Im drowning like you wouldnt believe
 

So anyway, i got my cdl in june of 07 and tried my hardest to find a company to work for. I have a clean vehicle record, 1 speeding ticket 5 years ago for 5 mph over. I am 21 years old and live in Maine.

Unable to find a job I joined with Werner in nov 6th in 07. I have gone through absolute hell. A mcdonalds employ at 16 yrs old makes more money fulltime than I do. I got done training, not even going into the hell that was, and finally got my own truck and been at it for over 2 months.

Since nov6th, I have been home 2 days for christmas and 2 weeks ago I was home for 3 days. Thats it, 5 days off in 4 months. I asked for 4 days off instead of 3 since I was out 6 weeks and they said no, demanded I was in my truck at noon the 3rd day.

Start out at .26cpm, and not even going into the horrible BS that werner is, I am not being payed enough. Every day im out here working the farther in debt I go. I do not make enough to live out here nor pay bills at home. The 2 months I have had my own truck I average 900miles a week. I had one 2900 mile week and the rest are 500-700 miles usually. They had me pick up a load that delivers 126 miles away, got it on friday and the con didnt open till monday so I had to sit on it for 3 days. I was so pissed off. This kind of BS happens all the time. My best check so far was like 560 bucks takehome, and my worst was 8 bucks.

with 4 months experience, still 21 yrs old, do I have to continue this poop train of a job?

also, I have been doing good except I had to drop a trailer off at a werner dropyard and it was all mud so deep, when I dropped trailer I could not pull out of it and tried everything and ended up having to call breakdown to pull me out. They sent a tow truck, will this hurt me later on?

1st. getting stuck in the yard in mud shouldn't be a problem.
Why o why do drivers agree to p_ss poor pay like that. ok thats out of the way. Get ahold of your dispatch/manager and explain that you can't go on like this and have actual logs and trip mi to show them. As far as home time 1 day for 6 out you tell them when you want it and you should get in about that time :roll: but once your there take the time time you've got coming. And if none of this works/helps start checking for a new Co. BUT WHAT EVER YOU DO, DO NOT JUST WALK AWAY FROM YOUR TRUCK!! An abandonmentwill follow you forever. check out local Co. in your area and BOL

I don't know much about Werner, but they have several "divisions." Sounds like you are in the ?National? division, but because of your age, can't go out of state. Don't they have "dedicated" runs that are within your state and could keep you running more?

If not, I suggest you look for LOCAL work until you are older. Werner is one of the worst companies for pay and miles (that I know of.)

Wish you the best. Like was said, talk to your manager. Look for other jobs. No offense, but people who get CDL's at such a young age, really hinder themselves. Hopefully, some of the younger ones on here can give you more help.

I agree with repete! Whatever you do, don't abandon your truck. Return it to Omaha that way you don't mess up your DAC. And get a receipt or something written on which it states you returned the truck so they can't screw you over.

And it might be a problem considering your experience to get another job, but I would certainly try. I mean there are companies like Crete who start with higher pay, but you said you have 8 months experience? They might require you to go out with a trainer for 8 weeks first, at any company, but I don't know this for sure. Just call some recruiters and ask what their startpay is. If you can get a better job, tell them you can be at orientation say 2 weeks from that day, and make sure you can return the truck.

I wish you good luck, because you're right: you don't have to take it. Also I don't think the mud-in-yard ought to give you problems. You just got stuck and needed help to get out; you didn't wreck anything.

P.S. I didn't know you can't go out of state because of your age, but in that case I'd call Crete for sure as they are in Omaha also.

Dont know if Im trusting this poster. Possible troll, but could be wrong. Ill wait for him/her to reply again. 1 speeding ticket 5yrs ago, makes poster 16yrs old. Is that old enough, in Maine, to have a Drivers license??

Even for OTR with Werner his miles seem WAY off, not disputing just suspicious. 500-700 miles per week, Im doubting this. Truck needs to produce revenue for the company, thats to much sitting. His FM and Load Planner would be reamed if this was really accurate.

If your post is really accurate, Please prove me wrong.

He can drive out if state as long as he is 21+, which he says he is. Thats not a problem.

Let this be yet another note to the soon-to-be's that you should research the company you sign with. Not all are created equal.

