Question About Training, Dispatcher, Home Time, And Pay

Sam,

Glad you were able to work out your differences with your trainers FM. I can assure you that this in the overall scheme of things is nothing more than a bump in the road. Just please keep in mind that as it has been pointed out here and I don't necessarily agree with how it works (but facts speak very loud) you have to earn your way up the ladder of give/take in this industry.

After 20 years in the military, I have learned that life isn't always fair. But if you give your honest best effort, all things usually work out in the end.

Good luck going forward.

Ernie

Joshua, many people get into Trucking school, or on the road and it's close to the first time in their life that so much had been demanded of them. The whole process from CDL permit to solo driver is full of hurdles they can barely get over. Also, so many expect nice hotels, decent food provided, and, as Sam is finding out, promises & dates he thought were "set" aren't necessarily so. Several people in this thread have pointed out that new guys aren't always going to get what they want.

People who have been in the military know you have to work hard for some things they took for granted as civilians. It's not a case of rookies are people, too. It's the rude awakening of life in a rough business.

FYI, early on I had a home time set, for a weekend. Because of dispatches sent to me, I didn't get home till Tuesday, four days late. Been there, done that.

I think the problem starts at the beginning, the recruiters lie off the rip. If I was going by what I was told from them then I would have started psd by day 5, which I did but only because I found a trainer not because they had a trainer for me. There were plenty of others waiting over a week. Also was told by the recruiter that I would get home the first time following psd, which everyone now knows was a lie, and would be home every 3 to 4 weeks after. The first thing we were told in orientation was that we would be there 6 to 12 weeks before we would get home. There were plenty of people who were told by the recruiters they were good to go only to get sent home when they got there, and of course after they quit there last job, for past work history. Hell one guy I knew got sent home because of the adhd medicine he was taking, even know he told the recruiter before hand he was on it. It seems like the recruiters goal is to just get as many people there as possible which is completely wrong because people quit there jobs thinking they are coming to start a new career. I was one of those people, I disclosed my past work history which was great up until a few years ago I worked for the same company for 10 years that later went under. Since then Ive had 4 jobs in 5 years as I try to find a fit. The last job I had up until the day before I got on the bus. I went into training thinking I was making a career change to something I could enjoy, a career where I decide how much Im worth instead of a "boss". The company I worked for for 10 years was an incentive job and I loved it. It was up to me on how much I could make so it made me want to work harder, unlike the jobs I had after. I didnt enjoy working for companies where I got paid as much as everyone else when I was the hardest working person there. Over time it turns into resent. Any way, my 3rd day there I got called into the office because of the fact that I had quit my last 3 jobs and that they couldnt contact the company that went under. REALLY? How am I supposed toverify a company that is no longer around? The only thing I could offer as contact for that company was the former owners phone number because we are still friends. The office guy flat out said that they could not accept a personal phone number as a contact for a company because it could just be a friend of mine. I was worried about being sent home. All of this should have been checked before I even got a bus pass. Thank goodness the companies I quit all described me a stellar employee or else I would have been screwed.

Your doing awesome Sam. Your showing guts and determination sticking this out and that is what prime wants to see. Each step gets easier, not easy, but without a doubt easier. And man, some days sure are fun. I always bring my bike with me and got to ride it in the woods in both Massachusetts and Connecticut. First time this far east in my life and had an absolute blast. And oh yeah, I got paid good for it too.

First one I didn't click with at all and I asked to move boards and it was granted.

This is certainly a policy change with Prime then. Like Ernie said, they didn't used to let you switch dispatchers. They were hardcore about that which I thought was a poor policy. By forcing a driver to stay with a certain dispatcher you're condemning certain drivers to a lesser experience because not all dispatchers are created equal, just like all drivers aren't created equal. So it's nice they'll let you switch dispatchers now if that's the case. And in return they should let dispatchers kick a driver off their board if the driver won't perform but that's a discussion for another time.

People who have been in the military know you have to work hard for some things they took for granted as civilians. It's not a case of rookies are people, too. It's the rude awakening of life in a rough business.

