If you want to average 1910 miles a week, not get home when you are supposed to, layover 5 days, then fight to get layover pay, wait 2 weeks to be paid back for buying a headlite, then by all means Barr Nunn is the place to go. Personally, I'll drive a taxi before I drive for these people again.

 

Is it really that bad at barr-nun , Landmine? I was seriously going to apply there for their new Manchester PA Terminal. I decided to go back with crete if I can pass driving tests and orientation.

 

Run from Barr nunn bibcheese. I was a road driver and averaged 1910 miles a week the last 10 weeks I was there.It was ALWAYS a big production getting home after I had been out 30-45 days. I stayed out Thanksgiving and x-mas with the promise they'd get me home on 12/30. I was in Charlotte terminal 12/30 with 'nothing to get you home' on Qual-com. Its just a bad place to work.

 

ok. thanks for the info.

 

They were one of the companies that I was looking at for a move. Hated to leave my last carrier, but with their financial troubles, the writing was on the wall.

Since I have about two decades at this game, I had probably a few more technical questions than most drivers ask. I don't think Dirk in recruiting liked that too much as he tended to get a little "snitty" when my questions about different policies and procedures at Barr Nunn started uncovering some inconsistencies.

Well, needless to say, didn't go with them. I chose Fremont Contract Carriers out of Fremont, NE. You have to jump thru a lot of hurdles to get onboard with them and get the top pay, but I managed to meet all the demands. Boy, if you like to move freight and by the house once or twice a week and home during the weekends, it happens here. No slackers or drivers who like to play games at the truckstops. This is high productivity. I am always preplanned for the next load. In fact, the boss man requires 80% of the trucks to be booked with freight for the next day or the travel agent doesn't go home for the night until they do. Have done average of 3000 mpw since beginning of the year. One guy here (and boy he has the safety in fits trying to figure out how he did it and the logs look legit and match up) did 42K miles last quarter.

Equipment is pretty good, not the top of the line, but late model FL's, Intls, and Volvos. All the trucks already have 3000 watt inverters and electrical outlets installed and XM receivers.

Made a good choice for me, maybe not for others. They have Nationwide OTR or midwest regional, flats and vans. Gotta have at least 2 years driving to be considered. Only about 300 trucks total, but the customer base is pretty good and there is a lot of drop and hook to keep the truck moving.

I tended to be pretty picky about carriers I was looking at, but then, with 2 decades experience with no moving violations, no accidents, and no DOT failures (including 6 years driving year round in Alaska), I could pick and choose. So far FCC has fit my needs pretty well. Only time will tell. They did put up my wife and I for three nights in a pretty good hotel and covered most of the meals. Not many carriers would do that. Overall, a real friendly group of people that remember your name quick and seem really concerned.

Oh.. for those considering O/O with FCC, the rates aren't bad. Rates are higher for shorter hauls and the fuel surcharge is about the best I have seen for most carriers.... about .42 a mile right now (of course fluctuates with national prices) and you aren't required to stay in the fuel network to get it.

I'll give you an update in 6 months and let you know if this holds out.

 

I have been driving for Barr-Nunn for 3 months now. I am OTR. In those 3 months (13 weeks), I have driven 25278 paid miles or 1944 miles per week.

From Dec. 31 to Jan 23, I have had 4 restarts.
Dec. 31-Jan. 2 first restart - no loads.
Jan. 5-6 second restart - unpaid layover on trip
Jan. 11-13 third restart - hometime
Jan. 19-21 fourth restart - unpaid layover on trip
and looking at the possibility of another restart this coming weekend if no loads again.

Barr-Nunn only pays layover between trips. If you sit for a day or two while on a trip (arriving early), there is no layover pay paid. Also, in figuring layover pay. you start with your estimated time of availability (after load is deliver and when available to pick up next load) and you subtract that from the pickup time on your next load. Then you divide the deadhead miles by 47 mph and subtract those hours from your time. If it is more than 24,48, 72, etc hours, then you will get paid layover.

I have never had a problem getting my layover pay. However, I will never again buy parts for their trucks. I had to buy 2 headlights within 10 days time. It took me a month and a couple of phone calls to get it paid. From now on, I park the truck and have them send road service to me (yes, even for a headlight).

I have not had problems getting home when I tell them, but have talked to guys that have. I had to split a load with a guy who told me that he was on his hometime and they keep calling him to come off his hometime until he finally gave up and left home to split my load. I would have unplugged the phones.

