18 Wheels of Justice Blog has Officially Moved!

Welcome!  As most of our loyal readers know, we have been posting on two blogs for the last few months.  Well the time has come to finally shut the door and turn off the lights here!  This has been a good location for us and we will miss it dearly.  Change is a good thing and we hope you will visit our new blog address which is on our website. Please click the link below and join us at our new home!!

18 Wheels of Justice

The Great Sign on Bonus Hoax

The Great Sign On Bonus Hoax

One thousand, two thousand, three thousand, 4...  Don't wait, just step right up to the golden door!

The good old sign on bonus...  A re-engineering, re-invention, a re-wording of the classic bait and switch, ye ole switcheroo,  applied to recruiting drivers. For Shame! 

Hear Ye, Hear Ye, Here ye go, just sign right here and go with the flow...We have a $4000 sign on bonus, Bubba's Trucking next door will only give you Three, that's right, uh huh, you're at the right place... Join our company, we'll give you a bonus over the next 6 months, a year, you'll earn less while you work here, but don't worry 'bout that, you got a bonus! Just step on up and through the golden door.

It's nothing new.  When did this madness start in our industry?  In the early 1990's, I'm not sure by whom or what company, but that's when it became prevalent. And now, everybody has to do it. 

Nearly every trucking company in the country offers a sign on bonus.  Why? Because they have to. How much weight should you give it in your decision process?  Very little. Don't fall for the hype.

The drivers and operators who watch what companies offer and do their research know this and

drivers and operators who have fallen for it once, know even better.  

The lure of easy money, the temptation of a fast buck loses its appeal with the reality of: "Now, I have to actually work here?" and "My paychecks sure seem small".

How many carriers have clauses that will deduct the bonus you were paid if you don't stay the required minimum of 6 months? Or a year?  I believe you would be surprised at some of these contracts, or maybe not.  

Why do we have turnover?  Is it the drivers fault?  The company's fault?  A case of not seeing the forest for the trees?  If you want turnover, this is a great way to increase it. 

I personally admire companies and people who try new and creative approaches to solve problems. Applying traditional product selling ideas to recruiting drivers.  It was innovative and effective at grabbing attention and drivers when it first appeared years ago, but now it's just fun with numbers.

A $5000 bonus paid over a year is nothing compared with 500 less miles run every week on average.  The miles you will get is always the mystery of starting any driving position.

 

Ask the trucking company about average miles per week!  Read the fine print and do your homework and the math.  Get your wife, husband, father, mother whomever to go over the details.  A second opinion from someone who cares about you and your well-being has never hurt anyone.        

Ask 18 Wheels of Justice Debut! "Soft Taco" asks...

Welcome to "Ask 18 Wheels of Justice".  All questions are welcome, anything and everything Trucking... Column will run every Monday and more often as some important questions can't wait and need to be answered immediately.  Thank you for submitting all of all of your questions and what great questions they all were.  It was difficult to pick only one...  

Let's Get Started!  You can sense the excitement here at 18 Wheels of Justice HQ, please make sure there's room on the edge of your seat and continue reading...

Names have been changed to protect the innocent and the guilty.

From "Soft Taco" Chino, CA...

"Soft Taco" asks - I have been driving for three years,  I have had 7 jobs.  I take my work seriously and want to own my own truck.  I quit these jobs because I get promised all of these things before I start and then they never happen.  I think it looks bad on my record and I'm afraid it will affect me buying a truck in the future.

Thank you for your question, "ST".  I wouldn't worry too much about your past, you can't change that.  You are right in that it can effect buying a truck in the future.  Changing jobs does "tell your story" so to speak.  This is important for all drivers to think about when deciding to switch jobs. It's not discussed very often, but it does reflect poorly on your credit if you switch jobs a lot.  Not just for buying a truck, but a home, car etc.  

We realize, "ST" that this is a common problem in our industry.  So stop changing jobs, Soft Taco! It's not that easy and takes work, but it does payoff.  Do not be discouraged, there is a process to finding a job.  I wrote an article about the 10 best ways to find a driving career and not just a job a few months ago(click here to read).  

