Job offer - Page 2

elgincock · #7 (**permalink**) 04-06-2008, 10:10 PM

One word.....NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

jawn113 · #8 (**permalink**) 04-06-2008, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zathlon

I can't speak for their terminal in Chicago, but I worked at their Toledo one. Worst job I've ever had. It was so bad I quit in 3 days. I have a friend who had a similar experience at one of their Michigan terminals. I'll try to sum up just SOME of my bad experiences there.

1. I got ZERO training, they didn't tell me one policy, just threw me out the door and expected me to know how they do things.

2. When working the dock you get paid by this PDA called a dolphin. At the end of one day It said I had zero hours, I talked to the terminal manager... he didn't seem to care. I never got paid for 8 hours of dock work.

3. Someone in the office showed me a sheet full of pay issues... it was for just one week.

4. the night dispatcher didn't even now that I needed the bill to some hazmat I was carrying.

5. The dock was 95% full, with freight stacked 3 and 4 high... freight was falling over on me.

6. the truck they gave me to drive was made in the 80's and wasn't DOT legal; sure I could've refused to drive it but then I would've been going home.

7. I'd report to work when they told me, but then I'd have to sit around for up to 2 hours for them to get everything ready, and I wasn't getting paid. And no I couldn't work the dock because city driver were using the forks.

There was more, but you get the idea. I would never recommend anyone go there unless they are desperate. I left there to go back to my old company that had worse pay & benefits and I don't regret it.

Just to give you an idea of the turn over, at least on the linehaul side. There were about a dozen other linehaul guys at the terminal, I wanted the indy run but you needed seniorty for that. I asked how long it'd take me to get seniorty to run it, I was told not long cuz top seniority driver had just a little over a year with the company.

Zathlon I think you might be exaggerating a bit. First of all it really does depend on what terminal you work out of. The one I work out of, the managers for the most part, really have their head on straight. I haven't had any pay issues with my dolphin at all. If you do find a discrepency with your pay take it up with management immediately. One thing I wouldn't do at CT is work as a line driver. What you said in number 7 does hold some weight to it. As a linedriver they do want you to show up at a certain time regardless if your load is ready or not. Unless of course it is before your 10 off. But this does not happen to all linedrivers everyday. At least not at the terminal I work out of. The line guys I have talked to usually are ready within' a half hour of showing up. And the oldest trucks in our yard are 95 Ford's. On another note I work about 10 to 12 hrs a day working dock and city. With that I will make around 60k for the year.

pro1driver · #9 (**permalink**) 04-09-2008, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freight Guy

Here is the scoop:

FACTS:

P&D drivers load/unload their own trailers everyday. So, you punch in between 6-7 AM, unload IB linehaul and load your own trailer. Run your route and then unload/load linehaul for night run. Most likely dock doesn't have forklift for each driver, so you wait/pallet jack in between. They use a handheld device that clocks in/out driver, it OFTEN miscalculates your hours and you have to argue with TM for all your pay.

If they are recruiting you from a different company they will promise you the world and tell how much they have improved in past 2 years, the only promise they will keep is your salary. Insurance has few choices and high copays compared to other companies plans.

OPINION:

Most hostile working conditions I have ever seen. High turnover rate of TMs, dispatchers, sales, drivers, etc. I have worked for three transportation companies and they were by far the worst.

Who are you working for now?

If you are currently employed I would think hard about making the switch. If you are unemployed, then what do you have to lose?

the health insurance i was looking at was from "Cherokee"...???

high premiums, and not too impressive to me.......

that and other things, makes me glad i didn't go to work for them too........

Freight Guy · #10 (**permalink**) 04-10-2008, 02:27 AM

the health insurance i was looking at was from "Cherokee"...???

high premiums, and not too impressive to me.......

that and other things, makes me glad i didn't go to work for them too........

Cherokee insurance co. is owned by the parent company Centra.

CTIIDriver · #11 (**permalink**) 05-04-2008, 04:36 PM

Working conditions depends on what term your out of. I can say I have seen some spotless by the rule book terms and I have seen piss poor run terms. Even with my home term I have seen great TMs that care about the driver and ones that cant get you an answer for the smallest question. Over the past two years central has adopted rules and regulations its no longer the wild wild west. Things have gotten better and things seem to improve. I am pretty happy overall. My pay has been shorted and when my tm does not get it fixed I hit 00 on the phone and make the call myself. The paper backup is your best friend. I dont think its a bad place to work it can be stressfull at times but overall the drivers are great people. Management has been my overall let down but I live. The Hand Held has come miles from a year ago and things with the hus per hr is a tad silly. Every company has its drawbacks and like I said central is not perfect but its better then some of the other places I hear people talk about.

Whistler · #12 (**permalink**) 05-04-2008, 06:15 PM

I worked for CT a couple years ago out of Verona, VA. When I was hired I was told we were getting a major break bulk terminal within a year or so and that we had jobs there as long as we wanted them. I had a great run working daylight Mon. - Fri. but six months later the company pulled all linehaul out and sent it to Richmond. Now, I hear they are even worse off than before. The insurance was Cherokee and they told me that I had to pay all the deductable before it would kick in to co-pay. I see now they are also pulling doubles. I ended up at OD and it's A LOT better.