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ABF | New Hire Advice

canaryinthemine said:
The Air traffic controllers were put in a position that they had to break the law, and they did it with the assumed assurance that President Reagan wouldn't enforce that particular law , as they had heavily donated to his campaign. Read your history. I believe we're a little off- subject here. Brother DieselGeek is trying to make an important decision, and has asked us for advice. Don't you have a site of your own, Stoney, where you can pontificate all you want?
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Really, I just want consistency out of you guys. Never any consistency from you.
 
canaryinthemine said:
The Air traffic controllers were put in a position that they had to break the law, and they did it with the assumed assurance that President Reagan wouldn't enforce that particular law , as they had heavily donated to his campaign. Read your history. I believe we're a little off- subject here. Brother DieselGeek is trying to make an important decision, and has asked us for advice. Don't you have a site of your own, Stoney, where you can pontificate all you want?
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And I think its good for DieselGeek to read this back and forth, it shows him what he's in for if takes a union job.
 
this constant bickering back and forth is pointless...he said this, he said that....this man who started this post wanted some info...why has this degenerated into a kindergarten spat on the playground? now, lets just all say we are sorry and move on
 
foxman042 said:
this constant bickering back and forth is pointless...he said this, he said that....this man who started this post wanted some info...why has this degenerated into a kindergarten spat on the playground? now, lets just all say we are sorry and move on
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No, screw the Marxist drones killing this union and country.
 
Dieselgeek said:
Interviewed for both jobs within a day of each other. Jan 16,17. I know ABF contacted a previous employer, so the background check is ongoing currently. Waiting for the same with the fuel job as well. I don't think I can go wrong with either, hard to look past the pay and benefits of ABF, but it isn't certain either I guess. Again, I like the idea of a set schedule hauling fuel. One of my biggest worries with ABF is working 10-15 years, and the pension disappears. I am currently working, so I'm not in a hurry to change jobs, but I don't want to let the fuel job pass if ABF's contract takes a downhill turn!
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Welcome to TB Mr Dieselgeek... I have some points to make regarding your inquiry.... First off I'll say that I am not an ABF employee so i can not give you any practical advice from that perspective...However I have spent the larger part of my Trucking Career in a Union Position...From reading your posts thus far it seems that your leaning more towards possible employment with ABF due to the higher wages and better benefits...but worry about a future Pension and layoff's ect... Would the Fuel hauling job have long term prospects as regards a Pension? and what type of Pension would that be? At present time the Union Pension is undergoing changes that are reflective of the times and circumstances of the economy....how that will influence things over next 2 decades is hard to predict....The Economy is a state of cyclical flux... it will at some point stabilize and once again recover and grow ...

If it were me I would take the Job at ABF if the offer were to materialize... The higher wages, if properly used, could help with funding various other investment possibilities to help offset Union Pension uncertainty at the present...while serving as a compliment to the Union Pension going forward.....As I noted in your remarks you are well aware of the fact of a less than desirable schedule in the early years.....but over the long term it will offer better choices in scheduling flexibility...through the bidding process
Try to project out where you think this Fuel Tanker job will have you in say 5 years...and then 10 years.... and do the same with the ABF Option.... ask other ABF employees on the street as you encounter them......not just limiting yourself to opinions on this board.....I have known several people that have left other Jobs to take employment with ABF and have only heard good things about it...no regrets.....While it won't be the perfect place to work.....no place is...it will probably be the best driving job around over the long term....and if your 31 yrs of age....it's important to consider the long term rather than the immediate short term advantages...if any...

The choice is yours.. Good luck going forward..
 
pilot87 said:
Welcome to TB Mr Dieselgeek... I have some points to make regarding your inquiry.... First off I'll say that I am not an ABF employee so i can not give you any practical advice from that perspective...However I have spent the larger part of my Trucking Career in a Union Position...From reading your posts thus far it seems that your leaning more towards possible employment with ABF due to the higher wages and better benefits...but worry about a future Pension and layoff's ect... Would the Fuel hauling job have long term prospects as regards a Pension? and what type of Pension would that be? At present time the Union Pension is undergoing changes that are reflective of the times and circumstances of the economy....how that will influence things over next 2 decades is hard to predict....The Economy is a state of cyclical flux... it will at some point stabilize and once again recover and grow ...

If it were me I would take the Job at ABF if the offer were to materialize... The higher wages, if properly used, could help with funding various other investment possibilities to help offset Union Pension uncertainty at the present...while serving as a compliment to the Union Pension going forward.....As I noted in your remarks you are well aware of the fact of a less than desirable schedule in the early years.....but over the long term it will offer better choices in scheduling flexibility...through the bidding process
Try to project out where you think this Fuel Tanker job will have you in say 5 years...and then 10 years.... and do the same with the ABF Option.... ask other ABF employees on the street as you encounter them......not just limiting yourself to opinions on this board.....I have known several people that have left other Jobs to take employment with ABF and have only heard good things about it...no regrets.....While it won't be the perfect place to work.....no place is...it will probably be the best driving job around over the long term....and if your 31 yrs of age....it's important to consider the long term rather than the immediate short term advantages...if any...

The choice is yours.. Good luck going forward..
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Pilot,

Thank you for honest advice! I am leaning more and more towards employment with ABF (pending an offer of employment). As you said, the pay and benefits alone exceed anything I would make hauling fuel, not to mention the lack of OT with the fuel job. There is no pension in regards to hauling fuel. Just 401k/profit sharing. The biggest thing the fuel job offers is stability. But as you said, after a few years with seniority on the bid board, ABF will provide that as well. I will admit I go back and forth as to which is the better option for me. Also hauling fuel, you must be next to the trailer when you are dropping fuel, so regardless of the weather, you will be outside for 25-30 mins while you unload. I live in MN, so that can make for some cold nights (would work nights hauling fuel). If I knew more about the future of ABF, it would be a no brainer for me. Then again, nothing is known in life aside from death and taxes... Although on the flip side, if the fuel job offered OT, I would probably be driving a tanker...