The most important thing to remember is to take your time!  Sometimes we tend to wait too long to look for another job before we quit. Don't wait until you have finally had enough and quit when your angry or upset.  Be a gentlemen and give two weeks notice.  There is a lot to consider and please read the article(follow link above), because you lose a lot more money than you think when you switch jobs. 

If were to try and guess what switching jobs 7 times in 3 years cost you.  I would bet that you lost between 2 weeks and a month of work and pay each time you changed jobs.  Between trying to get your last paycheck, deductions, withholding, time lost waiting for MVR approval and drug testing, driver orientations, and on and on.  Hiring is not a quick process in our company.  

Let' be conservative and say you lost two weeks worth of income every time you changed.  If you average $1000 per week.

$2000 Lost Per Job Change

  x    7 Job Changes in 3 years

$14,000!  Yes, $14,000 Cash.  $14k would have been a nice down payment on a truck plus some cash for emergencies.  It also would have bought a car, a pick up truck, or a whole lotta' chrome...

The moral of the story is to take your time and do your research!  It pays off time and time again...

Don't forget to subscribe to our blog, all you have to do is enter your email address on the sidebar, takes a minute...  

One of my favorite trucks - check out How bad do you want it? W-900

How to be Effective in a World of Rookie Recruiters

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With Driver shortages at an all-time high – It is becoming more difficult to not only recruit, but to retain qualified drivers and owner operators.  How do you find drivers and operators that are a better fit for your company to begin with? 

Finding Drivers and Operators that "fit" you company is a key component in retention.  Most carriers, while looking at a lot full of empty trucks, tend to use the “Habeas Corpus” or “Just Produce a Body” method; we will hire someone qualified, but not necessarily the best fit for our trucking operation, or the driver for that matter.  This always results in a short career at our company for the driver and higher turnover, which produce significantly higher costs to our trucking operation.

·         How many countless Ads has your company placed using traditional methods such as newspaper, radio, or even TV with little to no return? How many internet ads surrounded by hundreds, if not thousands of other advertisers?

·         How much money has your company allocated to these already exhausted methods?

At 18 Wheels of Justice; we are providing a unique approach to recruiting and capturing the attention of drivers and owner operators.  We have tactfully and quietly developed one of the most devoted driver and operator audience in the nation and continue to foster that growth.

Why Partner With Us?

I'm the author of "18 Wheels of Justice", an educational, trucking based Book & CD series, website and blog. I have appeared on Big Truck TV (a partner with Internet Truck Stop) and various trucking radio shows.  My blogs are published on Big Truck TV, TripPak and various other venues. Drivers and owner operators visit and trust 18 Wheels of Justice to interview and explain the core values of a trucking company before they sign on.

The 18 Wheels of Justice “Blomotion” (Blog Promotion) is an in depth story that is designed to answer the drivers and operators questions about your company before they call.  

The game has changed so much over the last few years that most drivers & ops are hesitant to call to ask questions because of all the follow up calls they will get from recruiters for months, even years.  Our article presents your company in an up front and personal light by a reputable third party.  It works, and it works well.

Recruiting advertising is not like selling soft drinks. You're selling a career, success, a lifestyle and trust.  Repetition and flashing ads simply can not convey this message.  The time has come to promote in depth what makes your company appealing and makes it standout in our industry. Every trucking company has its own appeal and is unique; we focus on and promote these attributes.

We tell the founders story, the struggles and successes throughout the company’s history, the human side... This has great appeal and the principles of attraction must be applied to recruiting drivers and operators.  The operators, drivers and their wives want to make their own decision and learn about the company on their own.

Let us tell your story...

How it works

·         Written “Blomotion” (Blog + Promotion) on you company which includes an in depth story about your company with your final approval before publication. The article will be posted on our different blogs several times during the month.

·         Original article on your company includes interview with company CEO or Director of Recruiting describing the benefits of working for your company.

·         Blog article will be featured on owner operator and driver page on our website for 30 days, along with link and phone number to your company’s website.

·         Posted on 50 Craigslist Cities within your hiring area as an article by a 3rd Party (it works well, we know how to catch owner operators and drivers attention)

·         Any existing recruiting video you have will be published alongside the article on our website and blog as well.

