Estes | Looking for info on Estes Linehaul

CajunRebel82

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Hello everyone, I'm currently a linehaul driver with Southeastern Freight (SEFL) out of the Baton Rouge, Louisiana service center. Joined SEFL in January thinking I was going to be a system wild driver (out 5 days at a time), but that position was eliminated at the Baton Rouge terminal. I'm now out maybe 2 days a week, mostly home every day which is limiting my miles to 2000-2500 a week. Usually, I'm on the lower side of that range. SEFL is a good company, I just feel like I'm not able to maximize my time with them.

I'm looking at possibly moving to another LTL carrier for linehaul within the next few months (or whenever there are openings). I actually had an offer to join Estes linehaul out of the Hammond, LA terminal at the same time I was offered SEFL. I decided on SEFL because it was a little closer my house. Sometimes I wonder if I made the wrong decision. How is Estes as a linehaul driver? Would I be able to run the road as I want? Also, how are the pay and benefits? I would join the Hammond terminal, anyone work out of that terminal that could share personal experience with the Hammond terminal. I heard some talk that Estes would be moving the operations from Hammond to the former Central Freight terminal in St. Rose. Any truth to this?

I appreciate anyone's experience and info. Have a great day.

Cajun
 
Personally I would give SEFL more time and see what develops. Have you talked to Central just to let them know you’re willing to stay out? Maybe if you have a relay load, ask them if you can take the load all the way to the destination terminal instead of relaying into another terminal? Maybe they’re just trying to feel you out and see how you like to run. Or they’re just trying to get you home cause that’s what a lot of other guys like. Just remember, there’s no guaranteed miles wherever you go. You might run less or not like the next job has much. Just my thoughts….
 
Personally I would give SEFL more time and see what develops. Have you talked to Central just to let them know you’re willing to stay out? Maybe if you have a relay load, ask them if you can take the load all the way to the destination terminal instead of relaying into another terminal? Maybe they’re just trying to feel you out and see how you like to run. Or they’re just trying to get you home cause that’s what a lot of other guys like. Just remember, there’s no guaranteed miles wherever you go. You might run less or not like the next job has much. Just my thoughts….
I've begged Central to let me stay out and have gotten nowhere with that. I'm not making any rash decisions on this for sure. There has been so many times where I had a relay load and they have me drop it instead of allowing me to take it on to destination, only for an outside carrier to come and pick it up. Got to take care of the outside carriers before your own drivers I guess.
 
When it's busy I've never had a problem staying gone. I think the biggest problem with a lot of drivers, they act like they wanna run until they get in an area they don't like, then start kicking and screaming to go home when they are 2 days out in areas where it's hard getting them back. Kinda screws it up for the ones that are telling the truth about wanting to run
 
When it's busy I've never had a problem staying gone. I think the biggest problem with a lot of drivers, they act like they wanna run until they get in an area they don't like, then start kicking and screaming to go home when they are 2 days out in areas where it's hard getting them back. Kinda screws it up for the ones that are telling the truth about wanting to run
I know what you mean. That's why that particular run was eliminated at Southeastern. Every driver they put on it wanted off or quit within a month. Now when they finally hire someone (me) that wanted it, they eliminate it.
 
I know what you mean. That's why that particular run was eliminated at Southeastern. Every driver they put on it wanted off or quit within a month. Now when they finally hire someone (me) that wanted it, they eliminate it.
I guess that's the difference in drivers, had they sent me on a 5-day run, I would have quit after the first trip.
 
I know what you mean. That's why that particular run was eliminated at Southeastern. Every driver they put on it wanted off or quit within a month. Now when they finally hire someone (me) that wanted it, they eliminate it.
You live in an area where it's good to get a lot of miles. If I wanted to run, I'd personally make the switch to Estes. Once you've ran the system a while and they've figured you out, they'll run you if you keep quiet and just do what they ask.
 
Estes is cutting runs right now and the city drivers and dock workers are not even getting 40 hours a week. The economy is in the crapper.
 
Stay put for the time being, it's slow everywhere, you might not make out any better with estes as far as miles while it's slow. Probably the same reason you aren't staying out with SEFL, they are slow as well.
 
I’d stay put and make the best of that. Estes is pretty sparse in that area, Cooper and Sefl have things covered much better in that area. We aren’t setting any records at the big E right now. We are using scab haulers over here as well, even now when it’s slow. Extraboard here has been known to sit for days and even longer at home if it’s slow. There is no rotation here, they run the schedules/bids first every time and if there’s any extra then the extraboard gets it. 24 hour hotel layovers are common when it’s slow like this for extraboard. Plus Sefl is paying wait times at terminals, they aren’t over here at E.
 
I’d stay put and make the best of that. Estes is pretty sparse in that area, Cooper and Sefl have things covered much better in that area. We aren’t setting any records at the big E right now. We are using scab haulers over here as well, even now when it’s slow. Extraboard here has been known to sit for days and even longer at home if it’s slow. There is no rotation here, they run the schedules/bids first every time and if there’s any extra then the extraboard gets it. 24 hour hotel layovers are common when it’s slow like this for extraboard. Plus Sefl is paying wait times at terminals, they aren’t over here at E.

Every time I see your screen name bruh.
 
Talked to an ex Southeastern driver yesterday. He said he came over here because he couldn't get any miles. He said he could only get 22 - 2400.
I asked him if he was doing any better here. He says night and day.
Personality, I just don't get it. I've never had 1 time in my life that I can remember, I've had to look in the bank account to see if I had enough money to do something. I wonder what these people would be doing if they weren't driving a truck. Most kinda decent jobs pay around $25 an hour. Most employers panic if they have to pay overtime. I think SE is a little over 76 cents a mile. You figure $.76 X 2400 is around $95k
 
Maybe the lane I run is really good but I haven’t been canceled at all since I can remember and my load is always on my dashboard hours before my gate time. Nobody here is complaining about not working.
I'm always willing to stay home and let someone run but I seldom get too!
Very seldom. I think what separates us from SE, SE don't like to run an empty behind a loaded lead
 
Maybe the lane I run is really good but I haven’t been canceled at all since I can remember and my load is always on my dashboard hours before my gate time. Nobody here is complaining about not working.
Maybe the lane I run is really good but I haven’t been canceled at all since I can remember and my load is always on my dashboard hours before my gate time. Nobody here is complaining about not working.
Me too ,never cancelled , have to pickup load at another terminal , first two hours on duty I make 15 bucks an hour sad
 
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