XPO | What to expect?

Outsider

TB Lurker
Credits
0
Hello everybody. I'm new to TB and am in the hiring process for Conway. I've been trucking for 16 years and just spent the last 10 years @ Fedex Freight.

Any info on what to expect as a new hire would be great. I did linehaul at Fedex usually working nights doing night road/dock bids. I'm curious if new hires do a flex bid...road/city/dock? I'm in Indy btw I'm not getting the cart in front of the horse or anything because i'm not an employee yet but i'm optimistic and really curious on how the process works.


Thanks....Outsider
 
For one thing, I wouldn't use your picture for your avitar. Anything you can THINK of saying will be used in a Con-Way court of law.
 
[quote author=dodge ram link=topic=79343.msg822773#msg822773 date=1271637735]
For one thing, I wouldn't use your picture for your avitar. Anything you can THINK of saying will be used in a Con-Way court of law.
[/quote]

I get it. I almost didn't start the thread at all. I just like knowing how things work though.
 
[quote author=Outsider link=topic=79343.msg822778#msg822778 date=1271638587]
[quote author=dodge ram link=topic=79343.msg822773#msg822773 date=1271637735]
For one thing, I wouldn't use your picture for your avitar. Anything you can THINK of saying will be used in a Con-Way court of law.
[/quote]

I get it. I almost didn't start the thread at all. I just like knowing how things work though.
[/quote]
Well, I don't know where you are at but out here in the west you can prepare for long hours. Although, the freight has dropped off here a little and our new guys haven't been working their full 40 for a couple of weeks but we expect for it to start gearing up again. Give them a decent days work for a decent days pay and you will get no grief.

It is tough at first being on the bottom but if you stick it out you will be rewarded with better hours. With the turn over that we have down towards the bottom, you will be moving up. Give it a chance.

Now, it is hard to tell you what to expect because I don't know what goes on at your service center. All I know is that the new guys are working the late shift and they have fluctuating start times. We have some new kids here that really do a good job and they have great attitudes. They know down the line that things will be better for them and are taking their lumps right now with a smile on their face.

Good luck with the new job where ever it is and give it a chance. Good things come to those who wait. Let me welcome you aboard and if you have any questions, this is a good place to air them because you will definitely here both sides of the coin.

Again, good luck and have fun! :thumbsup:
 
[quote author=Outsider link=topic=79343.msg822754#msg822754 date=1271633723]
Hello everybody. I'm new to TB and am in the hiring process for Conway. I've been trucking for 16 years and just spent the last 10 years @ Fedex Freight.

Any info on what to expect as a new hire would be great. I did linehaul at Fedex usually working nights doing night road/dock bids. I'm curious if new hires do a flex bid...road/city/dock? I'm in Indy btw I'm not getting the cart in front of the horse or anything because i'm not an employee yet but i'm optimistic and really curious on how the process works.


Thanks....Outsider
[/quote]

Last I heard our service center in Indy was big-time short of drivers. With your experience in LTL it comes down to you know the dance steps... we just changed the name of the dance. We are IT challenged over here, but are just now rolling out hand-held computers for our drivers. We still kill a lot of trees compared to Fed-Ex, paperwork, paperwork, paperwork. Your doubles experience should help you get comfortable and confident quickly, allowing you to comprehend more of the policy and procedure end of things.

Good Luck
 
:shift: Hopefully your process goes well for you. This isn't a bad company to work for, and pay and benies are alright. Not quite the same place it was a few years ago but hopefully top brass gets it together again and starts taking care of us again. :iamnotworthy: Of coarse we're never happy. :hissy: They had to cut cut wages and benies a bit but we're slowly :poke: getting them back. Take care of our customers freight, and give them good service and you've done your part, and help your fellow employees. :thumbsup:
 
I went to Conway Monday and did an interview,road test,signed a offer letter and then went and had a physical & drug screen. My tentative start date is 5/03/10. I'm guessing when all the paperwork is done,background check,drug screen results,etc and all checks o.k. I'll be working with you all.

As i was reading over the offer letter before i signed it i noticed the word [supplemental] i asked the personnel manager about it and he explained to me that ALL drivers are recognized as supplemental's. Is this true? At Fedex sups. were basically just part-timers.

Lastly, I was shown the starting pay scale and from what i seen is that linehaul would be the cheapest place to put new hires [flex board]. The starting hourly looks decent but the mileage could be a little stronger for new hires that have 15+ years experience and a flawless driving/accident record to go along with it. Just my 2 cents though. I'm really exited and blessed to just be able to get a foot-in-the-door with the recent economic collapse and alot of good drivers out here competing for a job in a shrinking LTL industry.

Hopefully I'll be working along side of you folks soon.....Outsider
 
"Supplemental" is Con-Way speak for casual. We're so busy that even supplementals will get more than enough work. :shift:
 
Everyone starts out as a supplemental. After 90 days you will turn reguler. DSS to DSR. Being new, being bottom guy sucks. You will only be on the bottom though until some drivers leave and more drivers get hired. Everyone was that guy on the bottom at some point.While on the bottom expect to do anything and everything, probably in the middle of the night.At least it is not winter, welcome aboard, good luck, and have a safe trip.
 
