A New Beginning, Again

It’s almost official, but close enough, I’m no longer with Bohemian and I start with my new company on Tuesday. It’s a long wait till Tuesday and it’s supposed to snow for three days this week. I’ve got plenty of fuel and food. I’m at a truck stop in southern central PA so I have facilities, intermittent wifi and I’ve dropped my trailer at the new company so I’m fairly mobile if I want to be.

This is the only company I’ve left that I actually feel bad about leaving. I’ve been here three and a half years, which is a long time in trucking. (Which is sad, but that’s a different post). The company changed, some of the people at the company changed and the market has changed.

I like and respect the owner of Bohemian and he’s been more than fair with me and everyone there. He was totally open about everything, payroll and invoices were open for anyone to see. He has a huge heart and has helped drivers and employees with more than any other boss I’ve ever heard of. And he would always stand behind and argue for the drivers instead of instantly blaming a driver like most places I’ve been.

Humble Beginnings

When I started at Bohemian he was working out of the second floor of his house in Kentucky with his wife and sister as employees, he would still drive once in awhile and still run the office. After moving the company to Vegas, getting a warehouse with an office, they slowly turned from being a trucking company to a brokerage with a warehouse and a few trucks. Meaning, instead of putting the priority with the trucks and drivers, the emphasis was on the warehouse and the brokerage, they were using trucks from any company. Instead of having a payroll problem fixed while you were on the phone, now it was – wait till Monday. Bending over backwards at the expense of the drivers for a couple of core customers while getting brokered loads to fill the rest. They were great loads, pad wrap, store fixtures, display cases, trade shows, audio equipment for shows all with good money, but those have slowly died down for a number of reasons, including the economy.

I’m not publishing my new company just yet. They have 3% turnover and like most good companies, you won’t see them in the recruiting mags. I kept in touch with a friend that left Bohemian and has been there about five months and likes it a lot. They only have owner operators, they require drivers to be able to go into Canada and New York City and they require one of their drivers or someone at the office to actually interview a new prospect before they hire someone.

Most of their drivers are referred by other drivers and when I heard what the recruiting bonus was I would have fallen down if I wasn’t already sitting. Their only requirement is that you absolutely must be on time, no excuses, period. Since they dispatch and schedule at 45 mph, it shouldn’t be that tough. I could stop and get an overhaul compared to what I’ve been doing lately.

They actually have customers and they will get a few broker loads. Rather than the other way around with mostly brokered loads and a few customers.

Show me the money!

Pay is a fixed rate per dispatched mile depending on the length of the trip with a fuel surcharge based on the National Average. Everything is paid for except for plates, fuel, maintenance and insurance. Tolls, fuel taxes, empty miles, bobtail miles, detention starting the first hour, layover everything paid for. They even pay for orientation and fuel surcharge from your house when you start. Hopefully they don’t nickel and dime it all back like some places, but my friend doesn’t have any complaints. Every time I talk to him I have to keep telling him to wake up, because he must be dreaming! He says it’s all true and it’s a totally different experience from what we’re used to. We shall see.