Maverick
 

Well I have signed up to attend the Maverick CDL school.They said it would be a month or 2 wait.I researched alot of companies on this site before making my choice.This is a great website.

yep..... lots of widom out there. BOL

I will have to say that they stand behind what they say. I have had the best time with Maverick so far. Its hard work but worth it.

Why haven't you updated your blog, skills? I've noticed the last entry was April 26th; have you been that busy, or just lost interest in keeping it updated?

Edit: Nevermind, I just now checked it and noticed it was updated a bit.

Good luck, man.

[quote="skills"]I will have to say that they stand behind what they say. I have had the best time with Maverick so far. Its hard work but worth it.





The people at Maverick are top notch in my book.I had the opportunity to attend their orientation and what Skills said is 100% correct.The instructors there are outstanding,very professional.They want their drivers to succeed without a doubt.The owner of Maverick is also very personable and the entire staff below him are also.The employees there seem like they are happy to be employed there and they treat their fellow employees with respect on a first name basis.The owner Steve Williams is very passionate about changing the trucking industry for the the better.
I decided that flat bedding was not for me.I am not gonna sit here and lie about the reason why either.It was just too much work for myself.When I went and talked to the guy in charge of the instructors (Curt V.) about leaving he was more disappointed that they were gonna lose a good candidate to work for them.He asked his instructors each day,from day one,which guys were Mavericks and he told me had no bad reports about myself at all,just good.I had the opportunity to talk to him in his office for at least 45 minutes about the trucking industry and life.And I left Maverick with a positive outlook on trucking and life in general.Guys like Curt do not come a dime a dozen,very caring and willing to take time out of his day to talk to me.And I left there knowing that there are good people in this industry that do care.These guys at Maverick are top notch!!!! When I drove out the gate when I left I was shedding a tear or two because I knew that I just passed up the chance to work for some good folks.
So if anyone is wanting to get some good training and work for some outstanding people that care about you as a driver and as a human being, Maverick is the place to be.Take care!!!!

Glad to hear you are enjoying it ,skills.


Thanks for the reply USMC Vet.It looks like I have chosen a good company.

I can honestly say that mavrick is just as good a company as TMC or any other company... Flatbedding takes a person with good mental and physical ability. what other job do you know that you can get up in the morning all fresh and clean and in the course of two hrs ya look like ya just crawled out of a mud hole...


Mavrick, I see quite often, since we run out of the same shippers. I know at one time Mavrick was in finicial trouble but a good friend of the owner of Mavrick stepped in and helped him out.


BOL to all

Hey guys, I'm interested in the Maverick training myself. I've run across the blog by "skills" over on TN and have a question about something.

I would like to hear some clarification on this. I'll be the first to tell you that when I was 18 y/o jumping onto a 5'6" tall box wouldn't have been a problem, but at 40 y/o ( and a few more pounds), I don't think I wanna be a part of that. Is this for real? or am I reading more into this than is actually the case. I realize being able to "climb" onto the trailer and possibly onto the freight is going to be a necessity, but it seems that "jumping" onto and off the trailer and/or the freight is an accident waiting to happen.

Can anyone elaborate on this subject?

Thanks, Arky

I was also wondering about that, good chance of breaking an ankle just by landing wrong by a millimeter and having your ankle roll the wrong way. Also wondering about the tarp weight, I've been told 90 lb tarps but 140?? If you can lift that on your trailer, you might as well load your own trailer by hand then, why wait for a lift?? :D

Physical abilities
 

I agree with Mr. Ford...I also am wondering about tarp weight that you quoted. 140 lbs is a very heavy tarp. Are you sure there is not a body rolled up in it? The heaviest lumber tarp I ever lifted was 90-100 lbs. And as far as jumping on or off the trailer....It's a definite no-no. We were taught the first day of training that never jump down from the deck to the ground. Either walk off the front to the catwalk, or use FCC bumper on the back. If you have side boxes you can also step on them to get down.

I seriously doubt anyone actually has to "jump" onto or off of anything. He's probably talking about a large plywood box on the trailer, meant to simulate high loads. You get up there and practice your lumber-tarping skills.

As far as lumber tarps go, the ones I used were somewhere between 100 and 120lbs. Occasionally, when they get wet, that'll add another 20lbs or so of water. I'd say about 99% of the time, the forklift operator will lift the tarps on the load for you.

OK just to clear up a few things for you guys. I just finished school and orientation for Maverick and I am waiting on my Driver trainer to pick me up. You have to show them that you can safely climb onto a trailer and you have to pull your self up onto a 5'6" box. They do all the test to make sure you can do the job safely They do not want to put someone in a truck that can not do the job safe, that is their main concern. During orientation they repeatedly told us that if we could not do something properly to call the office and they would talk you through it or try to get you some help.

Thanks for the input everyone...especially the direct input from Deere29.

With the reputation that Maverick has, I just couldn't imagine them requiring anything dangerous. With Deere29's imput, I can still consider them. I'm not helpless, I just dont intend to do something stupid just to show somebody I can.

