Midwest Regional Reefer Fleet $80-100k, Limited Positions Available

McFarland Truck Lines, Inc. (USDOT 509519) based out of Austin, MN is looking for a few safe drivers to run Midwest Regional lanes. 100% reefer fleet, 2019-2023 Freightliner Cascadia Evolution with 72" sleeper, Thermo-King Tri-Pak APU, 1800-2000w inverter, Diesel Bunk Heater, fridge mount, TV mount, microwave mount, and company-paid Sirius/XM subscription. Most are mid-roof single sleepers, but due to popular demand we have been adding double bunk condos to the fleet this year. NO INWARD-FACING CAMERAS. We don't want to watch your every move, if we did, we wouldn't have hired you in the first place.

You choose your home time. No minimum out, no maximum out. No mandatory time out for home time. Want 5 out and 2 at home? Got it. Want to stay out 2-3 months at a time? Got it. Going on vacation? Your truck will still be waiting for you with your stuff in it (no 4- or 7-day maximum home time rule). Want to run part-time and head out for a month then come home for a couple months? Go for it (although in this case, we would require the truck to be cleaned out... I'm sure you understand).

Hiring all areas within a general triangle from St Cloud, MN to Dayton, OH to Wichita, KS, and anywhere within 50 miles outside of those lanes (we can also hire out of the OKC, DFW or ATL areas only with the explicit understanding that you will be out 2-3 weeks at a time from those areas). 90% of our freight is in this triangle. We primarily haul food products, as it is recession-proof. Small to medium sized, family-owned company with 75 sleeper trucks, 40 local trucks, and 12 O/Os. Big enough to have the freight contracts that keep you moving, but small enough that your name is your "employee number."

Our current turnover rate is less than 1/3 the industry average... for good reasons. We don't play with your accessorial pay. We don't short your miles. We don't play favorites. You run how you want to run. Need more miles? Go get them. Need a break? Let us know. 99.5% direct contract freight by volume, so there's no sitting around waiting on the next load from some random broker or board. Most dispatchers, safety, and operations personnel are former drivers and current CDL holders, so they understand where you're going, who you're dealing with, and what they are trying to put you through.

Travel paid by the company, whether riding in a truck, renting a car one-way, or flying to Austin, MN, you are covered. All drivers are also paid $0.55/mile for travel from their hometown to our terminal for orientation (no matter the method of transportation), and their first load is routing them toward their home town to pick up the rest of their stuff (extra time will be built in to give you enough time to make your truck your home). We provide you a room at the Cobblestone Hotel and Suites during orientation, which includes HOT breakfast (not a grab-n-go), a pool, and a fitness center. Lunch is provided during the 1.5 day orientation as well.

Honest pay. No tricks. No fluff. No side-talk. No jumping through hoops to qualify, either.
All miles paid at a base of $0.55, plus mileage bonus.
At 1800 miles/week, add $0.04/mile for all miles ($0.59 total)
At 2400 miles/week, add another $0.06/mile for all miles ($0.65 total)

Stay tuned: Annual raises are announce in spring and may be found in the comments when released

Everything below is added to your base pay:
Quarterly safety @ $0.01/mile
Stop pay: $30 for any additional stops
Detention: $20/hr starting 2 hours after appointment time (whether we get paid or not, its in your paycheck)
Clean DOT Inspection: $200 (any level)
Monthly cell phone reimbursement covers first $25 of your bill
401(k) with company match (50% match on first 5%) after 90 days
Signing bonus $3,000 ($600 on second paycheck, $600 quarterly for first year)
Orientation pay $150
Second orientation pay $50 (after 30 days, we route you through here to speak with everyone and see how you are progressing, what is going well, and ways we can help you succeed further; takes about 1 hour)
Referral bonus $2,000 if you refer a new driver to us

In 2020-2021, our drivers averaged $0.64/mile with bonuses and accessory pays factored in (there have been 2 pay raises since then)

Benefits:
6 paid holidays
4 days/year of sick pay (can be carried over)
Bereavement pay - 3 days for immediate family
Vacation pay - 1 week after first year, increasing to 3 weeks (paid on your employment anniversary)
Company-paid Life and AD&D (after 90 days)
M/D/V/L - Packages vary, shared premiums between employer and employee (after 90 days, we pay 80%)
HSA available (after 90 days)
Rider and pet programs available

Minimum Qualifications:
Valid CDL-A (no endorsements required, automatic-only restrictions accepted)
9 months verifiable experience. Exceptions considered for the right candidate.
MILITARY EXPERIENCE ACCEPTED AT A 2:1 RATIO (1.5 years Active Duty as Army 88M, Army 92F,, Army 91-series w/H8 Additional Skill Identifier, USMC 3531, USN EO, USAF 2T1X1 or equivalent to any of the above will qualify)
23 years of age. Once again, exceptions considered for the right candidate.
Knowledge of Federal Hours of Service Regulations
Good Driving Record
Good Communication Skills
No Serious Violations in the Last 3 Years
No positive DOT Drug or Alcohol test in past 5 years
No SAP, no exceptions. Don't even ask, as its non-negotiable
Preference given to drivers with fewer than 5 employers in prior 3 years

If you have any questions, you can call me at 507-440-6470, email me at james.grein@mcfgtl.com , or ask right here out in the open and you'll get an honest answer out in the open. Private messaging capabilities are disabled on this forum for those in positions to gain from recruitment of drivers, therefore you will have to utilize another form of communication.

Visit us on the web at www.mcfgtl.com or you can visit us on facebook

Also seeking local drivers in various locations around the Midwest and mechanics/helpers in Austin, MN. Check our website for current openings under the "Careers" tab.

 

Retention starts in the recruitment. Being up-front and honest about everything goes a long way toward retaining the drivers.

New numbers are trickling in with end-of-year reporting. Of the drivers that spent the entire year working (we have a lot of snowbirds and even reverse-snowbirds), the average was just shy of $87k. I still don't have a weekly average for mileage last year, but based upon trends, it ticket up a touch from 2354.

Its good to see that drivers don't have to kill themselves running 150,000 miles to make a decent living. 120,000 is all it takes.

 

15-liter engines. 62/65/68 pedal/cruise/pass

 

Not much, if at all. Occasional beer, lots of pork, chicken, turkey, beef. Close to half of our freight is bulk meats from initial processing to finished processing plants. That's why were are at nearly 50% D/H in reefer. Our largest customer is Hormel Foods and their subsidiaries which includes:
Alma Foods, LLC
Campoco, Inc.
Century Foods International, LLC
Champ, LLC
Clougherty Packing, LLC
Creative Contract Packaging, LLC
Dan’s Prize, Inc.
Diamond Crystal Brands, Inc.
Diamond Crystal Bremen, LLC
Diamond Crystal Sales, LLC
Dold Foods, LLC
Dubuque Foods, LLC
FJ Foodservice, LLC
Fort Dodge Foods, LLC
Hormel Foods, LLC
Jennie-O Turkey Store, Inc.
Jennie-O Turkey Store, LLC
JJOTS, LLC
Lloyd’s Barbeque Company, LLC
Logistic Service, LLC
Melting Pot Foods, LLC
Mespil, Inc.
Mexican Accent, LLC
Mountain Prairie, LLC
Osceola Food, LLC
Park Ten Foods, Ltd.
PFFJ, LLC
Precept Foods, LLC
Provena Foods Inc.
Rochelle Foods, LLC
Saag’s Products, LLC
Stagg Foods, LLC
Valley Fresh, Inc.
West Central Turkeys, LLC