Company Drivers | TheaterFire

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Pam_P00vey@reddit

Being treated like you're stealing company time by talking to a co-worker for 5minutes

Being treated like you have an abusive parent for a boss

I didn't it illogical that in the winter, when things are slow here in Ohio for dump truck drivers, that you allow a driver to claim unemployment but then, give them enough hours that they're making too much for unemployment but in reality, you're making just as much as on unemployment. I really hate this: I am working enough to break even with unemployment but the employee is stretching it into 5 days, when it could be done in 3 or 4 days. So don't be upset I'd I take time off during the busy season when you couldn't respect my time.

Being treated like you're a number no matter how good of an employee you are.

Being told there will be a 60 Day pay evaluation and actually follow through. Or with Christmas bonuses, etc.

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RothonTalvanen@reddit

As a lazy driver, given you're probably gonna need to deal with a few folks like me, some tips for getting the most out of us.

First and foremost, don't fuck with a driver's hometime. Be consistent getting us home when we're supposed to be, and even us lazy bastards will run extra when you really need it.

Others have already said this, but it bears re-emphasizing: keep your equipment in good order. Most places do the bare minimum of maintenance, so we'll do extra work for a company that keeps up with repairs.

Don't be afraid to get on a driver's ass. If you've got a guy picking up or delivering late all the time because he only runs 300 miles a day, make damn sure he knows that you don't need a driver like that. Especially if you otherwise treat him well, cracking the whip when you need to can turn a mediocre performer into a good one.

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pm_me_ur_demotape@reddit

Pay is above all else. I expect to put up with a certain amount of bullshit at any company I'm at. The question is, is does the pay make it worth it?
A chill job with lower pay might be good for a late career person who's going to retire soon, but for the majority, pay nicely and the rest will get dealt with.

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mr-doctor2u@reddit

Pay is number 1. If I'm consistently not making what i hired on with you to make, I'm out.

Dispatch is part of the problem with pay so it's the same thing. If they're screwing me and i have no support, I'm out.

Any other issues dont matter to me IF there's communication, honesty and integrity. I will put up with alot if I trust that you'll take care of me as well as i take care of your business interests. If i smell bullshit, my truck is broke down and im losing money; im out.

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mr-doctor2u@reddit

Number 1 reason I have left is not enough work load coupled with poor communication.

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IgnoringHisAge@reddit

Others have said all the other stuff…but if you’re going to make changes (which you probably are) don’t do them all at once. Just don’t. The change in management/buyout is enough of a change to cause concern. Address the biggest issues your drivers have first, and maybe lay out a transparent road map of planned changes so everybody can get a sense of what’s going to be implemented and when.

I can’t fully express the frustration and distrust that’s bred by rug pulling changes failing like a trip hammer. New IT, new payroll procedures, new PTO structure, new time off request submission and approval procedure…and on and on and on, all just sprung on you when you’re clocking/logging in and starting the day. Even unannounced pay raises that just appear or come from nowhere, while welcome, can cause whiplash and just add to the change fatigue.

Communicate, be transparent, plan ahead, take it easy. Unless the company is going to go tits up without immediate and drastic overhaul, take a haircut on your bottom line for a while just to let the new stuff settle in before more new stuff. And even if it’s an all-hands-save-the-ship overhaul to avoid the bankruptcy, tell everybody! That will get you a lot of trust credit.

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IgnoringHisAge@reddit

Others have said all the other stuff…but if you’re going to make changes (which you probably are) don’t do them all at once. Just don’t. The change in management/buyout is enough of a change to cause concern. Address the biggest issues your drivers have first, and maybe lay out a transparent road map of planned changes so everybody can get a sense of what’s going to be implemented and when.

I can’t fully express the frustration and distrust that’s bred by rug pulling changes failing like a trip hammer. New IT, new payroll procedures, new PTO structure, new time off request submission and approval procedure…and on and on and on, all just sprung on you when you’re clocking/logging in and starting the day. Even unannounced pay raises that just appear or come from nowhere, while welcome, can cause whiplash and just add to the change fatigue.

