Waiting List For Maverick’s CDL Sponsorship

Every company has it’s flaws in someone’s eyes. Mostly it was the miles...but it was the division that they chose that caused the shortage of miles. My particular division is the higher mile (harder work/physically demanding) division.

Wow, you have been the victim of some very erroneous information.

Disclaimer: I have been a Maverick driver for a year now, and what I'm going to say doesn't mean I've drank the Kool-Aid on this site, it just happens to jive with my experience so far.

First off, which division is the "higher mile, harder work" division in your opinion. Gotta assume flatbed, did you go USA instead of RAT?

Hate to tell you this, but your miles at Maverick have nothing to do with division, seniority, your home location, your fleet manager , time of year, age of truck, or even length of runs. The amount of miles a driver gets is completely up to the driver. No joke, every single division has very high mileage drivers.

I get very good miles at Maverick, in fact better than every driver I've talked to in the past couple months (freight is slow this time of year being the excuse.) Seniority, home location, and time of year should be slowing me down right now according to the terminal rats, but I just keep running, because I know how to "play the game" and maximize my clock. Two quick and easy examples, a lot of our deliveries are windows, say 0700-1400. Deliver at 0700, and you are going to get reloaded that day, deliver at 1400 and there is a good chance you won't get loaded till the next day. Lost miles. Second example is using eta macros. Using the above window, our ALMs have no idea when you are going to arrive, so don't even look for a load until your arrival call pops up on their board. I hammer them with eta's letting them know I'm going to arrive at 0700, so while it's not guaranteed to get you a preplan, more often than not, I have one. They don't want you sitting either, and it literally takes a second to send in.

It's honestly embarrassing going to these terminals and hearing drivers complaining about having sat around for the last twenty four hours waiting for a load when I've got 500 miles left on a current load plus a preplan. (Happened a couple weeks ago while getting a bumper fixed.)

TL;DR- any Maverick driver not getting the miles, odds are it's the driver's fault.

what I'm going to say doesn't mean I've drank the Kool-Aid on this site, it just happens to jive with my experience so far.

You don't have to "drink the Kool-Aid" to figure out how this trucking career works. You do have to figure out how to experience it for yourself though.

That was beautiful Andhe78! It's obvious you're on the right track. For everybody else following along in here, you've got to be really careful about the information you hear as a newbie, especially when it comes from current drivers at your company. You lack the experiences which will help you develop a filter and a way to recognize the constant barrage of B.S. you will be exposed to.

There are a lot of people in this business who never figure out how to be successful at it. They settle on being mediocre and then excuse it with statements like "I'm with the wrong company," or "I'm in the wrong division." They always lay the blame for their shortcomings on some outward influence or reason. There's a million and one of these types of drivers out there. What's worse is they are more than willing to share their crazy opinions with anyone who will listen. It's like a pacifier to them. They repeat their nonsense enough until they actually begin believing it.

For the record my experiences are in line with andhe78's. I made great money and turned big miles at a company where almost all the other drivers complained of not being able to make any money because they just couldn't get the miles. In trucking, we get what we deserve. We actually get to measure out our own pay.

Quick story for illustration...

I'm on a 2,200 mile load right now. I got this load because one of our drivers didn't bother to take it. He showed up at the mill on Saturday, and decided he didn't like the way it was loaded. He just went back home and never said anything to anybody. Monday morning rolls around, and when people start realizing that loaded trailer is still sitting there with a JIT load on it, well the excrement hit the fan! I got a desperate call from some management types and came off my home time to pinch hit. I was going to start back at the end of the day, but I just went ahead and started early that morning.

There was no reason to reject this load. It had some minor issues that just required a few extra straps - that's it, just a little bit of extra work. The other driver is still sitting at home while I'm making about 1,400 dollars just on this one load. Now he's probably telling people how this division doesn't get enough miles! He might make 30,000 dollars this year, while I'll be very close to 80,000 dollars. We work on the same dedicated account!

That's the truth, and that's how it works out here.

Andhe78, Thanks for the response. That is exactly why I said “in someone’s eyes”. Because everyone knows it is NEVER the complainer’s fault....(TOTAL SARCASM THERE). You are right about the division, however I am going Atlantic Regional not USA. When I watched that ONE video...and yeah there was only one person that *****ed about not getting miles or making money at Maverick. And I kinda figured it had something to do with work ethic. lol!! I have a friend that drives for them and he and I just had this conversation today. I am changing my career for two reasons....one personal and one financial. So if my ass is going to be away from my family, I am damn sure going to be busting it to make money!! I am not going to be lolly-gagging around and not trying my hardest to make a good living. I hope to meet you some day and maybe get some of your “game strategies”.

