Estes | Regional Linehaul?

I'm gone 5 days 99% of the time. Only time I'm in during week is if I cover for someone or there was no freight beginning of year and they sent me in for 3 day weekend. Hard to get home when they send you deep into the the northeast.
If you looks to be home all the time I where the frustration comes in at. But I coming in off the streets you have to start from the bottom a work your way up to getting a bid run. And that's at Most LTL companies. Even Saia. We have extra board drivers that want to be go all week because they live far from the terminal. I guess that's why a driver that's willing to run makes higher wages than drivers that looks to be home everyday. Facts plus Estes pay there extra board driver's more than they pay there bid drivers. Because your gone multiple days. Back when its was slow I think they did better than some other carriers that actually laid there drivers off. But Estes didn't do that. They stayed afloat.
 
If you looks to be home all the time I where the frustration comes in at. But I coming in off the streets you have to start from the bottom a work your way up to getting a bid run. And that's at Most LTL companies. Even Saia. We have extra board drivers that want to be go all week because they live far from the terminal. I guess that's why a driver that's willing to run makes higher wages than drivers that looks to be home everyday. Facts plus Estes pay there extra board driver's more than they pay there bid drivers. Because your gone multiple days. Back when its was slow I think they did better than some other carriers that actually laid there drivers off. But Estes didn't do that. They stayed afloat.


Yeah they ran me alright during slow time. No complaints there. No doubt a extraboard guy who wants to run 6 days or even 7 can get 3400-3800 miles week easy.
 
Well I got my answer, its 5 days out. Thanks but NO THANKS.
Don't let being gone five days keep you from making a great career decision. Because you never know what might happen hear at Estes. You might come in and get a bid run quick. I got offered a bid run.and I had only been with the company for a few weeks. But I didn't want a bid run at that time. Just saying. The money here is to good to let one thing stop you.
 
If you looks to be home all the time I where the frustration comes in at. But I coming in off the streets you have to start from the bottom a work your way up to getting a bid run. And that's at Most LTL companies. Even Saia. We have extra board drivers that want to be go all week because they live far from the terminal. I guess that's why a driver that's willing to run makes higher wages than drivers that looks to be home everyday. Facts plus Estes pay there extra board driver's more than they pay there bid drivers. Because your gone multiple days. Back when its was slow I think they did better than some other carriers that actually laid there drivers off. But Estes didn't do that. They stayed afloat.


No one is suggesting someone should expect to come in off the street and get a bid. Your assessment that “most@ LTL companies expect new drivers to be out all week is inaccurate. Here in the Midwest the only ones that I know of that do are Estes, Saia and Holland. Every other company in this area, ABF, FedEx Freight, R&L, XPO, YRC, Pyle, Pitt-Ohio, Dayton, Cental Transport, OD, UPS Freight all are home daily or out 1-2 days at time tops. That’s why they can’t hire experienced LTL drivers for Linehaul around here, too many options that are more like what most experienced guys are used to.
 
A lot of Estes extraboard drivers prefer XB.

As far as people whining about doing extraboard, what happened to paying your dues? Run xb, accrue seniority and get a schedule run.

But no, everyone wants to be handed a cushy schedule as a new hire. Sure, OD will have you home everyday, but you're treated as an on-call driver and you arent gurenteed to run on your 10.

I can completely understand not wanting to run XB, But it's not like you'll be on it forever.
At most Small terminals you will
 
No one is suggesting someone should expect to come in off the street and get a bid. Your assessment that “most@ LTL companies expect new drivers to be out all week is inaccurate. Here in the Midwest the only ones that I know of that do are Estes, Saia and Holland. Every other company in this area, ABF, FedEx Freight, R&L, XPO, YRC, Pyle, Pitt-Ohio, Dayton, Cental Transport, OD, UPS Freight all are home daily or out 1-2 days at time tops. That’s why they can’t hire experienced LTL drivers for Linehaul around here, too many options that are more like what most experienced guys are used to.
This is exactly what I think. Get out of the Seventies Estes !!!
 
Most of our guys are out all week because they want to be. Ive never cared anything about being home.
 
A lot of Estes extraboard drivers prefer XB.

As far as people whining about doing extraboard, what happened to paying your dues? Run xb, accrue seniority and get a schedule run.

But no, everyone wants to be handed a cushy schedule as a new hire. Sure, OD will have you home everyday, but you're treated as an on-call driver and you arent gurenteed to run on your 10.

I can completely understand not wanting to run XB, But it's not like you'll be on it forever.
You will at a small terminal.
 
99% of the time..
They love pups a 53 is like hitting the jackpot and its like a broken record dispatch saying "we got the first pup were waiting for the second " will not send driver with one pup even if you have to wait three hours for an empty rear pup and even if you have to be at a meetpoint they dont care if the meet driver waits three hours
 
They love pups a 53 is like hitting the jackpot and its like a broken record dispatch saying "we got the first pup were waiting for the second " will not send driver with one pup even if you have to wait three hours for an empty rear pup and even if you have to be at a meetpoint they dont care if the meet driver waits three hours
Personally,I would rather pull pups.I have to remind myself that I have a 53 when making turns..
 
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