Posts Tagged Scams
Retaining Truck Drivers Should be No Problem for Trucking Companies
Posted by Allen Smith in Jobs and Careers, Safety, Truck Driving Jobs, otr trucking, trucking, trucking companies, trucking life on December 9th, 2009
Recently, concerning the problem for trucking companies to retain drivers within their employment, an industry leader commented that no trucking company wants a “revolving door.” That statement is actually both true and false. The many decent and well respected trucking companies in the U. S. work extremely hard in keeping their drivers from finding another driving job elsewhere. It is also a fact that no company can keep every employee satisfied at all times. Regardless of the past 128% plus turn-over rate among drivers, there are those companies who do work diligently in keeping their drivers as employees. However, to say “no trucking company” wants a revolving door is simply not true, and there are thousands upon thousands of drivers who know this.
We know that there are those “starter” companies, as well as countless other trucking companies, who continually rotate drivers through their front doors. These are the companies which have the sole purpose of moving both the highest paying and cheapest freight, using the cheapest labor as possible. Who are the cheapest labor? New CDL students and drivers.
For years, there have been discussions on the trucking industry problem of retaining drivers. This problem should not even exist, and does so, due to the direct actions of the companies themselves. I recently read a comment stating that the driver turn-over rate is now down to a 56% overall average . . . but it is not because things are better, it is due to the state of the economy. Drivers are not leaving employment because of the poor job market. As soon as the economy gets back on its feet, which I do not believe will be any time soon . . . the turn-over rate among professional drivers will go right back up to where it once was.
To retain drivers should be a fairly simple task for a trucking company. Professional truck drivers do not ask for much . . . the companies keep the turn-over rate and retention rate going in order to continue the rotation of new and lower paid drivers, thus making more on their bottom line. Simple fact. There are 25-30 year veteran drivers who have not driven within the past one year, who are being turned away from trucking companies and not being hired. They are being told that they do not have the required verifiable driving experience for the past year . . . what about the verifiable driving experience for the last 24-29 years? Obvious reason, they would rather hire a new, inexperienced driver with 3 weeks driving experience, over a veteran driver with many years of OTR experience . . . cheap labor.
The pro driver with the 25-30 years experience will demand a CPM rate of .38 plus per mile, while the company can get away with paying the new driver a measly .22 to .24 CPM, sometimes even as low as .13 CPM. They can continue to rotate these new drivers out and keep the influx of lower paid drivers coming in . . . it’s all about the money, nothing about the safety.
Over the road trucking companies enjoy talking about the importance of safety and how the driver is their primary asset, yet they will turn away a years of experience veteran driver, and settle with a 3 week driver trainee . . . all because the veteran, for whatever reasons, has not driven within the past one year. This is another segment of the scams of OTR trucking, and they wonder why retaining drivers is so difficult. It is not difficult at all . . . it is done on purpose by the very companies who say they are working to try to solve the problem of driver retention. Let me help those companies out . . .
You want to retain drivers? Very simple . . . since most long haul drivers are paid by the mile:
- Pay them a good and livable CPM wage - Starting point: .38 CPM plus – NOT .22 CPM and definitely not .13 CPM . . . could you live on that?
- Give them MILES! - I know this may be a shocker to some of you, but since they are getting paid by the mile . . . GIVE THEM MILES!
- Let them have their home time - When you tell a driver that you will have them home every two weeks, then get them home in two weeks. If you guarantee home on weekends, then get them home by the weekend. Also, don’t let them arrive home at 3 A.M. Saturday morning, and dispatch them on a Monday pick-up load where they have to leave home by 12 noon on Sunday . . . do you really consider this “home on weekends?”
- Treat them with the respect that they deserve - Many companies advertise that the driver is their most important asset . . . really? Then treat them as such.
Your drivers do not ask much from you . . . they want to drive and earn a good living to support themselves and their families . . . the exact same thing that you want. Drivers can even live without Number 4 above, if you will at least give them the other three.
To bring down the trucking company self-made driver retention rate, the companies will have to stop their actions which are causing it in the first place. Secondly, give the drivers what they need, want and deserve . . . it is very simple and would greatly reduce this problem that should really be no problem at all.
© 2009, AskTheTrucker. All rights reserved.
