Some basic questions about LTL trucking

I worked at Coke as a tractor trailer driver years ago in Phildelphia. Delivered to supermarkets and warehouses. We got paid by the hour. Everything on pallets and an electric pallet jack and all docks. 1/2 the time we would get unloaded.

 

The days of a bulk route with only pallets on a 48’ or 53’ trailer are coming to an end. Now it’s a mix of 2-6 pallets on the tail then it’s smaller rapid deliver pallets for dollar and convenience channel accounts for the rest of the day.

 

Yes I see Cole tractors all the time and different now then when I was working there. It’s like soda LTL now. Still pays good not sure of the wages now? Hourly?

 

We were paid by the case plus stem pay if we drove over a certain mileage away from our drop yard. We had a utility position that paid hourly and I think it was like $25hr but that was the last contract so it’s little bit more now.

 

Ok paid by the case like the ‘ole soda trucks’ with side doors. Actually those guys did good cause they knocked out their run quick and still got paid well. I knew a guy who knocked out his run in 4-5 hours and did about 600+ cases but he had high seniority.

And on top a Cadillac health plan and a decent pension.

 

I could hussle but 600 would take me 7-8 hrs

 

Depends on the route. The guys I’m talking about had high seniority back then and most stops were bulk like to beer distributors etc. At beer distributors a forklift would unload them on the side door trucks.

Still 600 cases and 2 liter returns isn’t bad in 7-8 hours.

 

Not if you look in the right cities. UPS is hiring hundreds of drivers in certain cities and ABF is hiring in many locations.

 

The terminal or better yet distribution center that you drive out of makes a huge difference. Where I work at Kansas City has the best local work rules. Other locations have varying degrees of suck compared to Kansas City. I make 64.4841 cents per mile. You would start at 90% of that for the first year. They have hiring bonuses from time to time and I am hearing that they have a Wicked bonus currently.

Your first five years you will drive at night mostly and sleep in the daytime. Many drivers cannot handle that. Occasionally you will get a daylight run but that will be due to weird coincidences and happenstances. Hog board means you hang by the phone. Life is better with cell and smart phone but not much. You can take 48 hours off. When I started taking the weekend off meant you would likely have 96 to 120 hours off. If you think that sounds good you had better thing again. Not knowing when you will get out again drives people crazy. Recently the new guys have been taking the weekends off and getting out Monday morning but eventually the company will either over hire or the economy will slow and that will come to an end.

You can get on with a company like Old Dominion. Start driving Monday evening between 9:00 pm and 11:30 pm and get done Saturday around 9:00 am and 11:30 am. End up with around 60 hours off.