See, this is what I'm screaming also. There is a huge difference between the experience a rookie will have doing a job that almost anyone can do well versus a job that very few people can do well. In really tough environments like the military, coal mining, commercial fishing, oil drilling, and truck driving the established workers and management know that a huge percentage of the newbies won't make it. They're either too soft, too lazy, or don't have the nerve to handle the pressure. So you get no respect in the beginning from anyone because you haven't proven you're going to be there for very long. You haven't proven you can handle it. You haven't endured the hardships yet.

In places like the military, higher level sports, and the business world there is little or no mercy to be found anywhere. You either cowboy up and handle it or you go sit your *ss on the sidelines and watch the big boys play. That's how it goes. If you want an easy life then go get a job at Walmart or go sell sunglasses at the mall. If you want to take the bull by the horns and do something that's difficult and dangerous then you had better understand that it's going to take a long time to prove yourself.

This is one of the biggest reasons so many people drop out of trucking very quickly. They expect to be treated like an equal right from day one. They think they're going to be coddled and hugged and nurtured like they're in a day care center. But people running things in tough environments take the opposite approach. They throw you into the fire to see if you can take the heat. If you don't have what it takes to survive in that environment they want to figure that out right away and get you out of there. No sense in wasting time on someone who either can't handle it or isn't motivated enough to perform at a high level.

Trucking is what it is and you're not going to change it. You're either going to adapt and survive or get kicked to the curb. That's another reason why nobody really cares much what a rookie thinks about the way training is done or companies are run or the industry is governed. Because it isn't going to change. It hasn't changed in 30 years. So you can cry and complain or you can adapt and survive but there really is no in between.

Sam, we got on you hard earlier in this thread because we wanted to make a very important point as quickly as possible. We knew the mess you were about to make for yourself if you continued on the path you were on, and we knew you weren't aware of it. So we wanted to "shake you up" a bit to make sure we had your attention. You handled it marvelously, and I respect that. You'll never find a group that genuinely cares more about your success than we do. But that doesn't mean we're going to coddle you or defend you all the time. Sometimes it means we're going to give you h*ll because you're screwing up and you need to know it in no uncertain terms.

Hang in there and things will work out great. Go with the flow, listen and learn, and try to master your trade. A year from now you're going to understand so much more about this industry that you'll look back on this and go, "Wow, I really had no idea in the beginning what this trucking thing was really like." We all said that after we had been in it for a while.

Rolling Thunder, who has been immensely successful working for high level concert tours and shows said:

For those who don't know, two years ago I was the guy coming on here with zero knowledge (except for Smokey And The Bandit) about being a truck driver. I asked some of the same questions that show up now and they were answered by drivers, and ex drivers, who truly care about the trucking industry. There were times where I had to check myself because the answer given was not the answer I wanted... It was the truth.

That's what this discussion has been.....the hard truth. And it seems like you've taken it well and you're ready to continue on with your career. That's exactly what we had hoped for. Everyone here cares deeply about seeing people get a great start to their career. We won't win any awards for being endlessly kind and gentle, but we will be brutally honest with you and guide you down the right path. Sometimes I question whether I'm being too harsh or allowing others to be too harsh but in the end the people who belong in this industry can handle it. And I think you're one of those guys.

Even a 20 year vet wouldn't of handled that situation like that.... I mean do you demand things from your parents? No. So why would you say something like "you are going to reimburse me then" to anyone.... like I said these office people can and will make or break you it's just a matter of when...my driver manager keeps us moving and that's cuz we do our jobs and show him respect... I've seen drivers sit for a week cuz of their dm..

Here's a couple of good links about being a rookie driver:

Surviving Your Rookie Year On The Road

Enduring The Rookie Treatment In Trucking

I was approved for hometime for tomorrow 8/15/15 Cuz my birthday is 8/17 but we are stuck in Ohio with no loads heading to hagerstown Maryland but we got offered a run from Copley Ohio to Bloomington California to Carlisle Pennsylvania to Chicago heights il back to Copley Ohio with another run to get me home... we pick up the first load on 8/16 and end on the 21st for a total of 5768 miles Plus the load home.... the planners are in a bind and we are the closest team to take this run so we are doing them a favor and in return we get mad miles before going home... I didn't complain and didn't ***** about it cuz Now they owe us a favor lol...

