Some Advice Please

Got a offer for a intermodal position out of sumner,WA about 15 minutes from where I live. Mon-Fri, weekends off. Going to call the guy back once I get parked for the day to ask more details. I've been with Werner 8 months or so and I am overall happy. Having weekends off and being able to see my family regularly is what appeals most to me. Just have that fear of what if I don't like it or what if I don't catch on ya kno? Told them id want to give Werner 2 weeks notice he said that's fine. Just don't know if I can pull the trigger on the decision

There are a lot of owner operators and very small outfits that run intermodal stuff and you want to be careful about them. The small guys have a reputation for not coming up with your paychecks or falling behind on pay when times get tough. They also don't tend to care too much about running legal or taking good care of their equipment. If it's a company that's been around for a while and you can speak with some of their current drivers before signing on those would be very good indicators of what lies ahead. If it's "some guy with a truck or two" I would say be incredibly cautious about that.

People don't realize how nice it is at the major companies until they've signed on with a small company that's tight on money. Suddenly the logbook doesn't matter, the trucks are in terrible shape, you're being driven relentlessly to run as hard as possible to help them stay afloat, there are no conveniences like national accounts for towing, repairs, and hotels, and every time you want a day off you'll get read the riot act.

Find out more about the company - number of trucks and trailers, number of years in business, their history, etc. Definitely try to talk to a driver or two from the company if possible to get the inside scoop.

Sorry Brett I thought I put who its with, jb hunt. I def understand what your saying though. The recruiter called while I was getting some grub so I didn't talk to him long. I actually applied a long time ago so was surprised to get a call from them.

There are a lot of owner operators and very small outfits that run intermodal stuff and you want to be careful about them. The small guys have a reputation for not coming up with your paychecks or falling behind on pay when times get tough. They also don't tend to care too much about running legal or taking good care of their equipment. If it's a company that's been around for a while and you can speak with some of their current drivers before signing on those would be very good indicators of what lies ahead. If it's "some guy with a truck or two" I would say be incredibly cautious about that.

People don't realize how nice it is at the major companies until they've signed on with a small company that's tight on money. Suddenly the logbook doesn't matter, the trucks are in terrible shape, you're being driven relentlessly to run as hard as possible to help them stay afloat, there are no conveniences like national accounts for towing, repairs, and hotels, and every time you want a day off you'll get read the riot act.

Find out more about the company - number of trucks and trailers, number of years in business, their history, etc. Definitely try to talk to a driver or two from the company if possible to get the inside scoop.

Oh well in that case don't worry about the small guy thing!

Intermodal is what JB does these days. They switched their business model to focus heavily on that quite a number of years ago and they're by far the biggest player in the game.

You should definitely talk to some of their current drivers to learn more about what to expect from the job. Local work tends to have really long hours so expect to squeeze in 50-60 hours or more per week, even with weekends off. And intermodal work tends to be super boring and tedious. But man, if you have a family at home that trumps everything so this might be perfect for you.

If you're happy with Werner I would run it by them that you're considering a position with another company that will have you home more often with your family. You might be surprised at what they can come up with. They may have some openings for a similar type dedicated or regional run in your area and they'd rather give it you to than lose you to another company.

Otherwise, if you're going to leave just make sure you give Werner plenty of notice and doubly make sure you are eligible for rehire. Ask them specifically about that. If things don't go as you had hoped with the new job you're one phone call away from getting back in a truck at Werner. That's a beautiful thing because it happens more often than you would think.

I ran intermodal reefer for 2 weeks during training at prime in the Chicago area. I was told they are all lease... no company drivers.. and they get 1.08 per mile flat rate. I loved knowing where I was going.. it took a little pressure off a newbie as far as finding truck stops or the customer.

My trainer didn't get as much miles as his friend in PA.... although he lived in chicago... he never went him cause he wanted to keep rolling due to the lower pay per mile.

bretts right .. ask around to drivers in that division. And see if it differs from area to area.

Thanks Brett and rainy. I just tried calling the recruiter back but I'm guessing he's home for the day. I definitely am happy with Werner and want to make sure I leave on a good note. Gonna try to talk to a few jb drivers when I can, and see what I can dig up on old posts on the forum. But your right Brett I feel like its a good fit for me, definitely gonna think this one over quite a bit. Thanks for the advice yall 😁

Oh well in that case don't worry about the small guy thing!

Intermodal is what JB does these days. They switched their business model to focus heavily on that quite a number of years ago and they're by far the biggest player in the game.

You should definitely talk to some of their current drivers to learn more about what to expect from the job. Local work tends to have really long hours so expect to squeeze in 50-60 hours or more per week, even with weekends off. And intermodal work tends to be super boring and tedious. But man, if you have a family at home that trumps everything so this might be perfect for you.

If you're happy with Werner I would run it by them that you're considering a position with another company that will have you home more often with your family. You might be surprised at what they can come up with. They may have some openings for a similar type dedicated or regional run in your area and they'd rather give it you to than lose you to another company.

Otherwise, if you're going to leave just make sure you give Werner plenty of notice and doubly make sure you are eligible for rehire. Ask them specifically about that. If things don't go as you had hoped with the new job you're one phone call away from getting back in a truck at Werner. That's a beautiful thing because it happens more often than you would think.