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Originally Posted by garylobo Hey Johnboy - Really have enjoyed your posts alot, thanks. I'm considering applying with Calex based on your experiences so far. I have 8 years driving in, and have still not found the combination of a good company with caring people, good pay, benes, and decent hometime. It seems as if you've found that with this group so far. I live in central Florida and have already spoken to Mort. He's mailing me an app. Says he doesn't have a need for the Orlando area at the moment, but may very soon. If one can do approx. 3000 miles per week and still get hometime and benefits, what else can a trucker ask for? How'd that first smoky Volvo work out for you? Did they get u into a different one yet? Keep posting my friend, and thanks again. Gary |
Gary, Keep in touch with Mort, I called him at least every other day when I was job searching and it finally worked out, very good I might add! I have finished my 7th week here and my miles have averaged out to 2750 p/w and home every week for 2 days each week. I have been able to get a reset while at the house and start the week with a fresh 70. My 30 days are up so my health insurance kicks in on the 1st. I still have the same truck that was given to me when I started. I finally was able to get the smell and nicotine out of it. It runs great, so I hope to keep it for a while.
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Originally Posted by poorrednek Over qualified for werner huh???  
I find this readl hard to believe to be honest with you. There is no such thing as too good lol. I hear the same story at the truckstop mind ya with JB, WERNER, PUMPKIN, and alot of the big companies. It useally starts with yall aint gonna believe this #### and ends up with a good truck stop lawyer round or if we are all lucky they start politicing and sayin what the gov. is doin wrong. 
Am glad how ever you found a good company that will take you in south fla |
Fortunately for me I know what I have to bring to the table for any company that would want my services. This is just my opinion, and we all know what they are like, I just wish that these driver mills would put more emphasis on safety and less on an ### in a seat. The idea of working for a company that hires drivers at the end or beginning of their freight lanes seems to make perfectly good sense as far as operations and driver retention goes.
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Originally Posted by garylobo Johnboy, I forgot to ask: Does Calex have you doing the LTL thing, or is it 1 pickup and stop for the most part? Personally LTL isn't my thing - to each his own, eh?  |
They mainly are a truckload carrier. With that being said, I had a 2 dropper last week that p/u'd in Georgia with 1 stop in NC and finaled in the Bronx right by Yankee Stadium. Companies that are set up to do LTL wind up paying more for that type of work. I did LTL for a number of years and personally enjoy it.
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Originally Posted by Dryver hey johnboy, glad it is going well. I too found a smaller trucking company, a fleet of 50 and love it. Out Sunday night and back on Friday. Great equipment and everybody likes to be there. The days of being a truck number and 3-4 weeks out are history. There are some great driving jobs out there but you won't find them in the truck stop mags, mostly word of mouth. Good luck John and thanks for keeping us up to date. |
Hey Dryver, I agree with everything you said. All drivers need to do is a little research and they can find that company that you don't see advertising or bad mouthed. Believe me, even though this has turned out to be a blessing, if something needed to be said good or bad I would put it on here. Thats the only way I could truthfully share about my employment with any company.
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Originally Posted by elk nice bike johnboy!i have a 00 wideglide-live near hazleton,pa. how about some more info on calex like health ins.& other benefits, also what are the trucks governed at??-thxs. |
Thanks for the flowers elk. I was actually able to ride last weekend while at home. The health insurance is offered the first of the month after your 30 days are up. They offer a PPO with 3 different levels of deductibles. It comes with a prescription plan, they also have a dental plan. The premiums are deducted pre-tax on a weekly basis. I had Humana for years that my wife and I were paying for ourselves and this coverage is very comparable to that but a lot cheaper. The trucks are governed at 68 mph which is just fine for me. All of your dispatch is done on an out and back basis. You get dispatched from Pittston then your back haul is back to PA or the North East, then after you empty your brought back to Pittston for your out bound load. You might be asked to drop your empty at one of our customers on the way back to Pittston. Thats what happened last week with me. I emptied in Harrington DE was told to come to the yard but to drop my empty at Mountain Top PA. By the time I got to the yard I had my outbound load assigned to go back to Florida. Which is were I'm at right now.