Homerun

Homerun is still working in Portland, they are always looking for people, if a "POD" is filled, they will start another, people are always moving in and out of this Program, been doing it for a year and like it.

 

Sorry for not answering your post when I first saw it this morning.
I'm on the Home Run program out of Woodhaven. Been on it a year now. That's where you'd be out of as well. You pick up your truck usually on a Wednesday morning, once in a while the next day. Then run with it for two weeks. 90% of the time I'm back in Woodhaven on a Wednesday, sometimes a day or two later, and sometimes a day early. Freight is hard to come by coming back to Michigan, but my DBL really does try. It's usually the weekend and support shifts that screw it up, but I try to be flexible and not worry about it. At any rate, you still take a week off, at least with my DBL.
The biggest drawback is slipseatting the trucks. I know the website says three guys and two trucks, but in reality with my group, I rarely get the same truck like you would think. I've trucks left by the "The Incredible Manpig", pee bottles and all, to ones that are almost detailed by the former driver. The "pigs" were dealt with, and pretty much cleaned up their act.
You also make less annually than if you were out 3-4 weeks and 2-3 days home. But I'm an old guy with a wife with Alzheimers, and it really works well for me.
Did you have any specific questions? I'll answer the best I can.

 

I will be starting the program here in P.A and would like to know how many miles r u getting and is it a lot of drop n hook. Also if you want to stay out the week u r off csan u n how do u do it.. Please let me know what u know.. Thanks

 

Johnday, I would really like that program, is there a coordinator I should call? What if one of the 3 drivers in my area bails, is it back to a regular division? Is there even a possibility in Middle Tennessee? And a general question about SN: no idle under 90 degrees!? I can sleep in cold just fine but not hot/humid. How do you do it?

 

Okay now. Your best bet would be to call an SNI recruiter, not one of the internet dandies. Go on the SNI website to find the number.

If a driver bails out, it most likely won't affect you at all. SNI really does try to help the drivers. While there, we had a couple drivers quit altogether, and it didn't affect me at all. Once in a great while, you may be "asked", not told if you'd like to stay out a few additional days. I always told SNI I was flexible, and it would be no problem. Sometimes due to freight, especially in Michigan as an example, you may be out a couple extra days, but then you just stay home for your week off anyway.

Let's see, in Tn? Most likely there is a possibility. I can't say with 100% certainty though.

No idling under 90 degrees. Although I've always tried to limit my idling to something reasonable, I look at it like this. If it's too hot to sleep comfortably, I'm going to idle. To me that means anything much over 80, sometimes less, depending on how muggy it may be.

SNI has guidelines as well regarding cold weather idling. Being a northern company, they know something about cold weather. All the trucks are equipped with block heaters. Any time at a terminal when temps are below 32F, you plug it in. From 10F on down, you idle. I may have those temps skewed a bit.
Most of the trucks have diesel fueled bunk heaters, they work pretty well.

 

Johnday,

As far as being flexible about staying out a few extra days week or whatever if there is something really important, that would be no problem at all unless it was through Christmas, wife's birthday or our wedding anniversary. If they treat me well and ask I would do whatever they needed done that was legal and that I am capable of. If I'm going to be away working I would prefer to do what is in the interest of my employer, because in the long term it's in my best interest. Also as time goes on and things come up that I may need a favor for - it is common sense to remember how I acted when I was asked for a favor.

When I was a factory rat, my immediate boss stretched company policies to help folks and most of us would do anything for him. Some sorry folks we worked with would take advantage of his generosity then if something needed to be done that wasn't SPECIFICALLY in the job description they would refuse, cut a shine or p*** & moan. Stuff like that has always been a burr under my saddle, and the other side like some of the posts we read about what these companies do also bugs me.

Long story short, I appreciate the info and will contact SNI, I just like to hear straight poo' from guys on the jobs I'm interested in.

Stay Safe

 

You could do a lot worse. Your attitude seems like my own. Not sure if that's good or bad,. I'm having to quit driving for the immediate future, and I'll say with all sincerity, I'll miss the quality of company I've been with the last year and a half. That's the first time I've ever felt that way about a place I worked.