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ABF | miles of bottom guys

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slopway

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when I interviewed in dallas they said was about 70 schedule drivers and 25 extra board drivers.

and they were planning to hire 11 new drivers. what kind of miles do the bottom guys get. is it just 300 a day or can you still get over 400. the guy was a regional guy and didn't have specifics for this terminal. so couldn't answer lots of things. if anyone from that terminal you can private message me if you don't want everyone know where you are.

he said the were just giving hire bonus in places like the Dakotas because oil fields. I interviewed for a few oil field jobs and seems the recruiters tell lots of lies about salary and things, they would promise 120,000 but I talk to drivers and it was more like 80,000. and the trucks often falling apart and wouldn't ever pass an inspection. you might hear higher money for owner ops.
 
That's why I asked how many will hire i don't want be bottom guy . I told him that in interview . So I'm hoping they speed up process and not take forever to do hire process . He said they will stop using railroad much because they change rules and you must load their trailers not yours.
 
Find out if there is a bunch of guys retiring soon or try to hire on at a smaller terminal be on a bid right away or get ready to Uber/lyft deliver pizzas part time until you gain seniority.
 
What is the transfer policy . If later I find out I can get a schedule at another terminal. Do you keep your time changing terminals . At my last two companies I moved and kept everything .
 
Jaloc said:
Find out if there is a bunch of guys retiring soon or try to hire on at a smaller terminal be on a bid right away or get ready to Uber/lyft deliver pizzas part time until you gain seniority.
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Five guys will retire, other six new hire is expecting more schedule after cutting out railroad but with 25 extraboard no schedule for long time
 
slopway said:
Five guys will retire, other six new hire is expecting more schedule after cutting out railroad but with 25 extraboard no schedule for long time
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You may be on call for years possibly only work 1 or 2 days week sometimes the trick is if on a laydown run have them keep extending you so will keep working get layover pay. Everyone has to pay their dues but ABF has best health insurance no cost family included plus a pension if you need a steady income may want to look somewhere else but if you can rough it out will payoff in long run.
 
Some of this is BS.. You will stay busy, not 1-2 days a week. Yes no schedule for xtra board, you will likely run weekends. Unless you have a tyrant for a boss, some flexiblity between runs. Unless we have a change of Operations moving work to another terminal, you wont have opp to transfer. If you desire, you may quit and reapply. But you will not be relegated to driving an uber.. They arent hiring if they dont have the work!!Period!!
 
Yeah it don't seem like much union protection if they keep hiring then forcing bottom ten guys to work two days a week . Don't see how anyone could last a year working 1-2 days unless they still live at home with mommy
 
Then you got some guys saying big terminals better and some saying small terminals better . At the two non union I worked small terminals was no work. Could take you ten to fifteen years to get a schedule . Big terminals guys get medical problems. Family problems or retire . With so many drivers things will happen.
 
slopway said:
Yeah it don't seem like much union protection if they keep hiring then forcing bottom ten guys to work two days a week . Don't see how anyone could last a year working 1-2 days unless they still live at home with mommy
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Thought you were going to chase the big money at FEDEX?
 
I'm still checking all options. The hire process seems to be taking long time at all companies . Maybe they waiting freight to pick up. But they saying in interviews all company could take 30 to 60 days More I learn each company the better . Even on this thread we got guys at same company saying different things .
 
As far as fedex. I'm not into being a dock worker with a cdl. Reason why I won't go to UPS If I think I will just drive two hours to work dock 8 hours then drive home . I won't stay there
 
slopway said:
As far as fedex. I'm not into being a dock worker with a cdl. Reason why I won't go to UPS If I think I will just drive two hours to work dock 8 hours then drive home . I won't stay there
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If the FedEx terminal in your area is big you won't be on a small run for long. I'm out of a big terminal and we only have 1-2 dock runs. Everything else is meets or big runs
 
Gee,....When i first started driving,...every run was a laydown run. That's why they had "mini" guarantees.....for runs logging less than 8 hours. You got paid a "minimum",...even if you only ran 250 miles, and went to bed......

All the ...parameters...of trucking kind of "goes with the territory".........It might seem to be a little different now, because companies are ...begging for drivers,...and thereby promising the moon to any potential new-hire........

The operational needs of...any company,...will determine how much you work. If you are under a Union contract,....there will be certain guarantees for what you do.......Not perfect,...but they are there......seniority based.....

Union contracts are trying to make up the fact that.........trucking is NOT covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act,.....with 8/40 hour guarantees, and wage guarantees......
They DON'T have to work you 8 hours....They DON'T have to give you 40 hours.......They DON'T even have to pay you minimum wage.........(...trucking is unique in that guys get...."load" pay,...or "mileage" pay...or "tonnage" pay......)(..no matter HOW LONG it takes...)....

Unless you get it spelled out in some sort of a contract,....you are an "employee-at-will".......to be used and abused at the whim of the company,....with NO guarantees, other than their immediate need for your skills on that given day......

Freight, for some companies,...is booming right now.....You're a "Hot Property"......your skills are in High Demand.....
....Right now......
But,.....as in deregulation in the '80's........What happens when the bottom falls out? For decades,....many guys went to work at the non-Unions,..for less pay and worse benefits,......because that very disparity in Labor costs caused the "good-paying" Union jobs to fold.....

Situation is a little different now,...because the non-Unions realize to attract any sort of employee,...they've got to ...pay better,...offer at least some sort of pension,....and try to make their.."health insurance"....seem reasonable...

For how long?

Trucking is a very cycleable industry,.......and,...in the event of another downturn,.....you may regret a....quick and easy career choice,...in the long run......
 
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