Vroom

I have been a lurker here for a long time and typically never post on forums, but I don't want anyone making the same mistake I did.

I have going on 8 years experience, been with my share of companies, applied to countless others and let me tell you.....

They fooled me.

I moved to Texas earlier this year and during my job hunt stumbled on a will train auto-hauling job. Pay was EXCELLENT. I mean E X C E L L E N T. $26.50 hour, overtime over 40. Average 55-60 hours a week. They were a "local home daily" job, great benefits, and would train. I would be number 1 in seniority as they just started the line haul division. 15 days of PTO year 1.... Oh yeah, benefits and pay were like coming to Thanksgiving dinner after 5 years in the saddle.

Sign me up right?

Went to the orientation, told about how Vroom is a start up (they aren't, they just pretend, been around for years) and got trained. By trained I mean we spent maybe 2 days learning how to load and unload cars on a 9 car stinger. No experience, 2 days of training, loading cars.
Then I was told I would have to start going from Houston out to Atlanta and back twice a week untill they hired more guys. Hotel rooms, no sleepers, temporary thing. Ok, cool. Month or two no problem.
Month later I was "asked" to stay out 4 nights a week in a hotel room to run relay from Houston to Atlanta. By asked I mean have my job threatened.
Now, before anyone says I messed up something let me tell you...
2 days of training, no expierence, and I #### well didn't even scratch a car. Turned Atlanta running near 11 hours daily on the slab. Threaten my job? You got it.

Alright, pays good, benefits good, whatever it's temporary. Taking home about $3300 bi-weekly with per-diem (which took 3 months to get and was taxed cause.... Stupid)

Trucks are all brand spanking new. I mean less then 1k miles on the odometer new. They were missing registration, insurance paperwork etc....
Started calling up the boss telling him about this.

"I'll get it to you in a minute so you have it, print it at the next truck stop".
Yeah... Never got it. This happened multiple times. Started to get on the s-list for daring to write it up on the DVIR and refusing to operate.

Bills of lading? That's a joke. Ran 3 months without it. Used to just make up some so I had something to show DOT if they bend me over. I've outlawed before, I know the game, but I'm not paid enough to outlaw here.

We're just getting started.

6 months in I'm still not home daily. Out every night. They expect you to attend meetings on your days off, scheduled days at that, and if you can't you "need a reason". They start wanting you to respond to emails. They call you constantly.
Schedules kept changing at the last minute. They send trucks out that should be out of service. Drivers stopped caring. Got a truck, 12k miles, air leak on the service line. Didn't have a PM schedule for 4 months.

I had 3 trucks, received on the relay, with no oil and had multiple write ups for oil changes (not by me). I was the only guy that even bothered to check the oil. Of course, being a responsible driver I filled it and asked if I should stop in en-oute and get the oil changed.
Got yelled at for that. Try to help right?

Got told my family wasn't as important as used cars when I told the boss I was going home when Nicholas hit in case they had to evacuate. Was written up for writing up trucks not having paperwork, was yelled at constantly for doing my job. Doing my job safely, legally, and damage free.

Weight? That's a joke. Had to unload 7 cars and reload 5 in a hotel parking lot in MS because the previous driver didn't care enough to scale. Got yelled at for that. "We pay the ticket just go". Yeah, you pay the ticket. Great. If I get pulled in and bent over at the scale house for an inspection it goes on me. I don't operate illegally.

Meanwhile.... 2 days of training, no experience with auto hauling, and no issues loading or unloading a 9 car stinger. Think I'd be like gold right?

Got told the next bid I would be home every night. Next bid comes out at 10pm CST, gives me a choice of not being home or being home but working overnights, which I was told I wouldn't be doing (I'll do overnights but it's the principal of it at this point). Called the boss right away to give him a "what the hell speech" got told "do your job and only call during business hours".

Yep, choice words after that, quit the hellhole and left.

Unemployed right now looking for a decent job, got some prospects, but overall...
Best decision I ever made. Not getting unemployment but it's alright. Family and I can manage.

Don't listen to the recruiter.
Don't listen to the BS at orientation.

Run like the wind unless you want to be treated like trash, risk your CDL, and be lied to constantly.

 

Forgot to mention a few things:

Lied about the Saftey bonus and changed it.

Driver facing cameras they used to fire another employee because he wasn't liked. (Heard he has a lawsuit against them currently)

Promised pay raises that weren't received

DOT physical if you call out sick because....
Stupid. Not return to duty, full blown DOT tinkle in a cup, touch your toes and cough physical.

Clueless management with "years" of expierence that has no clue about FMCSA regulations

I'm sure there's more but let's just leave it at this. Take the worse company you have worked for, give them brand new shiny trucks, add excellent pay and benefits, then multiply the issues by 20.

Trust me. RUN!

 

I love that! Putt, putt, putt.
You had my wife and I laughing like a bunch of nutcases.

 

Lots of Carvana drivers and managers went to Vroom. Most of their management is from Carvana which made me not want to apply to them after leaving Vroom. I always got the feeling that there is bad blood between the two companies.