What's new

FedEx Freight | Road to City

Clandestine_ice

Clandestine_ice

TB Veteran
Credits
1
While the road has obvious advantages ie: higher income, no longer having to deal with a-hole customers and if your dispatchers are weenies, that can be a problem to.

But has anyone here ever voluntarily chose that route and if so was it hard to re-adjust? I'm contemplating making that leap due to lack of work and not really digging the prospect of working 13 hrs a day and trying to sleep in the afternoon. No too mention that I think the face of ltl road is coming into change and that is a major concern.
 
Being at the bottom of the board, like myself. The only way to make a decent paycheck is to put in a fourteen hour day. My bid as a road driver is pretty much a joke. The miles are laughable at best. So Mr.Ice, I too am considering making the change to city and also curious as to any input from those that have made the switch.
 
Bottom of the city board isn't much better. I've been the bottom city driver at my small barn for 2 years now and there is no consistency in work. One week its 50 hours and a couple turns then its two weeks of 25 hours on the dock with no turns. It might be better at a bigger yard or hub.
 
With the way the rumors are around here, that linehaul is the most expensive part of LTL, and companies using purchase companies more and more, and with all major LTL companies, union or not, I'm beginning to believe being a road driver here, at least in some parts of the country is going the way of the pony express. There are alot of companies that could specialize in moving freight between terminals for alot less. Conway truckload back in 1997 (CCX?) used to pull all our "city freight" of 12 drivers to the airport every night (150 miles) and return in the morning just in time for us to make our 9 to 10:30 appointments, keeping us under 8 hours. Not to mention utilizing the rails, like the airport, someday they will work out the bugs and they WILL work.... The truth hurts. Sorry but Jim Varnco is still right.

If you want to make money to provide for your family and not yourself, and obviously not college educated- the railroad is the way to go, absolutely no life, but your family, that you will not be able to support yourself, here unless your spouse has a better job than you, if not divorced yet, will be able to have a better life. My parents always said not going to college is someday going to bite you in the rear. Yeah, you are making more than most of your friends and parents now, but when they get a job, ten years or so later, they will probably be making alot more- doing alot less than you, and you'll be lucky to live long enough to enjoy your retirement, while they will begin enjoying theirs at 55.

I don't see being able to retire that young here, and having a body left beyond it.... sorry life sucks. Like the story goes in the Ant and the Grasshopper he who works wise and plans smart, will survive the winter to come.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
City sucks , the customers are a-holes and the frt is damaged then they take it out on you.
Don't get me wrong , there are some that will treat you like a human and actually be happy
to see you but for the most part is usually starts out with " what the hell do you have today ?"
 
Well, they can all kiss my a$$ in my opionion. I wouldn't be there to be friends but rather there to deliver their crap in a decent manner and take off ASAP. I guess I just want to be back on days again.
 
At my barn the bottom city drivers are basically dock workers and shuttle runners. For the most part I enjoy the city, but some days when it's 100 degrees out and you are carrying 1000Lb of dog food into the vets office or hardwood flooring into someone's house you have to wonder why the he11 you ever took this job. Lately it seems more and more economy freight comes in damaged. It's always my fault so I bite my tongue, get the info and leave. Like I tell the new guys, the only reason I do this for a living is the money. Between the customers and the company this industry really isn't that dream job everyone thinks it is!
 
I just made the leap your talking about i worked 2.5 years in INDY as a road driver,moved to HOU 4 months ago I dont like dock much but I am way happier, I will never work nights again, nothing is worse than trying to prepare for nights on monday and trying to salvage a good saturday when feeling tired,I drive maybe 2 or 3 days a week and it is pretty easy work. i dont make road money but its not worth it to me anymore to work nights,you can still make 60k in city at our pay scale,good luck...
 
SMOKESTACK said:
City sucks , the customers are a-holes and the frt is damaged then they take it out on you.
Don't get me wrong , there are some that will treat you like a human and actually be happy
to see you but for the most part is usually starts out with " what the hell do you have today ?"
Click to expand...

Boxes. Same as last time. Anything else? Sign here.
 
MANNING 18 said:
I just made the leap your talking about i worked 2.5 years in INDY as a road driver,moved to HOU 4 months ago I dont like dock much but I am way happier, I will never work nights again, nothing is worse than trying to prepare for nights on monday and trying to salvage a good saturday when feeling tired,I drive maybe 2 or 3 days a week and it is pretty easy work. i dont make road money but its not worth it to me anymore to work nights,you can still make 60k in city at our pay scale,good luck...
Click to expand...

Thank you my friend. This is the response I was looking for, someone who actually made that leap. Happy to hear its worked out for you. Money is good, but nights offer few opportunities to live somewhat of a normal life IMO.
 
Big Dave said:
..bottom left...no, the other left where it says "received by"....umm that's OK. You can sign there...:duh:
Click to expand...

Also... "That's why I folded it, so you wouldn't get confused as to where to sign it, but you unfolded it and buggered up your brain something good"!
 
HubbaRocks said:
Also... "That's why I folded it, so you wouldn't get confused as to where to sign it, but you unfolded it and buggered up your brain something good"!
Click to expand...

"you sign and print right here, where it says received by, where my thumb is when I handed it to you. What's your name, I need to print it so girls in office can read it.":Rulz::duh:
 
Big Dave said:
..bottom left...no, the other left where it says "received by"....umm that's OK. You can sign there...:duh:
Click to expand...

Highlighted for for convenience. While driving down the road, of course- the company can't afford to pay us to prepare our bills before we leave the barn. It's pays the same whether you do it down the road, or there- just a little safer.
 
I always use a yellow highlighter on the spot to sign---makes it easy to say--"sign at the yellow spot, please". I am very fortunate to run the same area mostly, and the customers are more friends than anything else. Can't say that I have a bad one in the bunch.
There are advantages to being just a city driver--I have never thought about the road board--I'm content where I am..
 
I use a red X and they still ask where do you want me to sign.

Then they scribble on it and I ask again , PLEASE PRINT AT THE RED X.

Was that hard ?

For some it is....
 
Misfit said:
Highlighted for for convenience. While driving down the road, of course- the company can't afford to pay us to prepare our bills before we leave the barn. It's pays the same whether you do it down the road, or there- just a little safer.
Click to expand...

We have drivers that will sign all their bills before they clock in.
I can not understand this.
I sign the bill of my first stop before leaving yard,then sign bill for next stop before leaving that stop......repeat,repeat,repeat.
 
Clandestine_ice said:
Thank you my friend. This is the response I was looking for, someone who actually made that leap. Happy to hear its worked out for you. Money is good, but nights offer few opportunities to live somewhat of a normal life IMO.
Click to expand...

I've been on the city for 3 years now, after 3 years as a road driver(not my choice). I've never regretted it, money was the only thing on the road side that was better. It was good timing back then because I'm up pretty far on the board now. There seems to be more room for movement up in the city with people quitting, transferring and getting fired! So I say go for it now and hopefully you'll move up some before long!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top