Andrew's Trucking Journey Continues

That’s correct. There are basically two sides: PTP (point-to-point) and LTL.

On the PTP side, we service drop lots, distribution centers, and some stores. We deliver furniture, pick up backhauls, and bring them back to the main hub depending on where you’re based.

The other side is LTL (they might call it something different now). That’s more delivery-focused. There are local drivers and over-the-road drivers. I used to do over-the-road LTL, which meant I’d go to a different area where we had a drop yard, deliver loads out of that region for about a week, then head back home. Local drivers stay in their area and are usually home every night. In some places, they also have programs like “flex,” which are shorter runs and may get you home every night or every other night.

Personally, I worked hard doing LTL and didn’t make much more money, and it was a lot less consistent. Right now, from what I hear in California, it’s really slow. Guys are going home early a lot and don’t have much to do. I’m not sure how that’s sustainable.

On the PTP side, we’re still doing pretty well overall.

That said, the company culture has definitely changed. It used to be much more focused on driver morale—we were considered ambassadors and the face of the company. That’s not really the case anymore. Some of that old culture is still there, but if you bring it up, it feels like they don’t really acknowledge it.

Overall, things just feel different. It almost seems like they’ve shifted toward operating more like an outside carrier rather than a true private fleet.

To be fair, it’s still a good company. But lately things feel uncertain like you’re waiting for the next shoe to drop. I’ve been here about five years, and there are a lot of new hires coming in, but it also seems like a lot of people are leaving. I don’t fully understand the direction or how some of these changes are saving money.

There’s a lot of talk about things being slow and needing to cut back, and at the same time there are small changes that seem to chip away at the freedom and earnings we used to have.

But that’s just my perspective—just sharing what I’ve been seeing. There are still some really good people here, but a lot of the good ones from before are gone.