Thinking about driving for Clark Transfer and ever wondered what it might be like? If you’ve been leased to a company and felt like you’re just a company driver with a truck payment, that’s what it’s like. Do what you’re told, when you’re told, go where you’re told when you’re told and you only want to make enough to survive, that’s what it’s like.

If you’re single or team with your spouse and live in your truck and you’re truck is paid for, you’ll probably do great and go on a couple of tours and have a great time. If you don’t need to be home for months at a time and you enjoy being treated like you’re an idiot, it’s a great place to drive for.

A unique part of driving for Clark Transfer is that all the drivers get together probably more often than other companies. Everyone arrives at one place and either loads or unloads at a show so a lot of Clark Transfer drivers are in one place at the same time. What do drivers do when they get together?

The company will brag about their low turnover rate and they’re probably right. There are a lot of drivers that have been there a very long time. If you’ve been there for ten years, you’re probably in the core group of A list drivers. You get the best tours, you get the opportunity to be lead driver and make more money then newer drivers.

If you’re there over five years, you get a 1% raise. They’ve had the same pay scale for ten years. Ten years ago, $10 an hour detention was good money, now it beats minimum wage, but that’s about it. Even the $100 a day layover is nice, but it doesn’t make a truck payment when you’re sitting for a week at a time.

If this is you’re first visit, be sure and read the other posts to find out what it’s like to driver for Clark Transfer in Harriburg, PA

Clark transfer in Harrisburg, PA. This is full of my opinion and opinions and rumors heard from other drivers that were there much long than myself.

Clark Transfer is great if you’ve been there 10 years

They are geared toward favoring people that have been there a long time. How long does it take to be there a long time? If you’ve been working there under 10 years, you’re still a newbie. Most of the drivers that have been there for awhile have a strong “reaction” to newer drivers. They will tell you this in orientation. The company knows and I think even encourages this attitude.

Clark Transfer not so great for new people

Everyone I met that still had a truck payment was complaining. It seemed the only people that were making any money, had their truck paid for. If you can handle making barely enough to pay for fuel and eat, you do okay.

The entire company supports the lead drivers and for good reason. Because the lead drivers are the customer interface for the company. Lead drivers get a lot of extra money. They get paid $25 a trailer that follows their show. Every time a trailer gets loaded that’s $25. When it gets unloaded, that’s $25. Plus since they are working all day or longer, they receive hourly pay for that. Plus the mileage and linehaul for the trailer they haul. Plus extra lead driver pay. Large shows may have 17 to 25 trailers that follow a show. Lead drivers will follow that show until the tour is over. If a show isn’t travelling for a week or more the lead driver may work on other shows.

The lead driver for Phantom of the Opera, told me he gets $125k a year just for Phantom. That’s 25 trailers. Plus he made more working on other shows while Phantom stayed at one theater for awhile. The lead carpenter for a show can request to work with a lead driver and that request is honored.

Know how the Clark Transfer system works

I delivered some stuff for one show that was staying in one theater for months. But the other driver was in there “schmoozing” and saying how great he was at lead driver and he should request him when the show moves. Gave him a card and everything. The lead carpenter talked to me after wards and just laughed at the guy. This is how the system works. Most of these lead carpenters have worked with the same lead drivers for years. I’m not talking a few years, I mean five or ten years. If greasing the lead carpenter doesn’t work, then it goes by seniority. There are drivers that have been there 10-20 years and will be lead driver for more than one show.

If you’re just starting out, how do you think you’re going to be lead driver? It’s nothing that special. It involves coordinating with the lead carpenter and telling drivers when to come in. Help them back in, do some paperwork. Lead driver is the last one out and the first one in, so it involves some driving. You may be working all day and have to drive all night. Other than sucking up to the lead carpenter, that’s about it.

Clark Transfer, the last choice for most drivers

Clark Transfer sends drivers to where most drivers don’t want to go. Canada and New York City. Expect a ton of driving in the Northeast. Their busy season is in the Fall and Winter and they start slowing down in Spring and Summer. You drive unless the interstate is closed. That means chains when required, no excuses. If the interstate is closed you need to find a way around it. They will pay you for the extra miles, but you still have to be there on time, no matter what your log book says. Plan on taking the Summer off. Living paycheck to paycheck? Load to Load? When summer comes, expect a slow down. Most of the older drivers (that have made their money as lead drivers) take the summer completely off. Hopefully there will be enough brokered freight by that time.

Clark Transfer, on time, no matter what or why

Mainly because shows have to be delivered and picked up no matter what. Contracts were made, guarantees were made and will be backed up. But they take that to the extreme even if you’re delivering to a warehouse or a shop where no time limit is required. If they make up a time for you, you have to be there at that time. You don’t call the customer and make other arrangements. You do what the dispatcher tells you. Period.

Expecting a Percentage at Clark Transfer?

During slow periods or a lot of ground to cover and plenty of time to do it, they will get you a brokered load of general freight. Unless they change it, your lease agreement says you will get 80% of the load, plus you have to pay a trailer rental charge and some other stuff. How do you know what the load pays, you can ask. But unless someone has made the office change lately, you’re going to be told you’re getting the regular spot pay, because the load doesn’t pay enough. How do you know what the load pays? You don’t and you won’t.

