Profile For Cleft_Asunder

Without jumping all over the other stuff on this discussion - sounds like working for a small mom-n-pop, can be a nightmare.

With 14 months of experience, you should be able to move into another company - or back into the company you left the first time (assuming you left on good terms).

As OS comments - an ample demonstration of why the grass is not always greener.

Get back onboard with a national/large carrier - keep your head down and put a year in - not because you're under obligation to, but to start developing some stable employment history.

While it's understandable in the first few years, to do a little "shopping around" for a company that is a "best fit" for you. The best companies do want to see someone that shows they can stick things through.

These companies STILL have a 2-3 year OTR experience requirement for hire, higher pay and better equipment - because they want folks that have demonstrated a commitment to sticking around and getting the job done.

Rick

See, now that is a sound reply with good advice. I agree and i think i will stick with these guys 4 more months because the experience is important, but its hard for me to get past the poor maintenance that is really a major safety issue.

You guys are really set in your ways. No disagreement is tolerated. All im allowed to do is listen and not talk back. "Whatever"

Cleft, you are a heck of a character.

Man i don't even know how to reply to you other than to say that you are a master at character assassination. "Digging in the past?" Thats something i specifically try not to do since its pety. For example, im a "bumper buster" because you know that i was in two minor accidents, so that rules out any future potential that i can call myself a truck driver.

Somehow you missed the entire reality and tone of my post, unlike old school, who did understand without taking my side.

And btw, if you're thinking that im getting worse and worse trucks because my miles are slacking or because im not a good driver, you're wrong. I would get 3600 miles sometimes, and 2500 minimum. This is just not what you do to keep drivers.

You're kidding...right? Just trolling to get a rise out of the forum?

No, 100 percent true, and thats not even the worst of it.

So im with my second company now at 8 months experience, plus 6 months experience with my first. Its a "mom and pop" type gig but im really regretting it.

I signed up because they leave me alone and let me do 72mph. They gave me a "newer" 13 spd volvo with 237k miles on it. During the first week the truck had some issue so it went to volvo, and normally a driver should wait for his truck to be repaired since he has all his stuff in there, but NOPE he wanted me to do a "favor" and get into a similar volvo to run loads until my truck was repaired. I was very annoyed and thought to myself, "this guy just wants me to get into his truck and make him profits." Get in the truck and go. Boy was i right.

So a week later i was eager to get my original volvo back since i didnt like the second one as much because it had serious engine issues. Even though he told me i would get it back, i find out some lady is driving it. The lady eventually damages the truck and so im stuck with the second volvo.

So as time goes on, i persisted in telling him that the check engine light is on and that it has multiple issues such as hard starting, but it became obvious that maintenance is a low priority. The truck fails to start one day and had to be towed due to fuel injectors. I was in a motel twidling my thumbs for a week. I was annoyed and ****ed because im very mechanical, and preventitive maintenance is a big cost saver, and a joy to exercise. And i realize im working for a company that thinks they are saving money because they avoided balancing the tires. And then i realized, "hey wait a second, why the ____ don't i have an inverter in here? If i owned a company, i would pay out of my own pocket for one, and even a tv and sattelite dish. Why wouldnt i want to make drivers happy?"

Now I should mention that i do a lot of work on repairs, making sure the truck isnt falling apart. 8 months pass and the truck finally gets fed up with the second engine issue and cant start. I was telling them for 8 months that they should get it fixed. What do they do instead? They dont repair it and take it back to lease. Okay, maybe that makes sense, but it was a nice truck, ans it was MY truck because i was comfortable.

So --get this-- they throw me in a 10 spd prostar eagle that they just bought, and im thinking, "wtf is going on here? I dont want this truck, i want my volvo." I notice the truck is lacking power and has a check engine light on, no surprise there, so i check the air filter which was heavily clogged, and removed it. Thats how much im respected that they throw me in a truck that isnt even checked for basic things?

Any way, i asked for another volvo, and they gave me one. I'm currently driving a truck with 800,000 miles on it, and there are like 10 things wrong with it, one being that it's ghetto, and another that the cruise control doesnt work. In fact, when i took off for a load today, the hood flew forward on the highway as i braked since the latch was not installed correctly.

Any way, there are lots of other things, but i want to ask you guys for advice because i really want to get 1.5 years in, but that means staying with the company another 4 months, and i am really hating my job right now because my truck is old and ghetto, and i dont respect my boss. I think he is greedy and selfish and i don't believe he is fit to run a company.

Oh and I wanted to ask, are they going to make me drive at night? Because I have been driving during the day for the past 7 months for another company, and I start dozing off before 12pm. -_- They have their night drivers.

Upon upgrading I was assigned a 2015 KW T680 with a 10-speed.

And yes, it has a huge wheelbase on it. Makes parking in tight docks a challenge. But Ive enjoyed it for the most part.

Bigger wheel base but bigger sleeper, right? Those 680's are so nice in the inside! The 660 too. Very high quality.

Volvos and Freightliners seem to be the most commonly assigned to newbies, although it's really a tossup. If you get a KW it will almost certainly be a retired lease-op truck. I've heard that they are somewhat resistant to assigning them to rookies because of the longer wheel base.

The good news is if you get a 9 speed it will be the same shift pattern as the 13, just without the splitter. So no learning curve really. In the end it won't matter what truck you get, they all have their own little quirks and issues. Just hope you get a truck that has a suspension dump switch, it can be an inconvenience not having one at times.

Thanks for the all the info!

Im in a 2014 Cascadia evolution Eaton Fuller 9 speed

Is the 9 speed fun to drive? The 13 definitely was.