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My tour of Duty with Marten Lasted 6 Months. My Recruiter told me that Marten had the freight to get me home at least once a week. I left an OTR job with a 'Reefer ' company to pursue Regional run that would get me by the house more often. Big Mistake on my part was trusting the Recruiter in Mondovi. After three days of orientation in Dallas, Tx, I hit the road only to find out that regional sucks. Runs are 450 - 600 miles and delivery next day. I was averaging 5 -6 deliveries per week loading and unloading at shipper and receiver, We had plenty of freight and not enough drivers and would use OTR drivers for short hauls. I live in New Orleas, LA and my regional terminal is Irving, Tx. so my dispatcher would run me out of DFW.
Then the bottom fell out! Freight was falling off so fast that he started putting me on Long Haul loads. I was staying out for 3 weeks again. Getting home was near impossible and the only way to get a day off was goto Irving Terminal. The Irving dose not have a shower, lounge or driver amenities. It is three small rooms, one for dispatch, one for training and one with a transflo fax and coke machine. we rarely had fuel at the location. There is a Sunset Trucking Repair Shop on-site.
the Nearest Pilot is 20 miles away and never had parking. I was forced to get a hotel room fora much needed bath and nights rest. If you live in DFW area fine but if not. don't plan on getting home weekly.
It's true that Marten Started Firing Drivers with 4 Points (1 Incident) after A driver had a major accident with fatalities last year. Randy Marten as CEO demanded Zero accidents to remain employed. While I often ran 2800 to 3200 miles per week it was the number of appointments that made me crazy, Drivers get 36 cent p/Mile and sitting 4 -5 hours at a customer and still running 500 miles for early am delivery next day was tearing my body up.
My advice is to live near Dallas, Atlanta, LA, Or Chicago if you work for Marten as a regional driver. If you hire on as OTR, good luck getting miles because they are averaging less than 2200 as of 01/2009.
Marten Is a Common Carrier that brokers it own freight and rarely runs broker loads. Dedicated and Regional National Accounts is the focus. Marten is a financially strong player and over-all I would recommend them if you can follow their Rules and put up with forced dispatch. Trucks are speed limited to 65 or below (63 MPH) average. Less than 4% idle time(APU on Most). Qaulcom Dog Chain included. No pets allowed!
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
I agree whole heartedly. I have been with them for about 6 mo. now and am not able to get home at all! Out of the 5 times that I have requested home time, EVERY time I have been late getting there. Once by two days. I think i am going to have to find another company that treats me better.
The pet policy sucks [censor], as most drivers, drive alone, not team and need some sort of companion especially if they are forced to stay out so long. Maybe Randy Marten is an animal hater since he has KILLED SO MANY animals, although they may be large game hunting trips. Maybe his dad made him hate animals since he had to milk the cows, who's milk they hauled...causong a permanent dislike for ALL ANIMALS: dogs, cats, horses, cows, etc...who knows. Pets Policy should be optional; may with a pet fee. Just a serious thought. Is that why everyone in his company has a BAD ATTITUDE!
It has come to pass from what I have been reading here, is that my story is not strange. To the way Marten Transport operates . Of course I was sucked in by the chance to work again after I was off a year. Not knowing the problems I would receive I signed on...right from the start.I asked Marten not to give me a Kenworth truck due to the fact I am a bigger person and Kenworth trucks are tight in side. Well to make it short-I got a older Kenworth 660. This was unacceptable but I got it any way. Well let the problems begain! And they did! Right out of driver way check-engine light came on. I was told this is normal some times and give it time. Ok chance to work...to make this story end I was broken down over 15 times mostly for starter problems and heat problems I spent more time on side of than driving in 3 months.If you had this problem Call me [protected], lets talk class-action..
by the way I was fried for asking for medical live to deal with my diabetes
I have been OTR for almost one year now, live in Idaho, sometimes you may need to ask for a different fleet manager if things don't
work out, Andrea is great! They have done what they told me they would do. I don't see me looking else where. There are a lot of bad companies out there, Marten Transport is not one of them.
I have been with Marten transport for over 3 months now. I have only been home on time once and that was my first home time. Can't get home on time for doctors appointments. I am often giving false pickup information which causes me to be late for delivery and then dispatch blames me for being late. they often times refuse to answer questions
My Brother was a Driver for marten transport. He had not been routed home for two and a half months. He asked repeatedly to be routed home to see doctor and get prescription refills. In August he was in New Mexico en route to deliver his load. They found his decomposed body a quarter mile from the truck stop where he stopped to fuel. The date of his death was documented as of the date his body was found. Due to decomposition he had been gone for at least 24hrs. Marten claims they " terminated his employment" the day prior to his "documented" death due to no contact.{ He was decomposing in a ditch and unable to call in or be reached.} marten stands firm that he was terminated and so the family is not entitled to any form of death benefits or considerations. They did not help in anyway with getting his remains home or taken care of, much less offer any sympathies or condolences to the family. Now ask yourself very carefully would you want for your loved ones? Marten Transport fires employee that became deceased while on the job to save what a few dollars? This is what they term of as RESPECT!
