ABF | Considering changing jobs

papejr

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What do you think of working at ABF? Thinking of the road, my current employer has no future to them. Appreciate your opinion. Thanks
 
What do you think of working at ABF? Thinking of the road, my current employer has no future to them. Appreciate your opinion. Thanks
ABF is hard to get hired with for some reason and I wouldn't leave where you are unless it's either that bad or you get the nod from ABF if you go to them. Altogether they are good. A well run machine without too many hiccups in our daily chores. How many hours you work can vary widely depending on location. We don't all get hammered with excessive OT like some other outfits. Health insurance is as good as it gets and they contribute full ante to the pension fund. Ability to deliver the U-Pack cubes with the flatbeds is a must and it's one of the worst things we have to do because of the tight places we have to get into with a 43' long trailer with axles fixed at the rear. Then we are also in the treadmill installation business as well and we are under equipped and under manned on those deliveries. If you get more than your share of these they will kill your back.
I hope that helps a little and if you have any other questions just ask. We have a good group of guys on here, many who have left the YRC conglomerate.

Ooops, I see you're looking at road work. I don't know too much about that but those guys work a lot and seem to be fairly happy too. You would need to open another bank account though-the banks only insure up to a certain amount.
 
I am a road driver and for the most part ABF is a fairly good company. But it depends on what you are looking for and what you are willing to put up with as to whether this is a good job or not. For example as ABFer says the $$$ is fairly good compared to other companies. I will earn in the neighborhood of $77k this year but EARNED is what I did. To work for ABF on the road you need to be thick skinned and willing to take more BULL ***** than at any company I have worked for. You will sit around for days at a time guarding the phone waiting for dispatch to call (and I mean days) then you will be told to hit the road and work as much as you can as fast as you can. Then be prepared to sit for 3 or more days waiting for that phone call again. And a lot of times you will end up taking your off time in a motel somewhere because you are sitting in that motel waiting on that phone call for 20 to 25 hrs or more (literally, no exaggeration). You can also expect dispatch and management to ridicule you if you complain or question anything because, as ABFer says, you will need to open another bank account. You will also be required to work most holidays (I worked all the holidays this year except the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas day). And don’t have a doctor and dentist or other appointment because ABF needs you to work those days because dispatch is short on drivers.

Now, if all that seems like something you can deal with, then take the road job. The money, benefits, and retirement are very good for now. Good luck from a 13yr veteran at ABF.
 
Homesick is pretty close with his comments, Not sure the terminal he runs out of. The linehaul mgr has a lot to do with your situation. But you have to run 6 tours to get 48 hrs off. Most drivers that run into KC want our dispatchers to keep them busy so they don't have to return to their crappy terminals where treated like crap.. In my opinion ABF sucks. drivers have historys of heart disease, diabetes and divorce,, not to mention stress.. The union is weak and does not represent its members fairly even in contract negotiations. We are no longer the best paid road drivers, you also will have to work 2 years for a weeks vacation. 8 years for 2 weeks. You run 60-62 mph on hwys,, almost the slowest of any fleet which also makes you accident prone especially on 2 lane hwys. I will say that if you are home you can elect to not work holidays, but the company if you are out certainly will not bend over to get you home if they have freight to move. yes you will lay excessive hrs sometimes and do dumb nonsense dispatches. And The ABF linehaul system will be changing soon since the inception of its contract
 
I do believe that Homesick has described a 'hog board' and that some areas have 'wheel boards', where they run completely through the list before going back to the top. That vacation schedule is pathetic to say the least.
 
Overall A.B.F. is a good choice. Like abfer said, find out if it is a hog board or wheel board at the terminal you are interested in. You did not say if you are coming from an ltl company or a full load carrier. Make sure you fill out the application accurately. A.B.F. goes over it with a microscope and will contact you is something is a miss. The hiring process is a bit slow so be patient Good luck to you.
 
Overall A.B.F. is a good choice. Like abfer said, find out if it is a hog board or wheel board at the terminal you are interested in. You did not say if you are coming from an ltl company or a full load carrier. Make sure you fill out the application accurately. A.B.F. goes over it with a microscope and will contact you is something is a miss. The hiring process is a bit slow so be patient Good luck to you.
But then...how bad can it be? Slavin and I both got hired...:hysterical:
 
Don't know what kind of board they are or how each board is run. I'm looking at Dayton or Cincinnati. I work LTL part of the YRC group been here quite a while.
 
I see here in Chicago..( South Chicago) there is a sign up in front of the terminal.. looking for drivers..one of my buddies just got hired and he said a lot of guys are retiring..I am thinking about P&D...
 
Some guys coming from other trucking companies think "P & D" means "Park and Doze",.....which is NOT the case here at ABF. As far as getting hired here,.....ABF is probably the best company in an industry that's gradually worsening like the Titanic slipping under the waves. Some of the new hires have no clue what LTL is about....( Hint:....Your driving skills are taken for granted that you are the "best" driver in the world and can do anything with a truck in any type of weather,....the revenue is made in the trailer, and your skills in handling all types of freight quickly and efficiently are much more prized by management than your driving skills.......)......since they are hiring people who don't have very much LTL experience, ABF is now relying heavily on their older employees to run and deliver more of the....."Humper"....loads,...the ones with unusual or difficult conditions that take more time and effort,.....and leaving the ...."Gravy",......the simpler, easier deliveries to the less experienced,......( or the ones that say they are......)......A complete reversal of how things used to be ten or fifteen years ago, when seniority meant you could coast into retirement on a wave of "gravy".......Now,.....with older guys being forced,.....due to pride, mainly,.......to pick up more and more of the slack, ABF is quickly wearing out,....and forcing out,....many of their experienced older hands at a far faster rate than they used to. Of course, no one in management has thought through the long-term implications of this,.........they won't until they're forced to by service failures,.......then maybe they can form some sort of focus group to "find out why"........
 
