truck driver

owner operator driver

driver

local driver

commercial driver

HORIZON TRANSPORT

Stay away from this company. They will rip you. They send you to orientation said you are aproved to work with them and make you expend a lot of money. Then during the orientation another new hire guy asked why you have to keep loging in log book until back in your home as they said. I comented to that guy that it must be some missunderstanding because it is none sense in my opinion that when you drop last load you have to keep loging till your home. Because what if you want to go somewhere else? It is your car... no body can tell you what to do with your car when no working or not carring company signs... somebody hear me or was told i said that and that guy came to me in a way as if i were a soldier or a slave and told me he does not want to hear me ever again saying to another driver what to do. I said i am sorry it was not my intention to go against any company policy but i dont acept anybody to tell me what can i speak or with whom and them he dissmiss me from the orientation. Now i am not only a few thounsand dollars less in my pocket, loosed previous employment but i will have to spend a lot of time  visiting lawyers to try to recover my money and damages. Very sad. Way diferent were be if the same guy came to me in a more reapectfull way and try to explain me if he understand that i am missing some fact or have something wrong in my point of views... i would probably understood... i am not that moron... at the end it was an orientation it is supposed to be to show you how and why...right? to make questions and be clarified... but for some reason that guy thought i did not deserve an explanation... maybe because i am latin? Brown? Maybe my accent? Is it  the company or is just that guy? Because the other new hires were stunned with what happen... i sent an email to the lady that handle my hire and not answer so far. Maybe they all think an american citizen of second class dont deserve the minimun explanation when he has been rip off that way of his hard earned money and sent to the street without employment and the money he withdraw from his family economy in order to work with them..... very very sad.

Had I known, I would not have signed up.

 First off recruiting has a very deceptive practice of making this a great company, and great industry to work in. I’ve been self-employed for 30 years and as I was about to retire had a major financial calamity. Forced to get into this business to keep money coming in I found nothing but problems. 

 This is pitched as a self employment opportunity, but I’ve never had a partner act the way Horizon does you basically work for them it’s their way or the highway, you have no say in anything and God for bid you open your mouth to make things better you were called rude.  
 So as you’re out on the road trying to be a sufficient as you can you’ll have questions and issues that arise, as you try to reach out to various people and departments at Horizon it will take three or four calls or more to finally get someone. The culture of dismissing drivers seems to be intentional. Which is not very  productive if you want to make a living.
They seem to change the rules often enough that it impacts you if you go buy a vehicle start this business I promise you you will leave the business in debt. You could average 20,000 miles a month and still never be able to keep up with the maintenance costs and so on. 
 The Compliance aspect of the business having to go through DOT inspections is not pleasant, I have found that state troopers in particular don’t even know the first thing about what they’re looking at especially logs and completely bypass the whole reason for having logs.  Somewhat frustrating to watch them stumble through what they call an inspection which really just waste your time . 
 I am approached pretty often by other drivers asking who I work for and if I make any money, it always turns out that the drivers that are making money or doing less than 300 miles a day, at that rate you can’t pay for any meaningful life style, a truck payment and maintenance. You have to be up at 700 miles a day and pushing your logs constantly. Yes cheating is the only way to make money at this. 

 Those are some of the key points I could go on with much more but I strongly would advise a different career, not this one

Although the company itself wasn't that bad of a company, it was pretty good. Several good people there wanting to help out all the time. But the communication was very bad, 95% of the time did not hear about new changes until the day things changed. Other drivers experienced bad attitudes from staff and people always passing you around just to get a single question answered. Too many rules for a contractor to enjoy what he/she does as in constraints for one not only to grow, but to make the money necessary to continue working there. 

All the drivers I talked too, said it would be nice if they paid for health insurance, truck insurance with the trailer(s) as well, give us incentives a plenty, due to the cost of fuel, motels, hotels etc. just those areas alone eat up the majority of your profits. The hardest part of the job was the cost of having to pay for almost everything, the company doesn't share in anything. We got a discount on insurance for the trailers that we pulled, as in insurance, but no big company discount for fuel, motels, hotels, service for our vehicles, there were many things that I was NOT told about when I started, I found out when it was too late to do anything about it! 

In my opinion, (and many, many others) it should be that the company helps us succeed by paying for our truck insurance when we pull their trailers, give us a fuel card that gives us a 50 cents to 75 cent discount with all three main carriers, (truck stops), give us $50 discount for all truck services (such as oil, lube, tires, breaks, parts, equipment for the job) etc. Its just that with all the miles that we put on our trucks, driving all over the country, one would think that the company would help us succeed, not tread on the water, or fail!! If I was asked to come back, I would say NO! knowing what I do now! I tell others that it is a very, very expensive job to do and to maintain.

As a transport company, you will get what you get at other companies. Rates of pay go up and down and loads come and go. There are good days and bad days in this industry.
Horizon seems to find any way to charge their independent contractors money, even on know issues. They will try and change the rules and guidelines as the day goes on.
If you decide to work with this company, I suggest you make sure you do everything you can to CYA. They will try and charge you money for anything they can and unless you have very valid documentation of things you will be charged. Horizon will also still attempt to charge you if you have valid documentation.
I would not recommend doing anything that would tie you directly to Horizon, such as leasing a flatbed trailer from them or having your only option for insurance going through their companies. If you are needing apportioned plates for your truck, figure out how to get them on your own. 
Horizon will de-lease you just because. There is not the job security with this company, not that there is much as a contractor in general, it feels like you are walking on eggshells here.
If you hang out at “The Lounge” long enough, you will notice Horizon is constantly hiring new contractors. They will do this even though you are sitting for days being told there are not any loads. However, those contractors will get those nonexistent loads as they finish orientation while you’re still sitting there. There is a joke about a “secret load board”, while you can’t confirm its existence, somehow many of the drivers that seem to “kiss up” (in my personal opinion) will always have loads that never hit the load board, again, while you’re sitting and waiting.