Most Drivers and Operators(and more importantly, their wives and significant others) review companies and make their decision over the Christmas Season when they have time off and make their move in January, don’t wait. Our schedule is filling up quickly for the remainder of 2012, and this is the ideal time to have your “Blomotion” posted, especially to ramp up for 2013 driver needs.

Act quickly by simply replying to this email or call 314-620-5536 to learn more.  We do all the work for you…

                                              Copyright 2012 - 18 Wheels of Justice

The Ugly Truth About Empty Trucks

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What exactly does an empty truck cost a trucking company?  "Not that Much" said one brave soul.  "A whole lot!" replied another.  "I don't know!" he said quietly to himself, and he was right.

Let's jump right in and figure it out, because the water is warm and getting hot.  The purpose of this blog is not to cause grown men to cry, nor put the fear of God or additional pressure on already nervous Driver Recruiters, but quite the opposite.  Where are your resources going?  Are you giving your recruiting departments enough resources?

Now, you may not want to know what that an empty truck costs you and I don't blame you...  You may purposely avoid driving around the side of the building where all the empty trucks are parked when you arrive in the morning.  I don't blame you for that either... Now, settle into your favorite bar stool, grab yourself a pencil and cocktail napkin, turn the napkin over onto its back, and lets do some accountin'...

Feel free to insert your own costs here, if you don't know these off the top of your head, these are good averages to use.  (These descriptions and amounts all meet again in a column near the bottom, I felt some explanation was needed as to just how I arrived at my numbers.)

Tractor Payment - $2075.00 - Just an average payment amount based on a new truck with 5 year straight financing.

Trailer Payment $300 - $600 (Oh wait, multiply that $300 trailer payment number by two! Remember the person(salesmen, operations manager, VP of this and that, CFO) who convinced you that you need to be at a 2 to 1 trailer to tractor ratio?  (Yes, Sir, you now have two trailers for every tractor.  You did that so you could do some fancy dropping and hooking and increase your revenue, yes, Sir.)

Actual Depreciation - $1541.00  5 Year to $7500 (I don't care about how you speed up or slow down depreciation for taxes, doesn't matter here, stop thinking it's a good thing, and stop thinking about it entirely for this exercise, please.)

Overhead - $900  Includes (Non-driving Employees, Office Staff, Mechanics, Phones, company cars and so on.  I'm going to peg this at $.09 per mile as a good average, basically all admin costs divided by number of trucks by 10,000 miles per month.  Again, please feel free to use what number you feel is a realistic representation of your company. 

Profit per truck - How much do you make per truck per month?  I don't know how much you make, but the 5 - 25 - 100 empty trucks on your lot play a major role in your overall profitability - Please feel free to insert your profit per truck number here. I left it at ZERO

To Summarize - 

Tractor Payment   $2,075

Trailer Payment      $600

Depreciation         $1,541  

Overhead                 $900

Profit                            $0 

Cost per Empty Truck per Month $5,116

The trucking business makes for a good mistress but she's a mean wife.  She's very cyclical as we all know and full of mood swings.  "And Boy, I Say Boy", she's been in a mood for the last year or two.  The carriers who understand the cost of an empty truck and address it head on are sure to weather the storm.  Stay strong, our time to shine is coming again...

COPYRIGHT 2012 Michael H. Komadina 

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Negotiating with Freight Brokers - Strategy #5

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Strategy #5 - Hello Third Party!

So... Your negotiation is going fairly well: it has been friendly and easy going.  You have assured the broker you can do this particular load successfully, you can meet all of his needs, you're trustworthy and in the end it will be good for him and his customer.  He needs reassurance at this point in the negotiation.  He needs to know that you want to do this load, and you do, but you have to make sure the rate is ok with one of the following people:

Your Boss
Your Partner
Your Wife
Owner Operator who will be hauling the load
Your Father
Your Mother
Your Spiritual Advisor - Priest, Rabbi or Minister.  Yes, The decision to take a load of freight is this important!

Someone other than yourself with whom you need their approval to the load.  Or someone with whom you place high value on their opinion and you always run major decisions(taking a load) by them.  If you don't have someone like this, you should find someone.

