Pros
Fantastic training. Superb pay. Very good retirement at no cost to you. 99% of loads are preloaded for you. The work is 95% out and back. Home usually once or twice a week with a 34 hour reset done at home. The drivers are actually a different department within Thatcher.(Thatcher Transportation vs Thatcher Chemical) Right knit group of drivers.
Cons
14-17 hour days 5-6 days a week. You are usually only home long enough for a 10 hour break. Constantly changing(as in downward)and overly complicated pay scale. Old trailers that are hanging in for dear life. Not enough hoses. Always a struggle to get the equipment you need to do your job, especially chains. Horribly inaccurate information about customers. All the customer info is controlled by the salesmen, who are gods and are untouchable. Phone numbers and contacts years out of date. Improper hose lengths requiments. Improper equipment requirements. Drivers are treated well, but the operators and warehousemen are treated like scum and openly mocked by managment in the hallways. Serious safety violations that never seem to attract OSHA attention. Illegally dumping expired chemicals down drains(drip) The sheer arrogance and pennypinching is nauseating. They hire amazingly talented people to run their safety and what not, but then these individuals are never allowed to,do their jobs and are threatened or driven out of they say something other than "Hail Thatcher" I have never seen a place where more people walk with their heads down. Employees(production and warehouse)don't care. They know that they aren't valued by management and are only there to collect a check. They have a very high turnover in all departments and this affects proction, which affects drivers. The Plant is horribly outdated and was made when the company ran single trailers. They run doubles now. All it takes is one truck to park wide from a loading arm and you just lost access to the majority of the plant. You are expected to eat, breathe, and,live Thatcher. You are expected to do anything for Thatcher. If someone hears you say the wrong thing, or if you suggest that Thatcher policies and procedures come out of the stone age, or if you are sick and usuing a lot of insurance, expect to be make miserable in hopes you quick or are let go.