Old School, You all don’t realize how much you help a newbie....or a wish-to-be like me. This site, all you experienced guys and the experiences you share is awesome! I totally get what you both are saying. It is what you make it to be! If you are a lazy ****, then you are gonna make **** pay, if you are a professional, you are gonna make professional pay!! (I sum things up in some weird ways I know). I have my own flaw of sorts. If I am not the best I can be at whatever I am doing, then I can’t stand myself! I have done things to get my current company out of a pinch, and have no problem with it. It is what I think “being a team player means”.

Again, thanks for all the comments and keep em coming. I love the knowledge.

Wow, you have been the victim of some very erroneous information.

TL;DR- any Maverick driver not getting the miles, odds are it's the driver's fault.

Jason, figured you'd be going RAT but talking about the "higher mile division" made me wonder what you'd heard about USA. Lol.

Couple things. Glad to see you have a good work ethic, especially talking about flatbed, but I've kind of come to the conclusion (and I'm sure Old School will be more than happy to correct me) that brains will get you more miles than work ethic. Here's an example, specific to my company, that happens a couple times a month: east coast delivery, no preplan, can't spend the night at the consignee , 0500-1100 delivery window. Now, practically every hard working driver will follow the company's unofficial motto that early is on time, and show up to deliver at or before 0500. Fine and dandy, except that our ALMs don't start showing up for work until 0730ish central time. If you're unloaded by 0600, you're going to be spending some hours waiting for a load. I like to show up in these situations around 0730 local time so that by the time I'm unloaded, my reload is often waiting for me, and I have extra hours later. I may not be number one on the load board, but I also haven't had to burn three hours getting a load. This is literally a concept that other drivers have told me is flat out wrong, and it still doesn't click with them even as I leave for my reload at the same time they do. That's one of the most annoying things out here-thinking outside the box is frowned upon, very heavily. I've had a hundred drivers tell me that the way I run will cost me miles, and those same hundred drivers will complain they aren't getting miles while I haven't stopped running. Anyway, rant off. You've got to learn how to plan ahead for your next load, even when you don't have one. I got lucky and ran into an old timer who is one of our top milers, and after a few weeks of running some unorthodox hours and being surprised at my improvement-he confirmed the results weren't a fluke and he runs the same way. The hour spent with that driver and the ideas he gave me literally added over 500 miles a week to my check. Don't be afraid to get weird and ignore the common beliefs once you get your permanent fleet manager. When you prove you can get loads delivered on time, they don't care how you get them there.

Secondly, I know you are hoping for big checks, but the first few months are going to be tough. They will run you, but you are going to be spending a fair amount of time securing and tarping loads those first months. Now days, I plan on getting unloaded, loaded, and 550+ miles every day, all dependent of course on how much time is spent loading and unloading. That's not going happen the first few months. The first time you get a shotgun slitted coil that takes all your chains and several straps and you realize you don't have enough hook ups for everything, you're going to loose some hours. Don't plan on getting 3000 miles your first solo weeks. Work on becoming efficient, that will in time also improve your milage.

Anyway, I wish you luck. If you happen upon a very tall yankee in one of our terminals who has a Buffalo Bill's lanyard, say hi.

I report to Maverick on December 30th. I am so excited and scared to death at the same time.

Andhe78, I sure will say hi! And the “higher miles” thing is mainly because I know absolutely nothing about miles when it comes to trucking. It sounded like a lot of miles to me but I am currently piled up in an ambulance and usually put about 200 miles a shift (12 hours) on the truck (which is a lot by our standards). So when it said like up to 2600 miles a week I was thinking that was a lot. I know a lot of things depend on the miles. And not gonna get upset for the first few weeks when I don't make good miles. Man, I am just so excited to be getting to do what i have always wanted. Be safe out there!!!

Hey everyone, I am in North Little Rock and start orientation tomorrow. I’m excited and scared. I’m a bit nervous Bout the agility test. I’m built like an old cadilac....low to the ground and pretty heavy. Anyway, I’ll try to keep up my posts on here. If I make it through orientation, I go straight into CDL school.

That's exciting news Ruck!

It's been a long wait, but you managed it. Keep your head in the game and you'll be fine. Don't let fears of that agility test get to you. There's plenty of flat bedders out here who are built like old Cadillacs.

Keep us posted - we're looking forward to your progress.

Good luck Ruck, you've got this. I look forward to reading more.

Hey everyone, I am in North Little Rock and start orientation tomorrow. I’m excited and scared. I’m a bit nervous Bout the agility test. I’m built like an old cadilac....low to the ground and pretty heavy. Anyway, I’ll try to keep up my posts on here. If I make it through orientation, I go straight into CDL school.

You’ll do fine, just follow the instructions. No one in my orientation class failed the agility part of the physical. I was sweating the flexibility part of the physical since the examiners seemed unhappy with my very poor results. Still made it through.