Feel free to introduce this third party at anytime during the load booking process.  I find it most effective to introduce them midway through the negotiation.  It's your call, in the beginning or the middle, but never towards the end.  If the third party is introduced early, it can ease the tension with the negotiation.  As the conversation goes along, you should be making statements like, "well...he isn't going to like that, it will be hard to convince him to hand unload all those pebbles, well it doesn't unload until 2pm, that's going to make it hard to pick up another load that same day..." and so on and so forth. 

This also creates a camaraderie between you and the broker and can be a good thing.  Always remember that you are trying to build a long term relationship.  This is a good thing because you and the broker are working as a team to convince this third party(your boss, wife, owner op, mother, father, rabbi, etc.)  I would strongly advise against introducing this third party late in the negotiating.  This can be seen as a cheap ploy and ruin all the goodwill you have created. 

Don't forget to sign up for the free email subscription!  It's free and your email address is kept confidential!


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15 Ways to Increase your Income while Negotiating for LoadsPick up Negotiating with Freight Brokers and 3PL's today

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18 Wheels of Justice Copyright 2012

Kottke Trucking - 75 Years of Family Tradition

18 Wheels of Justice Proudly Presents…

75 Years of Family Tradition – Kottke Trucking

Click Logo above or call 800-248-2623 Ask for Kyle

Celebrating 75 Years - Kottke Trucking – A Family Tradition

Kottke Trucking was born on a cold night in 1938 in Buffalo Lake, MN.  The Kottke family patriarch, Mr. Elmer Kottke, started hauling milk, feed and fertilizer for the local creamery. 

In 1961 Donald and Duane took over, called it the aptly named Kottke Brothers and started hauling gravel and dry freight to help grow the business. 

Kottke has had its ups and downs over the years, but in 1983 it lost one of its largest customers and this forced them to change the face of the business.  The Kottke Family is a tough lot and they stuck together and triumphed over these challenges.  They traded in the hoppers for reefers and never looked back.  The Kottke family went after, and was awarded a new ICC authority that gave them the ability to pursue customers and freight in all 48 states.  This was a tough period for the company, but family pulls together and finds a way to make things work.

Connie and Duane Kottke have dedicated their lives to the continued success of Kottke Trucking, Inc. Duane started out driving a mail route truck, then moved to hauling grain. He soon found himself in the position of a dispatcher, and at times, both a driver and dispatcher. Connie’s involvement in the company’s success included buying and selling grain, bookkeeping and occasional dispatching. She and Duane also devoted much of their time to raising their three sons; Kurt, Kory and Kyle. We thank them for creating the strong foundation of Kottke Trucking and with pride; we will carry those traditions into the future.

The Kottke Family, not just the relatives, but every driver, owner operator, dispatcher, office worker and mechanic all work together to make this one of the best reefer companies to work for in Minnesota. 

The Staff at 18 Wheels of Justice HQ was fortunate enough to speak with Kyle Kottke, General Manger, to ask him a few more questions about Kottke…

Thanks for joining us, Kyle.  75 years of trucking, that’s a lot of experience and a lot of responsibility.  Why do drivers and owner operators like working for Kottke?

We like to believe we treat them as part of our family.  They have become an extended part of our family and the foundation of our success.  I believe we work as hard as anyone at keeping the quality of life for a driver high.  Most of our drivers are home every 4-6 days.  Some of the routes go 6-10 days.

 

We work hard to make sure that our offerings are in line with the big guys but their quality of work atmosphere is far superior with us.

We like the family owned and operated tradition at Kottke.  As Kottke has grown over the years, how have you kept this tradition alive?

We are deep into the roots of our company.  Kurt, Kory and I are very involved in the day to day operations of the business and are proud of the team we have assembled.  No question, our heritage is very important to us but we don’t rest on yesterday’s success.  We know that we need to be in front of the industry, working with our drivers and customers to continue to be successful going forward.

 

Our tradition is our drivers, not our family.  The most important Christmas Card exchange we have is with many of our retired drivers who have spent their career with us.  I love to hear what they are doing in retirement and glad that we had a small role in their success and their lives.

 

What are your hiring areas?

We are very heavy in the Upper Midwest(MN,WI,IL, and IA) but we hire from the Midwest, South and Southeastern part of the US.  If you go to our website(click here) and find the lanes serviced page, we will hire a candidate from any of our territories.