What I would do if I was you, is start calling recruiters tell them your training experience, and otr experience. Dont bad mouth werner to them. Just tell them the facts, and you can not do it like that anymore. Dont quit werner until you have a set orientation date in writing. then give them a 2 weeks notice, return truck and all fuel cards or anything else they assigned you.
I agree, you cant be running like that.
Pick up a few books at a truck stop and start calling. Today.

Best of luck to ya. Keep us posted.

:oops: :oops: My bad! Being as old as dirt, I don't pay real close attention to posts about these things. For some reason, I was thinking some posts along time ago said you had to be 23 or something. :roll:

If he's old enough to go out of state then, yes.... these miles are ridiculous. However.... I think I ALSO remember some post about giving such young people short miles until they know they can handle it. Probably wrong again! :lol:

I'll shut up now! :wink:

Look for another job. You will find something. Dont give up. But, do not quit Werner until you find something else.

Yes, same in NH.

No learners permit in NH also. You can drive at 15 1/2 with an adult.

that's trucking..More drivers they can train the more they abuse. There is 25 million cdl holders and 1.6 million otr jobs.

"do not quit werner before you have another job" is about the dumbest advise I have ever heard of.

500-700 miles per week? If you can prove that you are receiving just those miles per week when you can do more, I would not only abandon the truck, I would leave it at the bottom of a lake. Just to make a statement.

.26 cents per mile? $130 - $182 per week? That's bull :dung: !! That truck would be sold to the highest bidder, piece by piece. Tires first.

Quit. Do it now. If you must, drive it back to the terminal, no matter where you are right now. Let them pay for the fuel. What are they going to do? Keep your last check? What check? You are not making anything. Try to charge you for bringing it back empty? If they try, tell them you are getting a lawyer, and they can talk with him.

The only person you are hurting by keeping that job is yourself. Even a telemarketer makes $9.00 per hour. Find something else if you can't go back into trucking.

Or stick it out, and quit your whining. It's your choice. :wink:

I hate saying this. Everyone on this board knows how much I hate saying this.

So you should know I really hate saying this.

Contact JB Hunt. If your record is clean, and you have 4 months, I'm sure they will hire you.....I can't remember is you have to be 23 though.

Contact Sheepdancer. He would know.

So far no reply from the OP....post is still young thought. I really suspect he isnt going to be back....and he wont beable to prove his lack of mileage and unreasonable dispatcher....patiently waiting!!!!

Lol cluggy...But you are right, he would actually make more money at JB. However his problem is his age...hes only 21. At JB you have to be 22. And at many other trucking companies he would need to be 23.
I dont think Crete would hire him. I believe Crete requires drivers to be 23 too. I dont really know, I dont recruit for them, but I do recruit for their sister companies, Shaffer and Hunt. They both require 23 years of age. Plus Shaffer doesnt allow Werner experience because of the electronic logs. Go figure.
Out of all the many companies I hire for his only options I would have for him were Swift and US Xpress. They both would at least pay him more per mile and get more miles. Hes just not going to make great money until he turns 22 or more likely 23 in OTR trucking.

It's amazing in my province you can get your Class 1(A) license at the young age of 19 years old. Isn't that amazing? Having a young adult out there on the road in control of 80, 000 lbs. I got my license when I was 21 and it was the best thing for me. I have a great fuel hauling job locally now and I'm home every night. I made 65,000 last year doing what I do and I hope to make more this year. It just goes to show that you can move up in this industry if you have the right job.

You can get a speeding ticket without having a license. He could have been 10 years old at that point for all we know

Not sure where you came up with that crapola but NH is still the same.

NH Drivers License Instructions
1. Be at least 15½ years old
2. If under 18, take an approved drivers education course
3. Practice driving under supervision
4. Eligible for NH drivers license at 16
5. Pass the New Hampshire DMV written, vision, and driving test

I got my Montana "Farm Workers" permit at the ripe old age of 12. Had to manuver a tractor & farm wagon moving forwards and backwards, through a serpintine course. Also had to drive a farm truck around 4 corners without crossing center lines or hitting curbs, then had to raise dumpbed of the farm truck in a safe manner while properly spotted, to prevent overturning, or hooking over head lines.




They don't do that anymore.



(rasum dasum...pc m@#$@*^%$)

I live in a small condo village and there is this single mother with a teenage boy. A few of us helped him learn to drive this past summer when he turned 15 1/2 because his mother was just plain freaking out over the whole driving thing.