: cdl students, driver retention, otr, over the road, retain drivers, retaining, retaining drivers, Safety, Scams, truck drivers, trucking, trucking companies, verifiable driving experience
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Trucking Industry and Politics
Posted by Allen Smith in Politics, Talk Radio Show, otr trucking, truck driving schools, trucking, trucking blogs, trucking companies, trucking life on November 29th, 2009
Many veteran drivers have written me and they often begin in the same way: “The trucking industry is the most corrupt industry . . .” I receive emails like these every day. For nearly five years now, we have been taking these issues of OTR trucking scams and abuses directly to the public . . . throwing the information out there right in the face of the trucking industry. Veteran drivers have been talking about these issues for years among themselves, but that was one of the problems . . . they were only talking about them “among themselves.” Within the last several months, we are seeing a big change in the efforts of professional drivers . . . many drivers, new and experienced, coming together and speaking out against the scams and abuses that have existed within this transportation industry for years.
One lone voice in the wilderness may never be heard, but when hundreds or thousands of voices join with that one lone voice . . . change for the better can occur. A perfect example of this is the Cap and Trade bill. Making it through Congress, it suddenly found itself stalled within the Senate. Why? The Senate took notice of not just one lone voice screaming that they did not want this bill, but thousands or millions of voices yelling against Cap and Trade. The Senate stood up and took notice . . . notice of many voices standing up, speaking out and saying that Cap and Trade is not what the public wants. The same thing could happen to the nationalization of health care. With millions of voices coming together against this plan, it too, could end up in the stalling process.
I hear all the time that nothing will change in the over the road trucking industry, yet I am already seeing change of a positive note. Companies are “cleaning up” their terminals and buildings to present a more professional look . . . several companies are taking a closer and harder look at their driver trainer programs and more and more newcomers to the industry are learning about the scams of the DAC Report, CDL Schools and trucking companies committing fraud with the U.S. Government subsidy programs. More drivers are coming together and are no longer just talking about these things among themselves . . . it is being brought forth through other websites, blogs, article directories and trucking talk radio shows, even being heard on various satellite radio stations. For the first time that I can recall . . . these issues within the OTR trucking industry are being openly discussed and being noticed and taken seriously. But we still have a long way to go.
Five years ago there was not one “truth” about OTR trucking site on the internet . . . not one “truth” about the real world of over the road trucking talk radio show . . . not one site or media outlet that was taking these trucking issues directly to the public and to the industry itself and saying, “These scams and abuses have been going on for too long, and we are now going to start fighting back.” Now, there are more and more sites, blogs, pod casts and other outlets joining voices and taking these serious issues straight to the face of the industry . . . and believe me, they are taking notice.
With every turn of a new leaf, one finds another scam or abuse within this industry. It is a battle that one lone voice cannot win, but with thousands or millions of other voices, joined together, you better believe that this industry can be turned around. The OTR trucking industry is actually two battles in one: the industry itself and the corrupt world of politics.
One site, The American Driver is dedicated to fighting the political battle. As their website explains:
“All of us can agree we have a serious problem and something needs to be done. This basic understanding is the reason we need to unite and determine, as a whole, the proper action which must be taken to correct our problems. We are calling on all Americans, both truckers and citizens, to make it known you understand there’s a problem and commit your support of truly uniting to begin to address the problems we face.”
Let’s show our support by joining The American Driver “Support Our Truckers” support page. Email your name, city and state to theamericandriver@yahoo.com
and tell them you want to be added to their “Support our Truckers” page.
These scams and abuses against CDL students, trainees, new drivers and veteran drivers have been going on for too many years. One lone voice in the wilderness may never be heard, but as the trucking industry leaders are coming to realize . . . many driver voices together will make them stand up and take notice that enough is enough and change to the OTR trucking industry is coming.
© 2009, AskTheTrucker. All rights reserved.
: abuses, cap and trade, CDL schools, cdl students, government subsidy, Politics, professional drivers, Scams, support our truckers, THe American Driver, theamericandriver, trainees, trucking, trucking industry, trucking talk radio, veteran drivers
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Trucking Abuses Against Drivers Gaining Attention
Posted by Allen Smith in Truck Driving Jobs, dac report, otr trucking, truck driving schools, trucking, trucking companies, trucking life, trucking show on November 11th, 2009
Dan Rather Reports Episode 2″ Trucker Talk”
I have said many times that there exists good trucking companies and CDL schools within the United States. There are also many success stories by both company drivers and owner operators. When you have large numbers such as nearly four million active truck drivers and about eight million CDL holders, you are going to have success stories. These successes, however, can and do not automatically strike out the fact that many scams and abuses exist within this industry. Abusive programs that are specifically designed for the driver to fail.
