Saia and Estes in Springfield, MO

No and you're absolutely right. Everyone else would be downtown with a straight truck and we'd be bouncing curbs with a pup or a 45'. When I was on my way out they just got 2 new straight trucks parked back by the shop but according to the guys I still talk to they are still sitting there. They were saying they are trying to hire for them but can't find anyone, apparently the pay is quite a bit less than the P&D drivers. But probably more stress, cuz you know that whoever gets it is gonna be the mayor of Residential City. And I actually went to work at Greater Omaha Express running regional. Greater Omaha is a meat packing house and we are their transportation side. Granted I haven't been here long but I love it so far. I've been running a dedicated account between Omaha and Memphis and I'm home the whole weekend passing thru. And the health insurance plan is better coverage and cheaper than when I was at the big E. And so far the wife likes it, I don't come home late mad and we can enjoy our weekends without me dreading Monday.

 

@motocross25 - I talked to a coworker last night asking if he'd ever been to the Springfield Estes terminal (he is a former Estes driver). I was wondering how you said it was a gravel lot but was also a hub. I didn't think both things were possible. I assumed a hub would have to be a nice place with concrete all over.

He told me some horror stories and reiterated how much better we have it at Dayton Freight. He said our drivers who complain about little things have no idea how spoiled we are with nice terminals and little details like clean restrooms.

With all that said, he said Estes is still a good job, just a little rough around some of the edges.

 

Yea it's like compacted gravel/concrete/asphalt around the docks and then gravel everywhere else. And when it rains it's a mess. And I guess it's not really a hub persay, I don't know how they classify it. I may have misspoke. We sent a hub driver down there every night to work the dock and come back so I guess i just kind of assumed. But to be perfectly honest I really don't know what goes on down there. Maybe it's just a end of the line terminal that is slightly busier than most. And omg. Clean bathrooms. Yes do NOT take that for granted. Our fuel delivery driver that came to our terminal told me one time while I was getting DEF that he goes to a lot of trucking companies around St. Louis and he said by far ours was the nastiest. That could be the horror movie sequel we had talked about earlier. Deliver all day with the liftgate pup downtown then come back and hafta make a "major transaction". Better have good leg muscles cuz you'll want to hover!

 

OMG our parking lot is the same way bottles of urine and trash every where and the restrooms they look like something out of a 1970's gas station that haven't been cleaned since the 70's. It is by far the nastiest place I've ever worked.

 

Yep! I know man ours was the same way. They'd have a tote with the top sawed off right by the front for a trash can and it was always OVERFLOWING and flies all around it and stinkin. That's nice to see and smell when you're a customer comin for a dock pickup or any sort of business. The runnin joke around our yard was whenever that thing got emptied, Heenan or Jordan must be coming.

 

I'm not going to, but I wish I could post a picture of our Indy bathroom. Bright and spotless, cleaned daily at all breakbulk terminals and at least weekly everywhere else.

Y'all are making me pretty grateful right now.

 

Oh man. Even the presentation of terminals to the naked eye. Dayton's St Louis terminal is all lit up and organized and tidy looking. The lights didn't reach the corner of our yard. Or a whole back lot. You go in the drop lot to grab a trailer at night and you gotta watch the rats back there sharing needles and givin each other lil mouse handjobs. And if the sun is out it smells like party row at the truck stop.

 

HA! Sharing needles - priceless. Well done, sir!

 

Hello so I'm out here in CA but I've been at Estes for about 7 years, I went through the driving school back in October 2014 and officially got my cdl in December 2014 been a P&D driver ever since, I would suggest estes, they are as good as any ltl company, you will have to deal with typical b/s (you will figure it out) you might have to start on dock, and attend the school but it's cake, just do what they ask.

 

Where at in Cali?