Tough decisions that is for sure. I rarely if ever read anything negative about ABF (aside from Stoney), so that plays a huge factor in my decision. I don't like the lay off potential, on call status, but I can always plow snow during the winter months if I need supplemental income. I am at the age where my future is important to me, so am trying to make possibly the last job change I'll make. I can't say I know much about freight delivery, but sure willing to learn! I would prefer to to be a road driver rather than p&d, but I'm guessing so does the rest of the terminal...

Thanks again to you, and everyone else who has provided advice thus far. Just the few who have spoken up on this thread show me a great deal about how ABF is to work for. Now I sit and wait for my approval...
 
Dieselgeek said:
Pilot,

Thank you for honest advice! I am leaning more and more towards employment with ABF (pending an offer of employment). As you said, the pay and benefits alone exceed anything I would make hauling fuel, not to mention the lack of OT with the fuel job. There is no pension in regards to hauling fuel. Just 401k/profit sharing. The biggest thing the fuel job offers is stability. But as you said, after a few years with seniority on the bid board, ABF will provide that as well. I will admit I go back and forth as to which is the better option for me. Also hauling fuel, you must be next to the trailer when you are dropping fuel, so regardless of the weather, you will be outside for 25-30 mins while you unload. I live in MN, so that can make for some cold nights (would work nights hauling fuel). If I knew more about the future of ABF, it would be a no brainer for me. Then again, nothing is known in life aside from death and taxes... Although on the flip side, if the fuel job offered OT, I would probably be driving a tanker...

Tough decisions that is for sure. I rarely if ever read anything negative about ABF (aside from Stoney), so that plays a huge factor in my decision. I don't like the lay off potential, on call status, but I can always plow snow during the winter months if I need supplemental income. I am at the age where my future is important to me, so am trying to make possibly the last job change I'll make. I can't say I know much about freight delivery, but sure willing to learn! I would prefer to to be a road driver rather than p&d, but I'm guessing so does the rest of the terminal...

Thanks again to you, and everyone else who has provided advice thus far. Just the few who have spoken up on this thread show me a great deal about how ABF is to work for. Now I sit and wait for my approval...
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I just want to be clear here. I have almost nothing bad to say about ABF. ABF is a great job! My complaint is with some Teamsters and what they want that may ruin this job.

I don't wanna chase you away, and if you do decide to come here, I just hope everything works out for you here.

I run linehaul here, and absolutely love it. After 7 years I have a great bid. Its not a big money bid, but the schedule is awsome! I make around $1400 gross a week. Its all daytime driving, nighttime sleeping in nice hotel.
I may have some smaller complaints about ABF, but nothing that's a big deal. No company is perfect. But all in all, ABF is a great company.
We do at this moment have a good pension fully funded by ABF and a 401k with no company match. The no company match doesn't bother me because of course ABF fully funds our pension.


I do apologize for highjacking your thread here.
 
Stoney said:
I just want to be clear here. I have almost nothing bad to say about ABF. ABF is a great job! My complaint is with some Teamsters and what they want that may ruin this job.

I don't wanna chase you away, and if you do decide to come here, I just hope everything works out for you here.

I run linehaul here, and absolutely love it. After 7 years I have a great bid. Its not a big money bid, but the schedule is awsome! I make around $1400 gross a week. Its all daytime driving, nighttime sleeping in nice hotel.
I may have some smaller complaints about ABF, but nothing that's a big deal. No company is perfect. But all in all, ABF is a great company.
We do at this moment have a good pension fully funded by ABF and a 401k with no company match. The no company match doesn't bother me because of course ABF fully funds our pension.


I do apologize for highjacking your thread here.
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And it is all due to it being a union shop.
 
Stoney said:
I just want to be clear here. I have almost nothing bad to say about ABF. ABF is a great job! My complaint is with some Teamsters and what they want that may ruin this job.

I don't wanna chase you away, and if you do decide to come here, I just hope everything works out for you here.

I run linehaul here, and absolutely love it. After 7 years I have a great bid. Its not a big money bid, but the schedule is awsome! I make around $1400 gross a week. Its all daytime driving, nighttime sleeping in nice hotel.
I may have some smaller complaints about ABF, but nothing that's a big deal. No company is perfect. But all in all, ABF is a great company.
We do at this moment have a good pension fully funded by ABF and a 401k with no company match. The no company match doesn't bother me because of course ABF fully funds our pension.


I do apologize for highjacking your thread here.
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Sounds like more positive information about working for ABF. I've written down the pay/benefits to compare the two, and need to decide what is best for me, and a possible family in the future. I don't know the pay structure of hauling fuel in the future, so that makes it a bit more challenging. They offer the possibility of being an O/O in the future, and that is something for me to consider whether positive or negative. I was contacted by ABF HR yesterday looking for permission to contact my current employer... Is this standard procedure for ABF? Seems very odd/strange to me.
 
Stoney said:
They asked me, I had no problem with it. Heck its on the app if they may contact your current employer.
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They asked in the interview, I said no. To me, I can't jeopardize losing my current job to have them contact them without an official offer from ABF... Seems very risky to me...
 
I dunno. ABF understands one thing more than anything else...THEIR WAY. I would not have denied that request but it is your decision not mine. If you don't hear from them asking annoying questions in the near future you know what happened.

On another note, I do not think that most of ABF's employees want to be road drivers. Road driver is a good paying job but it comes with its hitches. Mostly nighttime work, work you to death...from what I hear time off is hard to come by, to the extent that it has deterred my interest even with the bigger check.
 
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