Comments on: Driving With Blinders On

By: Allen Smith

Allen Smith — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 22:41:38 +0000

Thanks John,

I’m working on a new book, but it’s still in the research stage. Should be ready in a few weeks and will give a state by state listing of best trucking companies. Listen to the BTR Show tonight for details.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/truthabouttrucking

Allen

By: John T. Tookes

John T. Tookes — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 21:40:58 +0000

Thank the Organizer of this WEBSITE&PAGE.
I’ve been fooling around about a quarter million miles
mostly getting screwed in the unmentionable (*)
I live in the southeast,united states. THERE “S only
been a few good companies to me.
Celadon/Mr Russell & Harvey Gainey & Alabama’s
Own MR Wiley sanders & Stephan Sanders(the son)
I drove and sleep on the job in that truck about 6 months. I wasnt smart enough to put on my Blinders
like a horse or a Jac—- unmntable! and keep driving
i got extremely upset people having time to tie-u-up
with qualcom stupidity* driver Must shower eat sleep etc. thanks guys for a dear hear,if God is willing i’ll be back! JT@ the duckey rides again! peace

By: pierce

pierce — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 19:23:47 +0000

So true,great article.
Also want to thank all at truthabouttrucking
for your hard work and helping to improve trucking

By: admin

admin — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 01:09:44 +0000

Hi Ellie,

Since you asked, within the next 2 weeks Allen is going to be videoing a PreTrip Inspection of his own.
This has been something he’s been wanting to do for a long time. Between his work schedule and running the helpdesk for Truth About Trucking( you can sure testify that’s he answers his e-mails in detail…:))
it’s been difficult having the time to do it RIGHT.
Allen’s ” on the road” at the moment, but I’m sure he’ll be reading ALL the comments

Thanks to you and everyone for all your input.

Donna

By: Ellie Taft

Ellie Taft — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:48:06 +0000

it’s a great article Allen, I have only 8 school days left and then all the test’s begin, 2 pre-trips, (one bus, one semi) it’s the bus I originally wanted ,but was told here that here in Ga. I needed a semi class before I got my bus license, this was told to me by my school. ….whatever follows from here is hard to tell, but thanks for all your help, I still wish I knew where I could get a good picture of a truck engine so I could learn the different parts better., to me it is still greek, never being under the hood of a truck before, and the pre-trip just doesn’t sink in, any hints? thanks again. ellie, ps, if anything I have learned my “set ups” for the semi as in stright backs, alley parking,etc.

By: Mary A

Mary A — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:19:31 +0000

How very true
I remember my son running across those very
same problems mentioned in this Article.

Mary A

By: Linda

Linda — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:29:03 +0000

Excellent article, Allen! And very, very true. And, for Jim-keep everything said in this article in mind in your journey thru Schenieder-and, yes, I said THRU. They are a good company to start out with, and their training used to be excellent. They’re a good company for a new driver. But, things change after you’ve been there awhile. Schneider, like so many large carriers doesnt want experienced drivers-even if they got their experience with them. Just remember to keep your nose clean and your options open-this is one of those 128% turn-over companies for a reason (yeah, I know they tell ya different, but they use creative accounting in more ways than one). I should know-was with them over 16yrs.

And the 140/90 bp is the standard for 1tr certification only, I believe-if they keep lowering it, if we have a pulse, ity’ll be too high!

By: admin

admin — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:49:07 +0000

Thanks for the comments, guys! That is why I’m hoping that together, we can change things!!

Good Luck!!

Allen

By: daryl

daryl — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:38:10 +0000

128% turnover = 1.28 employees who leave for each 1 who was on the payroll….as an average.

example; 5 employees…..who then leave…..and each is replaced once during a 12 month period….100% turnover.

By: Jim McClung

Jim McClung — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:14:42 +0000

Allen,
I couldn’t agree more. I have been researching the trucking industry prior to entering for several months now. I started with company websites and calling recruiters with the 20 questions. Their answers for the most part didn’t match the information their company’s website offered. Sometimes the answers were more optomistic …sometimes less optomistic than the website information. Then I ran across your e-book, puchased and downloaded it and got answers as to why things are what they are at OTR companies and everything became much clearer to me.

I began talking to recruiters at schools and asking more questions. Most of them asked why I was asking them for this and that and said that my mind must have been “poisoned” by reading the trucker’s blog sites and listening to “whiners” that expected something for nothing and I should not listen to them anymore.

I was told that the turnover rate in the industry was what it is because newbies had false expectations. GEE!, I wonder where they got these “unreasonable” notions from? Reckon somebody lied to them?…… Paint me a rosy picture and I will expect roses.

One of the things which amused me is the fact that I could not get a square answer about what is acceptable in regard to blood pressure. I was told the max is 140 over 90 by one recruiter (I knew this couldn’t be right) and 180 over 110 was a permanent dis-qualification by another.

The conclusion I arrived at was that many people sign up for school without a chance in hell for one reason or another of ever being able to qualify to drive and must pay thousands of dollars to find this out. That should be a crime for any industry to treat newcomers like that. It’s fraudulent!

As for me, I took your advice for my particular situation and signed up for Schneider Traing Academy. I go to my DOT physical / drug screen appointment on Monday. My class begins on the 20th of September and I’m off to the open road with my driver trainer on Sunday afternoon to Monday morning the 5th of October.

Schneider seems to me to be the most forthright and their website info vs. recruiter info seems to match up the best. I’m sure there are negative blogs on them somewhere out there… I just haven’t seen any yet.

Wish me luck!

Jim