Getting on the trailer and on the box, shouldn't be a problem....being required to "jump" onto either one of them...well, somebody would have a good idea of where I thought they could stick their trailer and their box. :wink:

Thanks again Deere29!

Arky

Hey Deere29,what do you think of the people and overall professionalism of the instructors and everything in general with Maverick ? Nice facility and good equipment.Did you get to meet Steve Williams ? Hopefully you got the opportunity to meet him and Dean Newell,2 very good people,also Curt V. in safety.Arky,the box they are talking about is not too big of a deal,like they said its there to simulate a small load of lumber,etc; You cannot go wrong going with Maverick as long as you do not mind the hard work,securement,tarping,etc; They do care about their drivers and you will get your weekends off,they do everything in their power to make sure you get some time at home on the weekend.

What are Maverick's trucks governed at?

70 mph

What's harder, flatbedding, tarping and messing with straps, etc. or Van, and having to fingerprint boxes. I personally hate unloading van cargo by hand. So sometimes I wonder if flatbedding would be harder or easier. I'm not lazy, I'm just trying to get a feel of how flatbeding is.

Adam I have been at it almost two months and I have seen some of the box guys sitting for hours to either get unloaded or loaded while I get the shipper or consignee in and out in about 30 mins plus 15 mins to put all the stuff away. I enjoy the heck out of it. I stay on the go all the time but I enjoy my relax time like now.

Yea that's what i figured. Flatbedders don't have to wait around as long; plus they get paid better than van drivers. Thats a big plus in my book, with flatbed.

When I first started looking I went through alot of companies looking at pay, benefits, miles, plus alot more. I won't say that I have a perfect week every week, but I have a good fleet manager that does everything that he can to get good freight. That is really what makes this job easier for me

I got to meet everyone but Steve his father was having medical problems and he took somew time off. I everbody was real professional and they did everything they could to help out and to make sure that everyone had what they needed. I really like the company and look forward to working for them.

i been flatbedding for a number of years myself, and a few observations after coming from grocery.

first the work is over stated and mostly by those that never did it. the tarps are heavy, but the forklift can manage them all right. that is to say, you lift the tarp on the forks they drop them on top of the load. aint much lifting so far. the tarps will be rolled in a manner that you will decide and thus you will know how they are rolled, start from the rear with the back tarp and roll it forward, throw the sides over then roll the front tarp from the front back overlapping the two (two piece tarps) throw the sides over. walk down one side of the truck hooking bungees and down the other then just pull it tight, close the flaps and done. after you get a system working most loads you should be able to tarp in around 30 min. machinery is a different story of course. throwing straps can be done in a lot of cases while the fork lift is loading you. a flat bed driver can be loaded and unloaded faster than the average van driver, including messing with tarps.

second you will find that the shipper and consignee treat you much better on average. the shipper is for the most part shipping their product to their customer. they take pride in the load and usually listen to the driver as to how to load it ( yes exceptions exist) because they want it there in good condition. the consignee is usually the one that ordered the load, they are glad to see you arrive. there is not normally that 'take a number and wait outside the gate we'll call this afternoon' crap. it is almost always first come first served to unload. loading glass and steel can sometimes be a pain in the butt, but the only time i saw a grocery warehouse was to deliver a new cooler. i was in and out so fast i didnt notice the reefers in line move.

third. you will work something closer to a normal work day, shippers tend to go home in the evening (exceptions i know) and the customers are usually starting around 7 - 8 am. no more be there at 0200. i like that, maybe its just me though.

Sorry about saying you had to jump. All you have to do is climb on the box and trailer. Maverick is big about safety and you can tell it by how they teach you to do things and also by looking at all the safety devices they put into the trucks. I have nothing bad to say about Maverick, cause they are a great company to work for and I couldn't pick another one closer to them. I was actually talking to a TMC driver this week that is even thinking about comming to Maverick cause everything he has talked to drivers about. I'm not trying to say TMC is a bad company or anything. I am just happy to be with a great company like Maverick.

Skills A.K.A Mator

Thanks Skills, I mean no offense by questioning what you said. I know how easy it is to write one thing and mean something else...don't sweat it. I just wanted to clarify that part of your blog...as much for others as for me.

Please continue to update your blog. It is very good reading and very insightful for those of us interested in driving for Maverick.

Thanks to everyone else too!

Arky

Just thought I would add this in.

I have quite a bit of experience with securing loads on flatbed goosenecks and such. I grew up on the farm and most of my family is also in the farm machinery sales business. We have loaded farm equipment on gooseneck trailers for the last 25 years around here. I've not actually driven any of those loads since the pre-CDL days, but I still get to help load and chain now and then.

The tarps will definitely be knew to me and we never used straps, just chains and binders (called boomers around here). I don't think any of that will be a problem. I know that I'll have some learning to do, but maybe not as much as some of the others.

The flatbed work does seem like it would be harder than van, but as mentioned, it pays better and it's not like your doing it all day every day. I can handle sweating for an hour or two a day. The last job I had was a good job, but it was inside a factory with no A/C. This time of year you could barely get your breath on 2nd shift...and that lasts for at least 6 of the 8 hours your there and the other two hours, you sure don't need a jacket!..lol.

