Interview Tomorrow (not what you think)

MikeJ

TB Veteran
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So tomorrow I have an interview with a limousine company here in town. One of Cleveland's top shelf limo companies. I am kind of excited about it I mean I don't really need the job, but when we talked on the phone the guy was really nice and real personable and he said that they like to hire guys to work part time. Infact they said all they hire are CDL holders Class A ,B & C with passenger bus endorsements. So I fit right into that.

He said most of his guys are city transit bus drivers and a lot of guys who work for Coke, 7UP and The Beer Distributors. So when I told him I worked for a beer company and now Gordon Food Service he said perfect that's what were looking for.

Anyhow I kind of would like to go there to earn the extra money and make the most out of my CDL, but at the same time really interested in learning how that whole business works.

Like this isn't some hack outfit either, these guys are straight legit, like I have to take a bunch of classes and go on training runs and stuff. Limo companies hold huge huge insurance policies because it's like the highest risk insurance you can have in Ohio it's anything under 15 passengers has to have a 1.5 million dollar policy on it and above 15 passengers it has to have a 4million dollar policy on it. Any how I know this company and I know where there yard is and they run pretty top shelf equipment, there ship is run pretty tight.

What's cool though is they don't force you to work it's pretty much work as much or as little as you like.
So just being in the driver pool is cool, pick and choose what weekends you want to work.
The company does a ton of weddings, concerts, bachelor and bachelorette parties. It all sounds fine except for the bachellorette parties those scare the living bejesus out of me. In fact those are the reasons the limo industry got rid of sun roofs.

Other then that though kind of excited to learn what I can learn, that's what my life is also all about trying to learn as much as I can from where ever I can learn it oh and obviously happiness and resolving to live peacefully.
 
Keep in mind it may screw with your hours of service and reset depending on how much extra you work, and that part-time work is usually frowned by main employers for that reason.


I know what you mean, we don't really do log books at my current job at least I don't because were within 100 Air Miles of the Terminal. Yeah I would never take a part time Class A CDL trucking job. I talked to them today most of the jobs are you know 5 hours max. Not really a bad deal. Work as much or as little as you want.
 
I know what you mean, we don't really do log books at my current job at least I don't because were within 100 Air Miles of the Terminal. Yeah I would never take a part time Class A CDL trucking job. I talked to them today most of the jobs are you know 5 hours max. Not really a bad deal. Work as much or as little as you want.

Doesn't matter if you do a log, or if the part time is CDL. Any compensated job has to be counted against hours of service. And you are held to hours of service at GFS, like any other driver. It's either 60 hours in 7 days or 70 in 8. The 34 hour restart can save you, but I would think limo work would be prevalent on Saturday nights which would make the 34 impossible to get by Monday morning. Then you need 10 consecutive off duty to be able to work the next day. If you're working the kind of hours you say I don't see how you could work much for the limo service, Friday nights I guess.
 
It's weird, because there's a transit driver at our yard who's also a school bus driver. They never really harped on hours for us. I'm not totally in yet, I more or less just wanted to get my name on the roster for later down the line. Not looking to work every weekend.
 
It's weird, because there's a transit driver at our yard who's also a school bus driver. They never really harped on hours for us. I'm not totally in yet, I more or less just wanted to get my name on the roster for later down the line. Not looking to work every weekend.

I have know idea about the guy driving the bus. But I do know about hours of service, you have to have 10 consecutive hours off duty before starting your next tour. And you can't exceed the 60/7, 70/8 rule without a 34 hour restart. I think all new drivers should have to log and recap for the first couple years, nothing like the good old days of dispatch asking "how many hours do you have to run?" "I'll have more after last Thursday falls off".
 
Well it's a non issue, Michael is also taking a pass (see I came to my senses). The company reminded me and this is sacrilege to say, but it reminded me of everything I dislike very much about working for small business. Really there is something to be said about being a number and kind of in a way being able to conveniently get lost in the shuffle and just slide in and out day after day at a big impersonal company. In fact I think the more it goes the more I like the here's you're load see you later buy mentality.

Plus the limo company had and I understand why they did it, but that doesn't make it right (just because it's legal doesn't make it right) a lot of ways for the drivers to get screwed all kinds of fees in place and I'm thinking no no no no.
The owners felt that us limo drivers should have some skin in the game too.
The bottom line really was limousine insurance is as high risk as it gets, it doesn't get any more expensive then limousine insurance and most limo companies can barely afford the insurance even the better ones have a very difficult time with the insurance, plus the lines of credit extended to them on there vehicles and all that other nonsense. Really trucking is 180 degree difference most of the major companies (the one I work for) are debt free and self insured. I know Werner is also debt free and self insured.

Plus the problem with this company that I interviewed with was they wanted to stick it to you for everything. Customer calls up and complains boom were taking 35% of you're pay for that night. Basically they were going to discount the service and make you take the hit for the discount. What they were doing is trying to get the best people they could.

Well unfortunately it's all about being professional, but at the same time you can't be a stick in the mud, well how much of a non stick in the mud can you be when anything at all happens to that vehicle and even though you just work there, the owners are going to make you pay up to $500.00 to get it fixed.They tried to sell it as "This is a really fun job and it's great you'll really like it." Yeah it's really fun knowing that any thing, anything at all happens and $500.00 is coming out of my pocket. Yeah fun...

Or say some customers damaged the vehicle it was on you to collect payment or at least try. Plus if you were late to a pick up they were going to charge you $25.00 and the second time you were late you got fired.

Oh also they wanted you to call in 2 hours ahead of time to confirm you were showing up for you're run, if you didn't call in they would fine you $5.00

I've never ever ever worked anywhere ever where they were going to garnish my wages for any reason and I wasn't about to start now.

The bottom line is the retail limousine industry is a hack industry it's sad to say along the same parallel lines as the carpet cleaning industry.
 
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