Schneider Intermodal/regional....Charlotte, NC

If you had told me 6 months ago that I would be driving for Schneider I would have laughed in your face, and told you were a fool. A few months ago my family and I took a weeks vacation down to Florida and we had an amazing time spending time as a family. It was the first time in years I had taken that much time off and we had gone on a true vacation. After that week together and coming back out on the road I started to realize that I had missed so much over the last 14 years of running OTR. I told my wife I felt I was ready to find a local job. The key to me is that it had to pay decent, with regular home time. If I could get home on the w/ends and be home a few nights during the week I would be thrilled.

I started actively looking for something that fit my criteria, but everything was paying only $14 to $15 an hour. I wasn't going to take a job that would put me in the poor house, so I continued to look around. I started looking into intermodal and the more I talked to Schneider drivers around the country that were either local or regional they all absolutely loved it. Most of them that were regional were telling me that they might only spend 1 night a week at the most in the truck and the rest of the week they took there ten hour break at the house. After much sole searching and investigation I put my application in on line and started the process. I eventually had a 45 minute interview with the man who would eventually be my boss. During the interview I found out he was a retired Marine, and we immediately clicked, and at the end of the interview he made me a job offer.

Schneider's orientation for intermodal is in Chicago. I flew up there on a monday and spent four days in Chicago. Orientation is mostly the regular classroom BS, but you do spend two half days riding with a trainer and going into several of the rail yards in and around Chicago. The hotel they put us in was very nice, we each had individual rooms, a nice spread each morning for breakfast, and subway was provided each day for lunch. Dinner is on you, but there are several places to eat within walking distance of the hotel.

After orientation I was flown back to Charlotte and told to report to the OC (terminal) in Charlotte Monday morning. I rode Monday with a local driver, and he showed me the procedures at the rail yard in Charlotte and compared to the rail yards in Chicago the rail yards in Charlotte are so much more of a slower pace compared to the hustle and bustle of Chicago. On Tuesday morning at 0500 I came to the yard to be issued my truck.....This will be a very honest view of my experiences here and to say I was dissapointed on my truck would be an understatement. Look im the FNG and I dont expect the greatest truck available, but what I do expect is a truck that has been cleaned from the previous driver. I have been driving 14 years, and this truck was absolutely the filthiest I have ever been issued. The inside was a complete pigsty. I took it upon myself and started cleaning the inside to make it bearable to get started at 0700. At 0700 I called my DBL (dispatcher) and told him what was going on, he assured me that the truck was supposed to be cleaned before being issued to me, and he paid me $50 bucks for my time cleaning the truck and repeatedly apologized for the truck issue. I thanked him and told him it wasn't the end of the world and that I was ready for my first dispatch.

I have been here a month now, and I must say that this gig has exceeded my expectations. I work M-F and I can usually get some extra hours on Saturday by pulling a local load or two if I want. In three weeks I have only slept in the truck twice. Im able to eat home cooked meals every night, enjoy my wife and daughter, and catch up on time as a family. A normal day starts off by going to the rail drop yard and picking up a loaded container, and delivering it within a 300 mile radius of Charlotte. We then usually go to another customer and reload or pick up a preloaded container at a customer, and bring them back to the rail yard. I then head home for my 10 hour break, and repeat. I almost feel guilty because this job is so freaking easy, and after 14 years on the road I have a normal life again, but still get to do what I love each day.
I am making within $75 a week what I was making OTR. We get paid a base rate of .42 per mile, plus $20 dollars for every loaded container we pull. If we do a live load or unload we get $10, extra stops pay $25. Detention is $15 an hour, paid 1 minute after the second hour. Last week I made over $300 in accessory pay.
I must say, I had alot of preconceived notions about Schneider, Thus far I am happy and I will try and keep this thread updated on at least a weekly basis. Be safe!

 

If you remember I picked your brain a few months ago about JBI. Thanks for being honest about there pay.

 

Well I'm not the low man on the totem pole anymore. They hired two more regional drivers, one started yesterday, and the other is up in Chicago this week for orientation. I guess there expecting to grow 20% this year in our southeast region. I had a nice productive day today, with the miles and accessorial pay today I made $240 today.... which averages out to $20 per hour for the hours worked today. Be safe!

 

I like to start early, so I leave the yard about 0500 and if everything goes smooth I can be done about 1800. I could start later if I don't have a set appt. time, but most of the time the loads are open window delivery times.