I didn't complain and didn't ***** about it cuz Now they owe us a favor

Exactly!!! That's the perfect way to look at it. You 'pay it forward' as they say. You do an amazing job whether you get a few lousy runs or get home late or whatever. You can now look at it like having money in the bank. So when things have been slow a little too long or you need a special favor of some sort you have some good will built up. You can tell dispatch, "Listen, I do an awesome job. I take cr*ppy loads without complaining, I get home late sometimes, and I'm always safe and on time. So someone needs to throw me a bone here. I've earned it."

That is the way you trade favors with dispatch. Go out there and prove to them you're everything they could ever hope for in a driver. Then expect them to treat you well in return. The tough part when you're new to trucking is knowing what you should reasonably be expected to give and what you should reasonably expect in return. But once you figure that out then you'll be able to get the great miles and fair treatment a top level driver deserves.

I found that I like trucking more than anything else right out of the Army because the good drivers, the successful drivers, don't sugarcoat things. A professional speaks the truth...sometimes tactfully, sometimes not. But, any honesty is better than sugarcoated crap. There really isn't any room for tender feelings in trucking, unless your girl is in your bunk (or whatever your situation may be).

Trucks have to earn money, people have to get paid, and that involves folks in the office who dispatch you to wherever that money can be made. Currently, I'm a company driver. But, I will save the owner money any possible way that I can, like hand washing the truck in my driveway instead of spending that ungodly amount of money at a truck wash facility. I drive the oldest truck in the fleet, and it's fine by me though I don't have the same creature comforts that the newer trucks have. I don't complain about it; I just make it work and enjoy the opportunity that I have.

I also track fuel expenses on my Rand McNally truck GPS as though I am the one spending the money. You don't have to be a record breaker to be decent employee. Ask the right questions, and monetize that truck.

The company really could care less about your personal life like you do. That's a fact. That business operates to make profits, and you have to be on board with that idea. So, take your lumps and learn the lesson presented to you. You might do well to apologize to that DM also, and admit your mistake. If you keep on making everything about you, then you will suffer tremendous humiliation or worse, like killing someone.

It may take a total reframing in your way of thought, but get to the point where you are supporting the organization through your efforts, or accept the idea that you are going to fail. I've seen some truly hardcore people, leaders even, fail miserably because they only cared about themselves and not the team/greater good. Most places, trucking included, have a way of policing themselves in a way that the turds roll away fast enough to make room for those who can produce desired results. This is honesty, and this is experience. Take it however you will.

Prime runs a lot of checks on you before you come, but some things they hold off on until you are physically there. These background checks cost money and you may not realize it, but there is a bunch of people who get cleared to come in and never show up for whatever reason. They aren't going to invest that money for you to never show. A lot of people get sent home because once those checks are ran it is discovered that they lied about employment or criminal background, failed drug test, failure to pass permit test, and many other issues. If you can't conduct yourself in orientation then they know you won't be any better on your own. Ever heard of the phrase sh*t happens, as said there is a lot that goes into keeping freight moving that you as a driver will not see, but there will be times that they don't get you home right on time. On the future I would recommend you give a reminder to your dispatcher several days ahead of time just to refresh their memory. You need to establish a good relationship with your dispatcher because while they might not exactly be your boss, they are the one who can push sales to give you a good load, do stay on their good side. My dispatcher and me had some issues while I was in training but we get along real good now. I never complain about a load, I just get it done and on time. They have 40 trucks minimally that they are dealing with so they have a lot to keep track of, give him some credit, it's not as simple as just starting at a computer all day and back to not complaining. With that many drivers, do you think that they are all happy and treating him with respect, heck no. Show him he can count on you to get it done with no kick back and you will move up his list of drivers he can count on. I've been solo since the end of may and have already gone from 2200-2300 miles a week to 2700-3300. Just remember man, you don't sh*t where you eat.