Thanks for all the input. I'm not sure of what I'm gonna do yet, but I might not be too far away from becoming a driver.

Arky

Signing on with maverick
 

Hi everyone I gave permission to contact my current employer on friday I had to leave a message might call again on wed to make sure it got thru. I am glad to see all the positve input about maverick. I was a little concerned about it untill all of these positive post started showing up. I think I am making a good choice here . My first choice was going to be van with sni. but the pay with Maverick is much better for newbies and I really need the money. I have 8 mouths to feed including myself. and the extra money sure will help. I am really excited about my new career choice. I will try and post as soon as I am able about my progress I still have about a 3 month wait to get started though that is going to seem like an eternity.

Ok everyone I'm back again :)

Since this has been the 4th of July holiday for most folks, has it been for Maverick drivers?

I'm just curious. I can't imagine that a driver could expect to get all holidays off (I don't consider them off if your not at home). I'm just wandering how this works. I'm going to start a thread with this subject also.

Thanks, Arky

I was told by recruiter yesterday that drivers are home most major holidays since most of their customers are closed. But there is no pay.

I just got home and yes we worked through the 4th.

Deere29

With just getting in on Saturday morning when will you go back out? Will Maverick have you out on Sunday or Monday?

Yall correct me if Im wrong,but a lot of times,when it comes to hometime,its usually based on where ya go for the next load etc. It was for me anyway. I drove for SMX for a while,and it depended on where I had to go on how long that I could be home for the weekend. One time,I got a load of c-iron in Dallas on a Friday morning,and take it to a construction site in Phoenix on Monday morning. I got home in Wichita Falls that Friday night. I was running out of hours for that week,so I just stayed home long enough for my restart in order for me to be in Phoenix on Monday. After getting unloaded in Phoenix,I was sent to east of Phoenix(cant remember the town)off of I-10 to a copper mining plant. I picked up a load of copper plates,and I took them to McKinney,Tx(just north of Dallas). I was able to deadhead home to get a load of plastic pipe here on Monday morning(I was able to spend a whole 2-day weekend at home),and run that up to Des Moines. Then they sent me to Big Sur,Ca with another load of steel for a construction site. They deadheaded me to L.A for a load of steel coils,and I took them to Houston. When I got unloaded in Houston,my supervisor from SYSCO called me,and he asked me if I would consider coming back to SYSCO.(I got into it with another driver from SYSCO and I walked-out)(never thought that I would be back at SYSCO) I asked my supervisor when I can start,he asked me if I can be in Lubbock on Monday morning for orientation.(this was Friday) Needless to say,I was at orientation in Lubbock on Monday to get hired back at SYSCO.(I probably have a bad record now for deadheading to the SMX terminal in O K City without permission on that weekend :? ) I drove for SMX for 6 weeks,and you see above the 2 weekends that I was at home,those were the only 2 weekends that I got home,and they advertise that their drivers are home 50 out of the 52 weekends a year. Hmmm. I thought about talking to Maverick,but they say the same thing that SMX said. Kinda scary lol...

with Maverick home time is based on where you live not your next load. They sent me about 200 miles out of route so that I could do my 34 hour restart at my house instead of a truck stop. It dosent always work out this way but they do everything they can to get you home on the weekends.

Thanks Deere29, I think that answers my question. Sounds like most other operations where you run hard during the week and hope the dispatcher can get you pointed in the right direction for home weeks end.

Living in the upstate of SC I wonder how hometime would work with Maverick. I see alot of their trucks here on I-85.

Kinda like me,I see a lot of Freymiller trucks roll through here on US 287. I called Freymiller a while back,and talked to a recruiter. She told me that they have several traffic lanes. She said that I could pick up loads in Texas,Oklahoma,Arkansas,and Kansas,and deliver in the Northeast,and along the Eastern Seaboard,and visa versa. She also told me that the guys from Texas are usually out 2-3 weeks,and home for 1 or 2 days. I was like,huh? I see yalls trucks roll through here all the time lol..

I dont know why she would tell you that drivers from TX are out 2 to 3 weeks. I live in TX and so far they have gotten me home for the weekends.

That was Freymiller that I talked to,not Maverick.

Oh sorry about that....I need to read things a little closer next time

Yea, they get us hometime alot. like this weekend i had to swap trailers so that i could get home. they try to make sure the drivers are home on the weekend. as far as the 4th, I had a load that delievered wed the 5th and it was 3 hours away from the house. remember that Maverick is big on family.

skills

70mph. I tried them out. They say they do this they do that but when it comes down to it they lie out their a#@ just like all the other companies. It was the 7th lie that finally broke the camel's back when I worked for them a short month. Take in mind I'm a 1 year veteran driver and I have a totally clean slate DMV, Dac and no accidents and have never been arrested for anything. I'm the quality person that everyone is trying to employ yet they didn't measure up. I can say that now I'm a O/O it ain't any better and sometimes worse. The company I work for CRST malone is worse. I wouldn't recommend them to anyone. :sad:

Huh?? They lied about the speed or what troubled??