The Lounge is an ok benefit, with free laundry, showers, internet, and a place to sit out of your truck.
Many of the other drivers are good people and there seems to be conversation to be had.

What is the best part of working at the company?
What I like best is that you are in control of your time. Another words you can work as much as you like or as little as you want. You are in charge of your work schedule.  

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
If you plan ahead for the most part it's stress free. I worked the Drive Away Division meaning you deliver motor homes or trucks of different types. Depending on what type drivers license that you have. In the winter sometimes the weather can be a big concern depending on destination. Every now and then that can get a little stressful. I chose not to tow a car and I would fly back to pick up another one or head home. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Being a driver I was very seldom in the office so I would mainly talk with my dispatcher. I never had any issues and everyone was great. And as a final note the owner of the company would take a few minutes out of his day to call all drivers on their birthday. I personally enjoyed working with Horizon and the team at the office they are just a phone call away if you have any questions. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Up early to catch the sunrise and the freedom of setting my own hours. Being a driver say's it all we run up and down the highway and you will see some incredible sites. You will be amazed at just how beautiful our country is.

The management structure is solid, very family oriented, and very business like. It says a lot when you get birthday greetings before you're even settled to start working. Because we are independent contractors, each person takes care of their own business, but I have spoken to many who are well experienced in this business and have learned much. Vehicle delivery is new to me so while I had little knowledge of some areas, other areas had to be learned fast. A typical day starts with leaving home and travelling 700 miles to Head office where documents are delivered to their respective persons, then its on to dispatch where you get or choose a job. Armed now with Bill of Lading, I go and search for the vehicle to be delivered. Vin. number checked, inspection done, vehicle starts, you now head to check out at the front gate. From here on you are planning route, gassing up vehicle, and after starting your log sheet its off to the given destination. DOT rules have to be followed all the way. On reaching the destination and all is well, contact is made with the consignee, all document delivered, an inspection done, documents signed, appropriate copies retained, job complete. It is now time to plan the trip back to Base or home.

A typical day for me involved answering telephones, data entry and responding to our contractors' queries.  The work environment was pleasant because there was a healthy balance between working independently and team-work.  My boss would set clear goals for our team at the beginning of each quarter, which motivated me to meet those goals on a daily basis.  
There were days when I felt like I couldn't keep up with the amount of requests submitted to me by our contractors and various co-workers (even when putting in the most effort), and this would frustrate me.  Because my job largely revolved around preparing material/information for new contractors' safety school class (held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays) I looked forward to every Thursday morning when I could look back on each week and rate my performance, with the intention of setting new goals for each upcoming week!

I leased my services to Horizon Transport as a contractor owning a 1-ton Ram 3500 dually. When the manufacturers had freight to move, it was offered to me and dispatched. It is a fast pace industry requiring nationwide and Canada deliveries. Once a dispatch was received the route was reviewed concerning weather, traffic, delivery times, road construction and other factors that could impact delivery schedule.
Safety is paramount, driving distances, hand free operation concerning cell phone, GPS, DOT regulations followed, driving defensively and professionally.
I enjoy the flexibility, seeing the United States and Canada.
Every day is different.

If your retired and looking for some fun money and like to travel This Is A Great Job.But if you are trying to make a living,pay the rent,make a car pmt.pay insurance pay your medical ins.oh,I forgot buy food too and maby have a xmas.FORGET IT.! They only pay 1.29 per LOADED MILE .Dont believe me,do the math.Example,1000 miles out to delivery, pays pays 1290.00.33% for fuel, 33% put back for repairs and 33% to you ,that's 430.00 to you.500 miles per day means 2 days out and 2 days back.PERIOD.that's  a minimum of 43 hrs.10.00 per hr.THATS CHUMP CHANGE TODAY. Trust me you will use that 33% for repairs and routine maintenance, you will run a min.of 100,000 miles a year and your truck will be using that 33% per load you better hope you put back or it's OUT OF BUSINESS FOR YOU AND A WORN OUT 50000.00 Truck.Good Luck.youve been warned.

You will have to pay upfront to the company $1500 just to work for them as a "security deposit" they call it.   You are responsible for all your equipment, travel, and expenses.  You are subject to very restrictive policies and treated like an employee even though you are considered a contractor.  If there is even a scratch on the unit, they take the entire security deposit and hold onto it for a year.  The company just got sued for 26 million and shuttered another one if its sister companies for a similar lawsuit.  You have to use the EFS card system which includes multiple fees.  You are charged for even submitting paperwork for a settlement.  Not advisable unless you have a second income coming in, its an expensive hobby, i did it for 3.5 years and wore out 2 pickup trucks and  3 cars.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Truck driver 17 salaries reported	$26.21 per hour
Owner operator driver 2 salaries reported	$5,660 per week
Driver 2 salaries reported	$29.50 per hour
Local driver 1 salary reported	$27.00 per hour
Commercial driver 1 salary reported	$27.50 per hour

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