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ABF | Dock to driver program

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kamakazi95

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Hello all, i am new to these forums and just looking to find some answers. Lately ive been considering a career change to make more money and ive always wanted to drive trucks since i was a little kid. I do not have my cdl yet and i am currently working on the process to get my cdl permit. I cannot afford to go to any private schools so my only option is to try and find companies willing to train drivers and help get your class a. I applied to an ABF terminal for a dock to driver position. Just wondering if theres anyone else that has gone through this process and if you could please shed any light on what the position entails? Just hoping to find a good position that doesnt require you to work the dock for like 6 months before you get considered for schooling. I also applied to my local Yellow for their dock to driver program as well.
Any information you guys could share with me about a job like this would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance! (Applied to the Eagan, MN location for anyone wondering)
 
kamakazi95 said:
Hello all, i am new to these forums and just looking to find some answers. Lately ive been considering a career change to make more money and ive always wanted to drive trucks since i was a little kid. I do not have my cdl yet and i am currently working on the process to get my cdl permit. I cannot afford to go to any private schools so my only option is to try and find companies willing to train drivers and help get your class a. I applied to an ABF terminal for a dock to driver position. Just wondering if theres anyone else that has gone through this process and if you could please shed any light on what the position entails? Just hoping to find a good position that doesnt require you to work the dock for like 6 months before you get considered for schooling. I also applied to my local Yellow for their dock to driver program as well.
Any information you guys could share with me about a job like this would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance! (Applied to the Eagan, MN location for anyone wondering)
Click to expand...
I don't know much about dock to driver but I think most of the LTL companies would be a good way to get a CDL.....the only thing I would add is think long and hard about it.....do you want to work 60 hours a week till you retire? Most of these companies will demand that......Lots of sacrifices and hours.......
 
ABF381 said:
I don't know much about dock to driver but I think most of the LTL companies would be a good way to get a CDL.....the only thing I would add is think long and hard about it.....do you want to work 60 hours a week till you retire? Most of these companies will demand that......Lots of sacrifices and hours.......
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Thanks for the response! Yeah it seems like LTL is definitely the way to go. I dont want to go into OTR so doesnt seem like many other options lol as far as hard work i currently work at least 50 hr weeks as a metal fabricator/welder. Ive also worked as a constriction general laborer as well as automotive mechanic for a handful of years so im no stranger to working hard for my money. 60hrs is definitely a good amount for 1 week but i feel if the pay reflects that i wont mind as much.
 
I did go though it 18 months ago. I got hired at an end of line terminal that need help bad so no dock work before driving training. I can’t recommend my experience enough. 6 weeks with 30 hours a week in a truck practicing. Technically making 24/hr to get trained (food per diem added in). Free hotel. Free CDL. Now going city driver being a green cdl holder I would not recommend. I feel you really need 2 years OTR experience before doing city work. Your terminal in Minnesota is like a shuttle terminal so you might be hired has a road driver so I don’t have much experience with that side. Also being trained at a bigger terminal I don’t know much about. You might mot get 30 hours a week in a truck like I did.
 
kamakazi95 said:
Hello all, i am new to these forums and just looking to find some answers. Lately ive been considering a career change to make more money and ive always wanted to drive trucks since i was a little kid. I do not have my cdl yet and i am currently working on the process to get my cdl permit. I cannot afford to go to any private schools so my only option is to try and find companies willing to train drivers and help get your class a. I applied to an ABF terminal for a dock to driver position. Just wondering if theres anyone else that has gone through this process and if you could please shed any light on what the position entails? Just hoping to find a good position that doesnt require you to work the dock for like 6 months before you get considered for schooling. I also applied to my local Yellow for their dock to driver program as well.
Any information you guys could share with me about a job like this would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance! (Applied to the Eagan, MN location for anyone wondering)
Click to expand...
Here at the Rock, we are a break-bulk or distribution center. So we have city/dock/hostle all on one supplement, road on a separate supplement, shop on a separate supplement, and clerical on a separate supplement.
Our driving school candidates are chosen from the casual (part-time) dock employees. Once you are finished with the driving school and have your CDL with all the required endorsements, you are put into a full-time dock position. When your seniority allows you to hold a city driving job come bid time, you will be a city driver. This can take anywhere from 3 to 7 years usually to become a city driver. All of our full-time city/Dock/hostle positions are required to have and maintain a CDL with all the required endorsements unless you are medically disqualified to maintain it by your doctor as well as the company doctor. But that is just how we do it here.
 
kamakazi95 said:
Thanks for the response! Yeah it seems like LTL is definitely the way to go. I dont want to go into OTR so doesnt seem like many other options lol as far as hard work i currently work at least 50 hr weeks as a metal fabricator/welder. Ive also worked as a constriction general laborer as well as automotive mechanic for a handful of years so im no stranger to working hard for my money. 60hrs is definitely a good amount for 1 week but i feel if the pay reflects that i wont mind as much.
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One thing some don't think about is the screwed-up schedule they will have by working LTL. Dont know when your going to work and don't know when you will get off.
 
ABF or Yellow are excellent first driving jobs. Get in do the year or whatever they require and move on if your not happy. Good luck!
 
kamakazi95 said:
Hello all, i am new to these forums and just looking to find some answers. Lately ive been considering a career change to make more money and ive always wanted to drive trucks since i was a little kid. I do not have my cdl yet and i am currently working on the process to get my cdl permit. I cannot afford to go to any private schools so my only option is to try and find companies willing to train drivers and help get your class a. I applied to an ABF terminal for a dock to driver position. Just wondering if theres anyone else that has gone through this process and if you could please shed any light on what the position entails? Just hoping to find a good position that doesnt require you to work the dock for like 6 months before you get considered for schooling. I also applied to my local Yellow for their dock to driver program as well.
Any information you guys could share with me about a job like this would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance! (Applied to the Eagan, MN location for anyone wondering)
Click to expand...

You're being picky at a time that doesn't allow you to be picky. There are a lot more drivers than freight right now and you want to come out swinging. If any of these companies are willing to hire you, know that working the dock is a requirement and that can mean a little bit of dick or a lotta bit of dock, depending on location. With the freight levels being what they are, I'd expect the latter. With everybody feeling this economy, I'd also expect a lot of competition for a limited amount of spots.

I have a friend that works out of ABFs Aston, PA terminal and he went through the program. His first day was spent all domicile learning how they do things, what would be expected of him and lots of videos. He was sent to Paterson NJ to train and he was paid 17/hr plus all travel expenses during training. You are put up in hotel near the terminal , given a daily per diem for expenses and paid current milage rate from home to location your 1st day and location to home your last day of training. If you commute in between, thats on you.

There was more info I got on training, but I don't remember because this was a little over a year ago. Closing in one year, he hasn't had a single week that didn't have OT. Days are a mix of forklift and P/D work.
 
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