How Do You Know Whether It's Time To Change Companies Or Suck It Up?

I practiced tricks at managing my time more efficiently so that I was available for the best loads. By this I mean I was getting MT'd out early, sometimes as much as several days. I always tried to make it so that I sat out my ten hour break just prior to getting MT, often times I would MT out before even starting my clock so that I was not wasting my valuable time waiting on dispatch. Any trucking company recognizes pretty quickly a driver who knows how to do this stuff. I was always setting myself up so that I would be prepared to be ready for whatever they could come up with.

Old School, what does all that mean?

I made the decision to switch based on the positives I was looking for AND a company had to offer. Not the negatives of where I was. The two best jobs we ever have are our "last" job and our "next" job.

When I compared and realized that there was significant upside to moving companies (more home time and better retirement) with very little downside (same pay), I made the decision to go. Three months later, still happy...most days. :)

GLA plays the game:

I practiced tricks at managing my time more efficiently so that I was available for the best loads. By this I mean I was getting MT'd out early, sometimes as much as several days. I always tried to make it so that I sat out my ten hour break just prior to getting MT, often times I would MT out before even starting my clock so that I was not wasting my valuable time waiting on dispatch. Any trucking company recognizes pretty quickly a driver who knows how to do this stuff. I was always setting myself up so that I would be prepared to be ready for whatever they could come up with.

Good job! I underlined the results of your time management. And when your DM knows this, they know who to send loads to.

BTW I'll add this: be honest about posting your Time Available. (i.e., don't send in a time that always makes you look so early.) Your DM will do better at matching your MT call to their available business.

Do you use Macro 10? It gives you greater visibility with the planners and will help you when your DM can't seem to get you a load. In my job, mac10 is unnecessary, but I know TractorMan used it and got some good results.

Good luck

Do you use Macro 10? It gives you greater visibility with the planners and will help you when your DM can't seem to get you a load. In my job, mac10 is unnecessary, but I know TractorMan used it and got some good results.

Good luck

Sorry meant for another thread. My apologies.

There is no one specific issue. Generally, I'm happy. There are a bunch of little things and a number of recurring issues that pop up every few months and I get tired of having the same conversation over and over again. It's like trying to stop the dog from eating the neighbor's chickens. (And I don't want to do to my TM what I did to to the dog to make it stop. )

As part of the process of preparing to go back to work, I read some threads about my old company on that other trucking forum. Some of the guys there complain about some "little things" and "recurring issues." A lot of those things irritated me too while I was working there. When I got to the end of one thread, I found myself thinking, "Man, they are right about this stuff! It's irritating as heck! Why would I go back to work there? They're terrible!"

Then I looked at my W-2 (it's tax time). Wait a minute, I made some really good money while I was there. And I got to run in areas that I really enjoy running. And my dispatcher and all of the staff I came across were really good to me and easy to deal with. My equipment was good. The loads were good. I really liked it there. In other words, I would have said,"Generally, I'm happy."

The point is that sometimes it's a really good idea to count your blessings and consider carefully what it is you really like about the place you're at whenever you're considering leaving. That's not to say it's never worth leaving where you're at, but rather that it's a good idea to consciously consider what it is you like about your current job. It helps prevent falling into "the grass is greener on the other side" thinking too easily.

I've been presented with a couple of opportunities and one is really intriguing.

I wasn't really looking to get into my situation. I mostly wanted to hear from others what it would take to get them to switch companies and go back to the bottom of the totem pole.

I changed companies after a year and a half with the first company I worked for. As Old School said so eloquently, it helps to know that you've done everything you can to maximize your current situation before leaving. (Although I have to say that one time in New Mexico I tried heading out for what I thought would be my next shipper , based on experience. I was wrong and it cost me a hundred miles and a bit of blowback from dispatch.)

It is a little bit difficult to start over at a new company and be low man on the totem pole. It is a lot easier if you already know how to conduct yourself in a positive way and to get things done. That will be noticed quickly, and before long your dispatcher and others you come into contact with will notice and you'll be back in a good spot within your new company.

As others here have said repeatedly, there really are not that many drivers who both know how to do the things that are taught here and then actually do them consistently. If you can do that, you will not worry about changing companies if it makes sense after some serious consideration, because you will know you can succeed wherever you go.

I practiced tricks at managing my time more efficiently so that I was available for the best loads. By this I mean I was getting MT'd out early, sometimes as much as several days. I always tried to make it so that I sat out my ten hour break just prior to getting MT, often times I would MT out before even starting my clock so that I was not wasting my valuable time waiting on dispatch. Any trucking company recognizes pretty quickly a driver who knows how to do this stuff. I was always setting myself up so that I would be prepared to be ready for whatever they could come up with.

Old School, what does all that mean?

QLA, I thought it was clear. Maybe it's the "MT" part that is confusing?

"MT" is Qualcomm lingo for "empty."

Does that help you understand what I was saying. If not, speak up and I will try to elaborate.

I practiced tricks at managing my time more efficiently so that I was available for the best loads. By this I mean I was getting MT'd out early, sometimes as much as several days. I always tried to make it so that I sat out my ten hour break just prior to getting MT, often times I would MT out before even starting my clock so that I was not wasting my valuable time waiting on dispatch. Any trucking company recognizes pretty quickly a driver who knows how to do this stuff. I was always setting myself up so that I would be prepared to be ready for whatever they could come up with.

Old School, what does all that mean?

QLA, I thought it was clear. Maybe it's the "MT" part that is confusing?

"MT" is Qualcomm lingo for "empty."

Does that help you understand what I was saying. If not, speak up and I will try to elaborate.

Thanks Old School. I am not in school yet, so the acronyms go by me. "MT" was the issue. GLA