Stevens transport misleading drivers Dallas Texas

@ Only Time Will Tell J - Oklahoma City (U.S.A.):

You say in your comment that you are grossing $200K the year that you wrote it. If you can, would please let me know what your NET income is? To me, gross income means nothing. It's what you have left in your pocket after expenses are paid that counts. I have heard that owner/operators barely break even at the end of the year. Is this true in your case? Thank you for your comment.

I worked for stevens transport back in 1999 and in 2000. I left stevens transport in december of 2000 along with several other drivers.

In my expierence stevens was a good company to start out with back then, When richard moore and mich moore were around. Over the last several years you see more and more reports about how stevens has done this and stevens has done that. I have seen more former stevens drivers with other companies lately.

Stevens transport is a ripoff company. Do you want the proof? Look at the lawsuits against them. Contact the various lawyers around the Dallas area ask them how many cases they have represented against stevens transport.

Oh heres a good one, contact the Internal Revenue Service and ask them about the complaints they have filled with them against Stevens Transport. Case in point I left stevens transport in dec of 2000 and stevens transport reported to the IRS that i made an income with them in 2001 and also in 2002. I still have the IRS records showing they reported i was working with them. But i also have the records from the IRS showing they filed lawsuits against stevens for the discrepency. All due to the fact i had records proving i had not worked for them during those years. Whats real funny though is that if you look at my dac report on december 12 of 2001 according to stevens transport i had an accident with one of thier trucks in Dallas Texas. Heres the fun part, in december of 2001 according to records with the department of defense there is no way i could have been in dallas texas driving a truck for stevens transport. Guess where i was.:P

In march of 2002 according to my dac report i had another accident with stevens transport in des moines iowa. Guess what notice the dates and understand what happened in sept of 2001. Thats right according to department of defense records there is no way i was in des moines iowa in march of 2002.

My point to this whole thing being....... some will say stevens transport is the best company out there. OK in thier minds it may be. Ask those same people how many other companies they truelly know anything about.

A little advice if you have ever worked for stevens transport you better start checking records. Like your past IRS records or your dac report. You may even want to check into this new CSA2010 report and find out what stevens transport said about you that you may not know about.

If your thinking about going to work for stevens transport, bottom line is your gonna do what your gonna do and noone can really change that. If thats the only driving job you can get i wish you luck. Just watch your a*s.

And i will say it Adrian is a lieing worthless piece of crap. That man will stab you in the back every chance he gets if you dont bend over and kiss his a*s.

now for the emminate driver that is going to read this and say i never worked for stevens and dont know what im talking about, well heres the proof because i know its coming, When i worked for stevens racheal easly and Brandy were in driver services. Richard Moore was in charge of the training department and his favorite saying was "IT WILL NOT STOP!" (also the saying that got him refered to as reverend), Mich Moore was in safety, and if Jim pruit didnt cuss ya he didnt like ya. When i was there the drivers i hung out with were Six shooter, shake shake, dollar bill, bigwheel, woodstock, cajun kid, jw, sharky, burning daylight, lost cause, left turn, town drunk, does that proverbial person need any more proof that i am infact a former stevens driver?

And by the way everyone called me Wildcard:P

BACK IN THE 2002 RECESSION AND I FOUND MYSELF OUT OF WORK, I WAS GRASPING AT STRAWS AND I FOUND AN ADVERTISEMENT FOR STEVENS TRANSPORT IN SOME LITTLE SHOPPER TABLOID. THE RECRUITER WAS GOING TO BE AT LA QUINTA INN HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS AT BEN WHITE AND I-H 35 SOUTH.

WHEN I HAD BEEN A SECURITY OFFICER IN DALLAS,TEXAS, I HAD WORKED AT STEVENS AND I LIKED IT VERY MUCH. I HEAR A LOT OF GRUMBLING AND SAW SOME AFTER HOURS HIJINKS BUT THEN A SECURITY OFFICER DOESN'T PAY ATTENTION TO IT UNLESS THE PEOPLE ARE STEALING, DESTROYING PROPERTY OR COMMITTING VIOLENCE AND I WANTED TO GET OUT THERE AND SEE THE ROAD AND THE OPEN COUNTRY FOR MYSELF.

FIRST TIME I HAD SEEN A REEFER UNIT, I THOUGHT THEY MEANT MARIJUANA JOINTS OR SOMETHING AT THE TIME, IT SEEMED LIKE  A BIG RESPONSIBILITY TO KEEP CHECKING THE TEMPERATURES OF ALL THOSE TRAILERS BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT THE CARGO TO SPOIL.

I DECIDED TO GO TO THE ORIENTATION. IT WAS ON THE SECOND  FLOOR AND I HAD TWO MESSED UP KNEES BUT I MANAGED TO GET UP THOSE STAIRS AND THE RECRUITER WAS A NO-NONSENSE KIND OF GUY. APPARENTLY HE HAD DONE OK, OWNED SEVERAL RIGS AND FOUND PEOPLE TO DRIVE THEM AND WAS MAKING SOME MONEY IN ADDITION TO WHAT HE WAS MAKING AT STEVENS.