Unlike radman and the rest I started out at the top and am rapidly heading for the bottom! :biglaugh: I'm exceptionally good at what I sluff off at. :fart: It's taken a toll on me and I'm damn proud of it. :chairshot: :biglaugh: :banana:
 
You must be one of those guys I see standing around with his buddies at the back of a trailer while the rest of us break freight :poke: :hissy:
 
Yo, Outsider, hey man you an insider yet??? Me and Nite Rider and some a da boys can show you da ropes. :duel: :biglaugh: Seriously, just wondering? :popcorn: Nite Rider, if I stand around to long you guys on the forklifts try to make a road bump out of me. :chairshot: then you yell at me. :rant:
 
If that's your picture in your avatar, I can understand you getting run over :poke: :biglaugh:

[quote author=pokyjoe48 link=topic=79343.msg824176#msg824176 date=1272075945]
Yo, Outsider, hey man you an insider yet??? Me and Nite Rider and some a da boys can show you da ropes. :duel: :biglaugh: Seriously, just wondering? :popcorn: Nite Rider, if I stand around to long you guys on the forklifts try to make a road bump out of me. :chairshot: then you yell at me. :rant:
[/quote]
 
She tell you that while putting a pork chop around your neck and pushing you into the bear cage at the zoo? :poke: :thumbsup:

[quote author=pokyjoe48 link=topic=79343.msg824462#msg824462 date=1272166982]
Mom always told me I was to pretty to be a truck driver. :beerchug: I'm a good lookin pulooka ain't I? :banana:
[/quote]
 
[quote author=Outsider link=topic=79343.msg822754#msg822754 date=1271633723]
Hello everybody. I'm new to TB and am in the hiring process for Conway. I've been trucking for 16 years and just spent the last 10 years @ Fedex Freight.

Any info on what to expect as a new hire would be great. I did linehaul at Fedex usually working nights doing night road/dock bids. I'm curious if new hires do a flex bid...road/city/dock? I'm in Indy btw I'm not getting the cart in front of the horse or anything because i'm not an employee yet but i'm optimistic and really curious on how the process works.


Thanks....Outsider
[/quote]



I was recently hired in Indiana Feb 2010, and it has been ok so far... takes a while getting used to working nights since i have never worked nights for an extended period of time...I have worked everyday since hired and only went home early once and still got 7 hours in...and the reason being that it was the monday after good friday so freight was kind of light so i did a dock stop instead... I spent a couple weeks on the flex board and i got a bid after that so i do a short line haul run every night..132 mile round trip... and work the dock over at the other terminal i go to... I bring home about 750 per week on average...even brought home one for 800...yu have to get the hours on the dock..i average about 34 per week since i do a short run ...after about 15 months from what i was told yu will become a regular...They tell me its very busy and they still have alot more hiring to do...so hopefully it will keep going in a positive direction...It's not the best job i have ever had but its pretty close and yu can make a decent buck once yu get some time under your belt...Once yu can get some time under your belt then yu will start getting dispatched a little earlier and then yu can get back earlier the next day which is the key.. I still punch out around 8.15am to 8.45am every day...but 7.00 or 7.30 am would be better...Hopefully it gets better as time goes on...Hope this info help you out a little...
 
[quote author=pokyjoe48 link=topic=79343.msg824176#msg824176 date=1272075945]
Yo, Outsider, hey man you an insider yet??? Me and Nite Rider and some a da boys can show you da ropes. :duel: :biglaugh: Seriously, just wondering? :popcorn: Nite Rider, if I stand around to long you guys on the forklifts try to make a road bump out of me. :chairshot: then you yell at me. :rant:
[/quote]

My tentative start date is 5/03/10 They told me in the interview that i have 2 weeks to leave whatever job i'm currently in. So i wrote myself a resignation letter hehe. You see i own a restaurant that i opened 2 years ago when i was still at Fedex Freight. At first we were so busy that i resigned fedex to operate my company full-time. That was my intention and reason for opening a pizza shop. But in the last 6-9 months i've experienced a loss in sales. I am cooking and using the same ingredients as i have since day one. So i blame the big corporate chains Pizza Hut/Domino's/Papa John's etc. for trashing the pizza market with crappy $10 pizza's. Oh well can't win em' all. Outsider
 
Outsider, understand how you feel. I had my own business and the crash really put me under to a certain extent. Hard to let go of your 'baby' isn't it? After all of the blood, sweat, tears and worrying.
 
[quote author=TiredDvrsWife link=topic=79343.msg824772#msg824772 date=1272262795]
Outsider, understand how you feel. I had my own business and the crash really put me under to a certain extent. Hard to let go of your 'baby' isn't it? After all of the blood, sweat, tears and worrying.
[/quote]

Yes it is. Not to mention all the money that i dumped into it. Luckily i own the building,lot,equipment,etc. The big disappointment is all the advertising dollars i spent[door-to-door fliers] in the ten's of thousands. I know for a fact that local,state,and federal govt. want's to get rid of small business's like mine. The city of Indpls. during the first 6 month's of my shop opening they tried their best to close me down. Everything form not enough parking to trying to charge me $1600 for a $400 sign on the side of the bldg. Some days i just wanna give up on America and move. Scary thing is i cant think of anywhere else to go where it's less scary.
 
Top