Abilene Motor Express....A New Place To Call Home

Congratulations how was Central as a local company looking at them here in NY/NJ.

 

Well im on night linehaul, hate it. Lots of hurry up and wait. Paid by the load, but the hours you put in its not worth it. Some nights you will be going over your 14 we are on paper.used to be better when we were allowed to work the dock. Not anymore. If you can land the day shift its better paid hourly and can work dock. But good luck on that, those jobs are already taken. Haven't met a happy night driver yet and the turnover rate is high. Doesn't even feel like local. You will be tired as hell and go right to sleep when you get home just to wake up and do it again. Might aswell be a regional/dedicated gig where your off on weekends because thats how it feels. I would look into a different company like sysco etc for local.

 

Forgot to add when frieght is slow, the new guy will be called to stay home that day. They promised at least 220 a day, havent seen it and have only grossed 1000 exactly once. Im making 99 to richmond and 99 back. Sitting here now waiting on trailer to be done and looking at morning traffic on way back lol also theres no road test. 5 days orientation at 150 a day, 2 watching videos and 3 riding with a mentor to show you the route and how to work handheld which was completely unessesary imo. Oh ya pay is behind 2 weeks. First two weeks you wont get a dime. On the flipside when you quit, and you will in due time, for the next two weeks you'll get a check. The senior night guy at my terminal in delaware has been here 7 months, did 4 at schnieder, as soon as he gets his year he is gone lol The trucks are new, but they have some of the worst trailers I have ever seen and im sure a good 50% of them would fail an inspection. I think you nj guys get paid more, but your cost of living is higher.

 

Good morning folks. Something I forgot to ask Rusty about home time yesterday. Can you accumulate days off for days out? For instance with WS, I'd get 1 day off for every 6 days run and we could accumulate them. Very often I'd be out for 2 months or more so, say if I was out 60 I'd get 10 off. Does Abilene have anything like that?

Thank you.

 

Yes. It's 1 day off for every 6 days out. Stay out as long as you want. Or as little.

I go home every 2 weeks for 2 days. Wish I could get home more, and really need to. Have talked with the boss and he said he would make it happen should the need arise, and that any time I need a by the house load just let my fm know and it'll be done. I have an ailing mother I have to help care for, although she's pretty independent. And she may/may not be having surgery soon. May/may not lose her foot due to a condition called Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. Nasty thing this disease. Her symptoms are in her foot. It's turning completely around backwards. Painful! Add all her other issues-diabetes, heart disease, pulmonary issues (collapsed lung after 40 years of smoking), neuropathy, and it's a serious situation.

 

Thank you RC and I'm really sorry to hear about your mom. Believe me, I can relate completely.

In my first year with WS I lost my dad while stuck in a motel in Missoula, MT while my truck was in the shop having major work done for it's annual. That was Sunday morning October 12 2011. That left my mom alone for the first time in 58 years. After all that, I called her almost everyday to see how she was. On May 5 2012 while at our shop in La Mirada, CA I was getting ready to haul a load to MT. I called her and instantly knew something was very wrong as I could hear the pain in her voice. She told me she hurt her back (her DOC said pulled muscles) and I told her I'd get back to NJ ASAP. Dispatch gave that MT load to another and set me up to get back. I got there Friday MAY 10 at midnight. Long story short it turned out to be a compression fracture in her L1 and 2 herniated discs. I knew right then I'd have to be with her for months as it healed. After 6 months it was beginning to heal but like your mom, she had many other issues as well and her health began declining quickly. Turned out to be terminal breast cancer that nothing could done for. An almost 4 year battle she finally lost May 2nd. Hence the 4 year gap in my driving after just 2 years.

Lot's of those following my thread wondered if I'd ever post again. I finally did to summarize everything.

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/posts/2916403/

I'm so very grateful Abilene is giving me a shot to get back to work now.

 

Here's a question for you AMF folks:

I live in the Richmond area. I'm divorced, single, and my kids live with their mom. They live 2.5 hours away. Currently, I see my kids once every three weeks, on the weekend.

I already don't see my kids as often as I like, but once every three weeks is all I can afford for gas there and back (twice) and upkeep, plus taking the days off work to see them. (So I'm paying extra to see 'em and keep 'em and also taking a hit on the ol' paycheck because I ain't working those days.) I would love to do OTR, but I'm not willing to take a job that would have me seeing my kids less often than I'm already seeing them.

I've heard really good things about Abilene. Do you fine folks think it would be possible to drive OTR for them and get Friday-Sunday off every three weeks? I feel like that's not asking a whole lot, but I just got my CDL on Monday so I know almost nothing about the trucking industry. Maybe I'm asking for the moon and stars and I just don't know it. I'll happily drive wherever the hell they want and haul whatever they want those other 18 days, if I could just get those three days off every three weeks.

Thanks.

 

Hi ExtreamUnction,

I'm not the one to answer that as I haven't even started with them yet. However, according to their website they do hire CDL graduates and I'd "think" given all I've read here they could probably do that being you live so close?

http://www.abilenemotor.com/drive-the-green-2/programs-to-qualifications/

Check this link above for both the qualifications and number to call (top right of page) and ask for Rusty (recruiter). Seems like a heck of a nice guy and I'm sure he'll be able to answer your questions.

 

Thanks for the feedback yeah was around 23 per hour Monday through Friday so will try to talk a driver and see what they have to say around here, they just started getting new trucks here within the last couple of months.

 

RC sorry to hear about your mom hope all goes well keep you both in my prayers.