Well, I guess this thread has turned into “im Linehaul so I’m #1”. Linehaul is the biggest expense to Saia. Period. More severe accidents, etc... I think you Linehaul guys should check your attitude at the door. Thinking you are “better” or more qualified is total crap. It’s just the type of outlook that perpetuates the BS at Saia. You guys are all professional drivers, regardless of title. Funny how, when Linehaul wants/takes vacation, they rob from City. But when city is on vacation, City just has to suck it up. So, City is good enough to cover vacation, but not to take an extra run on weekends? Big double standard if you ask me
No one said Linehaul was better then city, except you. No one is showing an attitude but you. So, check yourself sweetie.
Now, here is why I think there should be linehaul priority for linehaul.
1. Linehaul takes the risk everyday of not coming home. Could be due to weather and you only get a half days pay and your in a hotel not coming home to your family. That doesn’t happen to city. Could be because you or your meet driver broke down and either your stuck out there or have to go through. Now your off schedule the rest of the week with another half day coming. Doesn’t happen to city.
2. Your meet driver calls off or gets cut and your going through or going somewhere else. See above.
3. You don’t get paid overtime. Period. Find a linehaul driver who only worked 40 or even 50 hours.
4. We don’t get paid to fuel, to get a short at terminal repair done, or to do our paperwork. It’s part of our milage pay. We don’t get paid longer if a drop and hook takes longer then the flat rate time either. Not on the clock.
5. We’re expected to be there 30 minutes before cut. We don’t get paid till 30 minutes after cut if load isn’t ready.
6. We have to take 30 off, just like city. If we get to meet before scheduled time and the meet driver gets there after scheduled depart time because they got delayed we eat the early arrival, the 30, and another 30. That’s usually 1.5 hours, or an hour of lost time.
There’s more like more not getting paid for DOT inspections, traffic, etc. Linehaul drivers know it going in and it’s part of the job. So yeah, when there’s extra Linehaul work and we want it we should get priority.
It’s not about being better, but why should we take a back seat when a nice daytime weekend run cones up? They sure aren’t going to have a city driver run a Sunday night run.
Get off the pity train. Go Linehaul and take the risks if you want to make the money. Six figures is pretty easy if you hustle. I was doing it in five days a week and still would work six more often then not. That’s how I put three kids through college and retired at 51. That and I wasn’t a whiny little...., well, you know.