OD Entry Level

There is an OD terminal in Des Plaines Il also, which is just north of O'Hare Airport. Roughly a bit north of I-90 and Elmhurst Road. Des Plaines is bordering northern suburb or Chicago. If I cannot get in by the one by Midway, I will apply to the one in Des Plaines--but that one is also 20 more miles away...

 

I was just hired as a local p&d driver, I only have 1yr and a few mths under my belt what advice can you give me as I start my career with OD which seems like a great company?

 

hey, was wondering what the extra board is like in memphis. i ll be finished with cdl coarse at nwcc in ms in 4 weeks and my instructor says od is the place to be if u can get on.like what i am hearing here.starting new career at 47 and looking for a stable company to start and stay with. thanks

 

To allaroundusa27: Simple answer-do your job as though someone is watching you, even if no one is around. Take your time, do it safely, and have a positive attitude. Be on time, every time. Don't be bashful. If you are not sure of something, ask a question. ODFL is one of the best all around trucking jobs out there. We had a record 2011, and record 1st Quarter 2012. A miracle in this economy. Welcome to the family. BoneCollecter-right now we have close to 40 drivers on the extra board. They are not hiring right this minute. Extra board is getting 3-4 trips a week. Normal is 5-6. This is subject to change tomorrow. I would try to get on, even if it took a year or two. Get some experience somewhere else, in the meantime. Doubles and HazMat a must.

 

Thanks that's Tricky Rick, that's my plans im still waiting on a start date hopefully i get all of that info monday still going through the hiring process but i have a clean background and driving record and pretty decent work history so im sure I will be called in for the rest of the process, but from what i've seen od seems to be a great company with good benefits and pretty fair pay, one thing I can say is if your drive and survive at od you will be a #### good driver because of all their rules, but i'm ready with a humble approach toward it all and ready to make money with a great company...

 

thanks for the info,will apply and keep checking back with OD,probably go flatbed first for exper. what trucks and trannies do they use,so far have only driven fuller 10 and and a old 9 speed. thanks again

 

We only have 10 speed Roadrangers as far as I know. Freightliner Cascadias and Columbias, with a few Volvos. All are daycabs, except for the team trucks which are sleeper FL's and Volvos. For flatbeds, I would try Builders Transport or Maverick. Expect hard work tarping, and chaining, and long layovers between loads. Allaroundusa, what terminal are you applying at?

 

im at the clt location, and man its a great environment i havent event started and most of the guys the day i was getting ready to take my road test was like man you got it you can do it, everyone was very encouraging telling me it would be a great move for my family money wise,and family wise, so im just ready to get started i feel like im part of the family already, i must say i've been with a few companies since i got my cdl and i'm impressed with OD, seem like as long as you work hard and do it safe you can stay here forever.

 

I applied September 10th, 2012 at the Chiacgo Terminal. A man in the office just grab my application and threw it in a stack and said he would review it. So much for them needing Chicagoland recent graduates; other companies want a signature on the dotted line before we take our next breath.

I am not writing Old Dominion off--but I have lower my expectation of them accepting me, hence, the applying at other LTL carriers.

 

Freight is slow and hiring is cold right now, but when it picks up they will heat up and hire people. In the meantime, look at all other options. Good luck.