EPES TRANSPORT-Greensboro, NC

well, I was one of the few that made it through the week and got hired......half the orientation class didn't make it for various reasons, both students and experienced alike....these folks seem pretty much by the book and only looking for quality people who don't cut corners so coming from an aviation background that is the sort of outfit i'll fit right in at and made me feel pretty positive about the company as a whole

went out with a local driver friday and 1st paying run out had 45,505 in the box......never pulled anything that heavy before but no problems and in the dock first try.....then bobtailed over to pick up another trailer for an unload in downtown winston but not too bad....pretty wierd place and had to scale, cross the road into a parking lot and turn around and then pull back into the scale area and back into the dock.....no problems again, right into the hole and feeling pretty good for a first day out.....then pull up, back into an alley beside the building and line up to pull up back over the scale, back to the origin dock, drop and bobtail back to the term.....guy I rode with had nothing but good things to say so looks like i'm going to do alright at this lol

so far i've met nothing but good people and nobody has anything bad to say about the company.....everyone seems pretty happy with their situation and that says alot, especially considering alot of what I see people saying about their respective companies on here.....

talked to my trainer saturday and he seems like a pretty decent sort as well, very forthcoming and ready to take me on and get me up to speed so i'm feeling like I may have come out better than average for a newbie out of school but only time will tell...

heading out monday morning so a new chapter in my life will start....i know it's going to be trying at times but just from a first week impression things look pretty positive

 

You will like working for EPES. They are straight talking and fair and the training program is great. No team driving and you will do it all with the trainer observing and helping if you need it. I have been with them for over 3 months now and this is my 5th week out in my own truck. I can't say enough good about my company. The equipment is great and well maintained. I got a 2010 Cascadia and it's just like new. Welcome to EPES!

 

so.....first week is down and it was a good one. they paired me up with a trainer who is a fellow biker like myself and we got along good....and he's patient and laid back and good in the truck so i think it's going to work out alright. helps alot i've got a good feel for the truck and he doesn't have to micromanage my every move either lol.....he likes to run hard and that's fine with me.....we got a couple of long runs that let me run my hours out almost to the end every day and I ended up with 2200 miles for just over 4 days out......he's going to be on vacation next week so he got us in early this first week and i go out with someone else next week and then will get back on his truck when he comes back. i hope i get someone next week that i can feel as comfortable with in the truck. only glitch in the whole week was a 5 hour wait to get loaded in savannah.......2pm appointment that we got there for at noon and it wasn't until after 5pm before we rolled out.....they didn't get in any hurry for anything....and what a ##### to get into....a backwards serpintine "s" around a wall of trailers to a 90 degree hook into the dock...and absolutely no room to do it in.....oh and don't forget the concrete barriers on the right side of the tractor coming around that "s" lol.......he asked if i wanted him to do that one and i told him don't ask me that again lol....told him unless i just absolutely can't figure it out i'll do them all and if i have any issues i'll ask for help.....he just laughed and that immediately got me some respect lol.......and i got it in in 1 shot with one pullup and then was only about a foot to one side so i just pulled straight and adjusted.....he was impressed (so was I haha) and said even he would have had a little trouble with that one so i got off to a good start......and then sat there for 5 hours watching drivers of all types just refuse and drop their trailers and have the yard dog take them and put them in the hole.....that place was NOT designed to put 53 footers in side by side......other than that we were in and out pretty much everywhere we went and there wasn't any sitting and waiting for the next load.....if they can keep me moving like that once i get on my own i'll feel pretty good about things....so far so good....

 

That's good info to hear flyingmusician, I'm looking to get on with EPES myself here in a couple of months.

 

Dang that sounds like a TUFF DOCK, I dont remember that one, or have not been their yet.
YOUR a better backer then me hehe and I've been driving for 33 years and been here for 6 months this time...
WELCOME to the team, If u will let them. They will run u ragged pant pant I'm tired. Feels good to be home

 

thanks chickenman.....i'm feeling like i made a good choice of where to land with Epes......i've met nothing but solid, straight up people so far and just going through the orientation process it was clear they are only looking for quality people and not taking on anybody questionable in any way

i'm all about the miles and don't mind the work.....in my former position as a senior manager for an air cargo outfit, it was 24/7/365 on call, on demand, any shift, all shifts, all weather all the time so in that respect, nothing will change lol

the place i went to was in savannah, right across the tracks and on the same side of the road as the CT transportation terminal.....would have to go back and look at my notes to remember the name (went so many places in the first week don't even remember them all lol) if they send you there, you'll remember it from then on. i know i will lol.......and just don't expect to get out in any hurry if it's a live load....the lane between the row of empties and the front of the tractor after you're backed in is only two truck widths wide....if we had been further down the row, i probably would have been one of those guys that said here, you do it lol.....but as it was we were in door 3 which gave us enough room to make the s around the corner of both rows of empties and into the dock without getting too far down the lane and then having NO room to manuever in any way......some guys were able to do it and it was pure art watching them get in, but most of them just dropped in the lane and called the yard dog over.....with the short wheelbase on the yard truck he had just enough room to get them turned and in the hole.

i wouldn't say i'm a better backer then a long-timer like you, but it did very closely resemble an exercise we did in school that was a serpentine back around a corner into a dock.....the only difference was the 90 degree hook to finish it to the hole....i had to laugh when i saw what it was going to be....i thought they were full of #### when they set up that exercise at school and that i'd NEVER see anything like that in the real world but there it was lol......those old-timers that taught us knew what they were doing and i've been glad from day one i picked the school i did.....hopefully i won't see that one again for a long time

 

Also didnt know if they told u or not about Idling. But u can idle in the summer, but when its cool enough they want u to use the bunk heaters or ur best sleeping bag like me
And they will allow u a 1500 watt converter as well. EPES will even hook it all up for u.
Also the shop is pretty cool to, i had a trailer today that the brakes needed adj and it was a hot load going to miami fla. I pulled into the bay, 5 mins later i dropped the load on the yard.
The driver hooked up and was gone with NO DELAY...
I think u will be pretty happy here.

 

Are they training straight out of school? Thanks

 

yes sir but u have to see what schools they accept first. Call them at 1-800-869-3737

 

Thanks Chickenman