Schneider "Zero (mishap) Tolerance" - Really?

If you want to hear it from someone who is currently employed by Schneider, no, there is not a zero-tolerance policy re: incidents. Minor damage lands you in a room watching videos for several hours, then remedial practice on the lot with an instructor/OSR. Like G-Town said, do something majorly stupid like rolling your rig, unit separation, or don’t follow the coupling procedure and drop your trailer on the ground... those things will see you terminated. On the bulk side at least, we have, and it’s not even close, the absolute worst-looking trailers in the industry. If Schneider had a zero-tolerance policy, we’d have like five drivers.

Thanks. I could look up the details on the posts which prompted my question, but I think my question / concerns have been addressed. Just wanted to be sure Schneider did not have a unique, special and unreasonably harsh policy on such things. So how are their power units???

I think they donated one of them to us too!

Well Marc Lee, it seems you learned two lessons here.

1) Schneider is willing to help train their new drivers learn how to operate safely, even after a few mishaps. This is the typical procedure at most all of the major carriers.

2) That web site you thought was credible was actually more or less just letting anything go in the comments, not willing to do the unpopular work of pushing back against false and misleading remarks. You discovered why Brett started this site and named it appropriately.

I actually think this is a great lesson for other newbies to consider. We are so hungry for information about this career, and all the misleading information we find just makes us more curious. So what do we do? We seek out even more misleading information until our heads are spinning, and we cannot figure out if we're on the right track or not. Then we start our careers assured that our company is going to cheat us. Consequently when we encounter our first difficulties (which is usually about five minutes into our first day) we decide to quit and move on to a "better company."

I hope you guys can see the folly of all this heavy research you do. It's not so much that research is bad in itself, but it's that the sources where you go to get it are so pathetic when it comes to providing accurate and helpful information. Most of them count on the old misery loves company form of entertainment to attract traffic. That is a really poor business model if you want to help people succeed at this career. You have to wonder, "What is their motive?"

I hope you guys can see the folly of all this heavy research you do. It's not so much that research is bad in itself, but it's that the sources where you go to get it are so pathetic when it comes to providing accurate and helpful information. Most of them count on the old misery loves company form of entertainment to attract traffic. That is a really poor business model if you want to help people succeed at this career. You have to wonder, "What is their motive?"

It's the old news format of Bad news is good news and equal ratings.. Kinda same idea in trucking.. Bad stuff, gets people talking Equal more traffic of drivers checking them out..

Also your attitude has a lot to do with how forgiving a company is, if you go in and argue and make tons of excuses they make it a one and done situation.

Also your attitude has a lot to do with how forgiving a company is, if you go in and argue and make tons of excuses they make it a one and done situation.

Thanks Bobcat Bob.

Attitude is (practically) everything!

FYI... I am NOT going to apologize for politely asking what I consider to be important questions and I am NOT going to stop doing research.

I appreciate all the input I can get but in the end this is my career and my life. I have learned much to date (much of it here) and have much more to learn. In fact, I believe a CDL is pretty much just a license to learn. Hoping to drive for the driver / company owner who's daughter told me he always says that.

Everyone has their perspective, opinions, preferences and biases.

Until I sign on the dotted line, I will be asking questions, weighing options and doing research. While there may be a fine line between due diligence and over analysis, I believe I know the difference. I also prefer to be on the over than under side on that one!

Just my $.02

Your mileage may vary.

Marc, immediately on the heels of making this statement...

Attitude is (practically) everything!

...you seemed to get an attitude.

Nobody has a problem with you asking questions! Good grief, I've asked thousands of them. That's how we learn.

My point about research is simple. Newcomers don't even know what they don't know, and are easily led astray by the voluminous amount of B.S. on the trucking forums and chat rooms on the internet. Continually digging deeper into a pile of B.S. just yields more confusion, and leads to many false starts in this industry. That is one of the biggest problems facing new drivers. Fortunately you seem to trust what you get here.

If only you could trust us without taking offense when we offer something helpful.

I appreciate all the input I can get but in the end this is my career and my life.

Yes it is, and all our efforts here are designed to help you. If you think it wise to seek out advice for your life and career from people who are obviously not happy with theirs then what can we say?

Once you understand how you control your own destiny in trucking, then all these concerns about how these trucking companies may possibly treat you will vanish. When you grasp the concepts of performance based pay you become your own advocate for success, and whoever you are working for will do everything they can to keep you productive and happy in your career because they both look for and recognize these types.

Marc, immediately on the heels of making this statement...

Attitude is (practically) everything!

...you seemed to get an attitude.

I do not believe there is anything wrong with my attitude.

I asked a legitimate question based upon information I had found from what could have been or appeared to be a reliable source. I was criticized by more than one person here for asking the question, relying on questionable sources, etc.. I do not consider that appropriate or helpful.

I am now going to stop flogging the expired equestrian!

Marc, immediately on the heels of making this statement...

Attitude is (practically) everything!

...you seemed to get an attitude.

I am now going to stop flogging the expired equestrian!

Oops. I meant equine!

I was criticized by more than one person here for asking the question,

I just reread this entire thread and you were criticized by absolutely no one. In fact, your question was answered very thoroughly by quite a number of people. The only thing I see that's missing from this conversation is a little bit of humility and appreciation.

I do not believe there is anything wrong with my attitude.

Well the rest of us aren't too impressed by it. Settle down and quit being so defensive about everything.