How much reefer experience do you require?  A large portion of our audience has expressed interest in switching from to reefers…

I require one year of over the road experience.  Reefer experience is optional and we can train on the reefer technologies.

Who should drivers and operators call? ME!  I personally recruit all of my drivers.  I promise no bull!  800-248-2623 ext 2422.

Very nice touch, call one of the owners, Kyle, the hands on approach is the best way to go in our business. 18 Wheels of Justice likes that and likes Kottke.  Thanks for your time today, Kyle, enjoy your Thanksgiving…

Click on Logo above or call 800-248-2623 Ask for Kyle

18 Wheels of Justice Presents - "Landstar Latitude"

Career Decision

                                   18 Wheels of Justice Investigates

 

Owner Operators Check Out

Landstar Latitude

November 8, 2012 - 13:57

Welcome to our multiple part series called “Career Decision”.

 18 Wheels of Justice investigates all the rumors we have heard for years about the money to be made in specialized trucking segments of our industry.  We take an insider’s view of companies who operate in various specialized freight arenas and present our results to help our Owner Operator audience make an informed decision.  It gets a little more complicated with Landstar, a time-honored, agent driven organization who has achieved a great deal of success outside of the typical trucking company design.

The Staff at 18 Wheels of Justice HQ originally had its sights set on the flatbed and heavy haul specialized division of Landstar.  As our investigation continued, our nimble minded staff soon realized that Landstar’s entire approach to dispatch and operations deserves a hard hitting, 18 Wheels of Justice investigative review.

Agents, Agents, Agents… 

We typically do a phone interview as part of our process, I asked my staff to put me in touch with someone in dispatch so we could find some real answers on Landstar’s success and not the typical corporate song and dance.  The staff reported back to me, in shock and disbelief that Landstar HQ in Jacksonville stated that there is no dispatch.  I said, “Who manages their freight? Who manages the planning? Who makes sure the Owner Operators are getting good freight and keep rolling? Who, who, who?”

“AGENTS!” My staff roared from the front office.

Agents, I pondered quietly to myself…  Secret Agents? FBI Agents? Travel Agents? (If you’re under 35, travel agents were used before the internet to purchase airline tickets, cruises and even to make hotel reservations in some cases)

I called Kit, my beautiful but brassy assistant, and explained that we owe it to our audience to get to the bottom of the Landstar approach to trucking, face to face & eyeball to eyeball.

“Get my Travel Agent on the phone and…I mean go online and book two tickets to Jacksonville, F-L-A…”

Owner Operators call 800-435-4010 or visit www.lease2landstar.com

We met with Rocco Davanzo, at Landstar’s Corporate Office, who was kind enough to take the time to speak with us and give us the real scoop on Landstar…

1.) Who are Landstar Agents, what do they do and how is this structure better than a typical Trucking Company?

Landstar doesn’t have a big sales force sitting around at HQ, instead they have independent sales agents located all over North America. The agents go out and get their own customers, they post that freight on Landstar’s electronic “available load boards,” and then it’s up to you to get online and find what you want. The agent networking system allows you, as the owner/operator, to control your schedule. The agents have a vested interest in keeping you loaded, in order to keep moving their customer’s freight.

2.) Landstar is kind of a one stop shop for Owner Operators.  Flatbed, Specialized, Vans, Reefers.  Can an owner operator switch between Landstar divisions?  What if an Owner Operator has his own trailer?

There truly is a career path for owner/operators at Landstar. You can lease to Landstar without platform experience, take advantage of free two-day platform training and take the first step toward a career hauling specialized freight. All you have to do is get yourself down to Landstar’s Orientation Center in St. Augustine - Landstar pays for your food and lodging. I don’t know of any other company that does that. Once you come out of that, you’re able to haul flatbed legal freight and from there you can progress to multi-axle trailers and specialized freight as your experience, skills and desire allow. It’s possible for a van driver with no experience pulling platform to join Landstar’s van fleet and progress to 12-foot-wide specialized platform freight over time. Landstar says they have access to more than 3,000 pieces of platform equipment, but if an owner/operator has their own trailer, great. In fact, once most drivers get their feet wet hauling platform loads for Landstar, they find out how much money they can make and often go purchase their own platform trailer.

