Heartland Express reviews and complaints

Not to mention, Heartland drivers can't physically violate any speed laws, since the trucks are governed at 62 miles an hour. So, that right there tells me you just weren't paying attention and almost caused the accident yourself. If I had a nickle for every time my husband told me about some stupid car driver that he had to do some serious driving to avoid hitting, he wouldn't need to work any more...we'd be multimillionaires! Everyone in a car thinks they can just drive how they want, on their cellphones and not paying attention and when they screw up, it's automatically a truckers fault. If there is an accident involving a trucker, even if it was the car drivers fault, guess who will be getting a ticket or going to jail...not the ### in the car!
Don't be so quick to call a company and try to get a driver in trouble. You have no idea how hard the job is, between being behind the wheel for 11-14 hours a day, not being able to spend time with their families, getting crap pay and even crappier sleep...all to deliver things that your life would be pretty miserable without (food, toilet paper, clothes, etc).

In trucking school, and training for a company, every trainer I've had has taught me to stay in the right lane & let the cars adjust their speed to fit in my lane. Sometimes they recommended moving over if there was space, BUT THEY RARELY DID!

This has always been a concern of mine, because I try to be considerate of everyone, however, having driven for 2 years, a situation keeps coming up.

Now 18-wheelers are often supposed to stay in the right-lane, by law. Often the signs on the road will tell a trucker which lane he should be in. Cars can ignore these signs & often do, but not 18-wheelers. Often we need to legally be in the right lane so we don't get a ticket, and moving over to the fast/passing-lane is a risky choice, but still, I'd often do it, with the hope that I can get back in the legal lane without pressing the brakes and using up too much expensive fuel. But every now & then, when I let a car in, that car would not let me back into the slow lane. Some cars actually will ride in my blind-spot. Some cars, after I let them in, actually pass me, slowly, on the right - in my huge blind-spot, which is highly dangerous for both of us & the rest of traffic. Ever see those signs on trailers saying, don't pass on this side? But that's not all, once one car passes a truck on the right, more jump in, and then they are all flowing down my right, keeping me from getting back in the slow lane. Most 18-wheelers are speed-limited. We cannot speed up to the same speed as the rest of traffic, and moving into the fast lane slows everyone down considerably, and it stands to reason that they would all try to pass on the right. Some areas are worse than others, like NY, or OH, or cities.

Often, the car I let in just has no idea that I was being polite to move over, and he, likewise, should be polite, and give me plenty of space to get back in the slow lane.

That's another thing cars will do when I move over for them. They ride about 2 or 3 feet behind the trailer, in the slow lane, matching my speed. It's very difficult to judge distance with the right-side mirror in a truck. That's the blind-side. I don't know if the car is beside me, or behind me, often, and often I just have to guess, and hope, and start moving over w/ my blinkers on & hope they are not texting, and get out of the way if they are next to me. This is very dangerous and scary for a trucker, but this HAPPENS ALL THE TIME! You see, cars simply expect proper etiquite from the trucker, but they have no idea what to do, to be polite in return. It's like opening the door for a lady who locks it behind you before you can also get in.

So you got the truck's number, eh? You going to turn him in? Well, hope it makes you feel better. I for one, will not move over most of the time either, & if the cars don't like it, they can speed up & move in front of me, slow down & move behind me, or crash into my side & die. As for the cars, if you don't slow down to let my 18-wheeler in, I'll slow down until someone does, or run out of lane - which has never happened yet. Trucks can't accellerate like cars can, to let themselves in. We need help. Often, they can't move over. Often, moving over ends up biting them in the butt, cause the car's driver has no idea what is required of an 18-wheeler. Those guys leaving me 2 feet of room to get back in probably think they are returning the favor. Ignorance is not an excuse. Trucks need to drive legal to make a living & avoid tickets. We didn't write the laws. I'm tired of paying for car's ignorance. That's why I don't move over like I used to. That's why I don't mind running you cars off the road if you don't crash into a bridge or guard-rail. Cause it's just not worth it to me most of the time. Sorry. I'd rather us both be knowledgable & do the right thing & be considerate, but the fact is cars are ignorant of 18-wheeler laws, & rules, & limitations.