He was a good driver but every time he went out with me and he saw some other kids he would take his left hand off the wheel and hang it over the side of my Mustang to look cool. Didn't matter how cold it was, he had to have the top down also.

:P :P :P Is "Momma" pretty???? :P :P :P

lol, no not really, just a nice lady. I'm the cool guy in the neighborhood with a 60" LCD TV and X-Box. I play Half Life some times and get my head blown off within 2 seconds of the game. In the summer time they play outside and I sneak around in the dark and scare the CRAP out of them. The next morning I take Ibuprofen.

Steve if you look at the NH website: http://www.nh.gov/safety/divisions/d...ed/faq.html#A1 and download the Driver's Manual. On page 8 contiuning to page 9 you see the requirements for that 15 - 1/2 year old. and I Notice the 20 hours must be by a "parent or legal guardian" with the an exception if there is no parent or legal guardian, a licensed adult over the age of 25.

The other requirement is the student must be enrolled in a driver's education class.

Even then the student is not issued a driver's license he/she is issued a YOUTH OPERATOR license.

Thats all I was trying to say. It's no skin off my teeth one way or the other.

kc0iv

I really have no idea what your arguing about kc0iv.

I taught both my boys to drive at 15 1/2 and the kid next door to me this past summer at age 15 1/2. They both got their license at age 16. How you interpret the rules is beyond me but all three were driving with me at age 15 1/2 and got a license at 16. My only point in this whole conversion is that you CAN GET YOUR LICENSE AT AGE 16 IN NH

I bet that can be fixed with some tequilla, though ??? :lol: 8)

You do like the girl next door don't ya!!

why get on here and complain about your pay, man just make a change...go work at mcdonalds if the pay is better. does someone here pay your check? if the answer is no, then it is time wasted making any issues here. yes, werner sucks, as do alot of carriers.

I think somebody is off their meds :shock: :shock:

Its me the original poster. Anyway, yes I had my license since I was 16, and my CDL at 21, and yes I can drive out of state, I do 48 state. This week it looks like I will be taking in 1100 miles, so its a better then crap week but still junk. they just have me sit on loads after loads, or I wait like half a day for a load, then they say no freight in area go deadhead to this city and see if we get a load by then etc.

Also I was at a rest area heading east bound. They gave me a load to Kingsford Manuf. and it was 134 miles away from the qualcomm, which starts the mileage close to where I am at im assuming. Problem was I had to head west bound, and the next exit was 26miles away. So when I got to the shipper I got a msg on my qualcomm saying call dispatch immediatly.

He goes are u following the route? how the hell did u go 50 miles out of the way on a 134 mile trip? Says if u go too far out of routing they can charge me $.88cpm for every mile out of the way. I told him why and he just got all pissed and said well just so u know in the future we can charge you for out of route.

how lame is that, and btw, im not a troll. if u search I did like 4 posts called training with werner part 1, 2, 3, and 4 or something. was either with this username or my other one, Drychtnath or Drych7nath.

Welcome to the world of trucking, where everybody is out to screw the driver.

You are still young. Perhaps you should consider getting into a better line of work.

Yup, everyone turns into Paris Hilton after a few shots but then I wake up next to Rosanne Bar

Dag gum! That would be a rude awakening. :shock: :P

Yup, that's why I only have one arm now. I was afraid of waking her up so I chewed it off. I'm glad it was my left arm though :D

Thats funny.... like that beer commercial.. Did you see it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtg_yDXe7IM

Yea just like mopeds ...fun to ride till your buddies see you ....ohh jezzz was that my outside voice ????

Shawn

try finding local driving jobs. class a,b or c. or wharehouse work driving a forklift at some of the LTL companies or beverage companies.

cornfuzed
 

y'know...

In all honesty, reading this forum (and others), I'm half amazed there are any truckers out there at all. The companies all suck, the pay almost always sucks, the shipper sucks, the receiver sucks....

yet still... there are thousands and thousands of drivers.

Makes you wonder about that old adage, doesn't it?

80 Million flies can't be wrong... :roll:


(note: yeah, I'm not a driver yet (stupid damn doctor), but I intend to be one soon. Good thing my wife has a high paying job as a paramedic!) :lol: