Out of Work, and Loving it!

Jan. 5, 2009

Current mood:fabulous

So I tendered my resignation to Covenant Transportation.  Here is the story behind it.

I was getting ready to leave for Chattanooga to go back to work. When I called my partner to ask him what time I should pick him up, he told me he had found another partner. I stayed calm, and didn't call names or anything like that. I just said that if that was his decision, I would respect it. Because he still had his stuff in the truck, I needed to give him a ride back to Chatt.

So I ask him what time we should leave. His new partner is in Orlando with their truck, and he's not sure what to do, but he said he would call in, and find out. Well, he strings me along, and then New Years Day rolls around so no one is in the office.

So I call on Friday, and I finally get ahold of someone, and unfortunately I get ahold of Shannon who is a complete bitch. She and my dispatcher Eddie are more concerned about the truck, and not paying me layover pay than they are about finding me a partner.

They keep trying to set me up with people who I haven't met, but live in Orlando.  I tell them that I would like to come to Chatt, and go to the team meeting room where I would find a partner like everyone else. Well, they don't like to follow their own rules. They tell me someone is going to clean out my truck, and put my stuff in storage.

Then my dispatcher Eddie called me up, and told me quote, "Don't bother coming up here until you find a partner." I then called up Shannon, and told her that no one needs to clean out the truck. I would come up there, get my stuff, and turn in my resignation. She was like, "Whatever, I'll need you to sign some paperwork when you get here."

So I left, and ran into the Outback Bowl traffic.  It took me 12 hours to get to Chattanooga.  I got mine and my former partner's stuff.  I signed the simple paperwork, and got the hell out of there.  It then took me 9 hours to drive home.  All in all, I was awake for 28 straight hours and had driven over 1100 miles.
Even though some people have called me crazy, or way too nice, I did get my partner's things, and take them to his wife.  He offered to pay me for it, but I told him I wasn't that type of person.  He said he was starting to feel bad about everything.  I told  him he should. 

Truthfully, Covenant Transportation is one of the worst companies in the industry.  It really bothers me that they consider themselves a faith-based company, or a Christian company when they aren't anywhere close to being Christian.  The original owners where Christian, but they have been gone a long time.  I had heard that they were actually pretty good people.  However, the bunch that runs it now are an amazing bunch of low lifes.  If I was a Christian I would be totally offended by Covenant's claims of being Christian. 

If you ever go to www.ripoffreport.com type in Covenant, and see all the complaints about them.  Here's the thing, every one of those is true.  I have heard ever single complaint about them that is listed on that website. 

They just don't nickel and dime you, they hit you by the hundred dollar bill.  They are the only company that makes you buy your own tire chains and straps.  They also like to charge drivers for idle time.  The problem is that it's completely up to the discression of the dispatcher.  There seems to be no one in charge of the dispatchers.  When they want to act like assholes, there's no one to keep them in check.

The funny thing is that, they always talk about making money, but I don't see it.  They talk about team drivers making 5000 miles a week, but the best I ever got was 4500.  Most of the time, I was running about 3800-4200 a week.  Also, why should I work away from home, 70 hours a week, instead of being at home, working 40 hours a week, and make only $100-$200 less.  Due to the cost of being on the road I feel like I would end up at about the same pay, working less hours, and still be at home.  

In a way I think my not-so-nice ex-partner did me a favor.  I was only planning on working for Covenant for a year, but maybe this is a great way of moving forward with my life.     
Luckly, there are a lot of jobs in the trucking industry. I'm not too worried about getting another job. In fact, I'll be happy to get one closer to home where I don't have to drive over the road, and am away from home 320 days out of the year. So don't worry about me. I have lots of friends, great family, and lots of oppourtunity.


Sincerely,

Adrian