Have you ever signed on to a bad deal?

[Tobin S.]

I own a semi and about a month and a half ago I leased it to a company that promised to pay me good and get me home more than I was with the carrier I was leased to at the time. The company I left paid good, but I was lucky to be home one night a week. I needed to be home more because I had become romantically involved with someone and it hurt us both that I was gone so much.

The recruiter at the new company said I could be home one and possibly two nights a week and have the weekends off and still make $800 to $1200 a week after expenses. That's not great money, but it would have been good enough to pay the bills and set some back in savings. I did some investigating of the company online to see what other drivers were saying. There wasn't much there and what was there was of mixed opinion. Usually, when a large trucking company sucks you will find no shortage of drivers who will tell you that. So I took the lack of chatter as sort of a positive indication. The few drivers who were saying that the company sucked were involved in leasing a truck from the company. I haven't seen a good lease purchase deal yet anywhere in the trucking industry so I did not let that deter me. The consensus of the drivers who were saying positive things seemed to be that you won't get rich there but you won't starve, either. Not exactly an enthusiastic endorsement, but it seemed to jibe with my first impression of the place.

So, I signed on with them. The most important thing for me is time spent with my sweetie. I still need to pay the bills, but I don't need the big bucks.

What a mistake. I feel like I should have seen it coming, but I really didn't have enough information to do so. Forget the one one or two nights a week at the house, I just have the weekends. That's still an improvement over the old job, but it's not what they promised. And to add insult to injury, I'm starving. Five of the six weeks I've been here I've made less than $500. So it looks to me like to just get to $800 a week I'd need to stay out 7 days a week.

Now I'm not sure what to do. My fiancee wants me to hang on for a while to see if things will get better. I guess I can do that for a little while, but I really want to move on now. I'm of half a mind to sell the truck and go to work for someone else.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. My dear Tobin...

Oh dear. I haven't had that experience, but I'm still sorry to hear about yours.

I really have zero advice. I wish I knew what to say...

I guess I agree with Jen; stick it out for a bit.

I sure hope it gets better for you!

:hug:

[Tobin S.]

3. I hope so, too

I know that there is a potential here to make good money, but I can't get hooked up on any of those deals. I've had it out with everyone I can here- the dispatcher, the recruiter, the settlement department, and even the lawyer who wrote the lease that I signed. I can't make any headway.

Good to see you, Peggy. :hug:

[old mark]

2. TS- I'd ride it out for a while and shop around for something better...

I KNOW that being an OO is a tough way to make a living if you need to be home, but take soem time to shop around-maybe there will be better situations in the spring.

Good luck in your business and in your real life.

mark

[Tobin S.]

4. Thanks, Mark

That's probably the way to go.

[rug]

5. If there are jobs there that get you home and pay enough, I'd sell the truck.

You know what you're doing. You can buy another truck and make more money later.

[Tobin S.]

6. There are jobs like that here

Not a lot of them, but with my experience I think I can land one of them. If I go that route I think I'll be done with owner-operating permanently.

[KG]

7. it wont get better. been that route in my working life.

[Iggo]

8. THAT.FUCKING.SUCKS.

A conversation along the lines of "You and I both know this is not what I signed on for" should be in the making.

[MrsBrady]

9. recruiters are in "sales" and have to sell to get anyone to take the job

no matter how actually good it might be or how much the job might really suck.

after years in administrative type work, I got a job as an entry level recruiter.
My boss was good, and taught me how to sell and close a job. I was very good.
i did it for three years and by the end of that time I hated myself and what I was doing.

I did not ever lie, but I had to put a slant on it that I didn't like. I quit because I couldn't do that.

Just remember that next time you talk with any kind of recruiter.
Doesn't mean you shouldn't take the job....just be aware of that.

at least I know I'm being fed BS when I take a job now.

sorry about your situation. love reading your posts.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

10. Get out asap. It will not get better and may get worse. Good luck, Tobin.

Been there Done that. so glad I am out of trucking. *whew*

[HipChick]

11. yeah...my last marriage..

what a klutz he turned out to be..

[elleng]

13. Hey, Chick, ditto, but 'klutz' not my problem!

:hi:

[elleng]

12. Sure have, Tobin; married him!

:rofl:

No joke, really, and paying now, through the nose.

BUT as to you, sorry its not working to your satisfaction at the moment. I'd go with Jen's suggestion, hang on for a while, but keep your eyes open, as I'm sure you do.

[Curmudgeoness]

14. Well, that just sucks. Start looking around now for something else.

It probably will not get better. Do you know why you are only making $500 a week? Is it the rate? Is it that they can't keep you moving? Are you just getting lower rate loads and are there better paying runs that you are missing out on? Are they hitting you with deductions? Ask yourself all these questions before you decide where else to go. But don't stay there long if you can't make enough to cover truck expenses plus living expenses.