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ABF | New Hire Advice

Good Luck, Brother DieselGeek! Your problem with your decision is one of the looming disasters awaiting both the Union and non-Union LTL companies. There's no apprentice program, or stable employment, or a way for experienced guys with children/mortgage to break in to this profession. Most of the non-unions are hiring guys escaping from the motorized slavery of the Truckload side. They're relieved that they can sleep in their own bed most of the week, and are so happy to do so that they don't care about overtime, or overtime pay, or pension, or unsafe conditions or equipment.....for the first couple of years, anyway. Other professions are now paying more than truck driving...plumbers, electricians, laborers, equipment operators.....and all those jobs are subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1934....which we are not, in trucking. Until the LTL companies figure this out, look for increasing turnover rates, and more incentives to keep older drivers working at the expense of new-hires. You made a family choice, Brother.....but watch that pension!
 
canaryinthemine said:
Good Luck, Brother DieselGeek! Your problem with your decision is one of the looming disasters awaiting both the Union and non-Union LTL companies. There's no apprentice program, or stable employment, or a way for experienced guys with children/mortgage to break in to this profession. Most of the non-unions are hiring guys escaping from the motorized slavery of the Truckload side. They're relieved that they can sleep in their own bed most of the week, and are so happy to do so that they don't care about overtime, or overtime pay, or pension, or unsafe conditions or equipment.....for the first couple of years, anyway. Other professions are now paying more than truck driving...plumbers, electricians, laborers, equipment operators.....and all those jobs are subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1934....which we are not, in trucking. Until the LTL companies figure this out, look for increasing turnover rates, and more incentives to keep older drivers working at the expense of new-hires. You made a family choice, Brother.....but watch that pension!
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I was seriously considering ABF, but the lack of schedule was a huge turn off for me. OT doesn't mean much to me if you can't guarantee me 40 hours a week year round. Another issue I had was being a dock worker/ Toyota forklift operator... I'm not afraid of hard work, but I hold a CDL and all endorsements, so I want to drive, not load/unload trucks. So with the lack of schedule, and being called at all hours of the day to load/unload trucks, it wasn't something I was willing to hire on for. The Company I signed up with will work me 5 days a week, year round, no exceptions. All the trucks are 3 years old or newer, and I've never seen a company spend more money on maintenance on trucks or trailers. Trailers are completely rebuilt/painted/ every 5 years, sold after 15 years. Solid benefits,pay, 401k/profit sharing. I could make more money doing a different trade as you said, but I enjoy trucking, and it is what I would like to retire in 30 years doing.

ABFer said:
Diesel and fuel oil are the same thing except that fuel oil has red dye in it and a couple of drops will turn a truck's whole tank of fuel red.
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So off road diesel and home heating oil are essentially the same thing... We don't deal with home heating oil, nor have I ever seen a house that used it. I only deliver products to our stores, so just clear diesel. We don't get any products for free...
 
canaryinthemine said:
Good Luck, Brother DieselGeek! Your problem with your decision is one of the looming disasters awaiting both the Union and non-Union LTL companies. There's no apprentice program, or stable employment, or a way for experienced guys with children/mortgage to break in to this profession. Most of the non-unions are hiring guys escaping from the motorized slavery of the Truckload side. They're relieved that they can sleep in their own bed most of the week, and are so happy to do so that they don't care about overtime, or overtime pay, or pension, or unsafe conditions or equipment.....for the first couple of years, anyway. Other professions are now paying more than truck driving...plumbers, electricians, laborers, equipment operators.....and all those jobs are subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1934....which we are not, in trucking. Until the LTL companies figure this out, look for increasing turnover rates, and more incentives to keep older drivers working at the expense of new-hires. You made a family choice, Brother.....but watch that pension!
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Oh wow, shut up. There is nothing disastrous about his decision.

Dieselgeek said:
I was seriously considering ABF, but the lack of schedule was a huge turn off for me. OT doesn't mean much to me if you can't guarantee me 40 hours a week year round. Another issue I had was being a dock worker/ Toyota forklift operator... I'm not afraid of hard work, but I hold a CDL and all endorsements, so I want to drive, not load/unload trucks. So with the lack of schedule, and being called at all hours of the day to load/unload trucks, it wasn't something I was willing to hire on for. The Company I signed up with will work me 5 days a week, year round, no exceptions. All the trucks are 3 years old or newer, and I've never seen a company spend more money on maintenance on trucks or trailers. Trailers are completely rebuilt/painted/ every 5 years, sold after 15 years. Solid benefits,pay, 401k/profit sharing. I could make more money doing a different trade as you said, but I enjoy trucking, and it is what I would like to retire in 30 years doing.
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You don't have to justify your decision to anyone, especially that pinhead.
 
