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SAIA | Linehaul or city

Moonburn

Moonburn

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I've always done linehaul. Can't see myself ever humpin a pallet jack. For you guys who have been around a while, what would you choose to do if you were starting over?
 
Straight to linehaul TM has favorites and can control your money. I used to work the dock and do city which was nice on cut days to get a few hours just from the dock.New TM comes in bumps me off the dock and immediately 5k pay cut with getting a raise in the same year.
 
I've always done linehaul. Can't see myself ever humpin a pallet jack. For you guys who have been around a while, what would you choose to do if you were starting over?
 
I don't work at SAIA, but with another carrier. Been with a couple carriers before this one. And after almost 30 years, 28 of which has been P&D, In my humble opinion it comes down to money and preference. Not everyone is cut out for P&D. Some don't have, or want to learn the people skills required to deal with multiple customers on the daily.
That being said, some don't like, or want to run the long nights that some linehaul requires. Linehaul has always paid better wherever I worked, but P&D always seemed to be more steady, even in the slow times.
They each have their pros and cons. But as for me, I'm a freight jockey. Gimme the pallet jack and a challenge! Lol.
P.S. I do like to run some linehaul from time to time just to stretch my legs, and remind myself I'm a truck driver. :1036316054::tr10driving03:
 
I dont work for Saii but have worked at a few l.t.l"s and am at Estes now and id say linehaul. Some of the cities ive worked in was a pain in the tail trying to get around and some customers are just plain rude. Worked for O.D in Atlanta p&d and had a grocery warehouse delivery and O.D got me out late that day 2 hours late. I get to the warehouse and they want me to get a lumper so i call the dispatch and they say O.D doesnt pay lumper pay and i dont have $150 do pay them myself so i start unloading the pallets and halfway through the trailer with the pallets on the dock they walk back over and tell me then the pallets have to be broke down and segregated. They didnt tell me that to begin with. So i start cutting the plastic and segregating the stuff in stacks of like stuff which took awhile. They walk back over as im still have a couple pallets left to break down and tell me they quit receiving in an hour and still got half a trailer left. I told them there is no way i will have it done so i asked could they take what i got on the dock at least, and they said no it all or nothing.So i start reloading the pallets as best i can with all the odd shaped boxes and canisters etc. I have no plastic film with me, but i get it on the trailer and take back. Needless to say it was all over the trailer when i got back , and they chewed me out for it. Was told by another driver those loads are suppose to leave around 4-5 in the morning but they didnt give it to me till 7. I eventually left O.D for stunts like this and the dispatcher was a jerk. Back in the day they would cuss you and belittle you and make a stressful job that much more stressful.
 
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Also had a 53 footer at O.D one day crammed full with car and truck tires from floor to top of roof. They put an older hispanic man with me that day he was in his fifties a dock worker there in Atlanta. We went up somewhere north GA and get to the customer and unload every tire by hand. We were sweating and dirty and i felt bad for the older man because he was struggling and didnt understand why they sent him at his age. I assumed he was like me and i was not a favorite so i seemed to get a lot of crap loads and that day he had to join me probably because he wasnt a favorite on the dock.
 
Dock/Driver said:
Straight to linehaul TM has favorites and can control your money. I used to work the dock and do city which was nice on cut days to get a few hours just from the dock.New TM comes in bumps me off the dock and immediately 5k pay cut with getting a raise in the same year.
Click to expand...
Seems every company has their favorites. They wont admit it but other workers know.
 
steercrazee said:
Also had a 53 footer at O.D one day crammed full with car and truck tires from floor to top of roof. They put an older hispanic man with me that day he was in his fifties a dock worker there in Atlanta. We went up somewhere north GA and get to the customer and unload every tire by hand. We were sweating and dirty and i felt bad for the older man because he was struggling and didnt understand why they sent him at his age. I assumed he was like me and i was not a favorite so i seemed to get a lot of crap loads and that day he had to join me probably because he wasnt a favorite on the dock.
Click to expand...
Reminds me of the good old days, take a trailer loaded with 40,000 on the floor and palletize it, take the empty down the street, and fill it back up again.
 
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