Questions about US XPRESS

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I did reefer work for 18 years and liked it or wouldn't have done it that long. The companies I worked for paid us for long waits, breakdowns, layovers, pickups/deliveries and lumpers. Lumpers means we don't unload or load the trailers; a lumper crew is paid by the company to do that.

 

Leonard's hires Florida drivers and has long coast-to-coast runs.
Has a facility in Winterhaven, FL

 

Do not remember a dedicated fleet when I was there years ago.

Team & training trucks delivering in hauled multiple stop floral out. Had place in Miami & another small terminal (can't remember where in FL). Thought we also had something in Cali & WA, possible Portland.

Loads were all full trailer floor load individual boxes. Boxes, boxes, more boxes. Hell of a lot of boxes. Most not heavy, but some boxes bit heavier potted with water that had to remain upright.

Most all smaller flower shops, so would jump for joy if I ever saw a nearly non existant dock.

Hand unload to hopefully carts or pallet & pallet jack. It's a lot of work.
Ya know, after one exceptionally jacked up & difficult night run, completely exhausted...... I saw a reefer pass me with a bumper sticker that said "Only real men run flowers".

Aside from the perfect timing, I completely "got it". Could not do it anymore in my condition. Definately a younger persons gig.

As far as "Flower Power", got me through the 70's.

Peace & Love. ✌✊

 

Been doing reefer for over 10 years. Couldnt pay me to pull dry van again.

 

You don’t know what you’re missing

 

Dollar Stores are a lot of tight backing, less than desirable neighborhoods, backing in crowded parking lots, lots of manual labor,etc.

 

Reefer here for 12/13yrs, but for 2yrs in between dry box.

Can say I definately prefered dry box customer hours and hardly any wait times better. Also, way way more luck offing loads day or two early.

Getting older now & round the clock disparate reefer hours starting to take toll on health.

 

If your ok with what your doing, stick with it awhile. It's prolly best paying gig right now. Talk to some otr drivers and get a perspective on otr. If you have hazmat and tanker, you can open a lot of doors with experience. As i said.. if your alright with what your doing stick with it awhile

 

I did reefer for about 4 years. Was mostly delivering meat to Sysco’s, US Foods and a few other time wasters. Then sitting at National Beef and a couple other places waiting for my dropped trailer to be loaded..praying that the E. coli test came back negative..

Not even getting into the sleep deprivation I was always battling towards the end.

That’s where my distaste for reefer comes from.

To me reefer is a good gig for a OO if they have contacts and can avoid some of the food warehouse BS. For a new CDL holder to work pulling a reefer doesn’t make any sense.