass and lump dressers, some have to tie down steel coils in the freezing snow, and some have to wait for days at grocery warehouses :lol: I think its healthy to get settled at a company you like, even if it takes a few tries. Jumping ship isn't the way to handle this, but I think 2-3 months is enough time for a driver to evaluate whether or not he/she would like to maintain and employee/employer relationship with that carrier :)

Additionally, I never quit a job without another one lined up so I can always put in my 2 weeks and use them as a recommendation/resume. I did my pee test for United while on the Road with Allied. Some of these companies speed it up when they want to it seems :)

My only experience changing OTR jobs was seamless, as far as I was concerned.

Fired on Wednesday (tee hee), took Thursday off, interviewed and accepted offer at new job on Friday, started orientation Monday, finished Wednesday, left Thursday on my first load.

The last check from old job was short because the last week was not a full one. The same for the new job. So, full check, fired & short check in the same week, starting at new job & no check, full check. Could have been worse, I guess.

My first job was 1500 miles away. I'm sure traveling to and from orientation, plus a dead weekend would really hurt the pocketbook.

For an o/o, its a headache switching carriers sometimes. Getting plates/permits, and getting qualified can either be simple as pie or require hours of aggrivation and phone calls to sapw insurance, etc and fixing clerical errors :roll:

Re: The Grass is Greener
 

Good post and I agree :wink: I started to get into that moving around thing and quickly realized its not good, especially for a newer driver.

This is exactly why I've been doing research on companies, schools, company schools, etcetera for the past two weeks. I was told by a relative in the industry that it looks really bad on your resume to jump around. Especially if you're looking to get on with a top notch company.

By the way, could you folks point me in the right direction? Looking for yet more information on the best company to start my CDL A career with. I'm not trying to be lazy either, I'm just exhausted from searching other forums, company websites, talking with recruiters and people I know in the industry, etc. I need to make a choice and have not yet come to a conclusion.
Even if you just point me to some good threads...
Much appreciated.

I'm also still doing my research. But if the carrier I choose to begin my career with...leaning towards Millis Transfer...fits my needs and treats me good, I will do the best job that I possibly can and stay there a very long time. I'm not fond of job hoping to begin with...i've been with GM for almost 30 years. But being new, you have to start somewhere and work your way up. And IMO, the best way to do that is to do your homework, and pick the company that fits your needs the best and stick with them. I realize that you have to put up with some crap with whichever company you choose, but also, a little manure makes the garden greener :wink:

There are a number of training carriers. It depends on what you are looking for and where you want to run. There are some carriers who will train you, others want you to already have your CDL. You can do a search on this forum, but some of the carriers who have been noted are Roehl, Millis, Schneider, Swift and CRST to mention a few. You will probably be better off if you can fund your own training, get your CDL and then find a carrier. There are many state vocational schools and community colleges who offer CDL training at a much less cost than most private schools. Some carriers will pay for your training or reimburse you for training you pay for yourself. Some carriers will help you get a CDL with a work commitment. Most require 1 year commitment. CRST did require only 6 months.

I agree with what GMAN is saying about this. However, I also disagree with him about losing 2-3 weeks of pay. Most of you guys are correct, you can leave a job and start another right away and really not miss much. Maybe a few days of orientation; however, a lot of companies compensate something for this. In addition, a lot of companies pay a sign on bonus that is spread out that can make up for part or all of your lost time.

With that said, there are other costs that are overlooked. Health Insurance is extremely costly. You will have to pay for this on your own at 100% until you can sign up with your new company. COBRA is very expensive and not everyone can get insurance themselves because of health factors. If you have to insure a family, it is not uncommon for that cost to reach more than $1000/month. Dental insurance, not as expensive, but still costly. Short-term and long-term Disability. What about losing your vacation. If you have been anywhere for a year or more, you generally have a week or 2 of vacation that you will be giving up to work some place else, then you will have to put in your time with the new company to get more vacation. Does the company have a 401K? Again, a long waiting period is needed before you will be able to sign up for that and in some case any money that the company put into it will go back to the company because you are not vested.

What about the new companies dispatchers? It is going to take time for them to be able to trust you on certain loads. Because of this, your miles might suffer early on.

There are a bunch of factors involved in changing jobs and they all need to be weighed. I would say that drivers actually lose a lot more than 2-3 weeks of pay when switching jobs when you take all into account. Yeah, sometimes the grass is greener; however, keep switching jobs and you will have to find greener grass in a new career because a lot of companies are turning drivers away for having a bad work history.

Just my two cents.

You make some interesting points about the cost of losing benefits, Richards. I believe some companies are becoming more selective in the candidates they hire. It is in the interests of both the driver and company to have longer term relationships.

Jumbo, what company was that.
Why is it people talk about a company being so good etc, but never say who they are?

Usually because they don't want the competition for loads. :wink:

Oh well, don't really believe most things I can't verify.
heard so many guys say they make this or that , but when you find out the truth it's almost always less.

I can't knock Falcon so far, about 1k a week gross average and home every weekend.
I have four days off this weekend and because I'm under a load I get turkey day pay.
I'm in a 07 auto truck too.

Dragracert99,

I will not divulge the name of the company to anyone. The reason being that I called my friend and asked him if I could post the offer he got and I was told yes on the condition that I not give the company name. The company in question hires only well experienced drivers and I would hate to have everybody who read my post calling this company and asking for about a job. ( I've gotten 7 P.M.s already). I told you the truth about what I saw and what my friend told me. I will add this. I didn't think that after he went back to work that they would give him what they promised and when I mentioned that to him he let me see his sheet that comes with his check. It showed odometer reading at beginning and ending of week (2557 miles) @ his rate already in my earlier post and 5 stops @ the rate in my earlier post and the total at the bottom. Other than that if you choose not to believe me then there is nothing I can do about that. If I did lie and got caught I would never have any credibility ever again.

hey Jumbo-where ya been? Thought maybe you went into the ditch after that heavy snow we got. :P

One thing you said that is right on-Smaller companies up our way aren't afraid to compensate their drivers fairly.

Bet I can guess what company this guy drives for but it's going to take some time.

We all do mistakes. but not everybody, learn from it.
And doing the same mistake twice, is plain stupid, in my opinion,

So, you better to think twice, and once you've made a desision, stick to it, till you absolutly positive, that you, explored all options, and got to move on.

Than move, and never ever look back, cause there is notjng left for you.

I've made that rule, for myself in 1983, after making, what could become, the biggest mistake of my life....
I'm with the same company, since 1997, quiete a few times, i was on a verge of living it, but that rule of "no return", is always stopped me, cause in general, it's not a bad deal, and i don't want to lose it, cause of the some temporary disappoitments...so i'll give it some time, and it was, so far, working out! :D