Averitt Express

I think they do hair follicle, at least from the information I was able to gather from a quick search.

 

None of the folks I spoke to today could say whether or not they do hair follicle testing, they both started 8 years ago and all they did then was urinalysis.

I start orientation in a couple of weeks, I'll let you know what happens then.

 

Cookeville Tennessee, that's where all averitt orientation takes place.

She said it starts Sunday and is usually done Thursday around 2. Then they send you to your home terminal for training.

When I start orientation I'll start a thread on it and link it on here. I'll give a play by play.

 

I worked there for almost 20 years. I left almost 18 months ago. Maybe Averitt just started doing hair tests on new hires, but in all the time I worked there you could expect to P in a cup and sometimes do a breathalyzer for alcohol. In all my years I think I did 1 or 2 breathalyzers and P in a cup 4-5 times. I think each terminal/service center has a breathalyzer on hand somewhere.

 

Your post on the first page of this thread is what made my wife feel more at ease when I told her I was offered a position with averitt.

I hope I can stick around 20 or more years. From what I hear, they have wonderful medical benefits and if you get bored or tired of what you're doing, they'll do their best to find something else for you. Whether you're tired of driving and want to work behind a desk or whether you're just tired of running the same route, they'll do their best to find something that works for you.

 

I left because I had the best run at my account. I had done it for 3-5 years. I was getting tired of the Groundhog sameness every day month after month year after year. Plus on my account we were required to work 6 days a week for straight pay (no OT) and I just couldn't face doing it for another 18 years until retirement. I never made $50k while working there. I knew it was a lower paying position but the first 13 years I had a Sunday - Thursday schedule with weekends off, holidays off, and 3 weeks of vacation. Then a few years ago 6 day weeks started and the stress just built & built. When I started calculating how much OT pay I was giving up, but more importantly the extra time in the truck I said something's gotta change. When the most senior driver transferred to another job I knew my complaints were widely shared. The conditions were dictated by the one customer's demands. That customer tried for 3 years to find a way to operate 7 days a week. My company assured them there was no legal way to make that happen. My complaints were entirely within the dedicated account, not with Avrt. Me and my boss looked hard for other positions I might like. I couldn't find anything that had enough variety without going OTR, what they call regional. OTR out of Nashville is not reasonable IMO. 1500 miles per week is about average.

I changed companies, switched to hazmat tanker and got a 60% raise with a guaranteed check & got $10k in bonus and extra pay last year.

The benefits are good. The company is honest. They have reasonable rules and if you follow the rules you can work there for ages. But not every job they have pays enough for all drivers. Some positions are mediocre at best. OTR varies tremendously from terminal to terminal. They have many dedicated customers where pay & conditions are dictated by that customer contract. I'm glad I worked there. They treated me very well, but I could not keep doing what I was doing for almost 20 more years and i already had the best possible choice st my account. A few weeks ago I learned they lost the Nissan account so I would have had to leave anyway. Once I got out I realized how much money I was missing out on in the industry. Your mileage may vary. I reccomend them to new drivers who want a good company if those drivers are what I call Boy Scouts, like me. If anyone is a rebel or cowboy do not go to Avrt. It will not end well for anyone.