Arrow trucking........can it be that bad?
 

Hey all,

After reading Clint's post about Arrow having 105 idling trucks sitting around and 50+ drivers standing around with no loads and none in site, can it really be that bad? I am aware this is the slow time for flatbeds, but c'mon. I am supposed to start orientation on 2/12 so I would like to hear from someone who is with Arrow now, and preferably has been there awhile to get the truth. He said he was on day 13 with no work and no loads in site :shock: I have been reading his posts since day one and he seems like one of those guys that will never be happy. He sang the praises of the company for a few days, then hated them cuz his truck was too noisy, then thought they were the greatest and then he walked.
I have no problem with the work, I've loaded flatbeds for 8-9 years and want to be on the other end of the truck for awhile. However, I sure as hell can't afford to get hired on so I can sit for a couple weeks waiting for a load. Any advice?

jeeeeez, don't everyone answer at once........

Yeah , he seems to overreact slightly to minor issues . Though it wouldn't hurt to check into TMC and Maverick if you want to do flatbed . Never driven for them so I can't give you a straight answer , pm tndieselgrl for some info ......

What, you think everyone just sits around and waits for questions like yours??? Give people a chance to get around to them AFTER they work for a living! BOL

Dont sweat it, its slow for everyone right now. If you are considering OTR, you should know that you feast from Spring to Fall, and Starve during the winter. NO Matter what company your with. If the freight is not there, its not there. If you are upset at the fact, many OTR isnt for you. Thats not at all uncommon to have trucks sitting, but 50 trucks sitting out of 1400+ isnt too bad.

There are some people who have a problem with every company they work for, and quick to jump all over the company when they sit. Most of the times these people fall into 1 of 2 classes...

A. They have a problem with everyone, because THEY ARE THE PROBLEM, but are too stubborn to realize it.

B. They dont realize thats its only fair to pass a load to a seniority driver.

For example, 2 trucks are in Baltimore, and 1 load comes up. It should be offered to the person with the most seniority 1st. And the rookie wait. I would hate to be in the senior drivers shoes knowing that his/her service and work doesnt get them anything.


So to answer your question, if you believe the 2% of the whiners that come on here jumping all over a company, the ones that "always seem to have a problem" then youll never work for any company, because youll only see the bad in them. Most of the time, those who are silent, are the ones who are happy.

Re: Arrow trucking........can it be that bad?
 

Hey, I'll be the first to admit my reactivity, but let's be real. Sure, I am an optimist. I have a certain "way" in which I like to be treated, but that is only because of the way I treat others. I am a considerate person, and to my fault, just figure I'll receive the same. Which explains why I sat with a man for 3 hours teaching him everything I could, just so he could work.

Yes. In the middle of many things going wrong at once, especially where it applies to FMCSA regulation, even more so where it applies to my CDL, I get very upset, very quickly.

Sure, I know seniority gets priority. And who wouldn't expect it to be that way. Still, who could afford to sit parked for as many days as I did and still keep themselves, and their families fed? Really.......

To be fair, Arrow pays on time. The shop foreman is great, the people up in legal, payroll, etc. are all nice.

And what amplifies my whine-a-thon is made worse by the fact that I don't mind writing, compounded by the fact that I haven't had anything else to do.

Now, given the fact that I feel it is my constitutional right to speak up regarding fair treatment, consider these following thoughts:

Were I to have treated Arrow in the same manner they treated me, I would have committed several terminable offenses which would have gotten me fired. Thus, company policy regulates drivers, but the same regulations do not apply to its internal employees.

For instance: Let's use the current situation in where "freight is really slow right now". Suppose I said to my driver manager, "I'm feeling rather sluggish right now" and made my drop 4 days late. Where would you think I would be?

For instance, number two: Dean in the shop says "Don't worry about that air leak in your brakes, we'll fix it back in Tulsa". Suppose I did what he said, lost all my air in the middle of the highway and caused a 10 car pile-up. How well do you think the conversation with the State Patrol would go? "Gee, Officer. Dean said it was OK to drive anyway and that he would cover the ticket". Well, guess who would be doing the jail time? Dean? Don't think so.

Imagine the following: The state of affairs at the *new driver* level is, in general, a bit disturbing. It is prevalent across many of these boards. But imagine for a moment if people really did speak up, regarding working conditions, wages, etc. And they used both written and spoken words effectively, thereby holding these companies accountable for their actions, much in the same way their employee manuals hold power over us?

Things, through persistence, would change. And the imbalance of power would slowly tip the scales in greater favor of the driver.

Fairness and reciprocity make for a much brighter picture, and I feel it can be realized.

Well, I can only speak from our experience.....we have NOT been sitting. We ran through Christmas and have been running good. BUT we are LEASE drivers and we stay OUT of Texas and the southeast. We have been running I-40, I-80, and I-90. We have froze our ars off more than once....wind, Ice, snow below freezing temps and all. But we have managed to stay busy. BUT keep in mind a lease driver has a little more say in where they want to go. We have NEVER been late with a load and are always very kind and proffesional with customers and Arrow employees.

What clint went through is out of the ordenary(sp?) and I dont blame him for his feelings. Under the same circumstances we may very well have done the same thing. I dont see that clint gave up easily at all.

I know that freight is slow right now and is VERY slow in Tulsa due to the storms and being the bad time of year and all.

There are always alot of trucks in Texas.....avoid Texas like the pleague!!

We have had ALOT of problems in the past but were able to land on our feet. That has always been a little bit of luck and whole lot our DM. If it was not for our DM we would NOT be where we are now.

HTH some

tootie