ESTES Express (5 Year Review)

Two different things, value and pecking order. In fact, your value is in your versatility to do tougher jobs, but if all you want is the gravy runs, then what extra value do you have over the contractors? The politics of dancing!!

 

Value + Financial = Pecking Order

 

The contractors are also paid pennies to do the same job we do for over maybe 3x the amount. Most companies are paying teams nowhere NEAR what we're making. Extraboard teams get paid more than ANYONE too.

I just look at it as the chaotic nature of Estes man. Tom will feed you miles until you burn out if that's what you want but not every dispatchers is like him. I've made a TON of money with Tom! Will is also my boy.

"Ehhmmm dispatch... This is Will."

 

Have you talked to a Covenant driver lately? Pay is pretty close to Estes,. There are something like 100 to 150 Covenant teams dedicated to Estes. Don't know what Estes pays Covenant for these teams but I would imagine it's more expensive than our own teams. UPS pays their teams far more than Estes. I like Estes but let's say it as it is. I would never drive team for Estes, they don't pay enough for the sacrifice compared to running solo.

Covenant pay : r/Truckers (reddit.com)

 

Covenant drivers probably don't go home for weeks or months at a time and then the question about benefits?

 

A fair pay for Estes teams, one and a half times whatever single driver pay rate should be split, total miles. We should get paid, just like breakdown half our pay, for our time when other driver is behind the wheel.. Simple and fair. So top rate xtraboard would be 1.20 per mile. Finding teams, problem solved.

 

Bro you literally opened my eyes. I had no idea those guys was somewhere in the range of us. I agree with you man Estes is being cheap to it's team in that regard. The solution is as you said, pay more and offer more, team situation solved. I don't understand why they'd pay "others" just as much as us but then be crying that you can't find teams. If I can run up 120k+ extra board solo, with home time, why would I go team? If I can run up the same on a schedule, why go team?

Make it make sense Estes overlords. I don't see the point in team.

 

I might be in trouble boys... I had a brain fart. I was supposed to take a trailer to a smaller terminal on the way to the main terminal and skipped it. Got a written warning for it. My first time in almost 6 years ever doing some stuff like that. I admit my head wasn't in the game, and I didn't pre trip that day at the swap.

 

People make mistakes, I’m sure you’re not the only person to have done that recently.

One of my buddies had a situation a few weeks ago where his meet driver managed to bring the same loaded and sealed trailers that he had gotten the night before. The dock never unloaded them during the day and he didn’t check the trailer numbers or seal numbers…just hooked up to whatever was in the dock doors he normally pulled from and took off.

 

That will teach them to have you split loads!!! LOL, Did the same myself. Slap on the hand and a laugh.

 

Yeah @EstesWest the DM was like what? He couldn't believe it because I've never done that and I'm one of those drivers "he wish he had more of." He didn't make a fuss and just smiled. He was like "man, don't worry, it's a simple mistake." I still felt like crap tho. I pride myself in doing my job and making it easier on everyone else in the process.