ESTES Express (5 Year Review)

I haven't asked anyone anything regarding that honestly. I don't talk to anyone outside of the dispatchers, guys I got hired with if I see them, and my trainer. I'm a no nonsense do my job and go home type of guy.

You get paid $9.25 PER BREAK AND PER HOOK. Let's say I start in Dallas... I hook a set $9.25. I drive to El Paso and break the same set... $9.25. Let's start I start in El Paso, but I have to break a set to get a trailer going somewhere else... $9.25 for that break. I get that trailer and hook to another AT THE SAME SPOT... $9.25 again. Set hooked headed to Phoenix right? Guess what? I'm breaking that set in Phoenix... $9.25.

EVERY TIME YOU BREAK OR HOOK A SET YOU GET $9.25. That includes breaking sets to build a set. Hopefully this will help...

Hook two trailers... 9.25
Break two trailers... 9.25
Break a set because you need a trailer... 9.25

Break two sets because you need two trailers 9.25 per break and 9.25 for hookup ($27.75)

It sounds confusing but you'll get it fast. It adds up really fast which is why I break EVERY SET I bring back at the end of the day. You're leaving money on the table if you don't. Even if it's a relay... I break it just slightly so all you have to do is back straight back for a hook coming in behind me. Yeah, it's frowned upon, but I'm after my money. You're getting an easy hook too so that's money for you.

Back to the 08 crash... I was in high school lol and didn't know what was going on. Let's take the pandemic for example. Things slow in certain areas. They told us that we might not work a full week but we will be working. They offered city guys voluntary furlough and paperwork to go get unemployment if necessary. Linehaul guys ran like normal.

I was on the extra board. It was slower in my area but when I made it to Albuquerque, they had so many trailers set and willing to move to SALT LAKE CITY, DENVER, PHOENIX, VEGAS, EL PASO, that they basically had me doing turns out of their terminal. I stayed up in Albuquerque for 2 months averaging 3500+ miles a week ON TOP of all the bonuses and incentives for working COVID. When you're on the extra board, if you prove to them you can run... They'll feed you whatever you want.

As example of this was Saturday. I called central dispatch and the main lady on shift I know. She has personally called my cell phone and asked me to run West because they need hard runners several times when I was on extra board. (They don't do this regularly.) She had me on a turn. I told her to send me straight through and I'll stay in a hotel. (Which guarantees I work 7 days.) She didn't question it and said "I knew you'd say that. I already set it up. It's a relay, nice hearing from you and happy Easter." I've made a lot of money with her and she trusts I can do my job properly.

 

I hate pulling hazmat myself

 

Man tonight was long. I didn't get my paperwork until the cut time. Hooked a set in 15 minutes and I'm gone. Barely ate for the day but I just hate having someone sitting.

 

Check the first post. Too much to type lol