[dewercs2]

Originally Posted by robertt

I heard on our local radio station here in OKC this morning that Arrow was laying off 36 clerical and administrative people, so there must be something to them having problems.

hmmm, well looks like they are trimming down in some areas. But then so are many companies. I came from Home Depot and after almost 24 yrs in retail total. You all saw the news about the Expo division closing but they are also trimming in clearical, training and other areas.

Tell you what though. They should staff the breakdown phone lines so I don't have to spend 1.5hrs on hold waiting for someone to pickup to get numbers to pay for a tire on the side of the road.

Everyone is having a hard time, come on springtime! lets get the freight moving...

[married to the road]

Originally Posted by dewercs2

hmmm, well looks like they are trimming down in some areas. But then so are many companies. I came from Home Depot and after almost 24 yrs in retail total. You all saw the news about the Expo division closing but they are also trimming in clearical, training and other areas.

Tell you what though. They should staff the breakdown phone lines so I don't have to spend 1.5hrs on hold waiting for someone to pickup to get numbers to pay for a tire on the side of the road.

Everyone is having a hard time, come on springtime! lets get the freight moving...

How can they be timming down the training department when they are replacing 10% of their fleet every month? But I totally agree about the guys in breakdown, I would have to wait around forever for them to answer and then sometimes they wouldn't help me or would have to wait for them to put money on their comdata account. It was total bs.
I wouldn't think that a non preventable accident would hurt you that bad, even as extreme as a rollover is. But there are probalbly worse places to work, just they are not the type of place that you retire from. Good luck!

[jvnd1953]

Hey Dewercs2, thanks for starting this string. Keep from hijacking DD. I guess you saw the message that maintenance is down to 1 shift. I hope I don't have to go in. Never get out. I was called in to safety the other day and thought it was about me knocking down that stop light but it was a COV check. They looked everything over and said I was good to go. I figured don't ask, don't tell huh? Also just had to take my physical again which I passed. I have to take one every year because of blood pressure meds. Sucks getting old. I'll call you when I get back on the road this week. Watched another Arrow driver go into a ditch the other day. Tried to warn him but he didn't have a CB. We were loading hay with a Melton truck first and then him. I offered to help him secure since it would help me beat a pending rainstorm and he declined. Steel trailer, portable winches, etc. Well after putting the rear tarp on wrong and having to turn it around after unfoldimg it he finally was ready to pull out onto the paved county road and finish with the bungees. As he turned right he didn't watch his trailer offtrack and I saw what was about to happen and tried to stop him but too late. The trailer slid into the ditch and the load started to layover. As it teetered I told him to get out and stand clear because if the load went over it would take out a wood power pole and probably set the load on fire which with the prevailing wind would also set the barn load of hay on fire. When I left he was still waiting for tow trucks to get him out. It also started to rain right then. Let's hope things get better.

[dewercs2]

JVND,

I haven't been to Tulsa since I left orientation... knock on wood. I haven't had a PM since I was assigned the truck in July. I know the truck was due for one in august but they wouldn't let the AZ terminal do it.

DD is pretty cool about the hijacking but I figured this would make it easier to find if the topic was just about Arrow.

I've noticed alot of the Arrow drivers don't have radios or atleast they don't have them on. I like to say hi and ask where they are headed especially if they are in bound to Cali.

Sounds like the driver was new to FB since he doesn't know how to put on a tarp. I assume he didn't roll since the QC came out saying how many days without a rollover, which is pretty cool. I checked the SafeStat System to see where Arrow is ranked. 93 = inspect. I've been a magnate for inspections and I've past them all. I have a level 1 inspection and later that day or the next morning I've been pulled in again. I kid the guys and show them my inspection paper and they laugh and say they can't check me then. I've heard through another driver that when he was pulled in he was told DOT has to check Arrow since they are aware about the issues with the company. Just make sure all your stuff is good to go.
Off to Vegas sunday morning for monday delivery.

[Jumbo]

It's Febuary and your truck hasn't had a p.m. since July? WOW

[devildice]

Originally Posted by dewercs2

I thought Arrow was doing good until the change in economy. I think they do have some problems maybe worse then others and better then some. I'm going to stick with them since I do have that slight problem of a rollover. Nobody would touch me.

Besides, I'm now regional, was making decent money till a little while ago, home on weekends and maybe one nite a week.
I'm home tonight after making a delivery and will head out hopefully in the AM.

Well it definitely sounds like Arrow is having some financial difficulties. I hope everything works out for you there or where ever you go. As some have stated already, it would not be wise to jump ship until you have something else lined up. By the sounds of it, I personally would be looking for something real quick like. Good luck bro.

[jvnd1953]

A PM at Arrow when they had 2 shifts working 7 days a week took about a couple of hours if nothing was wrong. If they found some repairs or if you complained about something the average stay was 4-5 days. Now they have 1 shift 6 days a week. My 05 FL has 610,000 on it. Luckily I have nothing major. I was known as the "king of breakdown" earlier when I started a year ago. Fingers crossed. Do they consider knocking over a stop light as serious as a non-preventive rollover? I wouldn't think you would have a problem dewercs2 knowing the circumstances. These companies insurance company sets the hiring standards now I guess.

[INKTOXICATED]

Most of these pms are worthless mechanics walking aroind the truck and putting a little lube on the 5th wheel. I got my truck back from pm and it had a headlight out. Good pm. And i guess fixing a 12 inch crack in the windsheild isnt important anymore either

[jvnd1953]

When I was in last time I had a cracked windshield on one side and they replaced both sides. Go figure. The trainer I had with Arrow called me last week. He had picked up a trailer out of Tulsa that supposedly had been inspected. The sticker indicating when it was due for annual check was expired in 10/08. The Texas DOT almost wrote him up but didn't because of some unreasonable delay in holding the driver. With Arrow, check that sticker because they evidently aren't. I was given a level 3 inspection in Oregon just because I was with Arrow. The inspector said "we can usually get you Arrow guys on something". Not this time though. I hope we can keep this string going with factual info from other Arrow drivers either current or recent.

[jvnd1953]

Should never have talked about breakdown. Monday started truck and can't build air pressure. Arrow wanted to tow it to a dealer but I said the tow truck would have to drive on my neighbors lawn to line up behind my truck since it was in my driveway. It would then take my front fence out trying to turn out. They sent a repair truck and it was a valve in the dryer. Easy fix. Showed me how to fix it next time because Arrow didn't want to pay to have the dryer rebuilt. Too late for dispatch. Tuesday morning I go to start truck and batteries are low, won't start. So I have battery charger on it and here I sit. I guess if you're going to break down, your driveway ain't the worst spot.