I WASN'T SURE I COULD BE A SUCCESS LIKE HIM BECAUSE HE WAS ONE SHREWD, DEPRESSION HARDENED,CALCULATING KIND OF GUY, THE KIND OF GUY WHO COULD SQUEEZE A PENNY FLAT UNTIL IT WAS A DOLLAR. I FELT FOR SURE HE WOULD LIKE TO ME IF HE THOUGHT IT WAS HIS ADVANTAGE AND I WASN'T SURE I TRUSTED HIM.

THE ROOM WAS FULL OF PEOPLE. NOT QUITE STANDING ROOM ONLY BUT THERE WERE PEOPLE FROM MEXICO WHO DID NOT SPEAK ENGLISH --FORTUNATELY I SPEAK SPANISH AND COULD TRANSLATE. THESE WERE THE FIRST WAVE OF LOCAL PEOPLE WHO WERE BEING TERMINATED WHEN THE DOT COM ECONOMIC CRASH HIT AUSTIN AND THEY WERE SCARED AND JOBLESS AND DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO DO ANYTHING ELSE BUT COMPUTERS AND TECH AND SOME WERE LAID OFF FROM OTHER BUSINESSES.

I FILLED OUT MY FORMS AND WAS SURPRISED WHEN I WAS HIRED RIGHT THERE. I LOVE TO DRIVE A STANDARD SHIFT AND ONCE DROVE AN ANT EATER WITH THE SLOPING HOOD AROUND THE TRUCKING COMPANY PARKING LOT AT ANOTHER SECURITY POST AND HAD BEEN SHOWN HOW TO CHECK ON THE BRAKES AND I KNEW I WANTED TO LEARN MORE.

I LIKED THAT YOU WOULD ALWAYS HAVE A PLACE TO SLEEP NO MATTER WHERE YOU WERE. I ALSO WANTED TO GO HOME AND SEE DALLAS AGAIN., I AM STILL SO HOMESICK I CAN'T STAND IT BUT I DON'T GO BACK BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A JOB THERE AND I AM SURE EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED.

I WAS SUPPOSED TO GO TO WORK FOR THEM AS SOON AS I WAS CALLED AND I WAS EXPECTED TO DRIVE MY CAR TO DALLAS SINCE I LIVED NEAR AUSTIN.

I HAD NO IDEA THAT PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE US WOULD BE COMING TO  DALLAS TO TRAIN. AT THAT TIME, THERE WAS STILL ROM IN THE ORIENTATION CLASS.

A WARNING LIGHT WENT OFF IN MY HEAD TELLING ME THAT THIS WAS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE.

WELL, I HAVE BEEN ON THIS PLANET A FEW YEARS, SO LONG i AM SURPRISED DURING  THE OLD EARTH 's****.>

I am a third generation truck driver My father drove a truck for 43 years and for most of those years he was an owner operator, My Grandfather also drove a truck for about that long as well he was the one who got my father into truck driving. I am proud to be able to follow in both their footsteps, but as of yet I have not been fortunate enough to get on a job a keep that job it seems that whenever I get a trucking job I get with the wrong company and well it never seems to work out. and I believe one of the main reasons is I get to relaxed in the truck and I forget to learn all I can. So I guess what I am here to say is if Stevens Transport is willing to accept me and my faults and give me the opportunity I will gladly take the criticism it will hurt but in the end it will be for my own good. So take it from me buddy it helps no one to complain about everything.

Hey everyone,

I am a truck driver and like to research a lot about a company before I consider working for them. I can tell you one thing, there is GOOD and BAD you hear about every single truck company out there. I have worked for a company that had bad things about them and it was the best company I ever worked for. With stevens, I do hear good and bad as well... but its funny when every complaint I see is posted from someone that either had a so-called "personal-situation": the company did not cater to your needs and wow... here you go blowing it out of proportion trying to make it look like you can justify to yourself and others why you can not make it in the trucking industry. or you expect way too much from what it really is... or you are just not very smart and lack the brains to fully do the job right. I am sorry and not being rude but I am just saying it because it is true. Some people cannot comprehend how to do this job and do not take responsibility for their actions. Yes i admit that companies can be crooked! everyone is, including Burger Kings night managers... (you understand?) here are some good rules if your going to be a driver. WHEN YOU ARE "NEW"! A STUDENT.... DO NOT EXPECT TO MAKE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS A MONTH.. you are new.. a newbee... you are attending a training company... that is exactly it!.. get your CDL, some experience... and go to another company if that is what you desire. You are not going to get your CDL and be treated like a veteran trucker. You have to earn the respect from your dispatcher and DM's.... shut your mouth, drive, get the load to the destination safely and on time... save the money you make.. and repeat! over and over... oh and if you abuse the cash advances that companies WILL give too you... you will owe more than you make.. dig yourself in a hole.. and start bitching about it... stop... its your fault you cannot manage your money.. after driving for a while you will make better money... If you worked for these guys already... hey good luck to you but there always is 2 sides to every story... I truly believe most drivers are at fault for most disputes.. but yes the company can be at fault also too....

