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PTL
- Thread starter MarkWilde
- Start date
You argue "a lot" with your dispatcher? If that is true, how can you say that they treat you fairly well? You arent making sense.
Your dispatcher is the one that has some input on how much money you earn. It pays to get along with him (or her). If you cant, then find another one. But if you have only 1 years experience, you have no real business arguing with anyone, because you dont know squat. Especially arguing with them "a lot".
Your dispatcher is the one that has some input on how much money you earn. It pays to get along with him (or her). If you cant, then find another one. But if you have only 1 years experience, you have no real business arguing with anyone, because you dont know squat. Especially arguing with them "a lot".
Working for/with PTL.
I commend you on your close to 1 tear with PTL.
I drove for them through an O/O in '02 and only lasted eight months but not due to PTL.
I graduated from my 1st Dispatcher to 2 more before I split the scene with the O/O.
YES, I had 3 Dispatchers in eight months, so what.
I couldn't understand their stupidity and incompetence and a couple of them got promoted to become even dumber than before.
The Night and Weekend crews were a joke
At the time I was there, WE pulled Haz/Mat loads regularly with worn out Spring Ride Trailers. The ones that the numbers begin with 13.
The Air Ride Trailers were and still are of the 43 and 53 numbers, however at that time PTL was having MAJOR problems with receiving adequate Trailers from Great Dane in Atlanta, GA.
The few things I didn't like about PTL HQ in Murray, KY.:
1) The Trailer Wash would ONLY wash(?) the Trailer and maybe just get the Tractor a wee bit wet.
2) The "Shop" wouldn't repair every Trailer to D. O. T. Specs and would thereby release Trailers without Lights, Brakes, Good Tires, etc.
3) The Dispatch refused to give Customers' phone numbers because a few Drivers before had irritated these Customers for such things as: Location, Directions in, Pick up/Delivery times, Parking availability, etc.
I used to pester the Dispatchers into giving me needed numbers because of the OUTDATED and INCORRECT info PTL retained despite updates by Drivers. --Apparently incompetence was a hiring requisite then for Dispatchers--
The Drivers' "Lounge" was a joke especially the showers (unless one liked Mold and Mildew), however the Washers and Dryers worked rather efficiently and the Game Room wasn't bad nor was the Television.
One couldn't however smoke cigarettes inside but that wasn't an issue with anyone.
That was in '02.
I commend you on your close to 1 tear with PTL.
I drove for them through an O/O in '02 and only lasted eight months but not due to PTL.
I graduated from my 1st Dispatcher to 2 more before I split the scene with the O/O.
YES, I had 3 Dispatchers in eight months, so what.
I couldn't understand their stupidity and incompetence and a couple of them got promoted to become even dumber than before.
The Night and Weekend crews were a joke
At the time I was there, WE pulled Haz/Mat loads regularly with worn out Spring Ride Trailers. The ones that the numbers begin with 13.
The Air Ride Trailers were and still are of the 43 and 53 numbers, however at that time PTL was having MAJOR problems with receiving adequate Trailers from Great Dane in Atlanta, GA.
The few things I didn't like about PTL HQ in Murray, KY.:
1) The Trailer Wash would ONLY wash(?) the Trailer and maybe just get the Tractor a wee bit wet.
2) The "Shop" wouldn't repair every Trailer to D. O. T. Specs and would thereby release Trailers without Lights, Brakes, Good Tires, etc.
3) The Dispatch refused to give Customers' phone numbers because a few Drivers before had irritated these Customers for such things as: Location, Directions in, Pick up/Delivery times, Parking availability, etc.
I used to pester the Dispatchers into giving me needed numbers because of the OUTDATED and INCORRECT info PTL retained despite updates by Drivers. --Apparently incompetence was a hiring requisite then for Dispatchers--
The Drivers' "Lounge" was a joke especially the showers (unless one liked Mold and Mildew), however the Washers and Dryers worked rather efficiently and the Game Room wasn't bad nor was the Television.
One couldn't however smoke cigarettes inside but that wasn't an issue with anyone.
That was in '02.
Gone Back to PTL
Actually quit PTL a while back because I was determined to make more money. Went with a local company based out of here in St. Louis who promised me a lot more miles. This company was Dynamic Transit, whom I will also be writing a review about(outlaw). Needless to say, I have come back to PTL. You know, as a large company they don't seem as bad as some of the others, as I hear from talking to other drivers. I do get some miles, and with the economy the way it is, I am happy to be working. Our Driver Maintenance Staff are a group of weinies. But also, if I had to put up with some of what they deal with, I may also become a bit jaded. (Still think they need a boot up their bums though, and some day may place mine there. LOL).
