Is Intermodal good for a first job?

Intermodal with out actually having to go into the port -or- railhead isn't much different from an other drop and hook linehaul job.

Depending on the products, containers are either light -or- heavy and with company owned and maintained chassis you stand a good chance of handling the heavier boxes.

I remember back when Charleston was a port we handled and the had one -or- two guys handling the actual port pick up and deliveries with all the other guys running just the linehaul.

Not having to learn the ins and outs of the seaport and running terminal to terminal is a good way to get good experience without the additional quirks of the port.

 

Now that you've given more detail, seems you made a good choice.

 

The Intermodal trucks I see are held together with duct tape, lots of duct tape. As for getting through the mountains on I-40 between NC and TN, if you obey the signs for trucks, obey the speed limit for trucks, and you have a truck with good tires, brakes, and drive professionally not like a stunt man in training you can get through the mountains easily. You will likely be scared, but that's because you never paid attention while driving before and now staying upright and alive only happens if you pay very close attention to what you are doing. There is a stretch of I-40 where you cannot pass anyone even if they are doing 15 mph in a 45 mph zone. So you don't pass, don't tailgate, and stay the EFF off of your D*mn phone.

Intermodal isn't usually seen as the high quality section of trucking. Often times it is the only way a driver can be home daily, or can keep using his clapped out truck to earn money, or how an ex-felon can have a job. I might do intermodal for a large trucking company with an intermodal division. I would not consider intermodal for a small company with a dozen mis-matched trucks made before Y2K. Intermodal chassis are in notoriously bad condition (brakes, tires/wheels, lights) Guess who gets a ticket when those issues are discovered by DOT? You get the ticket. Guess who loses time while those items are repaired, you lose time. Often there are many exceptions to the 'pay per hour' policy that doesn't pay you anything for A, B, or C, but does pay you for Q, W, and sometimes Z. Lots of intermodal pays per load, which means you eat the waiting times. The manager of the intermodal company is never going to say he is worried his trainers are drug-addicted mental patients. Just like every parent will say their child is above average when we can all clearly see that's not true and getting worse. Have the intermodal company give you contact info to a couple of experienced drivers doing the job now and talk to those drivers at that company doing the job you are considering. There is such a difference from company to company and from account to account it may be the only way to know what you might be walking into. It's kind of important to NOT change companies quickly and repeatedly to get experience or you look like a job-hopper to the good trucking companies.

 

Sounds like from the description you are talking about TCW in Columbia SC terminal.If so there runs aren’t bad likelihood running Kingsport TN which they did pretty regularly it’s really all interstate which isn’t bad.If it is TCW they aren’t a bad company newer trucks which you will most likely slip seat with a day time driver hopefully he or she will keep it clean as for the company the pay is about average for containers insurance is high but a pretty good starter job.Good luck

 

I forgot to mention running night shift at TCW it’s all drop and hook you will get very little hourly pay.The day shift drivers do the pick up and deliveries and going in the port they do a lot of the hourly pay

 

Congrats.

 

Taking truck home isn't a benefit. It can be a problem. 1) it means when it needs service you have to waste your time babysitting it during the service. 2) If you have neighbors, HOA, or don't have lots of property you may not be able to park the truck where you think. But you may not find out until after you get a ticket, or it's hit while parked, or you HOA fines you. Leave the truck at the company terminal, let them service it while you are home.

 

TCW is a decent company. I looked at them many, many years ago when my company got bought by Old Dominion and needed a job. The pay per hour for a home daily job was very low. It was not an intermodal job, it was pulling vans. This was 20-25 year ago.

 

It’s getting close to 20 years since I worked there.The terminal I worked out of was all intermodal they did have some guys who did the dry van side come thru occasionally. The pay is lower compared to LTL fuel and some other driving jobs .It’s only from my area that I base my opinion but all intermodal and rail work those companies always paid less the work is easier being there’s very little for a driver to do other than drive I’m guessing that’s why they can pay less or the revenue just isn’t there in that segment of the industry I don’t know

 

the good part is, you'll get good experience to put after a year of fairly easy driving.

no big cities, looking all over for an overnight parking spot.