Jason just want to personally attack the OP.  He Is an a*****e.  He completely ignored what car was saying.  (He said what If somebody else messed up the engine & he got the truck stevens would hold him responsible & not the previous driver).

Jason jumped to conculsions to much like most do on this site.  Without looking into It futher.  Jason Is nothing but a bully thug.   He Is nothing but a jerk & a coward.   He should learn how to be more respectful towards people.

But ever sense republicans took over.  Everybody just disrespects each other these days.

MOST OF THESE RESPONSES COME THE COMPANY ITSELF. I DARE SAY FROM RECRUITERS. HOW CAN SO MANY PEOPLE BE WRONG ABOUT ONE COMPANY? GO THE VARIOUS TRUCKING FORUMS AND READ WHAT IT IS WRITTEN ABOUT STEVENS.

HERE'S A POST FROM A STEVENS EMPLOYEE:

My Time At Steven's-Advice: RUN!!!!!
________________________________________
Where to begin with the fun and adventures I had with Steven's???? It's hard to put into words, but here goes....

I answered a classified ad in our local newspaper for CDL drivers. The ad offered free, paid training and guaranteed placement with Steven's Transport provided you were able to complete the training program. I called the 1-800 number, and spoke VERY briefly with a Steven's Transport recruiter, who referred me to a local 'training center'.

I called the training center, and was told that yes, Steven's would sponsor students for training and would hire them after the completion of training. The training center representative told me that the training would be free, provided the employee did not quit Steven's before one year of service. They touted the fact that the company had not had a layoff in 28 years.

I was told that the training center would provide housing, at a cost of $75.00 for the duration of the training, and that we would also have to pay for our DOT physicals and drug screen, and our CDL permits and licenses. Finally, we were told that we would not recieve any pay for the three and a half weeks we were in training, but that we would begin to be paid immediately after our arrival in Dallas, Texas for orientation. We were also told that Steven's would provide THREE (3) meals per day on our arrival.

We were told that we would be paid $350.00 a week while in training, ######, but at least we'd be getting something. At the end of the paid orientation and the over-the-road training, we'd be getting 27 cents per mile-below industry average, but hey, you have to start somewhere, right? Well, read this all the way through, and you'll see that your 27 cents per mile gets eaten up pretty ####### quickly with all the hidden fees, fines, and other Stevens ########.

Since I had always wanted to try my hand at truck driving, and was in desperate need of a job, I signed up, and began the classroom portion of the training with several other students. The first two days were 'free', that is, we were not asked to make any commitment to the company. We had several pep talks from the owner of the school, who told us how fan-#######-tastic our new 'career' was going to be, complete with promises of around $40,000 yearly income for 'hard workers'.

Other than the company sponsored pep talk, the classroom portion of the training involved taking practice tests for our CDL exams and filling out background questionaires for Steven's. Additionally, we took a DOT physical-at our own expense. After completing the questionaires and DOT physical, we were told that we were hired, and ready to begin training.

On day 3, the scam began. We were asked to sign Steven's Transport tuition agreements. We were instructed to cross out all of the repayment details, and told that this would not be necessary because, if we did not quit before our one year mark, we would owe nothing. Note, nothing was said AT ALL about being fired or laid off.

The total cost of the three and one half week training course was to be $5,999.00, at a 'reasonable' interest rate of 19%. Yes, that's right, campers-19%. We were also told that if we wanted to pay up front, the cost was $3000. Why the 50% increase? In short, to make certain that, no matter how illegal or unethical the employer's demands, that we would be scared to death to quit.

We asked for copies of the signed loan agreements, only to be told that we would get them after arriving in Dallas. The owner of the training center himself refused to provide these contracts, and implied that we would be seen as 'rocking the boat' as brand-new employees if we continued to complain.

In retrospect, I should have bailed at this point, but Steven's KNOWS they're recruiting desperate people who need a job, and believe me, they prey on that. It should be noted that refusing to provide copies of a signed loan contract is ILLEGAL under Federal law, but it would soon become obvious that breaking the law means little, if anything, to this outfit.

Now on to the fantastic 'training center'. In the interest of fairness, about half of the staff REALLY seemed to take their jobs seriously. They showed up for work on time, provided instruction that was geared toward the individual student, and took extra time with the folks who struggled. They were a little rough around the edges and didn't really have time for folks who didn't want to listen, but who can blame them? Note, I said that this describes half of the staff.