Stoney said:
Oh wow, shut up. There is nothing disastrous about his decision.
You don't have to justify your decision to anyone, especially that pinhead.
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^^^^^^^^ Stonehead working hard at solidifying friendships.
 
Stoney said:
I don't rely on TB to make friends. You do?
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Funny how I hear a lot of chatter about all the friends you have. How they're under water in their homes and more. Keep telling us you have a lot of friends and you will have them. :hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical:
 
sharpshooter said:
Not officially..lol. I'm sure you'll see an employee's vehicle pulled up along side a tank soon enough (usually when it's dark)
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Then someone will teach him how to fill that piping with fuel and drain it when it's more convenient.
 
So I'm a pinhead, and I should shut up? Someone lose their mind and put Stoney in charge of Public Relations here on Truckingboards? My feelings would be hurt, but as I look at the source and remember we're no longer on the middle school playground, somehow I don't seem to care what Stoney thinks of me as he calls me names from several hundred miles away. Young man....and you seem to be getting younger every day....maybe someday you'll learn how to talk like an adult , and then maybe we'll take you seriously. I await with bated breath your next scurrilious, and most assuredly peurile, latest vomit of scatalogical abuse. After all, I guess every circus needs a clown.........
 
canaryinthemine said:
So I'm a pinhead, and I should shut up? Someone lose their mind and put Stoney in charge of Public Relations here on Truckingboards? My feelings would be hurt, but as I look at the source and remember we're no longer on the middle school playground, somehow I don't seem to care what Stoney thinks of me as he calls me names from several hundred miles away. Young man....and you seem to be getting younger every day....maybe someday you'll learn how to talk like an adult , and then maybe we'll take you seriously. I await with bated breath your next scurrilious, and most assuredly peurile, latest vomit of scatalogical abuse. After all, I guess every circus needs a clown.........
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You just couldn't wish him luck, you had to get on your horse and give your typical Teamster drone speech.

Funny, you whine about me calling you a pinhead or other's a princess. But you say nothing to others who call me stonehead, sock puppet or whatever. Not like I want or need you to. I just love pointing out the hyprocicy and lack of intellectual honesty of people like you.
 
Stoney said:
You just couldn't wish him luck, you had to get on your horse and give your typical Teamster drone speech.

Funny, you whine about me calling you a pinhead or other's a princess. But you say nothing to others who call me stonehead, sock puppet or whatever. Not like I want or need you to. I just love pointing out the hyprocicy and lack of intellectual honesty of people like you.
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Right on schedule...I could've held a stopwatch to Stoney's expected answer. To paraphrase:" Those who live by the WORD, die by the WORD." Sorry, Stoney,...you've brought this down on yourself. Insults and derisive names are not becoming to an adult.
 
canaryinthemine said:
Right on schedule...I could've held a stopwatch to Stoney's expected answer. To paraphrase:" Those who live by the WORD, die by the WORD." Sorry, Stoney,...you've brought this down on yourself. Insults and derisive names are not becoming to an adult.
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And you continue to be intellectually dishonest.
Just like when tried to debate me on my thread. Instead of being intellectually honest when I made points, you made excuses, than ran off. The death panels and Hoffa Jr being a socislist debate comes to mind. Oh ya, and the tax deal for Benz too.
 
I think you're mistaken. There is no "debating" you. If someone disagrees with you, or has a point you don't care for, then the insults and disparaging names come out in full force. It's hard to "debate" someone on an adult level, when you keep trying to drag it down to the teenage level. I guess I forgot the main rule of debate: You can't argue with Invincible Ignorance.
 
canaryinthemine said:
I think you're mistaken. There is no "debating" you. If someone disagrees with you, or has a point you don't care for, then the insults and disparaging names come out in full force. It's hard to "debate" someone on an adult level, when you keep trying to drag it down to the teenage level. I guess I forgot the main rule of debate: You can't argue with Invincible Ignorance.
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Uh no. You can't debate me, because I'm usually right, and that drives you crazy.

When I say you can't be intellectual honest, I'm referring to your consistency. Is calling me a stonehead or a sock puppet mature? Why don't you call them out too? Just seeing if you can be consistent. Obviously you can't
 
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