I hear TEAMS do great at IDC.... And there trucks are loaded (have more then any other company for comforts) and I to didnt like the idea of an automatic, but once you drive an automatic for a month (getting used to not putting your right hand over there to shift) you will never go back!!! Not only can you go up a hill with a cup of coffee in your right hand, but you have extra room between the seats!!! Good place for your dog to sleep/ or table.?.!

I have retired from driving to move on to other opportunities that came along, after 19 years of driving. 13 years of which were over the road, as an owner operator, and a member of OOIDA. I bounced from company to company until I found Interstate Distributor Co in 1998. I was leased to them for 5 years, until I paid my truck off and moved on.
In the 5 years I was with IDC, I NEVER had to pull freight inside a store. I have had to hand jive onto rollers or palletize freight. Can't say I always liked it, but it is a part of being a truck driver. But I can say that it was not very often that I had to do it with Interstate. Most of their freight was drop and hook, or customer unload. Over the years, I learned to take the bad with the good. If I got a load I did not like, I took it. Normally, if I did, I would be taken care of on the next load,or the load after that. I never met a staff member at IDC that was not friendly or not helpful. Within a month after starting, I knew I had found a home. If I ever decide to go back on the road, Interstate Dist Co will be the company I choose.

It's too bad you feel that you were screwed, but I highly doubt they canned you because you refused just 1 load. Before saying things like that, maybe you should take a look at your own attitude and work ethic.

PS. I'm still friends with my former Fleet Manager. He assures me that it will be a cold day in hell before the brothers that own the Company, would sell to Swift. So much for the rumor.

My experience was, If I sent the the correct Macro on Qualcomm to update ETA/PTA, I would be preplanned. But sometimes, freight is just plain slow. Just a fact of life in the trucking industry.

Hi all,
I have read all the Interstate threads and got a lot of good information, mostly good. I'm new and appreciate all of it!
I see a ton of info on here regarding the life of team drivers with IDC but not too much really about how it is as a solo driver with IDC. I live in Northern CA along the I5 corridor and my school is literally across the street from an IDC yard. I'm interested to know if I hire on with them as a solo OTR driver if I'll get decent mileage and have very much trouble getting hometime when I need it. I'm married and have some teenage kids, we're all okay with me being gone but I don't necessarily want to be away from home for two months before get to see my family.
Just trying to do as much research as possible before making my decision, the last thing I want is to start off with a company I won't be happy at. IDC sounds like a great place to work.

thank you in advance for your advice, I get out of school next and will be taking my CDL driver test on Wed or Thurs.

I'm in school for IDC right now. I have 2 fellow students here who's husband/boy friend are solo's with Interstate. One of them rode with her husband for over 3 years. They said that IDC has treated them great. The solo's get plenty of home time and plenty of miles. I forget the solo mileage pay but its on their website and is pretty competitive if I remember right. The solo's are getting all the new Volvo's with the large condos that have the lower table/bed conversion since the Volvo's are purchased and the Freightshakers are leased. They keep the teams in the leased units due to the extra mileage. Living along I-5 in CA is ideal as well. They have lots of runs on the west coast and lots of yards along the west coast. Call Don Smith in recruiting up in Tacoma. Hes a good guy and can answer any questions you might have about specifics.

Hey thanks K&J for the reply, I really appreciate it. I have a ton of info just wanted to hear what you just said.

I have talked to Don once but I'll call him again as I didn't hear back from him again. I assume I can get hired since my DMV record and background are spotless. Thanks again.

hello all, i am a new driver and after talking to quit a few drivers at the local truck stop i placed a call to interstate. my father was a owner operatore with them but still did my own check. they put me through school which helped alot. i will say as a newbie the daytime fleet manager i have is very helpful but the monment he goes home i wish i would have choosen a differant company. is this normal with IDC and all companys? looking for any input from the "old dogs" to help this "new pup" out! LOL

birddog..... Which school did they put you through ?? Do they have there own school ??

hi sal, wow my first reponse, LOL
they sent me to Mesaland down in NM. the teachers were great and i learn alot. i they wouldnt have done such a great job i would have been lost after the poor job my IDC trainner did. hope that helps

Mesalands Community College is the only school that IDC uses and I'm there right now and have nothing but good things to say about it. I have a thread under the Questions From New Drivers section called Starting School Tomorrow that I update daily if anyone wants to know what the school is like.

How long have you been on your own Birddog? Are you solo or team and how many miles are you averaging?