Communicate, be transparent, plan ahead, take it easy. Unless the company is going to go tits up without immediate and drastic overhaul, take a haircut on your bottom line for a while just to let the new stuff settle in before more new stuff. And even if it’s an all-hands-save-the-ship overhaul to avoid the bankruptcy, tell everybody! That will get you a lot of trust credit.

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Im_GumbyDammit@reddit

Dispatchers fucking with your income. That’ll do it for me and probably anyone.

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Embarrassed-Map-7750@reddit

This new company I joined isn't perfect but it's a lot better than the ones that I've been a part of. Some of the faults: bad equipment, slow response time, a lot of short loads, mechanics are kind of assholes (but not too bad).

Some of the things they did right was being honest, Open about the problems of their facing, keeping us informed, making hotspot for internet more accessible for us (basically paying for it), and heavily promoting cooperation within company drivers (we all help each other) (flatbed stuff).

The free food is nice too especially on the weekends but it's not a big thing (just nice to have lol).

Safety videos we have to watch every fucking months suck dick but it's honestly nice to be reminded of stuff every now and again.

All in all not the best company in the world but definitely not shit. Do with that information as you will.

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JMPhotographik@reddit

So many things will push me to leave a company, but a good dispatcher will easily keep me there long-term.

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cTownKcounty@reddit (OP)

Thanks everyone! The place I will be managing is an Ag company delivering commodities, most likely using hoppers. The drivers are hourly drivers. In regards to overtime, should the most senior drivers be allowed to get/ask for overtime first? If so, how many overtimes is fair so everyone can get their piece of the pie. What have you seen work

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BedAdministrative619@reddit

Things that have made me want to stay at my company- My boss has occasionally paid me the flat daily pay for things that were out of both our control, where I should have received zero pay because I didn't end up driving. The pay was about half of what I could make versus mileage pay, but it made the difference between a bad week and a really bad week. The other thing that keeps me loyal is having a truck in good condition, and knowing that the company has loaner trucks for when my truck is in the shop.

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MD_keh@reddit

For me the biggest deciding factors are pay and hometime. I can pretty much deal with whatever else

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Tiatake@reddit

Lack of communication and keeping bad drivers around is what led me to leave my last job.

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StolenRage@reddit

Equipment maintenance. Keep your equipment in good shape.

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Unique_Arm435@reddit

I'm throwing in my bid for remote dispatcher!! Over 30 years in trucking!

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MacandMandy69@reddit

Slow Trucks, Low Pay, unnecessary delays, a lack of detention or breakdown pay, little or no communication, hurry up and wait, always finding fault with the driver before all facts are presented, no appreciation.

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MssMoodi@reddit

All of what they're saying and discrimination

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No_Inflation7432@reddit

Bad dispatch. I want to make money. I make money getting dispatched. If dispatch sucks the job sucks. I guess I could find out after the fact they have crappy equipment or they don't pay attention to maintenance. As far as the pay goes that's kind of known up front, so that would be more of a I wouldn't go there in the first place. You want me to leave don't give me any miles or give me stupid miles or f** up everything that you give me.

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reducethedebt@reddit

You want my opinion from someone 37 years in the business ?

A good dispatcher is worth his weight in gold !

He knows the drivers under him, the routes the drivers have, someone who can preplan for a week ahead and keep drivers rolling.

He can adjust on the fly if a truck breaks down.

He knows how to tell HR a driver is going home for a week because he can sense driver burn out.

A dispatcher knows when a 36 hour break for a driver is needed so he can get a break ( I usually did this after a load is unloaded on a Wednesday and say the driver till Friday morning for something long). He avoids short hauls unless he can get a full day out of a driver .... 250 mile flip is possible with good drivers.

A good dispatcher can tell a driver how to adjust his load to scale it and where to go get a truck fixed on the fly.

A good dispatcher brings drivers with him also .....

A dispatcher is your brains and experienced dispatchers are usually ex drivers who have mileage under their belt.

If I got a commensurate paying job in the 80 to 90k range I would quit driving and go back to being a fleet manager / dispatcher.