3.)  What is the key to Landstar’s success in our Industry?

Landstar’s success appears to come from their unique business model – networking people who like being independent and who want the freedom to run their own businesses, whether it’s from behind a desk or the cab of a truck. 

4.) Why Should an Owner Operator apply at Landstar vs. the thousands of other trucking companies out there?

There’s no forced dispatch – you choose where you want to go, when, what freight to haul. The freedom at Landstar is said to be comparable to the freedom of running with your own authority, but without any of the risk. Their unique agent network, and Load Alerts technology, puts thousands of loads at your fingertips each day. er that ks nt matching your choices is posted on Landstar’s available load board.

With their percentage pay system, you earn a share of the revenue for every load hauled. As freight rates go up, so does your settlement check. Landstar passes along to you 100 percent of all billed fuel surcharges. Plus, there’s discounts on fuel, tires, parts and service through a bulk purchasing program they call LCAPP program, as well as cash rebates on new and used trucks and factory direct pricing on trailers.

5.)  Some of our audience members have more than one truck.  Is Landstar small fleet “Friendly”?

Landstar’s system is optimized for one, maybe two, owner/operators. Small fleets would be much better served by exploring the brokerage side of Landstar’s operation, where Landstar has mutually successful relationships with hundreds of smaller, third-party fleets.

6.) What are the strengths of your specialized flatbed and van divisions?

Landstar is the largest Heavy/Specialized transportation company in the U.S. and ranked 2^nd in the world, according to industry publications. With more than 3,000 pieces of platform equipment, a variety of freight and a safety record that’s second to none, Landstar appears to be a good option for both flatbed and van owner/operators.

18 Wheels of Justice would like to thank Landstar and Mr. Davanzo for spending the afternoon with us discussing Landstar.  Landstar is the “Gold Standard” for owner operators in our industry for a reason.

Owner Operators call 800-435-4010 or visit www.lease2landstar.com

18 Wheels of Justice Copyright 2012

3 Ways to Avoid Truck Stop Turkey on Thanksgiving

18 Wheels of Justice Proudly Presents…Trucking Legends 

800-500-3089

Memphis, TN

1. Call Empire or click on any Empire logo to go to website.
2. Fill out Application.
3. Work for Empire.

Empire Express - Memphis, TN only hires drivers in specific areas for a reason.  They get you home when they say they will.  To find out more - read on...



Empire Express began by listening to and embracing an idea from one of their own: a loyal driver.

 

Mr. Ed Gatlin founded and developed a successful automotive refrigerant business, lg-Lo Products Corp.  It was so successful; that the company caught the eye of the Valvoline Oil Company in 1985, and Valvoline made an offer to Ed he couldn’t refuse.

Now, the way I understand it, lg-Lo had a private fleet of 12 trucks at the time, Valvoline realized it wasn’t tough enough for the trucking business and didn’t want to continue to run the private fleet.  Luckily, one of his best drivers (who was also about to be out of a job) approached Ed about starting a trucking company.  Ed decided to try his hand at the “For Hire” trucking business for a few years.  In 1989, Mr. Tim Gatlin, with a belly full of fire and a love for the trucking business, took over and the business grew from 8 trucks to the proud 194 trucks under his careful watch today. 

18 Wheels of Justice likes it when the owners of a trucking company use specific numbers when they are talking about trucks and drivers.  It says a lot about the person, the company and the overall attitude of things there. 

We’ve done this long enough to know whether the owners, managers and dispatchers have a handle on things at their company after the first few minutes of talking to them.  And quite frankly, we are hearing loud & clear that Empire Express in Memphis is running an outstanding outfit.

We were fortunate enough to get a few minutes of Mr. Tim Gatlin’s time to answer some questions for the 18 Wheels of Justice Staff about Empire Express in Memphis (please see excerpts from the interview below).

Mr. Gatlin, thank you for joining us today.  We have heard many good things about you and Empire Express, and we are honored to finally have the chance to speak with you here at 18 Wheels of Justice HQ.  

Now, Empire Express has been in business for 27 years, a big milestone in our industry.  What do you attribute your long term success too?

