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ABF | Thoughts on abf life.

Sumting Wong said:
Non union pays better. ABF will not tolerate a driver having a life outside of work.
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Well if the pay is so much better just put a bunch of that extra money in 401k and pay for your benefits. UM think not. Non Union hr rate may be better but the total package isn't even close. Don't forget your 10000 yearly deduc for that insurance your paying for each year.
 
Op, you never tell a manager that you have family or a life somewhere on your run. You will never be dispatched there again.

I had time off coming in Indy and took three days to visit family. We had a ball. Dispatch found out. I never did go to Indy again which was too bad, it was a profitable set of runs.

I made the whole USA and Canada a home in my time. Wherever I was, once that truck is parked... they can burn it for all I care. Im not there anymore for a while until my time off is finished. I usually rented a car locally and took off for whatever. Had a ball.

Now one company might still have a axe to grind after I took one of their cars by mistake to a riverboat in Evansville one long night.
 
vongrimmenstein said:
I might have come off as a smart as* on the response to Frankie. That was not my intention. But, I am lucky to have my pension. And ABF being in business paying in to that fund has a vital effect on my choice of meats. 80/20 hamburger or bone in Ribeye. von.
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I never did well with rib eye. Now a good sirloin or a 7% sirloin ground into a dads stew was what we did.

Here is recipe simplified...

Pound of lean sirloin choice A (7% fat or even 5% if you can source it) Fry in skillet until done. As in done. Drain and set aside.

Grab big crockpot. Set the ground beef in the bottom. Chopped taters on top. Layer with celery, Tomatos, corn and so on until you think you got enough in there. Here in the south we add three individual jalapeno peppers slices. NOT whole peppers.

Toss in seasoning to taste. Now. Heres the trick. A small amount of chopped onion followed by beef broth until the whole thing is about half a inch from the crock pot lid.

Cook on high until your nose says food. Then simmer on low the rest of the day. At dinner time you should have something to feed a family on and some besides.
 
Frankie2010 said:
Most driver's have no sense. Management most are mentally disabled, I'm here for a check. Good pay if you want no life. Most driver's are worn-out and still beg to work 60 Plus hour's management does not care for our terminal, so unprofessional, no human resource department I guess they count on the union which always tells us to vote yes . Or ask the company work relations guy what to do.
It's not easy forced 60. Ask the union they say small terminal , no help I had the Union work against me in the past.
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Most drivers I have known in the last 40 plus years, are some of the best people I have ever known. Some management I have worked for are incompetent, not disabled, but I also wouldn’t trash them if I had never walked in their shoes. So I will go ahead and say it, if you think things are so bad at ABF, maybe get yourself a website, and start your own 3PL company? Then you can set your own hours, manage it, and deal with those senseless drivers, but make some of that good money.
 
BIG R GUY said:
Most drivers I have known in the last 40 plus years, are some of the best people I have ever known. Some management I have worked for are incompetent, not disabled, but I also wouldn’t trash them if I had never walked in their shoes. So I will go ahead and say it, if you think things are so bad at ABF, maybe get yourself a website, and start your own 3PL company? Then you can set your own hours, manage it, and deal with those senseless drivers, but make some of that good money.
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Ive had maybe 6 People in all of Industry Management during my lifetime first hand who actually gave a damn and took a moment to teach me.

Oh the volume now has a 11 beyond the 10 on the device with the word marshall on it? WHOO. (Hyperbole related to music but you might have the idea)

Those 6 were some of the most precious bosses evah. I wuv dem so much.

But be goddamned if I tell any of them that in person. Hell no. Am I stupid? No.
 
1984Sideways said:
Ive had maybe 6 People in all of Industry Management during my lifetime first hand who actually gave a damn and took a moment to teach me.

Oh the volume now has a 11 beyond the 10 on the device with the word marshall on it? WHOO. (Hyperbole related to music but you might have the idea)

Those 6 were some of the most precious bosses evah. I wuv dem so much.

But be goddamned if I tell any of them that in person. Hell no. Am I stupid? No.
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I like you Sideways, & your posts. But, your 'am I stupid' question is very subjective. I am very surprised you opened the door with that question. And out of respect for you, I will decline the answer to your question. von.
 
vongrimmenstein said:
I like you Sideways, & your posts. But, your 'am I stupid' question is very subjective. I am very surprised you opened the door with that question. And out of respect for you, I will decline the answer to your question. von.
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Ty.

I use ASL for the deaf which has to be converted to english for writing mentally. The word stupid is a concept that is indeed subjective to whatever is being said. Keep in mind ASL is also a space, time and noun (Subject) specific language.