If the truck driver is the company’s greatest asset, as which they are always advertising, then why are the “handful” of trucking companies and CDL schools which operate in these abusive manners, allowed to continue? If maintaining the integrity and upholding a positive image for the industry is a primary goal, would bringing a stop to these abusive systems against our drivers not be upholding integrity and improving the industry’s image?
For the past several years, we have been working to expose such scams and abuses being imposed on many of our nation’s drivers. Suddenly, we are hearing from a few industry leaders that they have been “saying these things for years.” Where? Where have these things been specifically fought against and more importantly, if so, why do these abuses continue? Specific scams and abuses such as:
- The abuse of CDL students and new drivers as a means of cheap labor.
- The starving out of veteran drivers by those companies who continually maintain the rotation of newer, less paid drivers into their system.
- The driver shortage and driver retention problem that have been purposefully created by the companies themselves.
- The Owner Operator Lease Purchase Program that is used by those companies as a means to a driver’s failure.
- The truck drivers DAC Report which has become nothing more than a retaliation tool by companies against drivers.
I recognize that issues such as the lease programs have seen support by way of utilizing The Truth in Leasing Law for drivers, but where has it ever been exposed before that the leasing program, in many cases, is nothing more than a scam and abuse used against drivers? Where? It’s not difficult to find information on how to get a copy of your DAC Report . . . but where has it ever been mentioned that the DAC Report is a tool often used to ruin truck drivers careers? Where? Before we publicly exposed these scams and abuses . . . where were these issues being raised? Furthermore, if so, why after “so many years” do they continue?
Talk is cheap. Let’s see action . . . action such as bringing it to the public as in the Dan Rather Reports . . . action away from just cheap talk and action that can and will eventually bring change to rid the trucking industry of these scams and abuses that have been going on for years against our men and women drivers in trucking. Finally coming together, as drivers and industry leaders alike, for the sole purpose of raising the standards of the trucking industry.
Allen Smith
© 2009, AskTheTrucker. All rights reserved.
: abuse, abuses, CDL schools, dac report, Dan Rather, dan rather reports, driver retention, driver shortage, drivers, good trucking companies, media, owner operator lease purchase, Scams, truck drivers, trucking
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Dan Rather Trucking Video with TruckerDesiree
Posted by Allen Smith in Videos, trucking, trucking companies, trucking show on October 24th, 2009
In every industry there are those “bad apples” that continue to bring a black eye to those who do not deserve it. The over the road trucking industry is no exception. I have made it very clear through out the years, that there are thousands of excellent, professional truck drivers and driver trainers. I have made it known that there are many excellent trucking companies who treat their drivers with the respect that they deserve, as well as many fine and reputable CDL schools across the country. However, this is not the story that needs to be told.
For years, abuse against new CDL students and new drivers have been taking place . . . abuse against veteran, experienced drivers have been taking place. Newcomers to the industry are taken advantage of through violations of their employee rights . . . drivers are attacked by companies by way of the truck driver DAC report . . . drivers are retaliated against by some trucking companies by means of getting no miles or very poor loads . . . students and experienced drivers alike have been “starved out” by many companies in order to keep the “lower pay” driver revolving through their doors . . . and the owner operator lease purchase program continues to thrive, even though the program has an 87% failure rate, designed for failure through many of the trucking companies.
These are fact. Thousands upon thousands of drivers know this. Their reasons for protecting these abuses are known only to them. When those who come out and expose these scams of trucking, they can only expect to be attacked in return. Which industry leaders really want the truth of such injustices to come out? If these scams and abuses are never confronted, nothing will ever change and drivers will continue to be taken advantage of by those trucking companies who practice such injustices.
The Dan Rather Report with TruckerDesiree had nothing to do with the good, professional men and women of trucking. It had nothing to do with the excellent driver trainers who are out there, and nothing to do with those trucking companies who conduct themselves in a respectful and professional manner. It had everything to do with the “bad apples” of the industry…..so we can make things better for all.
