I Think It's Time To Move On
Topic 29277 | Page 7
Banks i completely agree with you how the same route sounds miserable, especially 600 miles. Even with how we bid daily it still has me on the same 2 interstates for the most part. It definitely gets boring (especially in the overnight hours). Being paid hourly my "perfect" day consists of around 400 miles with 2 stores and a backhaul that let's me sit a couple hours. Do you think store deliveries is something you'd like? For me, its usually a 2 to 3 hour drive to my first store. Get out and walk (unloading with electric jack) for about an hour at each store, take a break and drive back. Some of our drivers love a 12 hour 600 mile day with a stop or 2, others prefer a 12 hour day running around town with 10 stops. Tomorrow we're expecting 8 inches of snow with 12 and freezing rain to the south towards Kansas City. I'm not too fond of doing 3 trailers with a total of about 300 miles but it'll keep me out the worst of it and I'm expecting the storm to be chasing me back to Des Moines about 10am.
When I did food service a normal day was only 100 miles but could have 20 or more stops all hand unload. You had to hustle so much that you didn't have much time to be bored. It was real repetitive and business owners taking their problems out on you had me fed up personally. It sucks that when I switched jobs I ended up gaining 20 pounds because I lacked the intensive workout. Now I put in 12-14 a day and I'm too exhausted to get a good workout in.
I've followed your story from PFG to know and I looked into the store deliveries around me, but there aren't any that appeal to me, mostly because they're independent contractors. I'm not interested in dealing with those headaches.
I wanted to go to US foods or Sysco. I may be crazy, but I love unloading trailers by hand. Customer's don't bother me that much. I spent a few b years as an RSR and I dealt with a lot of PITA customers. I developed a lot of skills (that may be rusty now) in how to calm them down.
I've also been looking at local tanker jobs, but most of the local ones want 2 years experience. I'm ok with with waiting 6 more months to hit that point.
I enjoy physical work, learning new things and having to figure stuff out. I'm not getting any of that now. I've been to almost every center my building goes to and most of the time I don't even need a GPS. It's only been a year and a half and I'm bored with it.
Interstate:
Commercial trade, business, movement of goods or money, or transportation from one state to another, regulated by the Federal Department Of Transportation (DOT).
DAC:
Drive-A-Check Report
A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).
It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.
Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Perhaps I worded it wrong when I said I want the big run. I don't want to do the 600 mile run everyday for 30 years, I want to be able to run them when I want. The best bid in my opinion is being high on the xtra board. I managed to get into the xtra board for a few months and fell in love with it. They call you based on seniority and you can choose how you want to run. So id take a big run on Monday and Tuesday, maybe a mid range run Wednesday and Thursday then Friday comes around and its something short and sweet to cruise into the weekend. Running 600 miles every single day would be exhausting. If I were looking to make a big purchase or something maybe id stick with it for a little while, but every day for 30 years? Hell no. If I'm not mistaken our number 1 guy runs something short and wants nothing to do with those 600milers. But anyway Banks, I hope you decide to stay with the company and find something that suits you within. Again, I recommend working toward the xtra board to give you some variety or stick with being a city driver ( I think you're a city driver?) until things settle down and its back to regular P&D.
P&D:
Pickup & Delivery
Local drivers that stay around their area, usually within 100 mile radius of a terminal, picking up and delivering loads.
LTL (Less Than Truckload) carriers for instance will have Linehaul drivers and P&D drivers. The P&D drivers will deliver loads locally from the terminal and pick up loads returning to the terminal. Linehaul drivers will then run truckloads from terminal to terminal.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
McLain Food Service advertised 80k plus a year with a 7k signing bonus. Not sure if they hire out by you tho.
McLain Food Service advertised 80k plus a year with a 7k signing bonus. Not sure if they hire out by you tho.
They do and they're advertising the same thing. I'm not interested in McLane because it's 2 to a truck and it's not home daily. I hear good things about them, though. They load their trailers well and make good money.
That 600mi day run is 120K year salary. Who wouldn't want that? :)
Is that run 300 each way returning to your home terminal at end of day?
Yes. 330 miles each way. With a Bojangles chicken restaurant at the meet point :)
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
Yea we've got those too, I plan on trying them all out via the xtra board before settling on one I like. But obviously, its not for everyone.
Even those short runs work out to be about 50K a year
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
It would be much more than 50k. Our shortest run pays over 80 k.
It would be much more than 50k. Our shortest run pays over 80 k.
Yup. Just figured it out. Our shortest run is $65K year
I shortest run is about 170 miles one way with dock work in the middle.
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That's what it is.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.