Stevens Transport Aviary . . cont'

The Texas Regional was started just a few weeks ago. I have to say, I haven't heard one complaint from any of them concerning hometime, pay rate, loads or otherwise.
There is one area that some are not happy. A regional driver cannot be repowered onto any other load other than another regional driver.
So let me give you an example:
I had a Texas Regional in Little Rock with a load that delivered in two days just down the road. I needed to repower a load from Little Rock to San Antonio. I wasn't allowed. The driver had to sit for two days to deliver his load, altho the repower kept him in his zone and used the assets much better. Both drivers PLEADED to do the deal.
But couldn't.
Had another driver in Beaumont TX, with a load that delivered in Houston two days later. Again, a repower that took him to Waco.
Couldn't do that one.
So other than that, it seems to work well for the drivers. Don't know how the pay goes. There are special considerations for short haul. But other than the repower gig, I don't hear complaints.
I do know they get home a lot. If I was to go back out, I'd consider the Texas regional.

 

Know who you speak of, nice lady, but I detested that place in Austin, a fresh Italian pasta. At least you could park at the plant, and even get sandwiches or pizza delivered.

 

normal stupid corporate rules getting in the way of thinking employees....

STOP thinking is the answer.

 

Thank you guyd for the information, Emulsified : Central does that as well with their dedicated and regional.. sometimes they'll let an otr repower a regional guy (which is rare other than mechanical) but never the other way around, even if it is in their area. we are so short right now though, otr is kind of a go to in cases where we are losing ground on accounts with late pick ups and shortages of empties. Im really interested in getting into the crude/water division but my experience is just now approaching a year, and im short the endorsements (getting my X endorsements this month) so im seriously considering running reefer with Stevens and transferring later. I live in San Antonio, which the recruiter said wasn't a problem, but ive heard that before... I know Stevens has a terminal in Dallas and uses TK yards, but as I am not in a position to take the tractor to my apartment (gated) im concerned with the weekly hometime backfiring essentially if I have to store the truck in a drop yard 60 miles or more from my house. Anyone know of a Stevens yard in the SA area? I leave my central truck at a truckstop when im home, but even I don't like doing that. Google maps hasn't yielded anything for drop yards, but most of ours don't show up either as theyre contracted on another carriers property. The pay sounds good, and im okay with loosing a little overall income and gaining consistency, I usually have 2-3 great weeks and 1-2 horrible ones now. T

 

I don't know of a yard in San Antonio, but Stevens drivers park their trucks at TK Dealers, and Kenworth dealerships as well. Not sure of what they do in San Antonio specifically, but if you have either of those there you should be fine.
I was out of Bangor, Maine and I parked at the local Kenworth dealership.
I've been out of it for a bit, so I'm sure others will have the specifics.

 

On my first run with a trainer a couples years ago we had a load dropping in San Antonio and that was his home base. There was a drop yard(contract) where we went, I got to do my first real backing practice there, but he said that when he was company he left his truck there. It has a guard shack and you have to sign in and out. There where several Stevens trucks and trailers there as well as others. Can't remember the name but it was not all that far from a truck stop, where we did spend the night, and I remember some tracks we went over. Anyways most Pete, TK, and KW will let you park the truck, not sure if any have been blacklisted in the area. I think Stevens tanker division is out of San Antonio so there has to be local parking.

 

There is a yard in Van Ormy

 

It may be time to find a different carrier. I do not want to be a regional driver, yet someone there seems to think I am. I am very tired of this East Coast, Midwest, Southeast loop I am once again trapped it. Not even a trip to Laredo helps. In two years I have never hauled a load out of Laredo that was not going east.

If I am not at the window talking in person to Billy or Will, I can not get west of I35 and rarely past the Mississippi.

In two months I have been west of I35, once, a Ft Worth to Cheyenne load, and in the last six weeks I have spent, counting tonight, 3 nights west of the Mississippi, and will be crossing it again tomorrow going east.

Is am very frustrated with it.

I was asked to join the Kraft Dedicated North East Regional fleet and told them point blank no because I do not like driving on the East Coast all the time. I want to run nationwide. Apparently that message never got through.

 

Kmac,

that frustration can be a killer. Want to go west, meat loads out of amirillo, or greeley co.
Candy loads out of Lancaster PA, or Hershey PA to Utah.
One I really liked was Velveeta out of New Ulm Minnesota to tracy california... I loved that load, as I could get a 34 hr reset at home, and still deliver on time.

We all get stuck on those treadmills, same area, same loads.... have to shake it up, do a repower to get out of it, request a different load, and keep telling that DM you need a change, to run different area of country. Change the day you come off home time, can change the routes you get on.

Have to keep in mind though, that there will always be more freight east of the mississippi.

 

Can't get to Amarillo or Greely, can barely get past the Mississippi, we no longer do the candy loads out of Lancaster and Hershey and I have no set day to come off home time. It just depends on when I get there. I have refused two loads in two years and take every repower offered that I can make on time without getting shafted. I think I have refused three maybe four.

I did a repower a couple of weeks ago that was less that 100 miles and another that was less than 250 in the same week. I transmitted 8 trip sheets for a 7 day period that week, I had a total milage of almost 3200 so I am not losing money. In fact I am running at it above 3k pretty consistently, but it is much more exhausting and stressful doing that constantly in the NE/MW corridor. A break to some open country now and then would be nice.

Reality is I am getting paid less in the North East than out west. I can average 60mph on the open road and about 48 in the North East. That is about $4 an hour less when averaged out, meaning I have to work that much longer to make the same money.

It would just he nice to have a break now and then. If not here, then elsewhere. I am not sure I can make it any clearer that I do not want to be a regional driver. Apparently it is having no impression in Dallas anyway.

I stay out for 8 to 12 weeks at a time so keeping me close for home time is not an excuse either. I may as well start making it every 5 weeks if I am always in the neighborhood anyway. It will be easier to find the next job that way I suppose.