When we were going through a rash of pedophile school teachers sexually assaulting under-age school students . . . you did not hear an uproar from the “good” teachers crying, “These stories make all of us good school teachers look BAD!” Those professional teachers did not rise up and whine, “Why are you doing these stories? Did you ever think about how it makes us “good” teachers look?” . . . and on and on. Did the professional and respectful teachers do any of this? Of course not. They understood that the story was not about them . . . they understood the news was about the “bad apples” within their profession, and I’m sure they were more than glad to rid their vocation of such . . . it would help their profession further.
The scams of OTR trucking is not an “I” or “me” story. It’s bringing out the story of hundreds, if not thousands, of abuses that have been and still are being perpetrated upon over the road truck drivers . . . students and veterans. For those who have close ties with trucking industry leaders, of course you are going to “attack” back … it is to be expected. It does not, however, change the fact that these abuses are taking place and have been taking place for years.
Thirty two years in the trucking industry. I’ve lived it . . . I’ve seen it . . . what sets people such as myself and TruckerDesiree apart from others, is that we are not afraid to expose the truth about various aspects of the trucking industry. Exposing the scams and abuses against CDL students, new drivers and even many veteran truckers can, hopefully, bring a positive change to this vital industry.
Have a story to tell? Dan Rather Reports direct email: viewer@hd.net
It is only a shame that so many see this as an “I” and “me” story and cannot get out of the shallow tunnel vision and see the real story . . . the “bad apples” that continue to bring down the honor and respect that so many of the trucking companies, CDL Schools, professional drivers and trainers have earned and so rightly deserve.
Dan Rather Reports with TruckerDesiree:
© 2009, AskTheTrucker. All rights reserved.
: askthetrucker, cdl trucking school scams, Dan Rather, Dan Rather video, desiree, Scams, trucker news, TruckerDesiree, trucking, Trucking industry news
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Trucking Lease Scam Perfect for DAC Lies
Posted by Allen Smith in Truck Driving Jobs, otr trucking, trucking, trucking companies on August 11th, 2009
The trucking company owner operator lease-purchase scam. I’ve talked about it … I’ve written about it … I’ve done talk shows about it. Truth About Trucking was established with one goal in mind: to provide the answers to the insider secrets of the trucking industry for new CDL students and drivers. All those things that every veteran driver knows about, but, for whatever reason, few would discuss. Four years ago, we changed all that.
Suddenly, there was someone actually talking about the scams of OTR trucking. Scams, that every newcomer to the industry should be aware of, in order to know exactly what they are getting into when it comes to long haul trucking. Furthermore, by understanding and realizing the Truth About OTR Trucking . . . they would be better prepared to face those situations head-on and know what is to be expected of them in order to survive and make it in the OTR trucking game.
Being available through email, phone and from our Truth About Trucking “LIVE” talk radio show, I have received thousands of questions from students and new drivers. It is the best part about being involved with an informative on-line format. Still, I find that trucking companies continue to prey on drivers’ hopes and dreams and wanted to reiterate in this post about one of the BIGGEST scams in the trucking industry: the Owner Operator Truck Leasing Program.
Here is a comment that was just made from our online petition to stop false DAC reporting:
“I RECENTLY SIGNED A TRUCK LEASE WITH A COMPANY CALLED XXXXX , THE TRUCK PAYMENTS WERE OVER $1000.00 PER WK. BUT I WAS TOLD MY TRUCK WOULD BRING IN OVER 4500 PER WK AVERAGE. THIS NEVER HAPPENED, SO AFTER STARVING FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS AND LISTENING TO THEIR BULL, I FINALLY TURNED IN THE TRUCK. BUT NOW MY DAC REPORT IS NEGATIVE.”
For all of you new CDL students and new drivers trying to break into the industry, be very leery of these trucking company lease purchase plans. This is a big money maker for these companies and the chances of you succeeding with one of these plans is highly unlikely. I know that many of you would really like to be an owner operator and these purchase plans are so enticing, but the best way to be an O/O is to drive several years, save up the down payment and purchase the truck on your own from a reputable dealer . . . NOT A TRUCKING COMPANY. The only exception to this “rule” is obviously, if you have worked for a company for a good length of time and know for certain that they are a good, reputable company and one you can trust. Until you have some serious background experience with them, stay away from leases!
One of our highest rated shows on Truth About Trucking “LIVE” was about this very subject. I would urge you to give it a listen if you missed it:
Remember . . . there are many fine trucking companies out there to work for, but you will have to build up between one to three years of driving experience before you will be considered for hire. There are also very good companies that offer CDL training other than those we all hear and know about. Keep in mind, with the current state of the economy, companies such as these may not be accepting new students right now.