Empire specializes in safety and time – sensitive freight.  Over 50% of our business is packaged chemicals and 40% is JIT or time sensitive.  This has been our focus for over 20 years and we have a very strong loyal customer base because we deliver the safe, on-time performance they demand. 

Empire is in the top 10% in terms of driver retention in our industry, this is among the best of the best of low driver turnover rates in the country.  Why do drivers who begin with Empire stay so long? 

They stay because of the way they are treated.  We know at Empire Express, without the drivers, we wouldn’t have Empire Express. We have created and encourage a driver-friendly culture.

What is so great about Empire Express for drivers?

They are a name, not a truck number. They get the miles, get paid and get home. During the recruiting process, we make sure the driver lives in an ideal place to get him home regularly.  We know home time with family and friends is so important.  Our customers’ freight is also driver friendly, no-touch high velocity freight. 

Pay per mile is one thing, but miles are important also.  The 18 Wheels of Justice Audience takes their careers seriously and they like to run and not sit when out on the road.  What kind of miles can drivers expect? 

2500 – 3000 per week.

Can they depend on the operations staff to get the miles and get them home when they need to be?

Absolutely! We offer a great pay package, “Pay for Performance”.  Every six months our drivers are evaluated on their performance in Safety, Service and Miles.  The majority of our drivers average over 2,500 miles per week, are safe, and deliver on-time.  This performance qualifies them for the top pay level which helps us retain the top performers and attract other top drivers to Empire. 

Mr. Gatlin, we can’t thank you enough for sharing your story about Empire with us today.  That sounds like quite an operation you have there in Memphis.  How can drivers and operators get a hold of your company? 

They can call our Recruiting Line at 800-500-3089 or visit our website at www.EmpireExpress.com.  Thank you for having us. (Please click on the Empire logos or photo and it will take you directly to the Empire Website)

COPYRIGHT 2012 - 18 WHEELS OF JUSTICE©

How to Stop Unreasonable Child Support Deductions From Your Check in 2012

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How to Resolve Child Support Issues - There is a Solution
At trucking companies across the nation, many dispatchers, recruiters and operations managers often wonder why a recently hired driver suddenly quits after a few months.  Everybody seemed to like him, he did a good job, he seemed to like working at your company.

Suddenly a notice comes in the mail to payroll to deduct for past due child support from the state.  It’s different in every state of course, but it typically is such a large amount that it is hard for the driver to live and have this amount “deducted” from his pay.  This notice usually arrives somewhere between one to four months after starting employment, depending on the state, your companies reporting schedule, what day of the quarter the driver started, etc.

A lot of good drivers leave a lot of good companies after a few months and move to the next one.  Some go to companies where they are paid cash or with a 1099, frequently for less pay. 

So… What is a driver or employer to do?  Everyone should pay child support; it’s the right and honorable thing to do.  That is a given.  A lot of smart divorce attorneys manage to have “alimony” or “spousal maintenance” classified as child support at the time of divorce.  This makes it collectable by the state.  This is a questionable practice, but it is done by divorce attorneys every day.  To try and get this amount changed after a divorce is impossible.  I know in the state of Missouri there is a six month waiting list to even talk to someone about a setting up a time for a hearing.  

This article is not about the inherent bias in the legal system against fathers, but the intent is to make the outcome of divorce and ensuing child support workable for our drivers who find themselves in this situation.
 

Recruiters and HR Mangers at every trucking company need to be prepared to address and handle this with every driver who starts at your company.

Every Driver who has this issue following them needs to know that there is a solution to it, and it’s a lot easier than you may think. A lot of recruiters/HR Managers I know have responded negatively to my comments, and refer to drivers child support as none of their business and the driver just needs to pay it. 

Having arrears in child support doesn’t make anyone irresponsible nor a bad parent or person for that matter.  The system has worked against fathers for decades and many have tried in the past to resolve it, hit a brick wall and decided there was nothing that could be done about it.  And they were probably right. 

A lot has changed recently and now is the perfect time to address it and put it behind you.

First of all, from the human resources perspective, you are helping your driver.  This is what you should to be doing from a personal and professional perspective.