From what I have been reading They have a total disregard for the health and well being of their drivers. This time it cost us our brothers life and I am thinking a class action is long overdue. you can email me at angelblu63@ymail.com
gee, I thought they were a bunch of ### before I read this. Now I KNOW they're a bunch of ###! How many c.s.a. points did that driver get for having thr audacity to die in a marten truck?
Not that it makes much of a difference to some but what did the autopsy say about his death as far as the cause? May be able to approach with gross negligence resulting in death
From what I have read, the miles are good there. As for Diabetes, isnt that a disqualifer for a medical card to drive now? Death from driving a truck/in a truck. that happens. Its hard to die at home when you live in a truck. Qualcom msgs are logged in a system server, and cannot be erased. If they DID fire the guy before he died, then they where in the right, ### way to do a person, but in their right. Now, Why was he a mile away from a truckstop in a ditch? Why didnt he park in a Truckstop, or, stay in the truck. Unanswered questons. However, just from reading her post, I would surmise that he DID get fired, and was leaving the truck sitting in a bad place, walking back to the truckstop. That does happen ALOT out here. Not saying it was what happened, but what it LOOKS like. I do know this much, My friend works for Martin, and seems to like it. Yes, they run ALOT of 500 to 600 mile trips, and anywhere you go loading and unloading takes time. BUT, he told me that he dont even have to ask for detention pay, they do it without asking after 2 hrs. they even paid him 300 layover for sitting 2 days more to unload a load that was misscheduled. Like all companies, I look for the good and bad. Best way to tell if a disgruntled driver or a really bad company is if they can name names and dates. that shows they are not afraid to be charged with liable.
Ive been with Marten many years and make 70k a year every year. I owe my success to my relationship with my dispatcher. RIP Jim McGee the driver who passed away. I think of you often. You are an angel riding with me now. I miss you my friend. The only negative thing i have to say about Marten is the how horribly they handled Jims death. I feel so sorry for his people. God bless you all. Janis
I just finished my time with marten transport. Only took 4 months to find out what kind of ### they are. They run you on short loads or have you cover late walmart loads without any retention pay. I did get the 100 dollar thanksgiving day bonus and the 200 dollar christmas bonus. That was the best i ever got from them. They start your home time the moment you cross the line of your home state. Cant take the truck home unless you live 50 or more miles away. My time ended week ago when for the first time in thirteen years i had a minor fender bender with a four wheeler. No damage to the truck just the rear bumper of the car i hit. I aggrivated an old back injury with the sudden stop. I was terminated 2 hours later which i expected. I was told i had to pay myself to ser a doctor but they would pay for a required drug test. A week later while on pain meds for my back pain, I received a surprise call from Randy Marten himself. He said why dont I pay for the damage to the other persons car and that he was sick of all us drivers GD BS claims. Not so much as a how are you doing or did I need any further medical help. For a man worth millions, I wonder why he would bother with little old me. Im doing better so ill be moving on. I let Randy know he could keep his money as I dont need nor beg for hand outs. As far as detention pay, they pay 20 dollars per hour after the first 2 hours sometimes. Just another crappy trucking job. Seams like thats the nature of the business now days. Screw or be screwed. Good hard working drivers are seldom appreciated now days. Its all about keeping fresh meat in those orientation classes each week. Drivers are thought of as desposible robots. Good luck out there cause unless you can become an independent owner opp who can generate a good amount of revenue; you'll be dealing with crooks like Randy animal killer Marten.
Marten Transport will use and abuse their drivers. If you are not an ### kisser or brown nose then don't work at Marten Transport. This company accuses their drivers of breaking their equipment so they don't have to pay for breakdown pay. They have kept hundreds of dollars from their drivers. If you don't agree with what they say to you or about you they they tell you to turn in the truck right there and then where ever you are. If you don't they will call the police and report the truck stolen. Yes they will have you arrested for grand theft auto. They have done this to their drivers in the past. If you try to quit they will call the police and have you escorted off the property and say that you were tresspassing. They have done this to several drivers in Tucker, Georgia and at their main terminal in Mondovi, Wisconsin. If you are smart then don't work for Randy Marten. They never get you home when promise. They keep you out for 2 to 3 months at a time.
they stolen money from me!
I was hired a week ago and supposedly I'd be routed back to Mondovi to get my personal belongings. I drove to Mondovi from Ottawa, IL so all I need is in my car. As of yet I still have not made it to my belongings. I'm out of food and money and had to fight to get an advance. The truck wasn't at Mondovi so I had to go to Minneapolis to get a rental and then drive to Indianapolis to wait for them to clean the truck because it was filthy although "ready". Lady I traveled with in same predicament, someone urinated repeatedly in the truck she was given deemed as "ready". Still waiting to see how they handle things. Btw, qualcom is main communication and nothing is responded to quickly ((15--30 mins) usually a lot longer. How can we get the mileage if most of our time is spent waiting? Sitting at nestle now waiting 4 hours just to get the code to get in to pickup.