The point here, is that OTR trucking does work for many drivers . . . but a successful career in trucking does not happen overnight. It can, literally, take several years. Understand the scams that exist within OTR truck driving and know what to be suspicious of when it comes to this industry. One of those things is the Lease Purchase Plan. Not only will they use it to rake in more of your hard earned money, but when you cannot hang on any longer . . . they will turn around and place a negative report on your DAC, hitting you twice and very possibly ruining your truck driving career.
I’ll say it again . . . Until you have worked for a company long enough to know that they are a good and honest employer . . . then . . . Stay away from trucking company leases!
To your success in trucking,
Allen Smith
© 2009, AskTheTrucker. All rights reserved.
: cdl students, cdl training, lease, lease purchase, millis, otr truck driving, otr trucking, owner operator, roehl, scam, Scams, trucking, trucking company, trucking industry, truth about trucking
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Driving With Blinders On
Posted by Allen Smith in Truck Driving Jobs, Trucking Company and Driving School Comments, otr trucking, truck driving schools, trucking, trucking life on September 3rd, 2008
Years ago, while I was working in the oilfields of Oklahoma, I decided to start another business. Since trucking was in my blood, I chose to open a hot shot service. Though there was “talk” about an oilfield crunch, I estimated that I could still have a viable business for the next three to four years. There were several very successful hot shot services in the town, and plenty of room for one more. I purchased a nice dually with a trailer, capable of pulling 16,000 pounds. After establishing all the required business red tape, my newly formed hot shot business was up and running. For the first several weeks I was nearly worn to exhaustion by the constant need of pipeline, fittings and various oilfield supplies. However, it was a “good” exhaustion, even though like many in the oilfield, it was keeping me running seven days per week.
In my fourth month with the business, suddenly things changed. In 1982, President Reagan was talking about something called “Deregulation.” Two weeks later, the oil boom of Elk City, Oklahoma had literally disappeared. Oil rigs that had darted the horizon were gone. The big oilfield money was gone. I had gone from making a very large amount of monthly income to a “new” job that only paid $740.00 per month! Needless to say, things were bad. But, who or what was at fault? Looking back, all the signs were there. Eventually, I was able to come to terms with what actually had gone wrong . . . I had been driving with blinders on.
There are always two sides to a story. Several people around town had voiced their opinions about this as “not being a good time” to start an oilfield business. My banker had asked me, “Are you sure you want to do this?” A close friend who owned a hot shot service at the time, casually stated, “Just be careful.” On the other hand, there were those business owners who could not stop talking about how great things were. They were always there to tell you their success stories. There were even those who could not stop talking about how their business just kept growing and they were expanding! I took all of this information in, but I never really processed it. Why? Because I had made up my mind that I was going to start a hot shot service, and that was all there was to it!
Today, I relate this story to the trucking industry. As in any industry, there will always be those who are doing well. If everybody failed at an industry, there would be no such industry. For one driver to tell a “newbie” to trucking that there is big money to be made in OTR driving, only because he or she is successful, is very misleading. For 500 drivers to tell a “newbie” to trucking the same thing, is also misleading. How can that be? Because there are eight million CDL drivers in the United States today . . . will all eight million tell you the same thing? “Success” stories can always be found in any industry, does that tell the entire story about that industry? Are you hearing the “other side” of the story?
For my hot shot service, I chose to “listen” to the success stories, and decided to ignore the “failures.” Within the trucking industry, there is a 128% driver turn over rate with the OTR companies. This clearly shows that for every one “success” story, there are 128 “dissatisfied” stories. I want to reiterate my belief that you can make a decent living with over the road trucking . . . there are those making a very good living at it, and yes, there are success stories. However, you MUST keep in mind that there are MANY others who are not successful when they first start out.. You have to know the entire picture . . . you have to hear both sides of the story . . . any story. It is the only way you will be able to come through with a clear and accurate decision process when choosing schools and jobs.