Some guys coming from other trucking companies think "P & D" means "Park and Doze",.....which is NOT the case here at ABF. As far as getting hired here,.....ABF is probably the best company in an industry that's gradually worsening like the Titanic slipping under the waves. Some of the new hires have no clue what LTL is about....( Hint:....Your driving skills are taken for granted that you are the "best" driver in the world and can do anything with a truck in any type of weather,....the revenue is made in the trailer, and your skills in handling all types of freight quickly and efficiently are much more prized by management than your driving skills.......)......since they are hiring people who don't have very much LTL experience, ABF is now relying heavily on their older employees to run and deliver more of the....."Humper"....loads,...the ones with unusual or difficult conditions that take more time and effort,.....and leaving the ...."Gravy",......the simpler, easier deliveries to the less experienced,......( or the ones that say they are......)......A complete reversal of how things used to be ten or fifteen years ago, when seniority meant you could coast into retirement on a wave of "gravy".......Now,.....with older guys being forced,.....due to pride, mainly,.......to pick up more and more of the slack, ABF is quickly wearing out,....and forcing out,....many of their experienced older hands at a far faster rate than they used to. Of course, no one in management has thought through the long-term implications of this,.........they won't until they're forced to by service failures,.......then maybe they can form some sort of focus group to "find out why"........

How true. and newer drivers with attitude about the runs they get. senior drivers getting lift gate with 10-12 stops or SS at a grocery warehouse while those that ***** get the gravy runs. bad backs and knees will catch up to you, after all we are "experts" when it comes to treadmills and such lol:crybaby:
 
Some guys coming from other trucking companies think "P & D" means "Park and Doze",.....which is NOT the case here at ABF. As far as getting hired here,.....ABF is probably the best company in an industry that's gradually worsening like the Titanic slipping under the waves. Some of the new hires have no clue what LTL is about....( Hint:....Your driving skills are taken for granted that you are the "best" driver in the world and can do anything with a truck in any type of weather,....the revenue is made in the trailer, and your skills in handling all types of freight quickly and efficiently are much more prized by management than your driving skills.......)......since they are hiring people who don't have very much LTL experience, ABF is now relying heavily on their older employees to run and deliver more of the....."Humper"....loads,...the ones with unusual or difficult conditions that take more time and effort,.....and leaving the ...."Gravy",......the simpler, easier deliveries to the less experienced,......( or the ones that say they are......)......A complete reversal of how things used to be ten or fifteen years ago, when seniority meant you could coast into retirement on a wave of "gravy".......Now,.....with older guys being forced,.....due to pride, mainly,.......to pick up more and more of the slack, ABF is quickly wearing out,....and forcing out,....many of their experienced older hands at a far faster rate than they used to. Of course, no one in management has thought through the long-term implications of this,.........they won't until they're forced to by service failures,.......then maybe they can form some sort of focus group to "find out why"........

Just my two cent's worth. I believe any one hiring on any road board should be open to change. I think a lot more changes are coming soon and I think a lot will involve the linehaul position's. Maybe more ue work or vastly different lane's. Just think there is only so much they can change in p&d so the linehaul job's are probably open for the bigger change. But ABF is still one of the better job's in the ltl industry. The ue positions in my area are pretty decent run's. You are expected to work hard but we still are not as bad as some other companies. Safe travels and HAPPY NEW YEAR to all.
 
Just my two cent's worth. I believe any one hiring on any road board should be open to change. I think a lot more changes are coming soon and I think a lot will involve the linehaul position's. Maybe more ue work or vastly different lane's. Just think there is only so much they can change in p&d so the linehaul job's are probably open for the bigger change. But ABF is still one of the better job's in the ltl industry. The ue positions in my area are pretty decent run's. You are expected to work hard but we still are not as bad as some other companies. Safe travels and HAPPY NEW YEAR to all.

Personally I think you are right Green$dawg. I think we are in for some big changes coming soon!!!
 
Personally I think you are right Green$dawg. I think we are in for some big changes coming soon!!!

Is this why you guys are on a hiring spree here? I've seen alot of openings for abf lately in the past 6 months. Abf is actually looking for line drivers here in Denver. I said the hell with it and applied. I have a decent line haul gig but my company has a uncertain future too.
 
ABF processes a large number of applicants per hire, I don't know what the ratio is but 10:1 would not surprise me. We have an aging work force that they expect to hit the road soon and they may well be right. I see a number of future retirees at my shop. Good luck with your app. keep us informed.
 
Is this why you guys are on a hiring spree here? I've seen alot of openings for abf lately in the past 6 months. Abf is actually looking for line drivers here in Denver. I said the hell with it and applied. I have a decent line haul gig but my company has a uncertain future too.
Probably the first time in the last 12 to 15 yrs haven't had layoff's at local level this time of the year. Instead we're hiring
 
What do you think of working at ABF? Thinking of the road, my current employer has no future to them. Appreciate your opinion. Thanks

Running road is great. Just keep your head down and mouth shut because ABF is full of backstabbers unless you agree with them.
 
Running road is great. Just keep your head down and mouth shut because ABF is full of backstabbers unless you agree with them.

You just described ALL trucking companies,lol...Some are probably worse than others,but the advice is good for all employees in the industry.
 
Running road is great. Just keep your head down and mouth shut because ABF is full of backstabbers unless you agree with them.


Welcome Back Stoney!!! I see your starting right where you left off...KNOCK IT OFF, if you get banned who am I going to argue with... LOL
 
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