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disturbedrailroader@reddit

He avoids short hauls unless he can get a full day out of a driver .... 250 mile flip is possible with good drivers.

Absolutely agreed with this. My dispatcher sends me on runs like this all the time because she knows I can get it done. The longest short run I get sent on is just shy of 600 miles round trip. None of the others on the same account are either able to do it or are smart enough to avoid doing it.

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tvieno@reddit

Treat them like people, not a machine. Just because they have the hours doesn't mean they have the drive.

Give your performing drivers the work they want and the drivers that are content with a little work, a little work.

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Garet44@reddit

I've only ever left a company because of pay.

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Ayrria@reddit

Treat drivers with respect and give them the space to make decisions based on safety.

I’ve left all of my past companies due to a lack of respect, calling me during my 10 hour break, expecting me to do a 10 after just starting my clock to deliver but now you want me to drive overnight (we’re humans not robots), not taking my safety seriously and for treating me less than simply because I’m a woman.

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jabber1990@reddit

Ive never left a job, but I got fired once for talking to another company that didn't even hire me

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egivan6903@reddit

Honeslty for me I’m not asking for free money I’ll put in the work but give me opportunity to make the money without it being abusive and overworked … that and dispatch/micromanaging. Everytime they start calling every 3minutes to an ETA or dispatch starts cussing me out and saying how he could’ve done XYZ 100times better then me… then fine do it ,keep your job I have a clean PSP clean MVR 5 years OTR it won’t take long to find another gig

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doobersthetitan@reddit

I think i read 75% of people quit jobs due to management

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Kenworthsteve@reddit

Dispatcher. Compensation. Maintenance.

I'm vain, nice looking trucks attract me like a fly to a trout.

Flexibility. I'm not likely to leave my current job because they allow me to take time off when I need it. That said I don't abuse it. I'm talking about unpaid. My wife teaches so in the summer if an opportunity arises we take long weekends.... They are always good with it plus our normal earned vacation days. Flexibility in the route options. I just moved to home nightly after 14 months of regional, out 4 nights. Dispatcher and I talk about options to optimize the route to my home time. The nature of our business may allow this flexibility. We are bulk materials haulers, many of our customers are open 24/7 and the are rarely set appointments.

Weekends. Friday afternoon til Monday morning. Some drivers work more by choice.

Thanks for your service. Good luck in your new job.

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drama__@reddit

Just pay right. 40 hour weeks, if productive, should pay at least $1k take home. Don't let a driver work 70 hours to take home $1k. (Orange company)

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COATHANGER_ABORTIONS@reddit

I get paid on time, I go home when I want, my equipment runs, and you trust me to drive the truck. I have the license, and there's a camera in here; I don't need a call every day to check in and I'll call if there's an issue.

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ApollyonFE@reddit

When I was a company driver, you mess with my home time, then you're worthless to me. If I can't make my appointments or be home when I need to be it's never going to work.

Second for me would probably be something like being sent to the completely wrong address or pickup info consistently being wrong

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Be-It-coin@reddit

Better pay somewhere else or being yelled at

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itsmysecondaryblog@reddit

Don’t lie. Or be misleading. Pay, home time, upgrade possibilities and likelihood, routes, miles, etc. Just be upfront about it.

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cTownKcounty@reddit (OP)

I appreciate all the knowledge and insights, this is exactly what I was looking for!

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JOliverScott@reddit

There's a pretty universal rule that people don't quit bad jobs, they quit bad bosses.

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Rare_Needleworker204@reddit

Dispatch. Pay. Equipment issues that the company refuses to do anything about

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Critical_Opening_526@reddit

I can deal with bad pay if everything else is great.

I can deal with a bad truck if the pay is enough.

The dispatchers absolutely make or break a company.

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wukillabee2744@reddit

Dispatchers are the key. Pay/Miles & good equipment that is fixed when needed & kept up with. I left a Mega for a smaller company bc of all those mentioned. My dispatcher with this new company is EXCELLENT!! That alone can make a world of difference, which WILL trickle down to the drivers as well.