For those who want to let their success stories be known, they fail to understand that by only giving their “good” side of the story, they could be leading you down a road that you do not want to travel. What works for one person, does not mean it will work for everyone. By having both sides of the issue out in the open, it can only help in making the right choice. Take for example, these trucking companies that experience a high turn over rate. Why? Do you think that maybe there is something wrong with them? If there was nobody willing to give the “other side” of the story, what would ever change? If students and new drivers are aware of any scams and lies practiced by a company, this will bring about two things:
1. The student or new driver will not bother applying for a job at that particular company . . . and
2. The trucking company will either go out of business or better yet . . . CHANGE!
Would it not be best to bring about “change” to these companies and schools which would benefit all drivers? Or should we all remain silent and pretend that all is well within the entire trucking industry? The problem lies with people who take every “negative” thought, opinion or comment to mean that ALL companies and schools are “BAD.” They are still missing the picture . . . they are missing the message. That message is to provide the entire truth about the trucking industry . . . the OTR industry. All one has to do is check the trucking forums on the internet. Sure, you will find “success” stories . . . but DO NOT overlook the thousands of “negative” stories. They are not negative . . . they are truth . . . they are the “other side” of the story! Many of them do eventually make it all work, but not until they’ve had to learn some rough lessons, which could have been avoided.
If all drivers just sat back and never said anything “bad” about trucking, then thousands of students and new drivers will come into the industry expecting success at ANY company or school. How is that helping? But, by voicing the truth about the problems drivers face on the road, with their particular carrier, with the truck driving school they attended, and so forth, things can change. Those companies who abuse drivers by adding false information on their DAC report . . . those companies that promise .34 CPM and then only pay .24 CPM . . . those companies that say you will be home every weekend, but you’re out for three weeks on your first run . . . those schools that give a price of $3500, and then in the end hands you a bill for $7000 . . . those schools that promise guaranteed employment, and then fail to deliver . . . all of this can change. If both sides of the story are known, it can force change by exposing wrongful tactics and practices.
We can all sit around and “talk” and complain about the poor practices within OTR driving . . . we can all lean back and tell a “newbie” that, “Yea! Trucking is great!” …..or . . . we can all send a message to those companies and schools that practice poor policies “that we are going to educate newcomers to the industry” . . . we are going to tell them the good side of trucking AND the bad side of trucking . . . we can all let these students and new drivers know what to look out for and which companies and schools have a great reputation and those that have a terrible reputation. Hopefully, they will take notice and either change their ways or we will close them down.
Or . . . we can keep driving with blinders on.
Allen Smith
© 2008, AskTheTrucker. All rights reserved.
: driving, new drivers, newbies, Scams, students, truck driving schools, trucking, trucking change, trucking companies, trucking industry
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OOIDA Land Line Magazine Should Hear From CDL Students and New Drivers
Posted by Allen Smith in Land Line Magazine, Trucking Company and Driving School Comments, ooida, otr trucking, trucking, trucking companies on November 13th, 2009
Land Line Magazine, the OOIDA business trucking magazine, reported on the recent Dan Rather Reports TV Show in which I was invited to as a special speaker from the audience. In the article they wrote:
Rather turned to an audience member, Allen Smith, who has spent 30 years in the business. Smith claimed he has received thousands of responses on his site, askthetrucker.com, since the “Dan Rather Reports” episode aired featuring Wood. ( misquote)
“The schools are still taking their money. They’re wasting their time in the truck knowing that within a couple of weeks they’re going to be thrown out of the truck anyway,” Smith said.
Although I’m sure Land Line would never admit to receiving the volume of emails we have received from all of you since our site began, all of you CDL students and new drivers out there who have experienced these abuses you have shared with AskTheTrucker over the years, should consider also sharing your stories directly to OOIDA and their Land Line Magazine.
In fact, here is an email we just received a few hours ago from a gentleman who wanted to share his nightmare story of his Owner Operator Lease Purchase Program, which I have discussed many times. For Land Line Magazine and OOIDA . . . this is just another one of the thousands we have and continue to receive:
Dear Sir:
I have settled down a bit, so let me put things into perspective and give you some more info:
I am near the end of my 5th week with ********. I will get my 4th settlement statement tomorrow. I am a rookie driver – all my experience is these 5 weeks, plus ******** driver training program. My driver trainer was a lease op, he convinced me that I would make much more money as a lease op. I was convinced by many ******** people that leasing my truck would provide me more income, more flexibility in various aspects of the job. I got back to the yard, tested out, and one of the instructors talked to our group about leasing. He pulled me aside, and of course I had already made up my mind to do it…long story short, he gets $300 bonus for every one he can get to sign up. And I did so. It has turned into a nightmare. I was making more money ($330 a week) with Georgia unemployment than with this company.