To be considerate to a big truck who moves over & lets you in, you give him plenty of space to get in front of you, and blink your lights, to signal him that no one is about to try to pass him on the right, and he has plenty of space to get in. 1 in 2000 cars actually do this, but every trucker is supposed to know that to be polite he needs to move over & let a car in. We all need a proper education & knowledge. I'm considerate. I care. I want to make it easier on you, but not at the expense that my 13-hour day is so stressful I make serious mistakes at the end of my shift & kill or crash or take out some signs or a tire & become unemployable. Why don't you be more considerate and just adjust your speed to match an empty space & slip in, instead of expecting the big-truck to move over for you, your royal highness.

First off you are an idiot, when merging onto a highway it is the responsibilty of the vehicle entering to adjust speed as to not interupt, hinder or disrupt the flow of traffic. That means speed up or slow down or STOP if need be to safely enter traffic flow. A semi running 65 mph carrying 80, 000 lbs just can't change lanes at will to LET YOU IN. That would endanger everyone around them because you do not know how to drive. IT IS NOT THE RESPONSIBILTY OF HIGHWAY TRAFFIC TO MOVE, CHANGE SPEED OR DO ANYTHING FOR THAT MATTER TO LET YOU IN SO PUT THE CELL PHONE DOWN AND PAY ATTENTION SO YOU CAN MERGE INTO TRAFFIC PROPERLY OR STAY HOME! As for his being on your bumper I agree with you completely tailgating by an 18 wheeler is incredibly dangerous.

First of all, this guy should not have been on your tail on the exit ramp.

Second of all, it is not anyone's responsibility to let you on the highway when you are entering. A lot of times, a truck just can't merge to the left to let someone on, if there is someone else in the left lane. Also, it is helpful to learn to take a quick glance at the highway when you get on the entrance ramp to see what is coming, then make a determination of where would be the best place to slide in. Don't go 45-50 on the entrance ramp until you hit the highway, then cut in front of someone, then hit the gas. Get up to speed limit, then you can make a better determination of what you need to do to get on.

I agree 100%. Those drivers are CRAZY!

I've been with Heartland 2 years tomorrow and yes they suck. One thing a driver told me before I was ever hired on has proven to be true. Heartland does not care about anything but the next load. They do not care about the driver or his home time or anything the driver has to sat. They will listen to you for hours on the phone but nothing will come of it. Basically deal with what they give you or quit. You will never be home when you want to. You will be home 3 to 4 days after you want to be home. You will run 2 to 3 different loads a day. You will burn up y I ur entire 14 hour clock every single day but only drive 200 miles. You will have to call and beg to get paid any extra money. Your dispatcher does not care about you, his boss does not care a b out you. You can take it all the way up the chain of command and get nowhere. They just don't give a ### about you. Period. Either accept being tested like ### by them and accept it as a way of life to be their botch or quit. That's the reality of Heartland Express plain and simple and trust me I know.

Hello to all the truck drivers. I started driving in 1988 until 2008 in all that time I only worked for two companies that were decent to work for this were dedicated position. The problems in this industry is not this companies but the drivers who think that it will change for the better. I read this complaints and they never change same old complaints just new drivers making them we are nothing to this companies because we do not no what we are worth as a driver. they tell you. All this sign on bonus they offer are to bring more sheep to the slaughter. truck drivers go along with it so why would companies stop this practice.TO pay cent per mile to a company driver is takeing advantage of the driver. they keep lobbying for more driving hours let them pay by the hour so you could make a living wage. they could no longer hide behind lies if your in their equipment your at work pay you 14 hours a day this would get drivers home with pay they deserve there is no driver shortage just smarter people who don, t want to drive for cheap wages. so good luck if you stay in this low paying job 70 hours a week very little pay less than minimum wage that's why your not respected by your company or any one else. Thank YOU

Heartless express can't deliver there promises or just don't want to is more like it is a horrible place to work planners run the show why they even have dispatchers half the time my dispatcher has no idea I was given a load or had a load taken away from me the right hand has no idea what left hands doing and they don't care the hometime is at there convenience home on a saturday take a load on sunday and them come back and have monday off been 30 miles away from home on Friday on my hometime weekend but was forced to run another load before getting home on Sunday staying out three four weeks at a time and barely getting 48 hours at home.
Miles are up and down nonstop switching loads at the last minute and then getting a relay with less miles regional drivers are all over the place and getting payed less per mile this company is a bad decision don't come here non stop talking to drivers that have been here 10 years plus that say its getting worse but are to close to retirement to leave now there's not a perfect company out there I know put if anybody tells you that this is a great place to work don't believe them its a lie there just hoping for the recruitment money it was a very bad decision to come here see all these complaints its not just me this company sucks

