Estes | Freight decline...

Working the dock isn't too bad it's easy money most of the time.


What is the green board and how did/does it work?
 
Working the dock isn't too bad it's easy money most of the time.


What is the green board and how did/does it work?
The green board or whatever they call it now is essentially a wild lay down run where you're back the next day. Home every other day versus being out all week. I don't know much about it other than only the northeast (to my knowledge) drivers have this option.
 
The green board or whatever they call it now is essentially a wild lay down run where you're back the next day. Home every other day versus being out all week. I don't know much about it other than only the northeast (to my knowledge) drivers have this option.
Ah ok. When I was at YRC they had a few of these show up lay down bids. You had a start time and whatever they had for you is what you got. Adding a few of those bids in at breaks might help with having XB drivers being out all week.
 
Well, I finally got call back for a regional OTR position in San Antonio(farther and will require a move/license transfer) and for a P&D position in Albuquerque(shorter, in-state move and no license transfer!!).
I'm going to hit the interview for the ABQ position first and if I can nail that one, I'm more than willing to try something different for a change and get some extra cash under the belt as well. Linehaul seems to be the preferred beast, but I could always jump over to that later at this location.
 
Well, I finally got call back for a regional OTR position in San Antonio(farther and will require a move/license transfer) and for a P&D position in Albuquerque(shorter, in-state move and no license transfer!!).
I'm going to hit the interview for the ABQ position first and if I can nail that one, I'm more than willing to try something different for a change and get some extra cash under the belt as well. Linehaul seems to be the preferred beast, but I could always jump over to that later at this location.

Be aware that we have a category system here. Any time you spend as a P&D driver will NOT count towards Linehaul seniority.
 
Be aware that we have a category system here. Any time you spend as a P&D driver will NOT count towards Linehaul seniority.

So I take it that it's probably better to just go with the linehaul position that's actually posted at a terminal where it's readily available? I've already got myself schedule for a phone interview with the San Antonio terminal tomorrow. If this category system is as you say it is, I'll probably just have to knuckle up and prepare to endure being a "Texan" for at least a few years. On the brighter side, the earnings potential is more than enough to stave off the ramifications of that labeling.
 
That's your best bet at Estes, take the job you want and stick with it.

That being said, if you hire in as a P&D driver, you're supposed to be able to move into linehaul before they hire someone off the street. So if you really don't want to move, it might be worth it to get your foot in the door.

You do keep your category seniority if you transfer terminals. Well, even that is weird. You lose all seniority for 90 days and then get it all back after then.

If you have any questions about the way all this works, feel free to let me know and I can give you a rundown of all the category rules they have.
 
That's your best bet at Estes, take the job you want and stick with it.

That being said, if you hire in as a P&D driver, you're supposed to be able to move into linehaul before they hire someone off the street. So if you really don't want to move, it might be worth it to get your foot in the door.

You do keep your category seniority if you transfer terminals. Well, even that is weird. You lose all seniority for 90 days and then get it all back after then.

If you have any questions about the way all this works, feel free to let me know and I can give you a rundown of all the category rules they have.

I'm thinking linehaul would probably be more up my alley. The physical aspect of P&D is something I could get used to, but unlike many others, I'm not actually ready to transition from being a night-worker to a day-shifter. That and the line-haul seems to net one more money than the hourly it would seem. The other thing is that the Albuquerque terminal seems to have an extremely low turnover when it comes to the P/D and linehaul guys. The terminal manager said that over the past, six years, he's only hired 2-3 new drivers.
Seems like NM is just as bad as Florida when it comes to freight traffic. As the TM described it to me, plenty of freight coming in, not a whole lot going out.
 
Neither of those locations hire many people. Linehaul openings at San Antonio are rare. When I started here 7 years ago they had 2 linehaul drivers.
 
Neither of those locations hire many people. Linehaul openings at San Antonio are rare. When I started here 7 years ago they had 2 linehaul drivers.
I'm just going off of the listings they have posted on their website. This whole entire thing is beginning to look dismal, it seems. I just put in another app to a foodservice up in Denver for regular route and a shuttle position they had listed. And then of course there's also the prospect of having to stay put at Indian River and perhaps go on these regional, Clovis-to-San Antonio, or Ft Worth runs if the cheeseplant shuttling over here begins to dwindle as it keeps on doing.
Nothing is more uglier than watching you checks shrink from $1200/week, down to between $400 and $800/week over the course of two years.
 
I'm just going off of the listings they have posted on their website. This whole entire thing is beginning to look dismal, it seems. I just put in another app to a foodservice up in Denver for regular route and a shuttle position they had listed. And then of course there's also the prospect of having to stay put at Indian River and perhaps go on these regional, Clovis-to-San Antonio, or Ft Worth runs if the cheeseplant shuttling over here begins to dwindle as it keeps on doing.
Nothing is more uglier than watching you checks shrink from $1200/week, down to between $400 and $800/week over the course of two years.

Oh if they have an opening listed, then they're hiring. In that region, my advice would be to take whatever you can get and then work your way into the category you really want. If money is an issue as a P&D driver, you can usually pull an extra linehaul load on a Saturday or something.

LTL is a much better world than foodservice in my opinion.
 
Oh if they have an opening listed, then they're hiring. In that region, my advice would be to take whatever you can get and then work your way into the category you really want. If money is an issue as a P&D driver, you can usually pull an extra linehaul load on a Saturday or something.

LTL is a much better world than foodservice in my opinion.

Last time I was in San Antonio was 2007 when driving long haul for, *gulp*, Swift. Took my bicycle out of the truck and had a nice ride out from the Petro and around town. Of course I had a fun trip riding back to my truck since this was a few years before Smartphones with Google Maps.
The move may be rough initially, but the San Antonio area is close enough to Austin that I could get my rides on over there without having to go on a longer than normal trip!!
 
The problem with greenboard down this way was, when they would send drivers to Florida. They didn't want to come back. When they were up north, they kicked and screamed they were greenboard and had to return home. It basically turned into a Florida extraboard run. I'd give up my easy schedule for greenboard anytime of the year if they let us pick and choose when it's time to come home
 
The problem with greenboard down this way was, when they would send drivers to Florida. They didn't want to come back. When they were up north, they kicked and screamed they were greenboard and had to return home. It basically turned into a Florida extraboard run. I'd give up my easy schedule for greenboard anytime of the year if they let us pick and choose when it's time to come home
Ah so that's what happened eh ? I don't know any XB drivers that don't love going to Florida come to think of it.
 
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