Estes hiring process??

Does Estes have an OTR division? I think regional drivers who drive daycabs are put up in Motels. Today was the first time I saw an Estes Tractor with a sleeper. Maybe they got tired of paying for the hotel bills.....

 

The sleeper trucks are used for extraboard drivers and teams.

 

Just another reason I'm still kind of leery of completely jumping ship. At least during our low times, I still get between $700 and $900 week just getting as many trailers unloaded at the nearby plant. In addition to getting another job elsewhere, I've really got to set myself up for a move. Get the place cleaned up, pack things well ahead of time, just get myself ready rather than keep everything askew.

 

A former co-worker of mine went there 2.5 years ago straight into linehaul. He's making over $80K a year and is home at least 2 days a week. Put in motels the nights he's away. Said it's not all roses over there though and progressively getting worse. Apparently certain terminals have gone to cab cameras and there's talk of more and eventually possibly all going to them, among other things. He's happy there though but I myself have also quit wasting my time trying to get on there. I wasn't good enough the time I applied so to hell with em. I've been offered two jobs this week that'll satisfy me, and never have to sleep in a truck or a motel barring a major weather event or other circumstance. I don't need to make that much money to be happy, I'll take being home every day and still making over $1000/week. My days of spending 70-75% of the year on the road are over...

I believe they pretty much call every applicant and do a phone interview. You'll get a call from VA, their headquarters and talk 5-10 minutes with someone. That's what they did with me and he's told me that's what they do with most. Until you hear from the terminal you applied to run out of asking to schedule an interview, nothing to get excited about. They're one of those companies that can be picky on hiring because it's a good job and they're not desperate for drivers

 

These driver facing cameras are creeping in everywhere it seems. Sneeze the wrong way and safety wants to have a chat in the morning.

 

Estes is installing outward facing cameras in all there linehaul trucks but no driver facing cameras. Sad to say everybody will have before long.

 

I work for Estes and it took a month and a half to fully get through the hiring process. I actually applied in early May and got a call from the tm in the first week of August and started September 23.

I went straight into line haul extraboard. My last 3 pay checks I have grossed around $1,800 plus or minus per week. I get home every weekend usually midnight or 1am Saturday morning back to work Monday night. I have no complaints. Most trucks have had the cameras installed, mine doesn't and just went in for service 2 weeks ago.

 

I applied to the Aurora Co terminal for linehaul about three weeks ago, so I could be looking at the same situation myself if everything else goes alright. From what the recruiter said the last time I talked to them, the days off seem to vary. Some might get Sun/Mon off(definitely don't prefer that), while others might get lucky and get Thurs/Fri off(that I do like).
However, from what I've gathered from the research I've been doing with these LTL and even food-service companies, it seems to be hard pressing to get some regular days off in the middle of the week like I have now(Weds/Thurs). But I figure this is due to the customers they serve and how they operate mainly on the traditional, M-F schedule.
So of all the job offers I'm getting, I'm only stuck where I am due to my own preferences. Not really wanting to leave due to being that one weirdo that actually does not prefer to have weekend days off. Guess I've made my own bed and don't want to get out of it, lol.

As for the camera thing, outward doesn't seem so bad. But regardless of direction, it seems as though they're a good tool at finally forcing the bad habits out of a driver. At the same time though, the negative aspect is the fact that they're just another tool in the overall, weeding out process of getting rid of problem drivers. If it isn't health habits that get them, it's road habits.

 

The days off really depend, city drivers and most bid runs are monday-friday. Extraboard can really vary I have a Monday start I know a few guys that start Fridays and have Wed Thursday off. I think you can request what day you would like to start. You might be out of the Aurora terminal but if you're extraboard you belong to central. The terminal really will have nothing to do with what you do. Beside have You cover bid runs during vacations or when someone is sick. You also have the choice to stay out as long as you want and reset on the road. I like being home weekends because my wife is off work and kid isn't at school. It's fairly easy if you turn on your 10 to get 6 runs in 5 days.

The hiring process on average is really long we had to hire 2 new guys and each took a full month and then some to start.