I have received a Job offer to work for Central Transport in Chicago...can anyone tell me the working conditions at Central and any other info u think would b helpful.

Buzz

Hey Buzz

What position did they offer you?

The Job is City Driver

Buzz

Here is the scoop:

FACTS:

P&D drivers load/unload their own trailers everyday. So, you punch in between 6-7 AM, unload IB linehaul and load your own trailer. Run your route and then unload/load linehaul for night run. Most likely dock doesn't have forklift for each driver, so you wait/pallet jack in between. They use a handheld device that clocks in/out driver, it OFTEN miscalculates your hours and you have to argue with TM for all your pay.

If they are recruiting you from a different company they will promise you the world and tell how much they have improved in past 2 years, the only promise they will keep is your salary. Insurance has few choices and high copays compared to other companies plans.

OPINION:

Most hostile working conditions I have ever seen. High turnover rate of TMs, dispatchers, sales, drivers, etc. I have worked for three transportation companies and they were by far the worst.

Who are you working for now?

If you are currently employed I would think hard about making the switch. If you are unemployed, then what do you have to lose?

I can't speak for their terminal in Chicago, but I worked at their Toledo one. Worst job I've ever had. It was so bad I quit in 3 days. I have a friend who had a similar experience at one of their Michigan terminals. I'll try to sum up just SOME of my bad experiences there.

1. I got ZERO training, they didn't tell me one policy, just threw me out the door and expected me to know how they do things.

2. When working the dock you get paid by this PDA called a dolphin. At the end of one day It said I had zero hours, I talked to the terminal manager... he didn't seem to care. I never got paid for 8 hours of dock work.

3. Someone in the office showed me a sheet full of pay issues... it was for just one week.

4. the night dispatcher didn't even now that I needed the bill to some hazmat I was carrying.

5. The dock was 95% full, with freight stacked 3 and 4 high... freight was falling over on me.

6. the truck they gave me to drive was made in the 80's and wasn't DOT legal; sure I could've refused to drive it but then I would've been going home.

7. I'd report to work when they told me, but then I'd have to sit around for up to 2 hours for them to get everything ready, and I wasn't getting paid. And no I couldn't work the dock because city driver were using the forks.

There was more, but you get the idea. I would never recommend anyone go there unless they are desperate. I left there to go back to my old company that had worse pay & benefits and I don't regret it.

Just to give you an idea of the turn over, at least on the linehaul side. There were about a dozen other linehaul guys at the terminal, I wanted the indy run but you needed seniorty for that. I asked how long it'd take me to get seniorty to run it, I was told not long cuz top seniority driver had just a little over a year with the company.

Zathon is spot on, especially #7.