The other half of the staff were, well, worthless. They spent about one hour of their day instructing, and the other ten hours fixing their cars, packing for hunting trips, and generally sitting on ###. Also, they were regularly late or absent, which made the other staff members divide their time between twice as many students, which was unfair to the students and to the instructors. For $5,999, I expected more. A LOT more. Thanks to the two fellas that actually came to work and (gasp) worked, we all passed our CDL practical and written exams.

We went on to complete our training course, but as we did so, several of the students were eliminated for issues they had disclosed initially on their background questionaires. This was a bit puzzling, since we were told that we were hired already, but we just kept plugging along. We recieved bus tickets to the Steven's Transport headquarters, in Dallas, Texas, for orientation. Our last bit of instruction from the director of the training center was, 'you've all already been hired, don't go down there and 'unhire' yourselves'.

On arrival in Dallas, phase two of the scam began. We all got rooms at the Howard Johnson's in Mesquite, a crack-riddled ghetto suburb of Dallas. Remember the meals that Steven's promised? Well, we found out that the weekend before orientation didn't count, so many of the new employees went hungry since they didn't have any money left after paying for DOT physicals, housing at the school, CDL permits and licenses, and all the other costs of employment with Steven's.

We all met up for the trip to scam central, AKA Steven's Training Center, the next morning-at 5 AM. Remember the breakfast that we were promised? Yeah, that begins at 6:00 AM. No meals, again, and some of the fellas were looking a little hungry and frustrated.

After arriving at Steven's, we started orientation. We were told that there would be no pay for the orientation. That's right, on top of the three and a half weeks of no pay and the hundreds of dollars shelled out to the training center, we would not be paid for the NEXT 4 days. Ouch.

For the next 4 fifteen hour days. That's right, campers, 15 hour days. For free. In their defense, Steven's DID start feeding us-slop. Absolutely indigestable trash. Normally, I wouldn't complain about a free meal, but these weren't free-they were our compensation for 15 hours of work, and not worth it.

While at the orientation program, we took ANOTHER physical-and this one washed about half of the class for various PREDISCLOSED problems. These folks were told that they were still on the hook for the six thousand dollar tuition, even though Steven's had disqualified them for issues they were aware of prior to their arrival.

The orientation consisted of 50-60% classroom training, and 40-50% track time. We used the Steven's Transport facility 'on the hill', directly behind the training center. We did mostly the same things with the trucks that we had been doing at the CDL school on the hill, and recieved grades for each of the skills.

We also took a road test. A complete waste of ####### time. I was in the same truck with a fella from Guatemala who did not speak or understand English (hmmmm....isn't that against the law?), and who could not find any of the gears with a road map, a complete schematic directly from Kenworth, and the aid of the sweet baby Jesus. I #### you not, we coasted for most of the road test with this guy driving, and at the end, he passed. But then, we all passed.

During the classroom portion of the orientation, we were asked to sign mandatory, binding arbitration agreements-almost like Steven's is afraid they'll be sued or something. We were also introduced to the Steven's Transport workman's compensation program. It was a short class-they have opted out of workman's comp, so if you're injured, no matter where in the country you're from, you get to do your rehab at the Howard Johnson's, or you don't get any workman's comp.

I'm not kidding, and I couldn't make this up-that's the deal. You will see their doctors, in Dallas, or you will be cordially invited to go #### yourself. Are you from Vermont? Tough ######. You're rehabbing in Dallas. From Boston? Hope your rehab doesn't take too long, and I hope you like Dallas. By the way, they're not going to make ANY arrangements to board or transport your family, either-so don't get hurt.

If you're curious about this part of the scam, Google 'Steven's Transport Workman's Compensation', and you'll find that they've been sued over this-repeatedly. Once, during arbitration, they lost, and tried to blame their loss on the administrative judge's MIGRAINE Headache! All in order to ###### a hard-working employee who bought into their scam.

Another protion of the orientation involves filling our paperwork to allow Steven's to deduct just about anything they feel like from your check. You'll be paying for an $80.00 meat lock, and two $30.00 load locks before you're allowed off the yard in your own truck, by the way. Yep, another $140.00 out of pocket, and all you've gotten so far is some ###### Mexican food and a room at the h*o Jo's.

Also, if your truck is damaged-even by SOMEONE ELSE, you'll be paying the insurance deductible out of pocket, too. Don't forget to check your load temperature-yep, you guessed it, they can 'fine' you for that, too. Over-rev the truck? Yep, that's right-you're paying for it, even though Steven's is a TRAINING COMPANY. Go out of route? Cha-ching. Over on your fuel? Cha-ching. Miss a fuel stop? Cha-ching. Are you starting to see a pattern here?

One of the portions of the class I thought was especially enlightening was the axle and vehicle weight portion. If you drive for Stevens, you WILL drive over weight-or the dispatchers will black ball you and you'll be waiting-unpaid-for days at a time between loads. Remember, this is a training company, and your replacement is probably already being trained. And, if you quit, it's no skin off their nose-you'll still be on the hook for the six grand, at 19% interest.

