I see all forms of sites and forums about everything to do with expediting trucks,jobs, what to do and how to do it but no sites or forums regarding what owners are good and owners that are not to drive for, I understand there are good owners as well as good drivers I also understand there are bad owners as well as bad drivers, but know one in expediting can say they never heard of a driver not getting payed or an owner that had to go get his truck from so truck stop because some driver left his truck, so why is there no site listing both bad owners as well as bad drivers this could help both sides, again just a question I see alot of guys/gals that have been helping new drivers that are new to this business make it, so why cant that help include a site that will show the good as well as bad so the stories of both owners and drivers getting hurt slows down a bit

[TeamCaffee]

Owners and fleet drivers are like companies some make a good fit and some do not. Ask for references before driving for an owner the same as you would before you drive for a company. Not being a fleet owner and looking from the outside in I think the owner is the one left out in the cold as not many people want to discuss a bad driver.
You can watch over and over here on the forums some so very well with one company and another driver will leave the first company and do very well at the second company and others have to try many companies before they find a great fit or end up leaving the business.

[layoutshooter]

It might be difficult to do without running into legal problems. Many times there are problems with a dirver or an owner it often turns out to be more "personal" than a "bad"
owner or driver. That is not to say there is no bad drivers or owners, just when people are involed "things" happen. The first owner I drove for was a good owner but it was not a good fit. The second was great. Get references as Team Caffee said, it is your best protection. Get a good contract that spells out everything required from the owner and from the driver. The "tighter" the contract the easier it will be to resolve problems as they come up. There will always be problems as in any business or job. Layoutshooter

[bludragon13]

good advice here, anyone going into business for themselves must take responsibilty for their own decisions and not try to find a short cut that is based only on opinions of others,still can't understand why if you want to be in business for your self ,you would want to work for some one ? I mean if you were going to open a pastie shop in the UP would you first work in one for 2 years to find out if it was what you wanted to do? no you'd do your best to research and then do it or not-- working for a fleet owner is not being in business for your self it's working for someone, only with out health,401ks,and other benfits you had in a factory . just my opinion.

dave i understand your reply and is good advise, but it really had little to nothing to do with the question, thanks anyway

[layoutshooter]

It is a bit different Dave. First, I need to know where your pastie shop is, I have a hard time finding good pasties where I live in SE MI. Second. I looked at running with an owner like going to school. I learned a lot about what I was getting into. I got a much better idea of what the cost of the business was. I got first hand experinance. I learned what we wanted and needed in a truck. Sort of like a paid aprenticeship. Layoutshooter

[greg334]

"I have a hard time finding good pasties where I live in SE MI."

Because we have none

besides the only really good way to make one is with a wood range, nothing tastes better!!

[layoutshooter]

*SIGH* It is a sorry state of affairs. Maybe we could get White Castle to put in the proper ovens!!! MMMMMMMMMM What a great place that would be. Your choice everynight, Sliders
(or gut bombs if you prefere) Church's Chicken or Palin's Pasties!!!! (could not resist) layoutshooter

[pjjjjj]

I thought 'eye' was the only one that knew what a pasty is

[pjjjjj]

Originally Posted by bludragon13

I mean if you were going to open a pastie shop in the UP would you first work in one for 2 years to find out if it was what you wanted to do?

Maybe not, if you already had pastie shop experience working every aspect of the business. Hopefully someone wouldn't just say, I like pasties, so I'm going to open a pasty shop. They would probably lose their shirt pretty quick.

[layoutshooter]

Pasties can be found where ever the Cornish Miners emigrated to. You find them in the U.P. in Michigan where they mined copper. There were a couple at the salt mine where my dad worked at in Detroit, but not enough to have really good pastie shops. What a real shame. layoutshooter

[arkjarhead]

what the heck is a pastie. I thought you meant pastry at first. Whatever it is I don't think we have them in southeast Arkansas either.

[Jayman]

I just wished I could find another gig that gives me about 35-45 hrs a week and keeps me close to home. I am not getting many hours now.

[Moot]

The best pasties can be found in the U.P. and Northern Minnesota. MMMMMM, a rutabaga pastie and a bottle of ketchup.

[greg334]

Originally Posted by Moot

The best pasties can be found in the U.P. and Northern Minnesota. MMMMMM, a rutabaga pastie and a bottle of ketchup.

I can't figure that one out, Minnesota? OK I guess.

Yea ketsup and a good size pastie, nothing better on a cold day.

Ark, they are not well known outside of the great lakes for some reason. I have found them in Arizona (made by a Mexican who told me she learned from her 'english' grandmother), I found them in PA, I found them in of all places Tampa, the same place that I get my cubanos from.

I grew up on them (maybe why I am fat?), was taught to make them from scratch on a wood range (which by todays standards is really hard) and still miss them - there is no place to get them here that are of any quality. They are meat pies... well sort of... some use just onions, potatoes, and a swede (rutabaga) with salt and pepper added some add carrots and some even things I don't want to think about. While the purists don't ever use carrots, the Cornish who were the miners here in the north brought them here when they came in the mid 1800s. I had some made by Finlanders which were... well.... good.

Layout, the reason they landed here was because in the late 20's a lot of miners left the copper country and migrated here to work in the auto plants. I had a distant cousin who opened up a bake shop in the 30's selling them to the salt miners, she claimed (don't know if this is true) that she and her freind were in competing bake shop and were the first ones to bring them here. I would think they were here before but who knows?

If you go to Han**** in the UP of michigan, there is a place you have go to Kaleva Cafe on main street (Quincy), they serve the closest thing to the way they should be made and lets not forget if you can make it there for the Pastie Fest in Calumet, it will be June 27, '09..... yum.....