I have been both an employer and an employee at one time or another. So I feel like I understand that sometimes what's in the best interest of the company is in conflict with what's in the best interest of the employee. I take what former employees say seriously, but, I would be interested in hearing what the company says in response to the above charges. My number one complaint with the trucking companies I have driven for is the amount of downtime during peak driving hours. No driver wants to spend all the best daylight hours sitting idle at a truck stop, or worse, on the side of a busy road, for H-O-U-R-S waiting for dispatch to find a load, then have to rush to get to it, then drive into the wee, early hours of the morning, fighting sleep every mile of the way. I was told that the price of freight goes up after 2:00 PM, so it seems that dispatchers often wait until then to find loads. I can certainly understand why the company would want to be paid the most possible for hauling a load, but, the driver makes nothing if the wheels aren't turning. It would be great if companies and drivers could find ways to resolve issues that put them at odds with each other.

Right, very VERY small runs at almost .50 cpm. Then you'll be rushed 100 miles to do a relay at a truck stop. Then you'll sit there, like a bump on a tree wasting your time while your time being eaten up by the timer. Then they'll send you a message, beep! Another load, great this is 300 miles and I have 3 days to get there. Anoher relay! You met a driver that complains how he's pist that he has no home time. You find yourself frustrated because you haven't been home in 3 weeks. Nevermind the fact that you put in a request 4 weeks ago to go home. Heartland sucks! HEARTLAND THINKS THEY'RE THE BEST THING TO HAPPEN SINCE THE TRUCKING STARTED. ...Let';s not even talk about the heavy loads! That they'll stick to you every week, your heart will race away once you enter the weight station. BAM! Ticket! Will get use to it, because you'll have so many overweight tickets that you'll start to the Troopers personal business on a weekly basis! I may be joking but I'm just stating the FACTS. Heartland sucks! I wonder if the local ###s in the short bus have jobs as planners and dispatchers. Because they do some of the dumbest planning for a trucking company, than they'll blame you because you didn't deliver their freight on time even thou they knew you didn't have to time to get there. It's almost like dumb and dumber are competing for bullying around drivers.

Well to start I am a regional driver for Heartland and I have now problems there. The difference between a system driver and a regional is that regional goes home each weekend. As for miles you get what you earn, if you are wasting time your dispatcher will see that and they respect the people who do the job they are paid to. As for being a fly by night company maybe you should look at how long they have been in business. There are many drivers that get bad weeks and good weeks at every company but till you put in your time at a company and they see what kind of driver and person you are stop complaining. I would rather drive 2000 miles a week at 44 cents and try to drive 3000 at 30 cents that most companies pay.

What they like too do is use several trucks to move loads, your a .50cpm shuttle driver, don't work for them, I would deliever a load on friday afternoon then wouldn't get anything even begged for load would sit at terminal all weekend waiting, then get called in cause my miles were under the average for the company. All I know most companies I worked with I would always had my next load before I delievered the one I was under. My miles with Heartless Express were the lowest I ever ran, I never complained about anything just begged for work.

YES I AGREE 100%. THEY ARE A FLY BY NIGHT COMPANY! IT SHOULD BE HEARTLAND DEPRESSED. THEY ONLY HIRE OLD DRIVERS THAT DONT KNOW HOW TO DRIVE. I KNEW SOME ONE WHO USE TO WORK FOR THEM AND THEY LOST EVERYTHING BECAUSE OF THIS FLY BY NIGHT COMPANY. THEY WILL OFFER YOU 0.50 CPM, BUT IF THEY GIVE YOU CRAPPY MILES THEN YOU WONT MAKE ANYTHING:(

this company is by far the worst company you could ever work for. its like working for hitler.drivers are forced to sit in long repair lines, 6 to 8 hours are common during there off time . when they should be sleeping they are sitting in line behind the wheel. then they are forced to use that time as there down time and sent back out on the road. if they conplain they are fired. i worked for them as a mechanic and the things i saw there where terible. someone with some athoarity should look into this company. VERY VERY VERY BAD company. stay away. if there customers new how they treated there employees they would not have customers.