ABF road driver position - Little Rock

Same rates they started me at. Didn't give me probation either.

 

Gonna jump in this thread. I have an interview with ABF tomorrow (Altoona, PA) For a "Checker/Driver Full-time combined Dock/P&D". I am told I will be home daily which is what I need after my fiancee almost died in a hospital while I was OTR. I have never had a union job and have no idea what to expect. I'm hoping it will be better than the megacarriers (PAM, CRST Malone, Marten) and way better than my last local job (HoS was just a suggestion to them).

I will say they must have loosened their feelings about job hoppers as I have had 5 jobs in the last 3 years. And 1 ding on my MVR for the generic 'failure to obey a traffic control device'.

So is this the good job opportunity I have been looking for? Anyone else with this job that can give me an idea what I'm getting into? Job description says some dock work, which I don't mind. As long as I'm still paid as a CDL holder and actually get to drive I have no problem moving freight? I'm trying to find a place to retire from rather than yet another stepping stone.

Also is this a uniform company? Are my long goatee and piercings/tattoos going to be a problem?

 

YEs you will notice night and day with ABF. I declined a job offer from them 2 years ago for the same postion, reason being it was too much of a commute. Majority of LTL companies will hire guys who had a lot of jobs. They have guys from all other companies so they know how they are treated. PLus if your OTR and trying to become local they understand that. I left two jobs not in the greatest of name and still got hired from my current company and offered by two others before hand

From what I remember you will get two different pays for checker and driver during your probation time. Once you make the list its the same pay, which is driver pay. There will be days you will work the dock, and other days driving. ABF is a good job, you will notice a huge difference with the union, heck the teamsters saved me a few times, nothing too bad but the way management gets you need them at YRC LOL.

I believe they got uniform shirts. I think your goatee is ok, tattoos as long as they arent offensive Im sure they are fine, just wouldnt show them during interview. As for piercings Im guessing no like lip or nose or any of that at first. Not too sure just have to ask during your interview.

 

Yeah I have 3 lip piercings I have no problem taking out for work, but the goatee is a dealbreaker unless they will let me fold and rubber band it up. I found with interviews I go as me. I wear my normal work clothes (cargo pants and black pocket tee). What you see is what you get, I don't put on a false front. Most employers seem to respect that (unless you are applying for a cubicle, personally I would rather poke my eyes out). It helps I am much more intelligent than I look lol. I'm not really worried about the interview, just curious what the checking/dockwork part of the job will entail. On the phone he asked me if I ever ran a forklift. I told him I haven't yet but I can drive anything on wheels given the chance. But I don't want to be just a dockworker, didn't bust my ### and slave for a year with a megacarrier for my cdl to be a dockworker, I'm a driver first. I'll do what it takes to get there.

 

ABF is fussy about theory experience. If you only have a year driving they will send you to a driving school for 4 weeks. Then you are contracted to them for 2 years.

I went to my interview with a pollo and jeans to YRC. But they told me I would be doing a road test the same day.

I don't like working the dock either but would rather do that then stay and live in a truck. I know CON-Way freight, Fedex freight UPSF centeal transport and R&L all make the drivers work the dock. When I first started at YRC I had to work the dock a few times, same pay.

As for the lip piercing don't wear them to work until you at least make the union list. Once you make that list then you can ask the shop steward about wearing them(shop steward is a union rep who is also a worker)

 

Hey, could someone give me a little info on ABF in Smith Station, AL. I'm just waiting on my background check to complete. I applied for the Part-time driver/dock worker position. Thanks

 

It's a great company to work for. It's kind of an old school boys club, but in a good way...the last NMFA (Master freight) carrier of any repute. Wages are high. Pension they pay is almost unheard of these days. They made some necessary concessions on their new contract, but its still a lucrative place to drive for, no kidding.

Whats wrong with hauling gas? That's pretty high on the food chain in the truck driving world...

 

Working the dock ain't that bad I agree, but I'd probably rather go out on the road if I had the choice. Sleeper cabin' it can actually be pretty fun in manageable doses.

 

Sleeper cab sounds fun for maybe two or three days at a time (TOPS). My buddy gets paid hourly and does local food delivery in the Illinois area (can't remember the full carrier name but has "Brown" in it). They pay him up to 13.5 hours/day (due to the newly established 30 minute break rule. His carrier enforced the new HoS rules back in January) and then he gets another $50/night for his 10 hour restart that he spends in the sleeper. He works five days but is only out two nights. He has regular weekends off. Not a bad deal I think.

 

Sounds like a pretty good job. Food is hard work and long hours but it does pay well...has to or nobody would do it. Once you get your route down it's probably not too hard a life though. Having to show up to random places ive never seen is probably my least favorite aspect of trucking.