But really, I would not discourage anyone from choosing them.
Actually quit PTL a while back because I was determined to make more money. Went with a local company based out of here in St. Louis who promised me a lot more miles. This company was Dynamic Transit, whom I will also be writing a review about(outlaw). Needless to say, I have come back to PTL. You know, as a large company they don't seem as bad as some of the others, as I hear from talking to other drivers. I do get some miles, and with the economy the way it is, I am happy to be working. Our Driver Maintenance Staff are a group of weinies. But also, if I had to put up with some of what they deal with, I may also become a bit jaded. (Still think they need a boot up their bums though, and some day may place mine there. LOL).
But really, I would not discourage anyone from choosing them.
I just got fired from PTL due to a previous company contacting them and giving a bad report about my driving. Failure to mantain a lane, (I got my truck stuck, after my 18th hour of driving on only 4-5 hours sleep). There are other things involved. I couldn't believe it! This is not on my DAC!
Anyway, don't blame PTL, but am looking at someway to deal with this, as it is turning out to be hell to now find a new company to work for!
Anyway, don't blame PTL, but am looking at someway to deal with this, as it is turning out to be hell to now find a new company to work for!
consider your self lucky friend , i tried to work for them once, not a good thing,hated them, hated there trucks and was ready to kill a dispatcher all in just three weeks, finaly took it home and told them to come get there truck. not one of my better choices for employment. J.R.
Just got fired from Paschall Truck Lines for a fax sent from my previous employer (The S.O.B.'s from Dynamic Transit). They wrote a lot of un-truths about my short time with this illegal/outlaw company. Actually safety dept at PTL is helping me resolve this issue. At the time of my firing, I was down to about 2100 miles a week. But hey, it's January, and we are in the middle of a recession!
Will go back to them just as soon as I get this taken care of.
SilverSurfer
Old School'd
Mark...I feel your pain, bro. And your in our prayers that all will work out for the better. After reading your previous post, I feel compelled to say something to all you drivers...especially the newbies...
In my beginning years, my uncle shared his thoughts on running compliant. Not only regarding my own personal safety, but the effect of running compliant in the battle to bring about positive change from the company's regarding drivers. I, too, did not pay much heed to HOS regs in the beginning, and actually went so far as to do a non-stop coast to coast. My uncle told me not to do this, but also said he knew I'd be no different than the rest of the family, and would learn when I did do this. And dammit if he wasn't right. One of the worst things a man can do to himself is run a 3,000 mile trip non-stop.
My point is running 11 hours is a tough day. Running 18 hours and then falsifying your logs does nothing towards bettering the way drivers are being treated by these companies. Only by running compliant will we truly ever get any change in the way drivers are treated. Until ALL drivers start running compliant, companys will continue to abuse drivers. There is no way to prove the companies are requiring loads to be handled which requires non-compliancy to get the job done...as well as supporting the pay they are paying drivers. Think about this. Are you being paid a decent wage to begin with? Are you getting the miles promised without falsifying your logs? Are you truly getting anything accomplished with running non-compliant besides frustrating yourself and becoming angry? You can't even make a case to address a problem with the fleet manager if you're logs are indicating different.
Run compliant and shove their bs right down their throats. Run compliant so it may be proven the companies are disregarding the HOS regs. Run compliant for truly no other reason than your own safety.
Nothing but respect here drivers...just felt this needed to be said again.
-ss-
In my beginning years, my uncle shared his thoughts on running compliant. Not only regarding my own personal safety, but the effect of running compliant in the battle to bring about positive change from the company's regarding drivers. I, too, did not pay much heed to HOS regs in the beginning, and actually went so far as to do a non-stop coast to coast. My uncle told me not to do this, but also said he knew I'd be no different than the rest of the family, and would learn when I did do this. And dammit if he wasn't right. One of the worst things a man can do to himself is run a 3,000 mile trip non-stop.
My point is running 11 hours is a tough day. Running 18 hours and then falsifying your logs does nothing towards bettering the way drivers are being treated by these companies. Only by running compliant will we truly ever get any change in the way drivers are treated. Until ALL drivers start running compliant, companys will continue to abuse drivers. There is no way to prove the companies are requiring loads to be handled which requires non-compliancy to get the job done...as well as supporting the pay they are paying drivers. Think about this. Are you being paid a decent wage to begin with? Are you getting the miles promised without falsifying your logs? Are you truly getting anything accomplished with running non-compliant besides frustrating yourself and becoming angry? You can't even make a case to address a problem with the fleet manager if you're logs are indicating different.