That’s fine while freight sucks right now, they have their reasons for taking crap freight that’s up to them, but what if freight rates start going up? Are you going to trust them to tell you the truth? It’s a federal requirement that if you’re paid a percentage you are allowed and they have to show you the invoice from the broker or customer. Tell them that and they will ignore you and tell you that you don’t need to know. The reg is in CFR 49 376.12 paragraph g.

g) Copies of freight bill or other form of freight documentation— When a lessor’s revenue is based on a percentage of the gross revenue for a shipment, the lease must specify that the authorized carrier will give the lessor, before or at the time of settlement,

It goes on, but why bother if they’re not going to show you. Don’t like it? Leave.

So, you’re thinking about driving for Clark Transfer in Harrisburg, PA? Here are a few things you might like to know before you go in and signup.

Good things about driving for Clark Transfer

They might be better than nothing. It’s pretty bad out there right now and if they’re hiring, you might make more than what you’re making right now, but as soon as things pick up and rates go up, you’ll be out of there, I promise that.

Layover days are paid. If you’re waiting for a load or between loads you’re paid layover pay of $100 a day. Only full days count. If you deliver at 0100, you’ve worked that day. Then if you pick up at 2300, you’ve worked that day and those days aren’t counted. You think they plan your pick and delivery like that on purpose? Maybe, you’ll be making up your own mind soon enough.

Detention is paid at $10 an hour. They’ve been paying that same $10 an hour for ten years. Back when $10 an hour meant something. See number 1, it’s better than nothing. If your appointment is at 4pm, but you’re there at 2pm because the lead driver asked you to be there early, your clock start at 4pm. Great system, getting the idea yet?

Labor is paid. If you have to clean out a trailer, fold pads or whatever, labor is paid at $20 an hour for the first two hours, then it drops to $10 an hour. Think anyone works more than two hours? It doesn’t happen very often, but when it does, just remember that.

The mileage chart is prorated depending on how long your trip is. If it’s over 3000 miles you get .99 a mile plus FSC.

Bobtail miles are paid. You will be doing more bobtail miles at this company more than anywhere else. Bobtail 2000 miles is not uncommon. Because of the way their system works, their trailers stay with the show. Everyone bobtails from one show or load to another show to move the trailers. How about bobtailing 1500 miles to move a loaded trailer 20 miles. Bobtails miles as of this writing was .60 + FSC. But you get great fuel mileage bobtailing. Even though it’s the same number of hours and days your driving, you’re getting better fuel mileage.

Empty miles are paid, but at a lesser rate than loaded. Same thing as bobtailing, you may be driving more miles empty and bobtailing than loaded.

If you’ve been there a long time you get to know the system. If you last that long, you get the inside scoop on shows and how to work the system to your advantage. Tours are given out by seniority. If you get offered a tour and you haven’t been there very long, you might wonder why no one else has taken it. If you’re there for five years, your mileage chart is increased 1%. Five years and a one percent raise. Makes it all seem worthwhile.

If your truck is paid for this will be perfect. If you have a truck payment of any kind you’re going to have a rough go at it. With all of the empty and bobtail miles, plus all of the sitting around you won’t get the paycheck to pay for much more than fuel. You get layover pay, but that doesn’t make a truck payment.

If you live in your truck full time. Because you’ll never see the house. They want you out at least 4-6 weeks at a time, minimum. And that doesn’t even include if you’re on a tour.

It’s perfect if you and your wife live in the truck full time. You won’t have to worry about going home ever.

Team Pay. If you have a team load you get extra pay. When you go to orientation you’re told that anything dispatched over 50 miles an hour is a team pay and it’s possible for a single driver to get team pay. Except for the part that the 50 mph dispatch is only for shows. If you’re going to a warehouse or they have you scheduled so tight, but you’re not delivering to a show, it’s not team pay.

You use their log books. Their logbooks are designed so if you tear out a page, you won’t even notice. They did it like that for a reason. That’s a good thing right? Riiight.

They pay fuel taxes. Your told in the beginning that if your don’t fuel on the same day, don’t send it in. How could you ever get that far ahead? Keep thinking like that.

Tolls are paid. You’re running so much in the Northeast you’ll have to carry huge amounts of cash or get an ezpass.

No forced dispatch. That’s not a bad thing, until you refuse to do something they’ve planned for you.

Extra pay for New York City. The way they have their NYC pay, you’ll probably never see it even if you go to NYC. They have a trailer yard in NY. So if you’re shuttling trailers to downtown, their trailer yard is just outside the area where you’ll get extra to go to NYC.

You get 80% of a brokered load Plus you pay a trailer rental fee. There’s a different percentage if you found it or they found it. Find your own brokered load, then you have to do something for them. Do a brokered load they found and you’re paid what they tell you you’re going to be paid. You’re not allowed to see the broker’s invoice and don’t ask to see it, you’ll regret it.

You have to use their plates Even if you have your own, you have to use their plates, the good part is they take out a little each month to pay for them.

No escrow Not sure why, but it’s a good thing especially since you’re not going to be there very long anyway.

Extra pay for border crossings If you and your truck can go into Canada, expect to go often. Because all of the people that have been there for a long time have custom sleepers and can’t go to Canada. But there’s no forced dispatch, so nothing to worry about right?

A List Just like other companies, if you’re on the A list, you get all the good paying loads, tours and all that. If you’re not… I’m not sure how long you have to be there, because I couldn’t put up with the crap long enough to find out.