I left TransAm trucking in July due to low miles, low pay and poor dispatch. I decided to try Celadon based on recommendation of a former trainer at TransAm who went to Celadon. I took a 550 mile excruciating bus ride to the Celadon main terminal in Indianapolis. I should have known something was wrong when I noticed there were 30 other recruits in my class, of which there are 2 classes a week.
They actually took care of me during orientation; meals, housing were included. It took a week to get my truck after orientation, which was an 05 International 9400, not a bad truck. The first run I got was from Indianapolis IN to Vancouver BC, 2030 miles. I actually had an DWAI on my record which was 20 yrs old, Celadon knew this as I put it on my application but they sent me there anyway. I was held up at the border for 1 1/2 hours and received a day pass to deliver the load, sat in the dock for 10 hrs due to an overage in the shipment. I was supposed to be pd 15.00 an hr detention pay, which I never received because they dont pay detention pay for late loads.
They said my problem at the border was a personal matter and it just went downhill from there. Tolls, tolls, tolls... Cash advances all the time to cover the tolls and not enough miles to cover the advances. My best paychek was 450.00, but it usually was about 200.00 a week. Average at Celadon is 1400-1800 a week for company drivers. If you have a family, and bills at home to pay, DO NOT CONSIDER CELADON!!! Celadon, despite how important you hear you are at orientation, is for Celadon. You ARE whatever your employee number is. That is all you are. I believe Steve Russell, stockholders and board members at Celadon are doing very well. When I had to make payment arrangements on my monthly cell phone bill of about 130.00 I knew it was time to leave. Considering Celadon? DONT DO IT!!! I thought Trans Am was bad.
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