Calex Express....My New Home!

Discussion in 'Discuss Your Favorite Trucking Company Here' started by JohnBoy, Aug 9, 2009.

  1. JohnBoy

    JohnBoy Road Train Member

    9,986
    26,784
    Apr 24, 2009
    Lake Worth, FL.
    0
    Well all, I got home from Bike week today and have to get ready to leave in the am. I need to call into dispatch to see where I'll be loading at. I'll be in touch during the week. Be safe and God Bless.
     
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. JohnBoy

    JohnBoy Road Train Member

    9,986
    26,784
    Apr 24, 2009
    Lake Worth, FL.
    0
    Well it's time to go back to work. My dispatcher Louie called and woke me up at 7AM this morning with load information. I have to dead head up to Griffin GA. for a drop and hook tonight with a 2 stopper going to MA and PA. I'll be empty Thursday and headed back home Friday. Be safe all, I'll check back in during the week.
     
  4. mals dad

    mals dad Bobtail Member

    13
    12
    Mar 12, 2010
    wilkes-barre, pa
    0
    hi john boy, im new to the forum just signed up 3/12, typed in calex ripoff reports and got zero back on that search. i applied to calex about a year ago, i live about 10 mi from pittston. i was told by jim fowler the head of saftey not recruting that he could not hire me at that time because out of the 14 mo ind been driving he could only use about 10 months, they require 1 yr. i plan on reapplying ive got over that year of exp now so i should be in good shape. i got my lic. through luz. co. comm. col. in nanticoke pa, the total miles for the instructors was over 5 million there are 4. one of them drove team with his wife for calex for 10 yrs and loved the company, only reason he left was because the wife wanted to come off the road. hearing your exp. with them has reaffirmed my decision to reapply, so thank you and keep 'em spinnin, and leave 'em grinnin'
     
    JohnBoy Thanks this.
  5. JohnBoy

    JohnBoy Road Train Member

    9,986
    26,784
    Apr 24, 2009
    Lake Worth, FL.
    0
    Welcome to the forum. If you read the whole blog you will get all the information you need. If you have any questions please ask. There are a few of us drivers here that will be glad to answer any questions you might have. With the size of Calex, there is only a safety dept. run by Jim and Mort. We don't have a recruiting dept. When there's a need for a driver they will put and ad out and go from there. Calex is not a big company, they run approximately 165 trucks, which makes for a very personal and friendly company. We are not a training company or a driver mill. I happen to live in Florida with 3 other drivers and it makes for a very efficient way of doing things. Living at either end of our freight lanes allows for us to be home on a regular basis which makes for a better driving experience. Good luck with your app. and if you have any questions just ask.
     
  6. JohnBoy

    JohnBoy Road Train Member

    9,986
    26,784
    Apr 24, 2009
    Lake Worth, FL.
    0
    Hello all, I got home last night around 6pm after a rather productive week. I left the house Monday morning and dead headed up to Griffin GA for a drop and hook for a 2 stopper in Uxbridge MA and Mountaintop PA. I got the trailer around 8pm and took my 10 hour break at the SC welcome center. Got up and hit the road knowing I had a long day in front of me. I must say, leaving the left door shut and taking care of business really works. I made it up to Frystown Pa and took my 10 break there with the unfortunate realization that I had 330 miles left to make my noon apt on time Wednesday. I got a parking space at 7:30 Tuesday night. I pulled in straight and did some paperwork and went to bed, around 11pm The truck next to me decided to start playing very LOUD music that rocked me right out of bed. I figured it wouldn't be a problem so I got dressed and knocked on his/her door to ask him/her if they could please be a little considerate and lower the music. Well, you would have thought I disrespected his mother/kids dog and goldfish. The guy came unglued and cursed me to no end. I wasn't about to get into a pissing match with him so I told him thanks for his understanding and got back in my truck and decided to pull out and turn around to back into the same spot. That worked fine and back to bed I went. I woke up and got ready to leave at 5:30. Before leaving I had this brilliant Idea, now believe me, I don't hold any grudges toward anyone, but this guy really fried my backside the night before. So what did I do? I sat in my truck drinking a cup of coffee and hitting my brakes continually until I figured he woke up then left. It was my little payback for a very bad nights sleep and having to deal with this husband/wife team of steering wheel holders. After leaving I was thinking about all the traffic I was going to hit at prime time rush hour and decided to go up 287 to the Tappan Zee bridge, across the Cross Westchester Expressway then up 95 so I would miss the GW/Cross Bronx and all that mess. It all worked out perfectly, I got to my noon apt. at noon. Now, I need to give some praise to BJ's distribution center. By the time I got to the guard house, to the time I got unloaded and was sitting at the truck staging area eating a sandwich, the total elapsed time from start to finish was 45 minutes, and that was to drop 33 pallets of product. The whole operation and treatment was truly unbelievable! Hats off to BJ's. I called into dispatch to find out about my second drop which was 300 miles away and was told to go there and to drop the trailer and have someone sign my bills. I got there around 8pm, spotted the trailer in door 9 had my bills signed and went the 17 miles back up to the yard to spend the night. The next morning around 5AM I got up and went up to the Petro and took a shower. While I was in there I got a load dispatch that was a drop and hook in Lock Haven PA going to Vero Beach FL for Monday at noon. I was hooked to my new trailer and on my way at 8AM and got my load at noon then headed south. I got home last night about 6pm and will be home until Monday morning then go to Vero Beach to unload. This weeks total was as follows:

    3295 paid miles
    No touch freight
    Left Monday at 10am
    Got Home Friday at 6pm

    I must say, this isn't bad for a driving job. Be safe all and God Bless!
     
    Last edited: Mar 13, 2010
    The Challenger and Hitman Thank this.
  7. runningman0661

    runningman0661 Road Train Member

    5,198
    15,087
    Mar 5, 2009
    Clover, South Carolina
    0
    JohnBoy I have enjoyed your posts, don't you wish all large distribution centers could be like that BJ's? I have delivered there on a few occasions in the past and it is amazing how efficient there operation is.
     
  8. JohnBoy

    JohnBoy Road Train Member

    9,986
    26,784
    Apr 24, 2009
    Lake Worth, FL.
    0
    I told the unloader/checker that they need to sell their warehouse operation to other companies or at least hold training seminars to show other warehouses how it's done. Are you listening Wakefern?
     
    The Challenger Thanks this.
  9. The Challenger

    The Challenger Kinghunter

    7,127
    3,367
    Dec 22, 2007
    East Central FL
    0
    Johnboy,

    You ever delivered to Market Basket in Tweaksberry MA?

    KH
     
  10. JohnBoy

    JohnBoy Road Train Member

    9,986
    26,784
    Apr 24, 2009
    Lake Worth, FL.
    0
    Yes I have. Far too many times that I wanted too. I haven't been there in many years though.
     
  11. mr truckdriver

    mr truckdriver Light Load Member

    286
    178
    Mar 2, 2008
    ft myers fl
    0
    Hey JB I see we have been on this earth about the same amount of years been trucking more years than I care to admit to. I was wondering generally what type of freight do you usually haul.It definitly reads like you have found "thee" ultimate gig.I live in southwest fl been running the shipping department and dispatching for a small manufacturing company for the last 1and1/2 years love the people I work for and with but office work is not me getting the itch again.How often do they set up new rounds and do they ever get anything on the west coast of Fla.Thanks and good luck and stay safe.
     
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.