One of the employees there at the training center, a big American fella named Eugene, will come in and reassure you that if you get a ticket for being overweight, and you've been told by your dispatcher that you should pull the load despite being overweight, that Stevens will pay the fine. What Eugene won't tell you-even if he's asked directly-is that each commercial driver has a DAC report, on which EVERY VIOLATION he or she commits is logged. That overweight ticket goes on YOUR DAC report-and it WILL prevent you from advancing in the industry.

Also, what Eugene won't tell you is that in some states, you might be ARRESTED for being over gross-which the dispatchers will STILL try to get you to pull-and you're not getting out unless you or Steven's comes up with the fine amount. Nice, eh? And you better make sure that they send you the message in writing on your Qualcomm, or else they're gonna claim that you volunteered to pull an overweight load, and then you're gonna be ### out!

Another detail Stevens leaves out is the fact that profitable trucking jobs require a SPOTLESS DAC. All those overweight tickets that Stevens pays for mean that you're not going to get hired by Wal-Mart, Fed-Ex, or any of the other big-money trucking companies. You're stuck as a bottom feeder forever-for 27 cents per mile.

Oh, and about the 27 cents per mile-did I mention that you're going to pay for every truck-related expense with advances from your pay? Need toll money? Take an advance. Need to pay lumpers to unload the freight? Take an advance. Money for a fine? Take an advance. Windshield wiper fluid, oil, coolant, or any other minor repair? Take an advance. Stevens claims that they'll reimburse you, but remember, they get to decide whether to do that or not after the fact. Your money has already been spent, and now you have to beg them to give it back.

I know some of you are thinking, 'well, I'll just offload my own freight, and take the lumpers out of the equation'. My ### you will. Most of the shippers and recievers I dealt with while in the trainer/trainee OTR phase would not let you on their docks AT ALL, NO MATTER WHAT. Period. No exceptions. And they can be REAL expensive-on trainee pay, the lumpers might cost more that your weekly check for some freight-like Tyson chicken, which is one of the biggest Stevens contracts.

So, provided you're stupid or desperate enough to sign off on all of this (I was...), you'll be assigned to a trainer for the first of two over-the-road training phases, trainer/trainee. I've personally decided to report Stevens to OSHA for the numerous violations I observed, so I can't go into specific detail, but suffice it to say that it is possible for the trainer to use your log book to drive illegaly-and in my experience, he WILL. You'll also need to drive illegally, too, or you'll find yourself out of a job. And don't bother calling Stevens to report it-that's the fast-track to unemployment.

Suffice it to say, if you go ahead and decide to work for Stevens after reading this, you have only yourself to blame. They somehow manage to get these reports edited off of this site and others, but hopefully, you've read this one and can save yourself the scamming I got.

Current Lease/employee, Give me a break you whiners. Stevens delivers on exactly what they say. Maybe you whiners should go back to your 7eleven jobs and have some more soda and chips. What do you expect as a rookie? Stevens offers great training, competitive pay, and reliable equipment. You only get out of life what you invest, one thing many americans seem to be forgetting. Stay off the road whiners.

the complaints I have read is like my life story with Stevens Transport

I started driving for stevens in may of last year
the ones who have had good experiances are rare
i started my experiance with a 2 1/2 day bus ride which was supposed to be a 1 day according to stevens ...now this was ok i could deal with this..all part of the job ya know?.

