After 18 months, East Coast Driver Solutions is still a winning move for me.

Discussion in 'Discuss Your Favorite Trucking Company Here' started by Truck-N-Tech, Feb 21, 2015.

  1. Truck-N-Tech

    Truck-N-Tech Medium Load Member

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    Sep 13, 2010
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    It has been a year and a half since I applied to East Coast Driver Solutions in Bensalem, PA. Since then things have gone from good, to great, and on to FANTASTIC.

    When I first started out, I was put on an account delivering to Drug Stores, running out of Lumberton, NJ. Things were great, as was the pay, but it was pretty tough work at times. I didn't mind doing tough work, as long as I was being paid properly for doing it. After only 3 weeks with the company, I went from broke to financially stable.

    After 8 months doing the Drug Store gig, my knees started giving me a lot of trouble. I was considering getting out of trucking, and driving a taxi. I loved what I did, but just didn't have the stamina to do the job right anymore. Better to end things on a positive note, than to hang on, till my performance went down. To give me a break, East Coast put me on a different account. The bad thing was I had to drive an hour each way, to get to and from work. The good thing was that I would be making good pay, and not pulling 20 tons of freight out of a trailer each night, with a hand pallet jack. I got assigned to a freight company in the Valley Forge, PA area. After a week or so, the new customer got to know me, and treated me very well. That gig lasted for a long time, and let me put a lot of money in the bank.

    In November of last year, I started planning a trip to see my family in The Philippines. I was going to be gone 4 weeks, between mid December and mid January. I got nothing but support from East Coast Driver Solutions, and the customer I was assigned to. Things were slowing down a bit anyway, so they would not miss me as bad as they would during the busy season.

    When I got back to The U.S. on January 18th of this year, things really sucked. Work was slow, so I didn't work at all the first week. The next week, I worked 2 days at the old drug store account, and it let me know for sure I could not handle that work anymore. Then the third week, I was back to running full time again. Same type of work as the drug store gig, but this customer gave the drivers electric jacks to unload with. Same good pay, and less stress on the knees. I was very happy to be back in the swing of things.

    After just one week at the new account, I got a call. They had a new customer that was only 20 minutes from my house. Good pay, and it was with the same company I was doing work for at the time. The only requirement was I had to be on time absolutely every single day, no ifs, ands or buts. That has never been an issue for me, so it sounded like a good deal.

    Now I am on this account serving the carpet industry. The customer I service makes foam padding that goes under carpet. The job is tough enough for me to take pride in, but not so bad that I have to destroy my body doing it. The rolls of padding weigh between 50 and 75 pounds, and you have to handle it all by hand. That is tough at times, but the customers help a lot. In the big scheme of things, I would give this account an 8.5 out of 10.

    The main thing is that while working for East Coast Driver Solutions, my job has changed several times, without the annoying burden of changing employers. The owner is a good person on a personal level, as are all the people working for him in the office. When there is an issue of some sort, they talk to you as person to person, not king to servant. It really is a friendly place to work, and they do go out of their way to make your job as good as it can be.

    Just keep in mind that I show up for work every single day, on time, with a positive attitude. This place takes notice of a job well done, and keeps the harder working guys in mind when the better opportunities come along. They have accounts around the Philadelphia area, as well as work in central NY, RI, and a lot of work in NJ. I myself am looking to move to upstate PA in the fall of this year, and will not have to change employers. They have accounts right where I am moving to.

    Also, as with any job, it is what you make of it. If you need someone to hold your hand every step of the way, you will only be put on accounts you can handle. If you show yourself to be more responsible, it will open up better opportunities to you. Show some initiative, and it will pay off for you at East Coast.

    I hope this did not read like an advertisement, as much as a post from a driver. I am just telling you like it is. I have been driving for a living for 33 years now, and driving large trucks for about 26 of those years. I have had so many bad experiences, and so many good jobs that went south after a short time, it makes me a little reluctant to show so much enthusiasm about this company, but so far, they have shown themselves to be worth it.

     
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