Second of all, as Human Resources professional, this is your responsibility as far as I’m concerned.  If an employee has an issue that is affecting his job and tenure at your company, you should have a program in place to help them.  This should be addressed during the onboarding process.  Reach out and take action, help your fellow man and build a relationship.

Finally, you are helping the children involved by making consistent
child support payments a reality.

The Solution

Nearly every state will adjust the deduction.  There are phone numbers you can call where you can explain to them why you can’t afford the $300, $500 or more per week (usually its current child support plus arrears) they want to deduct and they will adjust it.  This is not an official reduction of the amount owed, just an informal adjustment of what they will take out every week. In my experience the state will adjust it to a “livable” amount, $75 to $150 per week depending on salary, number of children, etc.  This is usually accomplished within a week’s time frame.  I have listed the numbers of the Child Support Agencies in each state below.  All it takes is a phone call; just let them know you want to address current or future deductions being taken out of your check.

You can make a big difference in your life or your driver’s life, and children’s lives today by reaching out and helping yourself or your drivers… 

ALABAMA 334-242-9300 mina.roussell@dhr.alabama.gov

ALASKA907-269-6832    david.tredway@alaska.gov

ARIZONA602-252-4045   dmoring@azdes.gov

ARKANSAS 501-682-6828 mary.e.smith@ocse.state.ar.us

CALIFORNIA 888-898-1745

COLORADO 303-866-4300 csecustomerservice@state.co.us

CONNECTICUT 860-424-4989, option 2

DELAWARE 302-577-7171 www.dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dcse/index.html

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 202-724-2254 artish.jacobs@dc.gov

FLORIDA 850-617-8099 csepassportdenial@dor.state.fl.us

GEORGIA 404-657-3869 csetaxoffset@dhr.state.ga.us

HAWAII 808-692-7000 wayne.y.izumi@hawaii.gov

IDAHO 208-334-5715

ILLINOIS 217-785-0283

INDIANA 317-234-5700, option 3

IOWA 515-242-6003

KANSAS 785-296-2089

KENTUCKY 502-564-2285 doris.moore@ky.gov

LOUISIANA 225-342-4780225 carol.dewitt@la.gov

MAINE 207-624-4111 kathy.levesque@maine.gov

MARYLAND 800-332-6347

MASSACHUSETTS 617-626-4156 glavin@dor.state.ma.us

MICHIGAN 517-373-2932

MINNESOTA 651-431-4400

MISSISSIPPI 601-359-4879 temekka.williams@mdhs.state.ms.us

MISSOURI 866-313-9960

MONTANA 406-444-3739 cstclair@mt.us

NEBRASKA 402-471-1400 julie.lavicky@nebraska.gov

NEVADA 775-684-0704 cse@dwss.nv.gov https://dwss.nv.gov/

NEW HAMPSHIRE 603-271-4680 http://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dcbcs/beas/nhcp/contact.htm

NEW JERSEY 609-631-2670 dfd-lien-levy@dhs.state.nj.us

NEW MEXICO 800-288-7207 (In State)800-585-7631 unit.intercept@state.nm.us

OHIO 800-686-1556

OKLAHOMA 405-522-0028 melody.rotan@okdhs.org

OREGON 503-373-7300 sccuquestions@doj.state.or.us

PENNSYLVANIA 800-932-0211 ra-crbcse@pa.gov

RHODE ISLAND 401-458-4400 richildsupport@cse.state.ri.us

SOUTH CAROLINA 803-898-9314 glenn.hastie@dss.sc.gov

SOUTH DAKOTA700 605-773-3641 kathryn.piersol@state.sd.us

TENNESSEE 800-838-6911 edward.canaday@tn.us

TEXAS 800-252-8014

UTAH 801-536-8500 ext. 22301 cdmiller@utah.gov

VERMONT 802-241-2180

VIRGINIA 800-468-8894 www.dss.virginia.gov/family/dcse.html

VIRGIN ISLANDS 340-775-3070 ext. 5008

WASHINGTON 360-664-5350 lsc@dshs.wa.gov

WEST VIRGINIA 800-249-3778 www.wvdhhr.org/bcse/

WISCONSIN 608-266-9909 marc.dibernardo@wisconsin.gov

WYOMING 307-777-6948 brenda.lyttle@wyo.gov

©18 Wheels of Justice 2012