anyways i was riding the greyhound and the bus cought on fire which put me in to misquite tx 1 day late
i should have known something was going to happen but i didnt..............i was in aww because my dream was becoming reality or so i thought...
to be honest i chose stevens for their equipment ..
well they made sure to show the new trucks to my truck driving school.. not the real trucks that the everyday drivers use..no biggy though they still are nice trucks and for the most pare so are their trailers
the lies started in driving school.
what a surprise ... i should have known it.
if it sounds too good to be true it most likely is...
heres where my dream became a nightmare
one cold night in sept i was parked at a truck stop all brakes set and landing gears down
just got done sliding 5th wheel to be legal for scales like i said landing gears "Down" Brakes "SET" total weight sitting on the ground was like 79000 lbs
i was doing everything i was supposed to checking all the pins on the 5thwheel making sure it is locked and ready to go down the road safely when my trailer jumped forward while i was under it
the shoulder of the trailer slams me in the head i see stars for a sec and walk to the back to see that a car came into the truck stop and decided it wanted to park under my trailer.
this is the gods honest truth i know it sounds to weird to be true...
but anyways..
i call d.o.t /state troopers
they show up now mind you i remained with the car the whole time waiting on the troopers to show up so i was not told that i ran into the truck set the brakes and dollied the landing gears down
the trooper said there was nothing i did wrong
and nothing i could have done to provent it
thus a non preventable accident
dot checked out my truck and my logs all the fun stuff we have to do when we are in an accident moving or not
i even did a breath test and a pee in the bottle test
well as the one person mentioned
stevens does not have workmans comp
and thats where the drug and alcohol test fell under
so i get home ....i still work for stevens btw...
and i got a bill for the drug/alcohol test
and it had been a while
they sent me in to collections
it now sits on my credit report
i told stevens about it being on my credit report and they said and i quote "oh well what do you want us to do about it"
it was their responcibility to pay that bill
but thats not the worse of it yet
now i run an avarage of about 3000/3600 miles a week
the following weeks to come really tested me
lets see
they cut my miles down to 2000 at most
docked me 100.00 a week
just for the accident
and i was foolish enough to get health insurence
which is the next issue
this all falls back to day 1 at stevens
when i started they handed a pack out on the first day which had insurrence yadda yadda in it
well because i was not there i did not get it
so i went in to the dallas office "the only one" and asked when do i get the paperwork to start my insurence and they told me on the first day so i told them about my day 1 and they told me the only they could cover me was to charge me for the insurence from the day i became elgable for it now mind you i was elgible in the begining of aug now this was in now nov nov 4th to be exact
i didnt press the insurence issue till i came back into the yard so i could deal with them in person anyways
by the time they were done with me they were deducting over 500 a week out of me well over
which left me nothing
i lost my car ....repoed
i lost my storage unit...everything i owned was in it
and i do not believe in cash advances
but with them takin the money they took they left me no choice
i had to eat more than 1 time in 3 days
i was getting sick
anyways
i am not wineing
just letting everyone know my story
now stevens has a drivers emergancy fund
loosing my car /unit/wife ending up in hospital
i think those may be an emergancy but i could be wrong
now before i started i knew people promise the world in this industry
i didnt go into it with blinders on
but the simple things people take for granit like maybe making a paycheck
6 weeks of 0 dollar paychecks
my life is coming a part loosing my rear in everything
and walaa i got a 180 00 paycheck
for a 2700 mile run
6 stops now stevens told me 25 a drop
i have never saw that
soooo
the weather is getting bad
we are told if we have to chain up get off the road
and thats fine and all i appriceate this
i dont like rolling with 80000 lbs on ice
in or1 and or2 we were told that if we were on weather shutdown after the first 24 hours we would be paid 25 bucks to support our selves out here
what they didnt say was it was a 25 buck cash advance that came off your next trip
yes stevens stands out from the rest
we run our rears off and go in debt even more
i can say for me change in in the air
also do some research on the owner of stevens transport and how they were started
it reads intresting

I had wrote in her earlier saying carl was a whiner, guess what, carl is a whiner. I started working for Stevens Transport in March of 2006. The people who take you to the airport or pick u up at the airport are 2 independent taxi drivers, they own the vehicles and strictly hire out to Stevens only. Male and Female, both very nice people. If you do fail your physical or don't study hard enough for drug test, you are sent home at your own expense; simple way of fixing that, be prepared and don't lie about anything such as anti depressants. The hotels aren't great, but its a roof over your head so I couldn't complain, I stayed outside for the most part because I enjoyed the warm weather. As a trainee you will drive hard, 10 or 11 hours a day, thats if you are cut out for it, if not you are weeded out and left in Carl's group. After your training you are assigned a busted up truck for 6 months, they aren't gonna give you a brand new truck till you prove your skills, also during your first 6 months you will be sent to NYC lots, Bronx meat market, the parking/ docking sucks, its real tight. But I just looked at it as good practice. Just look at what Carl said about the driver, he said if it was him he would stay at home if he had diabetes; This just shows you what type of work ethic he has, if he gets sick, he wants that workmans comp to take care of him, god for forbid having any personal pride and trying to make it for yourself. As I said before, he's a whiner. I love working for Stevens, I drive a very nice truck, with good loads, I don't get 3500 miles a week, I only get 2900 on average, but I didn't start trucking to get rich, if I wanted to get rich I would have gone to college and became a pilot or lawyer, I started so I wouldn't have to deal with everyday people, I get to see the states and canda quite often. Any questions go ahead and email me at XXXXXXXXX@XXXXXX.com (E-MAIL ADDRESS REDACTED)

CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

If anyone's noticed, the people with the worst spelling, most gramatical errors, and lack of a cohesive train-of-thought write the most wonderful things about Stevens Transport. They make statements suggesting the individuals with poor employment experiences are either sour grapes, exaggerating, or simply concocting their entire stories to rationalize their lack of "stick-to-it-ness." Let's, for a moment think of why their experiences are so positive. Is it that they really don't care how long they work, and or for how little? Is it because their self-esteem has ebbed so far that it could never be resucitated? Or, are these people just glad to have a job (any job) because they've been kicked around out there and really truly don't know any better? I say we respect their negative experiences, keep them under our hats, and try to learn from them well knowing it could happen to any one of us at any moment. The Peter Principle states that people work at the level of their incompetence... Yes, trucking and working for Stevens is the best they can do - and they KNOW IT! With some of the useless rebuttals I've read here, the Peter Principle is the GOSPEL!

many people have their own opinions about stevens me personaly i still run for them and i make my miles every week. the only down side to stevens is that when you go threw there 5 week otr training. is the trainers they have a real bad aditude and are very rude. but once you get passed that it's gonna be hard to get used to living out on the road and being away from home . trust me i know i just recently had a lil girl on christmas eve but i was unable to be there to witness it cuz i was out workin makin thew money. so to those pe-ons out here complaining that stevens is a bad place to work them excuse my french but skrew you buddy. you're just pissy cuz you couldn't make it in the truckin industry.