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Ayasdad@reddit

If my company gives me shit any time I have to stay home to handle some stuff, I'm gone. It ain't my fault you don't have drivers to cover. I still have a life outside work and occasionally it takes active involvement. Also attitude is EVERYTHING I'm already stressed all fucking day, if I have some dispatcher or broker riding my ass all day too I'm out.

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deezkeys098@reddit

Pay,equipment,dispatch. Dispatch is literally the only person I talk to for months at a time they can make or break a company. Equipment. I can put up with bad equipment but if my AC breaks in the truck you better be telling me to go to a repair shop or dealership to get it fixed and fixed right immediately. I left a 100k job for a 70k job just because they were making me run without an ac for a couple months

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Puzzled_Rip_3739@reddit

I would say just communicate clearly with your drivers about expectations and what they prefer if you care. Im personally a driver who doesnt want to work 70 hours a week. I hate when a company expects me to run my ass off. I only do it because i want them to like me but it makes it harder to stay long term

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ironeagle2006@reddit

Here's a big one if a driver says that they need to get home for something don't screw with them about getting them home on or before that date. I literally had a carrier try to screw me out of getting home for my grandmother's funeral. My dad and I running team basically told the owner himself that he could recover the truck at the funeral home if we didn't get sent home immediately. The dispatcher in question was fired that night.

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CaliThunder559@reddit

Last company i was with, for me it was a mix of a few things, I could handle 1 but 3 was too many.

Rude, uncaring, or unrealistic expectations from dispatcher

The loads, to get good miles i was runing a lot of split shifts. Like a delivery finishing up at 3am but can't pick up the next 1pm. My sleep was all over the place to where I was always tired just to get 2k miles a week

Pay, felt like I was way too tired and working too hard for what I was bringing home

Honorable mention. Always a day or 2 days late for hometime. It happens, I get it, but every single time sucked

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HighwayStar71@reddit

Being left hanging after a delivery late in the day in an area with no truck parking and no clue on which direction I should head.

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DazednConfuzed62@reddit

Would be nice to be called by my name instead of a number, after a year he still doesnt have it, and don't micromanage the shit outta them

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Fine-Eagle4264@reddit

You mention pay structure. It’s not generally a structure issue. It’s poor pay. Don’t try to get creative with pay. Just pay drivers for everything they do. And pay them well. If you can’t afford to pay drivers well then you shouldn’t be in business. I know I sound negative but it’s so frustrating being told we can’t afford this and we can’t afford that. I’ve been with the same company for 40 yrs and 6 months so I’m not one to jump from carrier to carrier. Good luck,treat your people well and hopefully they’ll treat you well. For the most part if you pay well you should have a line up of drivers wanting to work for you. And it should be easier to get rid of the bad ones.

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ShoeStunning@reddit

you have no impact on what i choose or where to go.

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Responsible_Bill_513@reddit

Be impeccable with your word. All it takes is once to lose trust.

Never over promise and under deliver. Another team confidence killer.

Never be late with their pay. EVER.

Don't EVER say "We're a Family". You're not. Your their employer. Treat them fair and even across the board. No favorites.

What you put out there in emotion and attitude you receive it back x10. Your employees amplify the mood and will generate bad feedback like a bad karaoke mic. Put consistent good will and caring out and you'll see it flow from your people.

Build the team. Don't allow one slacker to demotivate your best performers because you condone slacker work. Cut them out like cancer.

Solicit feedback from your folks and implement if feasible.

There's more, but you'll find what works best for you and your people. There are several books on business leadership out there. The best professional leaders read.

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Desperate_Fee_808@reddit

Bad dispatchers will kill your company

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CakewalkNOLA@reddit

Bad dispatchers generally plant the seed. If a driver isn't making enough money, that will also send them waking. My last OTR gig, I spent a much time fixing trailers other drivers had dropped as I did rolling. Had a bad dispatcher that literally tried everything on her power to make me not get paid for breakdowns because she said I had too many. I'm not risking the lives of innocent people just because a load needs to go. If you need your product on Tuesday , you'll be really happy when I get there safely on Wednesday.