My settlements so far during my short career have been: $755 for week 1, $305 for week 2, $56 for week 3, week 4 comes out tomorrow, and of course here I sit broke down from Sunday Nov. 8 to probably Sat. Nov. 14, so when I get the settlement for this week, it will be deeeeep in the hole no doubt. Those figures
are before taxes and Soc. Security, which I have to pay quarterly. I probably wont have to pay anything as I had worked in the corporate world in my old job for a half year in 2009. I have to drive 1800 to 1900 miles to “break even”.
I am told that ******** Trucking receives $30,000.00 from the US Govt. for every new driver it trains and puts on the road. At the same time, this company has a 120% turn over rate, and it’s because the lease ops are making the truck payments on a fleet of lemons (Cat C-15 engines with problematic Regen systems), and the Drivers (lease or company) are not getting enough miles to earn a living. What do you think, is it a scam? Or is aall of the trucking industry just like this?? This is a “$30,000 a head personnel factory” funded by our tax dollars.
Five weeks is not a very long time, perhaps it reduces the impact or legitimacy of this story, you know, here is a guy just whining or whatever, but to me it is very big… I did this as my answer to being laid off from the corporate world, my big career change, a new beginning.
I am planning to complete my 90 day obligation to ******* and then give my 2 weeks notice to break the truck lease. At least there is a 2 week walk away clause. Today is Nov. 12, and I have been broke down since Sunday Nov. 8th, and I have to continue making lease payments, pay my own hotel bill, and basically just wait until it is fixed. Yes I signed a contract, I knew what I was getting into, but I did not expect I would be issued a lemon. My truck had 238 thousnad miles on it – just broke in, they all said. They do offer a truck rental at *******, but I wont be down long enough for it to work out – it would be time to come back up here & get my truck after only say 1 run in the rental (from back at the yard in *******), and by the way, there are no rentals available right now anyway. I checked yesterday (Nov. 11). So, my truck will be issued to the next victim, and this puppy mill will continue to generate $30,000 government payments.
I guess I am a complete idiot. Trucking has turned into a nightmare in only 5 short weeks, I have gotten a real education. I think it is God trying to tell me something. I await some kind of sign from Him, or maybe its that simple: that he wants me to go home and not be a truck driver?? I know this has hurt my wife badly, and I am lonely as hell. What can I say? I can do this work, I know it, but I cannot survive at the abysmal level of income. If I had some other source of income, it would be OK to stick with it and learn the ropes, get the experience, and so on. I believe trucking has a chance to come back like the old days, I believe that is why the old veterans are hanging in and running on.
I cannot afford it.
If you can use any of this please do so. Bear in mind I still have to work with ****** for 4 more weeks or so to fulfill my 90 day obligation – that covers training expenses. They say they can charge me with it if I leave early.
Very Best Regards,
***********************
MY REPLY:
Hi ******** :
I’m really sorry this has happened to you and is the reason we are working so hard to expose these scams and abuses by the trucking industry, from those companies and schools which are allowed to operate in these abusive manners.
I don’t have to tell you that “yes” in many cases, these lease purchase plans are nothing more than scams. There are good companies out there with good lease programs. I cannot really say about the company you mentioned, but again, this lease purchase programs show to have an 87% failure rate.
They are simply designed for a driver’s failure by many companies. Understand, you ARE NOT AN IDIOT! Sounds like you are just another victim of the abuse and scams of the trucking industry that we are working to expose. I cannot verify the $30,000 you mention – that sounds very high to me – but I will look into it.
Industry leaders will always say that it’s YOUR fault … but trust me … it’s not. It’s their fault for allowing these scams and abuses to continue.
I’m sorry that once again, another newcomer to the industry who only wanted a new career and a way to support their family, has been victimized by this industry. We will keep fighting to expose the truth.
Sincerely,
Allen Smith
So here is ANOTHER story shared by one more victim of the scam and abuses of trucking. We maintain all emails within our system, so if OOIDA wants to say that I “claim” to receive . . . we will be glad to start posting more here on AskTheTrucker including the names of those trucking companies within the emails.
Allen Smith
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abuses, allen smith, askthetrucker, dan rather reports, Land Line Magazine, ooida, owner operator lease purchase program, Scams, trucking, trucking companies
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