Run compliant and shove their bs right down their throats. Run compliant so it may be proven the companies are disregarding the HOS regs. Run compliant for truly no other reason than your own safety.
Nothing but respect here drivers...just felt this needed to be said again.
-ss-
Yeah, I was running off logs with Dynamic. Should have known, first day I started they were being audited. NO driving test, and my 1st load out was two thousand over gross goin' to MN. AND, no possible way to make appt time legally. The kicker was runnin' a load into LA (HAZ-MAT, with some really nasty shit), this was 9000 over on axel, and they routed me 150+ mile outa way so as not to hit weigh stations. This was when I decided to quit, plus was trying to get back to St. Louis to attend Grandmothers funeral. Dynamic's response? My dispatcher stated-And I Quote, "I'm not gonna lose a thousand dollars just so you can go to an F****n funeral. When I quit, they ( the safety director for Dynamic) pushed me off from the property, and had to call police just to retrieve personals the off trk, and then he tried shoving me again in front of the cop! They were extremely pissed because on the form I signed for quitting, under reasons, I put forced to take loads un-safe and illegal! DO NOT go with this company. In fact, I can't understand how they remain in business! I was DOT'd more times in a month and a half than I had been in my previous year and a half!
I hope for you that dynamic doesn't apply some dynamic crap to your USIS record.
That's all one would need is something along the line of "Refused to deliver loads on time" or "refused to (add your own text here)", or whatever companies create to harm those of us that mistakenly drove for them.
---
I briefly worked for a Furniture company hauling out west from NC and I quit within the 90 day probationary period. They say they fired me with a big NO after subject to rehire. That was in '06.
---
Some companies are a mistake to sign on with however we generally discover this after having been there a few weeks.
---
I hope for you that PTL will hire you again or that you are employed by a decent company soon enough whether or not it be in trucking.
---
That's all one would need is something along the line of "Refused to deliver loads on time" or "refused to (add your own text here)", or whatever companies create to harm those of us that mistakenly drove for them.
---
I briefly worked for a Furniture company hauling out west from NC and I quit within the 90 day probationary period. They say they fired me with a big NO after subject to rehire. That was in '06.
---
Some companies are a mistake to sign on with however we generally discover this after having been there a few weeks.
---
I hope for you that PTL will hire you again or that you are employed by a decent company soon enough whether or not it be in trucking.
---
Funny, it was my uncle (retired Cassins driver) who advised me to quit this company! He was union though, and explained how he never had to deal with crap like this, as all he had to do was file a greivance (sp?) with his union. I don't know, maybe it would be better if the Teamsters still were in power.
BAD COMPANYS
my friend i hear what your saying and ive been ther but fortunatly not much (i own my own trucks dont have to) but i no what your going thrue. there are some bad trucking companys out there and you picked a bad one to work for , what your talking about happens all to often in this busines but at ths point in time we have to put up with it all we can do is quit the job and move on.
however i take issue with a man shoving me off the property, they can ask me to leave and ill get my shit and git BUT if he puts his hands on me well thats somthing else he AINT GONNA DO IT WITHOUT A PRICE TO PAY ive knocked more then one off the dock and would do so again sure a couple of times i had to pay a fine and once even spent the night in jail but i can tell you this the next time he will think before he puts his hand on a driver he had to eat thrue a straw for six weeks , YOU DO NOT HAVE TO TAKE THAT no man has the wright to put his hands on you, its called BATTERY and they can only get away with it if you let them.
of course thats another example of how drivers everywhere dont stand up for themseves, IF YOU DONT NO ONE WILL.
as far as the log book well that rag has been a pain in the ass sich the beginning of time and its not likly to change but i can tell you this about the log book.
document everything in the log it is an official record of your activitys IF a company insist on you violting hours of servics write it down in the book, the next scale you come to pull in and pull over go inand talk to the DOT and tell them whats going on, now they will put you out of service so you can get needed rest but NO FINE and they will start action against the company if you voluntere the information you will not be charged if they catch you that is another story. now i speak for the state of FL. which is where i live BUT most DOT are now federaly certified and can enforce federal law not all yet but most are . and the company will never no where the complaint came from. as far as the man putting his hands on you you can legaly defend yourself in this state , PUT HIM DOWN usally it only has to happen one time he wont want to do it again.