I am currently employed with Steven's Transport and have been for the last 2 years. I am also currently under their lease plan. There have been many times I have aslo wanted to quit. However, you can't be successful in life if you quit everytime the going gets tough.

I am also a trainer for the company and have been for a year now. Under the lease plan this year I am projected to gross over $200,000. Where else can you work for less than 5 years without a college degree making that kind of money.

If this company is So bad then why is there 60-80 people a week coming here to work for them. There is also several drivers that have been here for 10,15,20 years.

As far as not getting home in time that is just as much your fault as it is your driver managers. It is a 2 way street. I mean granted I only live 220 mile from the yard but if there is something I need to be home for I am always there.

My husband and I work for Stevens Transport as team drivers. We started out there as trainees and believe me they do give you the best training out there.

The money isn't all that great so needless to say we went with another company who promised us more. We didn't get more we got less, less miles which in return gave us less money. They also ask you to sign their own worker comp. papers.

Stevens does care about their drivers, I remember one time I got sick out on the road and my fleet manager called us and when he found out how sick I was he did everything in his power to get me to go to the hospital, he was even going to ping our truck to send a ambulance. The company has its flaws just like any other company but it is over all the best company out there to work for.

The shuttle van is a long wait sometimes. But you have to remember it is the hotel who send out the van not Stevens. I had to on more then one occasion go and ask someone to call the hotel to get a van there and they did with me standing right there, and they finally showed up.
Now as far as the hotel goes, it is not the Hilton but it is a decent hotel in which Stevens pays for. Stevens gives you exactly what they promised, a hotel for the time you are there. They never promised you the Hilton.

As far as the meals go, they to keep their promise to you, they said they would feed you and they do, it is not the meals you would get at the RITZ but they are eitable.

It is hard work and you have to remember you only get out of it what you put into it. Now as far as having to pay your tickets, if you are speeding then I guess you should pay not Stevens, if you run over loaded that too is your fault, that is what the cat scales are for so then again you too should pay the ticket for being dumb enough to run over weight.
As far as break downs go, as long as you are not abusing the equipment I have never had to pay for any repairs on the truck. All we ever had to do was call road breakdown and they took care of everything, and all we did was sign the invoice.

I am so confident that Stevens Transport is the best training school out there that I had one of my oldest friends go there too. He now is on a truck and is doing great.

Susan
Dimond Head, Mississippi
USA

I am an ex-employee of Stevens Transport. The only reason I left them was because the money was better elsewhere. They are one of the best companies for training. They stress safety and value the lives of their employees. I trained in their school and 5 weeks was not too long. Some of the others in my class had never driven a truck or even a standard transmission before. They were patient and treated everyone with repect and honor. I had some bad loads/runs and I had a few run-ins with my fleet manager and the dispatchers, however, all in all the company can't be beat. I went to another large company and they made us sign away all the same rights and benefits that Stevens did. However I was with them for only 1 month because they showed absolutely no concern for safety. Everything I am as a driver I owe to Stevens Transport. I have been driving for 5 years without a ticket or an accident. If not for their training I doubt if I would have done as well.

I am not going to go into my beef with Stevens Transport, as there may be pending litigation. I am contacting lawyers now, and will post as soon as I have a legal ok, to avoid liable.It was a 1500 mile walk/bus ride home at my expense, against my will to abide by a court date (paternity) that they knew about 35 days ahead of time, but couldn't find a way to get me home. Followed by an abandonment on my DAC, though I was still in it when the company decided to tow it way. My only offense was driving my butt off for them, and trying to take care of obligations at home.

Suffice it to say that things have changed in the seven years since you left Stevens, Robert. I don't say this to impune your knowledge of the company, or your feelings for the company, but to give my opinion of the most morally corrupt company I have worked for in my entire life.
Mr Stevens still has his office on the corner overlooking the yard, but I don't believe he still has a part in running the company. He is a figure head, but the lunatics have taken over the assylem. There is a large population of office workers who's only job it is to create problems, so that they can fix said problem and thus justify continued employment. Dispatch and fleet managers now lie about loads and repowers, and don't care that you know it is a lie. 48 hour waits at both shippers and receivers are now the norm, as is being repowered out of the load the moment you get it on the truck, regardless of how long you wait for it.

Robert, I wish it was the company you left in 1998, I truely do, as I would still be working there today. Best to you and yours.