I would never utter what I wrote to any of those 6 bosses. I am not that stupid. I hope that clears that up.

Sometimes bosses are pretty difficult when they get a swole head. And once in a while when a lapdog cuddles into their lap and is very happy under their tyranny they become insufferable in their reign over the office side of the trucking company.

I usually categorized bosses two ways. Big mouth company tinpot. The policy book is his or her bible. I hate them so much. And the other way is the boss used to drive like the rest of us and worked his way up. (Or bought a company rather... be it 1 truck or 400.)

There has been just three bosses that I hated enough after conflicts to where I simply walked off the job. Usually for cause which means nothing to a unemployment who classifies such thing as a quit.

The vast majority I tolerated. Here, get this load of taters to Atlanta. Its only three inches on my little map. Not hard driver. (Idaho all the way to Atlanta due in two days)
 
My guess is that it depends on location.

I have driven way too many different colored trucks in the 35 years that I've been doing it. Here ABF was 1 of, if not the worst
 
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Plague300 said:
My guess is that it depends on location.

I have driven way too many different colored trucks in the 35 years that I've been doing it. Here ABF was 1 of, if not the worst
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I would love to learn of your trials with the wicked and worse ABF of fame.

Do tell and enlighten those of us too stupid to understand just what it takes for the likes of ABF to abuse the help near the back porch?
 
The ABF lifestyle wasn't really my cup of tea. I spent a while being like a bitter ex while taking the vow of poverty at my new job, but now that things are all set at the new place, all is forgiven. Lol

I still recommend them as a great option in other parts of the country, but in my area, the work rules are a little strict and there's not much of a life to be had.
 
LTLAnonymous said:
The ABF lifestyle wasn't really my cup of tea. I spent a while being like a bitter ex while taking the vow of poverty at my new job, but now that things are all set at the new place, all is forgiven. Lol

I still recommend them as a great option in other parts of the country, but in my area, the work rules are a little strict and there's not much of a life to be had.
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It's funny how things can be different in a company depending on the terminal you work out of (and I have found this to be true in other companies as well)...usually it is local management that makes it either decent or crappy.... I had a wonderful manager when I got hired...his replacement left alot to be desired, and his replacement seems to be going downhill even further....
 
LTLAnonymous said:
The ABF lifestyle wasn't really my cup of tea. I spent a while being like a bitter ex while taking the vow of poverty at my new job, but now that things are all set at the new place, all is forgiven. Lol

I still recommend them as a great option in other parts of the country, but in my area, the work rules are a little strict and there's not much of a life to be had.
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You made the correct move & left. I have seen many stay at ABF for 30 years & they complained constantly about how much better the job was that they left. I suspect ABF was the best job they could hope for. I suggested they go back to their former employer & not go through life miserable.
 
If im totally miserable at a job its not worth the stess on my life to endure that on a day in day out basis. I may not live long enough to draw a pension and i have always thought that id never be a sell out just for money. I try to find a balance and a peace to life so i can enjoy each day as it comes because it could be my last. Dont get me wrong i have bad days to and do get stressed or anxiety but in general i try to have a thankful attitude and take one day at a time. I will never be rich and dont own a lot a stuff and my house is very small but i dont want to be a slave to any job so i try to keep debt down. Medical bills however are a problem because it doesnt take much to cost a lot and i just work at them the best i can. Anyways there is no perfect companies or perfect humans and it would be great if everyone just had some grace,mercy, and love for are fellow brothers and sisters.
 
steercrazee said:
If im totally miserable at a job its not worth the stess on my life to endure that on a day in day out basis. I may not live long enough to draw a pension and i have always thought that id never be a sell out just for money. I try to find a balance and a peace to life so i can enjoy each day as it comes because it could be my last. Dont get me wrong i have bad days to and do get stressed or anxiety but in general i try to have a thankful attitude and take one day at a time. I will never be rich and dont own a lot a stuff and my house is very small but i dont want to be a slave to any job so i try to keep debt down. Medical bills however are a problem because it doesnt take much to cost a lot and i just work at them the best i can. Anyways there is no perfect companies or perfect humans and it would be great if everyone just had some grace,mercy, and love for are fellow brothers and sisters.
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It’s mostly about the management, we had a person fill in for our TM by the name of Matt out of Avenel terminal & let me tell you I actually liked my job again. This person is a true gentleman & very smart to the trucking industry for being 24 he did things at our terminal the the current TM said couldn’t be done. Simple things like changing door #s from 9 to 109 where we store trap freight. This person is a real asset to this company will make this a better place to work….
 
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