ill give you an example, ass grocers in LA , a mexican worker tried to charge me 100.00 dollors to sweep out my trailer , i told him to get out of the trailer, now everyone seems to think that 60 is old and so he thought , he grabed me only problem is he couldnt turn lose he founf himself on the dock in plesant slumber his forman decided to take up the issue he found himself on his back on the ground now they were a bunch of mexicans working there and they all decided they didnt like me anymore but they made a mistake they let me make it to the truck where i was going to pull away they wouldny have any part of that i wasent going to leave so i ame ut with my gun and told them that they might beat me but the first 15 would not so they backed off and called the cops and i waited for them, well it cost me 150.00 bucks but i drove away, thats was the last time i pulled a damn reefer it aint worth the agravation i now pull a drop deck all my trucks pull drop decks ecept for a few flat beds that i lease out but any way im sure the next time they want to get a drive i gave then somthing to think about .
my point is YOU GOT TO STAND UP FOR YOURSELF if your going to stay in this busines when you dont it makes it hard for ALL drivers.
and dont be afraid to quit your job even in these times you can find another job , some company wont hire you because you dont have a reference , just let me know you will have one . but ONLY YOU CAN BE A MAN dont let anyone abuse you .
good luck my friend i wish you nothing but the best.--------------J.R. HORTON
TRAVELING HELLS HIGHWAY
(Rocking Chair Services and Cartage Inc.)
[email protected]
my friend i hear what your saying and ive been ther but fortunatly not much (i own my own trucks dont have to) but i no what your going thrue. there are some bad trucking companys out there and you picked a bad one to work for , what your talking about happens all to often in this busines but at ths point in time we have to put up with it all we can do is quit the job and move on.
however i take issue with a man shoving me off the property, they can ask me to leave and ill get my shit and git BUT if he puts his hands on me well thats somthing else he AINT GONNA DO IT WITHOUT A PRICE TO PAY ive knocked more then one off the dock and would do so again sure a couple of times i had to pay a fine and once even spent the night in jail but i can tell you this the next time he will think before he puts his hand on a driver he had to eat thrue a straw for six weeks , YOU DO NOT HAVE TO TAKE THAT no man has the wright to put his hands on you, its called BATTERY and they can only get away with it if you let them.
of course thats another example of how drivers everywhere dont stand up for themseves, IF YOU DONT NO ONE WILL.
as far as the log book well that rag has been a pain in the ass sich the beginning of time and its not likly to change but i can tell you this about the log book.
document everything in the log it is an official record of your activitys IF a company insist on you violting hours of servics write it down in the book, the next scale you come to pull in and pull over go inand talk to the DOT and tell them whats going on, now they will put you out of service so you can get needed rest but NO FINE and they will start action against the company if you voluntere the information you will not be charged if they catch you that is another story. now i speak for the state of FL. which is where i live BUT most DOT are now federaly certified and can enforce federal law not all yet but most are . and the company will never no where the complaint came from. as far as the man putting his hands on you you can legaly defend yourself in this state , PUT HIM DOWN usally it only has to happen one time he wont want to do it again.
ill give you an example, ass grocers in LA , a mexican worker tried to charge me 100.00 dollors to sweep out my trailer , i told him to get out of the trailer, now everyone seems to think that 60 is old and so he thought , he grabed me only problem is he couldnt turn lose he founf himself on the dock in plesant slumber his forman decided to take up the issue he found himself on his back on the ground now they were a bunch of mexicans working there and they all decided they didnt like me anymore but they made a mistake they let me make it to the truck where i was going to pull away they wouldny have any part of that i wasent going to leave so i ame ut with my gun and told them that they might beat me but the first 15 would not so they backed off and called the cops and i waited for them, well it cost me 150.00 bucks but i drove away, thats was the last time i pulled a damn reefer it aint worth the agravation i now pull a drop deck all my trucks pull drop decks ecept for a few flat beds that i lease out but any way im sure the next time they want to get a drive i gave then somthing to think about .
my point is YOU GOT TO STAND UP FOR YOURSELF if your going to stay in this busines when you dont it makes it hard for ALL drivers.
and dont be afraid to quit your job even in these times you can find another job , some company wont hire you because you dont have a reference , just let me know you will have one . but ONLY YOU CAN BE A MAN dont let anyone abuse you .
good luck my friend i wish you nothing but the best.--------------J.R. HORTON
TRAVELING HELLS HIGHWAY
(Rocking Chair Services and Cartage Inc.)
[email protected]
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