Shawn, as an experienced driver you may one day find out that about 50% of the trucking companies are either mismanaged or corrupt to the core. The other 50% will be honest, and at least tollerable to drive for, and I hope you find one of the later. But until you sit in the big seat, and drive for the companies, and experience what it is to be removed from a truck 1500 miles from home for obeying the law, and aren't payed by a dishonest company, please remove yourself from the chatter. I have worked for this company, and would taste test a gun barrell before going back to work for them. You however have not worked a day in this business, let alone for the company itself. And you think you have a justified right to comment. Better to keep ones mouth closed and look the idiot, than open ones mouth an prove beyond doubt. Good day to you Sir.

Jason, I have been driving for 5 years now and as far as I'm concerned, it is a good career move, especially as young as you are.

You live rent free, and get paid to do it. If you make the committment now to put money aside every week and invest it wisely (mutual funds or indexes), you can avoid being a lifer like some of us out here. Even if you work as a company driver making $600-800 a week, that is a fortune if you keep your overhead low and bank as much of it as you can.

BTW, 5 weeks training is a bit long, I went to US Truck Driving School and finished in 3 weeks. If it works for you, then go for it. Just make sure that you realize going in that it will not always be fun, and sometimes it can be downright miserable. Most of the things that go wrong are things beyond your control (weather, shipping delays, incompetent dispatchers, reckless 4-wheelers). Just roll with the punches and don't take things to seriously and you will be fine.

I appreciate your entry, it was helpful. I have worked in the fishing industry for many years and I feel that trucking will fit my lifestyle. I am use to long hours and hardly any home time. I am 22, single and my only responsibility is my car payment so trucking is a money maker in my eyes. I wouldn't have anything to spend my money on really so the saving potential of my money is great. I do understand you only get what you put into it, and thats what I plan to do; is put 110% into the job. I have decided to attend Sage trucking school in utah cuz of the student truck ratio is 1:1 and they only accept 12 students in the classroom at a time and also the course is 5 weeks long and they have lots of driving time included, more than required. They also have a good rep from what I have seen so far. Thanx again for your entry it slightly influenced my thoughts on stevens or any company for that matter. The best way to see what company is right for me is to jump in first hand and figure it out cuz most of these post on random companies are people that quit or were fired cuz they were'nt prepared for the journey ahead in trucking.

I worked for Stevens for 8 years, between 1990 and 1998. Were there times when I felt like hanging up the keys? Of course! Every occupation comes with it's good and bad points. The trucking industry is no exception. Based on first hand experience, I can tell you this, Stevens is a first-class operation.

On two occasions I needed medical attention out on the road and the safety and insurance departments made sure I got the care I needed, they made it clear their concern was for me at that point, not the load. Everytime I made it back to the yard I was welcomed by everyone from the drivers to the office staff. And by the way, first names are the norm around there.

Remember, you get out of a job what you put into it. Nothing more.

I worked for Stevens for 8 years, between 1990 and 1998. Were there times when I felt like hanging up the keys? Of course! Every occupation comes with it's good and bad points. The trucking industry is no exception. Based on first hand experience, I can tell you this, Stevens is a first-class operation.

On two occasions I needed medical attention out on the road and the safety and insurance departments made sure I got the care I needed, they made it clear their concern was for me at that point, not the load. Everytime I made it back to the yard I was welcomed by everyone from the drivers to the office staff. And by the way, first names are the norm around there.

Remember, you get out of a job what you put into it. Nothing more.

I worked for Stevens for 8 years, between 1990 and 1998. Were there times when I felt like hanging up the keys? Of course! Every occupation comes with it's good and bad points. The trucking industry is no exception. Based on first hand experience, I can tell you this, Stevens is a first-class operation.

On two occasions I needed medical attention out on the road and the safety and insurance departments made sure I got the care I needed, they made it clear their concern was for me at that point, not the load. Everytime I made it back to the yard I was welcomed by everyone from the drivers to the office staff. And by the way, first names are the norm around there.

Remember, you get out of a job what you put into it. Nothing more.

I worked for Stevens for 8 years, between 1990 and 1998. Were there times when I felt like hanging up the keys? Of course! Every occupation comes with it's good and bad points. The trucking industry is no exception. Based on first hand experience, I can tell you this, Stevens is a first-class operation.

On two occasions I needed medical attention out on the road and the safety and insurance departments made sure I got the care I needed, they made it clear their concern was for me at that point, not the load. Everytime I made it back to the yard I was welcomed by everyone from the drivers to the office staff. And by the way, first names are the norm around there.

Remember, you get out of a job what you put into it. Nothing more.

I am a trucker wannabe for the mean time, looking into companies and schools, found some bad things and found some good with good reasoning behind them. Your report just shows how whiny some people are, its a good thing you didn't stick with trucking. You are just complaining cuz they took every opportunity away from you, to come up with an excuse of why you can't work and need to be paid for it, or why you aren't the one responsible for your truck and you shouldn't have to pay for it. dumb excuses. by the way. one week is 7 days.