TransForce Class A Or Class B??

Hey y’all, I just got done talking with TransForce and they’re willing to hire me! There’s two situations they’d hire me for. 1. Class B local box truck unloading for produce carriers, here in Colorado Springs where I live. $21 an hr 6am-6pm M-F Do this job until I can move up to Henderson area for their new graduate Class A position OR 2. Just take the job up in Henderson about a 1.5 hr drive for the class A new graduate position $33 hr touch freight for produce 4-6am start time and 10-14 hours a day M-F

My concerns are with finding a babysitter for my kids and the travel time before I can move up to that area. Also, what do y’all think about TransForce?

Thank you!!

Unloading by hand involves a lot of extra work. It could be easy, such as a battery powered pallet jack, or it could be a manual two wheeled dolly.

Hopefully Rob T. is going to jump in here with his first hand experience.

Shantiwa I work for a food service company called PFG (Performance Food Group). Same company Rob T worked for a few years back.

Our Class B drivers operate straight trucks of between 24’-28’ body length. 33lb-55lb GVW. Payload weights from 5000-15,000lbs., anywhere from 300-700 cases. Although I am a shuttle driver operating doubles; I frequently interact with our route drivers.

Simply put; this is very physically demanding work. Many times I am charged with trans loading what we call shorts from one trailer to another to avoid prolonged wait times. Cases of food can be very dense and heavy. Bags of flour typically weigh 50-60 lbs. Unless you are doing pallet drops (which is typically reserved for tenured drivers), you will be handling every case on your truck at least once.

After a 12 hour day, your kids will not be getting the best version of yourself. I’m sure Rob T will chime in.

Think carefully on this.

An hour and a half commute with a 10-14 hour day is nothing to take lightly. I have a 15 minutes commute and some days, that feels too long. You have to take into account the unknowns. What happens if there's bad weather and you can't make it home or an accident that turns your 1.5 hour commute into a 4 hour commute?

This is a great point!

My day (night) is 10-12 hours. My commute is 40 minutes in the afternoon and 35 minutes at 0’ dark 30. I am an empty nester.

An hour and a half commute with a 10-14 hour day is nothing to take lightly. I have a 15 minutes commute and some days, that feels too long. You have to take into account the unknowns. What happens if there's bad weather and you can't make it home or an accident that turns your 1.5 hour commute into a 4 hour commute?

Hey there!

I worked for Transforce for a bit. I was trying to put my Class A to use, but didn't have the experience required to take on those positions. I was placed on the assignment of delivering wine and spirits in a straight truck. It was HEAVY touch, and that was the main reason I got out of it (started getting nagging elbow pain).

Good company from my experience, but an even better opportunity opened up for me 😁😁😁

Good luck!

Hey y’all, I just got done talking with TransForce and they’re willing to hire me! There’s two situations they’d hire me for. 1. Class B local box truck unloading for produce carriers, here in Colorado Springs where I live. $21 an hr 6am-6pm M-F Do this job until I can move up to Henderson area for their new graduate Class A position OR 2. Just take the job up in Henderson about a 1.5 hr drive for the class A new graduate position $33 hr touch freight for produce 4-6am start time and 10-14 hours a day M-F

My concerns are with finding a babysitter for my kids and the travel time before I can move up to that area. Also, what do y’all think about TransForce?

Thank you!!

He said it was a pallet Jack that I’d be using, for the class A. Not sure about the class B

Unloading by hand involves a lot of extra work. It could be easy, such as a battery powered pallet jack, or it could be a manual two wheeled dolly.

Hopefully Rob T. is going to jump in here with his first hand experience.

Hey there!

I worked for Transforce for a bit. I was trying to put my Class A to use, but didn't have the experience required to take on those positions. I was placed on the assignment of delivering wine and spirits in a straight truck. It was HEAVY touch, and that was the main reason I got out of it (started getting nagging elbow pain).

Good company from my experience, but an even better opportunity opened up for me 😁😁😁

Good luck!

Hey y’all, I just got done talking with TransForce and they’re willing to hire me! There’s two situations they’d hire me for. 1. Class B local box truck unloading for produce carriers, here in Colorado Springs where I live. $21 an hr 6am-6pm M-F Do this job until I can move up to Henderson area for their new graduate Class A position OR 2. Just take the job up in Henderson about a 1.5 hr drive for the class A new graduate position $33 hr touch freight for produce 4-6am start time and 10-14 hours a day M-F

My concerns are with finding a babysitter for my kids and the travel time before I can move up to that area. Also, what do y’all think about TransForce?

Thank you!!

Hay Trevor W. and welcome to Trucking Truth!

I'm curious . . . what IS the better opportunity that turned up for you?!??! Maybe it could benefit Shantiwa !!!!

Shantiwa .... I agree with all the above guys on this one.. especially the COMMUTE time. Tom's is 35 to 40 min's one way; often he brings the t/t home. Saves US time, sleep, fuel, and his clock. That CDL with the A job? Um... I know you'd LOVE TO, but ... I wouldn't. Too many variables and unexptected with kids, being far away!

Ask the guys here; I'm still waiting for my youngest to 'age up' so I can drive, even though he is perfectly sufficient at home alone. It's a mom thing.

I hear ya!

Keep looking, girl. IDK about the box truck job .... so hopefully you'll heed the above, and await Rob T.s wisdom, m'lady.

No interest in buses, though?

Take care!

~ Anne ~

That’s really good insight, thank you for that! I was a little bit worried but thought it would be ok as he mentioned a pallet Jack. Should I trust that there really will be a pallet Jack??

Shantiwa I work for a food service company called PFG (Performance Food Group). Same company Rob T worked for a few years back.

Our Class B drivers operate straight trucks of between 24’-28’ body length. 33lb-55lb GVW. Payload weights from 5000-15,000lbs., anywhere from 300-700 cases. Although I am a shuttle driver operating doubles; I frequently interact with our route drivers.

Simply put; this is very physically demanding work. Many times I am charged with trans loading what we call shorts from one trailer to another to avoid prolonged wait times. Cases of food can be very dense and heavy. Bags of flour typically weigh 50-60 lbs. Unless you are doing pallet drops (which is typically reserved for tenured drivers), you will be handling every case on your truck at least once.

After a 12 hour day, your kids will not be getting the best version of yourself. I’m sure Rob T will chime in.

Think carefully on this.

I would be wary of that commute, especially being much more time due to winter driving conditions. By day three, I'd be pretty wiped out for the remainder of the week. That's in addition to moving all of a trailer load of freight.