Also, if you get the sign-on bonus, it is paid $500 on first paycheck, 2nd $500 on paycheck when you hit 60,000 miles, and final payment on the paycheck when you hit 120,000 miles. They tell you that you are expected to drive 10,000-12000 miles a month, but my 25278 miles in 3 months tells you otherwise. It should take me about 7-8 months. If you leave before your 6 months(or 60,000 miles - I am not sure) you have to pay back the sign-on bonus (and orientation costs also I have heard, but am not sure about).

Your truck is governed at 66 mph. and while they will not give you a load of more than 693 (66mph X 11 hours) for 1 day without splitting it, expect them to give you loads where you have to fudge your logbook in order for it to "look" legal.

With your time-off requests. They do not answer back to them. Everyone else I have worked for sends you a message saying it was approved. Barr-nunn takes the opposite approach. They will send you a message saying if it is not possible. From what I hear, they do this so that when you tell them that a load is taking you away from your house instead of to your house, they can say that they never received your request. This has the effect of having you sitting on pins and needles until you actually pull into your driveway.

Would I recommend them? No. Will I leave them before my 6 months? Only if they start messing with me. Will I stay with them long term? No.

 

As a P.S. I am sitting now in Max Meadows, VA. Got here about 1800 on the 23rd and am waiting for another driver to show up about 1700-1900 on the 24th. So I can take his load the last 279 miles. Do I get layover pay? No. Because I got here about 1800 on the 23rd and he is "scheduled" to arrive at 1700 on the 24th.

In order for that driver to get here at 1700 from Memphis (591 miles), he has to drive with it floored (remember 66 mph truck) the whole way with absolutely no stops. The Barr-Nunn trucks lose speed on the uphills, so no way to maintain that 66 mph the whole way.

Also, with their mileage pay band. Their webiste doesn't say it, but you only get it if you pickup and deliver the load. If you split a load with another driver, you don't get the extra mileage pay. And you split a lot of loads. By split the load, I mean swap loads or trailers. You don't have a choice in this, they decide whether you are going to split a load or not

 

Man O Days! That sounds like it would have made me miserable having to deal with that balongny........... Is it that way with the majority of drivers there?

 

[quote="ALKELE"]Your truck is governed at 66 mph. and while they will not give you a load of more than 693 (66mph X 11 hours) for 1 day without splitting it, expect them to give you loads where you have to fudge your logbook in order for it to "look" legal.

Isnt 66x11 666 not 693 besides trucks are set at 65 and they only allow you to log at 63 anyways...gonna be kinda hard to find many companies that dispatch more than that for one day any ways, and if you say thats just plain flat out the longest trips you will get......
Kinda funny, i started my week off this week with a load that was 179 deadhead miles and 848 loaded miles with plenty enough time to get there legaly and not sit around to much after I delivered. I dont know if some of you guys just have the worst luck ever or if you just dont go in there and work with them the way you should.



By the way just as an update i went back and looked through Alkele's other posts...look how he faired at J.B Hunt, Mcleod and Pam before coming over and also struggling at Barr Nunn....either this guy has the worst luck with companies ever or he is difficult for the companies to work with.....just an observation.
As far as home time I have been home when i asked within a few hours every single time I have put in for it and I have a total of about a year and 3 months in there. And the driver the guy that posted above that says go there if yyou want to average 1900 miles per week running OTR...well thats what YOU averaged....I AVERAGED probably 2700 a week over the course of a year when i ran OTR......

Sometimes the companies dont do youy right and i understand this but sometimes the drivers just dont work with the company like they should.

By the way...In my entire time I have worked for them I have not shelled out one penny for one single part on their trucks other than the one time I bought a gallon of washer fluid for a buck at wal-mart.....I actually even had one of those nasty headlights blow a few weeks ago and didnt spend a dime on it....not sure where that guy was going wrong shelling out of pocket twice in 10 days for headlights. Sometimes i get the feeling that people just dont pay attention in orientation on how to handle maintenance issues and other assorted things....i also have never had layover pay come to me any later than the very next pay period(the whole 2 times I have had to put in for it) Also consider the time of year your are running when considering the last 10 weeks. Just saying...i just sometimes get the feeling that some people make their own paths harder sometimes. But thats just my thoughts.

 

I believe I have to agree with jaggerbomber on this issue. Not that I do not believe all the other posters, im sure there own personal situation that they are experiencing is very frustrating to them, but it is just hard to believe that Barr-nun would run their operation with a screw the driver mentallity and only give him or her 1900 miles a week.You can get 1800-2200 on a N.E. Reg. job and be home on weekends from what I understand.I beleve if you can get atleast 2700 miles a week that is atleast average and isn't that bad. I would take it and be happy. But then again its been real hard lately for me to weigh all my option and make a suitable, and equally balanced decision in this industry..........