Question:
I checked the voice mail. Got a mesage from the ilustrious leader at Roehl telling the drivers about the great new technological implimtation of Pre-Pass plus for Roehl. Seems it is a transponder that will give us the Pre-Pass on the scales and on some of the toll roads up in the NE. He went on about how great it was with the new hours of service impact, that it also had the benefit of being more safe since we would not have to exit and merge back into trafic at the scales, and the savings in fuel that it would provide by staying at highway speed.
Here is the catch. The first 60 days are a trial period, after that, the driver has to contribute $1 a week if they wish to continue using the service. Yes you read it right, after all of the reasons listed above why it is soo great, the company is wanting the driver to subsidize it for them in their equipment. Am I just ignorant or is this how all of the other companies operate?? Now if I had an option to contribute $1 a week to have the engine in my truck turned back up to factory spec, then I would consider it. Things must be real tight with that big house to have to ask your drivers to help pay for this if they want to use it. Not to mention the hypocrisy(sp) of a company that claims saftey is their cornerstone value, would be willing to not forego the entire cost of this since it would increase the margin of saftey while traveling down the road.

Answer:
I'm setting at home and decided to check my voicemail!
I think it's great that we are getting Pre-Pass, like you I kind of wondered about we drivers having to pay a dollar though? Four dollars a month? Does sound cheap of the company, but I for one will gladly pay it, no questions asked! Another $52.00 to add to the taxes next year!
I wish I could remember what I was told in one of my orientations with them as to why they did not have it already, only makes sense to me!
Now if they'd turn the trucks up a notch or two! Maybe they could do it as an insentive type deal, you run good meet your goals, you get your truck turned up, do something bad, turn it back down! Just an idea!

Answer:
$52 a year, 1200 drivers, $62400.
I'm sorry, but I disagree with you Bandit. Yes I think we should have the equipment. But to ask the drivers to subsidize it? We are talking about a company truck, company equipment. The ammount is not the issue. It is the fact that the company stopped reimbursing us for showers, because of all the free showers we get, well the one where we dont put on less the 50 gallons, or stop at a terminal for fuel that is. I'm sorry, but after today, and the issues reagarding the post I made earlier about being at the end of my rope, I honestly feel like this is the thing that will snap the rope.
I am sitting at a customer right now. I have been here since 5:30 am, came in with another Roehl driver from Chillicothe, OH to Worester MA. Of course they route us completely different, only ratioal reason is to keep drivers seperated so they dont compare notes. A driver in the dark is a happy driver. Well he has longer to go on his second stop so he pulls in first, another Roehl truck was already at the dock. I go in and hand them my paper work, they inform me that I have to wait to get worked in because there is no appointment set. The other 2 had appointments, but not me..............
So it is now 7 hours later, still not in a hole yet. My eta for my final drop as come and went. My 1500 time for reload on the load out of this god forsaken state will probally not be met. Oh yes, life is grand, and my days here are growing as short as my patience for the operation of SNAFU.
One thing in life I can not stand is a hypocrit. And by trying to charge the driver for piece of equipment and service that would increase safety, Rick Roehl showed himself as a hypocrit to me today.

Answer:
Every company I have worked for that had Pre-Pass it was paid for 100% by the company, except sometimes for O/O's.
Answer:
Your getting hosed. but for 4 bucks i would do it until a better job comes along.

Answer:
frist i would never pay to have the thing in the truck next i would never have it a truck anyway. it does cost a dollar ever time the light comes on and ever time the light comes on the computor stores where you were at what time .now you get d.o.t and they pull that record and it does no match you are the one with the fine . i think i would just stop for the scales

Answer:
I wouldn't pay the four bucks a month.
This is yet another way to scrape nickles and dimes from the back of a driver, while the company tries to chase you to the bottom. Would you take a penny less a mile if they raised your speed limit 2 mph? Would you send your bills in by overnight express if they offered to have you pay the $7?
How much would you kick back if they gave you a drop and hook instead of a live unload? What would you pay them if you got a 'first available' PM instead of going to the end of the list? How about a $5 charge for a preload instead of an assignment after you're empty?
You're not an equity owner - you are an employee. Don't split the cost of operation unless it's to your advantage...

Answer:
Four Bucks a month is a small price to pay for being the "Last American Hero".
"Trucking"is what you make it. Four Dollars is a pittance compared to
what Drivers freely donate in unpaid miles driven. I won't mention ALL
the other "Freebies" performed daily.

Of course the faster you go ,the more you make. $7.00 another small price to pay to insure a timely paycheck.

I'd say $20.00,$15.00 with the $5.00 being a bargain.
Answer:
I disagree with the posts thinking its ok for company driver to subsidize anything. You are the employee driving a company truck. Company pays the bucks! The prepass helps the company. If all the drivers band together and doesnt pay the buck, you will quickly find out how bad the company wants the prepass. Remember, Prepass also has a redlight, you may pay a buck to go in and wait in line to get DOT'd. Having Prepass doesnt mean your off the hook.
I drive for Werner (and believe it or not am glad to be driving for them ) we too have Prepass. Werner pays 100%. In fact we pay for nothing, that by rights would be a company expense.

Answer:
Buzzdog;
As you will remember in my class when you attended , we talked about the pre-pass system, remember that during our conversations about this system, it was being called the greatest thing since sliced bread.
What happens when you use the pre-pass system, is a download of information to he scale master with your load , truck and driver infromation. So if you go through the scales in Effingham, ILL and then through the scales at the Ohio state line, on I - 70 your pre-pass info from the Effingham scales comes up on the screen at the Ohio scales. Now if you have been speeding and you arrive to early at the Ohio scales, guess who's in your mirror???
Just remember on the pre-pass system not only is the load and the truck being tracked but so is the driver's illegal activity. That is the covert mission of this system.
I would agree with you that your being asked to help pay for the cost of the system for the company I wonder if you asked them to pay $1.00 a week for your phone use in calling the company if they would be willing to pay that expense. hmmmmmm????????
As for your time spent at the dock Buzzdog, do to not having an appointment, your dispatch is not doing their job, I would fire them and request another dispatch to be assigned, then if the company refused, maybe it is time to make a move to a carrier that pays better. You have been with them for a year now I think, or close to it.
Catch you on the flip!
P.S. I thought you might like to know that due to numerious complants filed by driving students at the school, Ivy Tech has refused to renew Sage's contract and has thrown them off the campus, so you see there is a justice in this world.
Catch you on the flip!

Answer:

Not exactly; the PrePass transponder is not loaded with driver and/or load information.
From the PrePass FAQ:


Nonsense:
From the PrePass FAQ:

www.prepass.com

Answer:
We have the pre pass in our trucks now. It is great! We do not have to pay for it. I would pay 4 a month easy to have it though.
Well worth it. The time you save and the energyu you save is well worth the money. The first time you get by passed and they are checking books in the scale can save the 52 a year.
They have lowered the cost of pre pass to like 20 a month unlimited. So for 4 a month you are not really subsidizing the company. Just helpping your self be more efficiant.202 N Main Street
Summerfield Il 62289
TRUCK PARKING AVAILABLE!

Answer:

You're trying to be funny, right, daytrader?
I guess if the driver pays for truck repairs and lumpers out of his own pocket he's not really an idiot; he's just being more efficient.

Answer:

He's dead serious.

Unfortunetly that is becomeing a possible action. In the near future the
Carriers will have them manually repairing tires on the road.
Keep in mind it's not a "Job",it's a "Lifestyle"in which no Monetary sacrifice
is too great.
Answer:
Scalehouse,
Well sorry to hear about SAGE being kicked out of Ivy Tech. I would say for the most part it was a good program compared to others out there. At the time I did have my issues with the director as you know. With out knowing the complete story I would have to lay responsibility on him. If he would have allowed more then 1 testing attempt, and also adhered to the SAGE policy of 1 student, 1 instructor, 1 truck, I am sure there would not have been as many complaints. I will say this much about SAGE, at the head office level, they are more then quick to resolve any issues. They did this for me, as you remember giving me more practice time, and aggreeing to pay for a re-test. Although I arranged before then to re-test and passed, but John never replied to me in regards to re-imbursing me for the expense. I know that while going through my inital driving test during orientation I was suprised to find out that I had actually driven more miles then most of the other drivers.
In regards to sitting the other day. The organization at Roehl, the responsibility of appointments falls on the Load Planner/Customer Service Representatives. For the most part Fleet Managers at Roehl are just liasons between Customer Service and the drivers. I was told the reason I did not have an appointment was that I was dispatched by weekend dispatch. This did not completely wash in my book, because I met up with another Roehl driver that was leaving Chillocothe as I was arriving. We basically left at the same time and was going to the same destination for our first drop. He had an appointment, I did not. I am happy to say though, I am back on my old fleet managers board, and it seems like we never missed a beat. If I would have had a pre-plan last Friday with the fleet manager at that time, I am sure the appointment would have been made.
Daytrader,
Look up the definition of subsidize. If the driver has to pay any part of the cost, then they are subsidizing the cost of it. It is no different then the US government and Amtrak. By your numbers of pre-pass costing $20 a month, then the driver is paying $4.33 per month, not $4.00. So that is $240 a year total cost, and the driver is paying $52. They driver ends up covering 21.6% of the cost.
Here is an update on this. Talked with a Roehl O/O tonight. Seems their cost is going to only be $2.00 a week. Now explain that. Sounds like a good deal for them, I would think that an O/O would have to pick up the total ammount. I think that I am going to decline on this convience. The only real benefit that I would like with it would be covering the tolls up in the North East. The bypayss on the scale is not that big of a deal really. If they are going to pull you in, dont matter if you have that or not. And back to the comment that daytrader made about covering the to cost if they check the books. Everytime I have had my book looked at, it has been no problem. One of the nice things about keeping it up to date, and legal.