going to give JB hunt a Try

Oh man I'm sorry. I wish I could get a trailer and orientation together before the 24th. Intermodul work is a hard way to make a living. But I know the bills won't wait on what is happening with my company.

 

Not a problem. Are you getting your own plates or getting them from JBH?

 

I did local rail work with JB out of Chicago. i was able to gross $2500 a week and only spent $500 in fuel working MON-THURS. To make that tho, you will most likely want to work nights as that is the best time to get in/out of the rail yards w/o a wait.

 

Sounds like you did crosstown work, that,s where you make your money as an IC at JB. You need real thick skin, to do intermodal at jb. If you get upset easily you,ll never make it. Stuff like trailers loaded front to the back doors,to the ceiling, loaded over weight front,usually the rear of trl. A common thing at jb is trl lights missing,rubber grommets. Boxes set wrong not lining up with pins, you can pry the box over sometimes with a crow bar, this is not real common,but does happen sometimes. Just keep relaxed and don,t loose your cool with the rail road personnal, they have a supperior complex. I got along with them just fine,but I get along with everyone,and I knew what I was getting into. It,s a rr racket , tools needed are 8lb to 20lb hammer, spare mud flaps,get 3prong wire sets 4 all the different lights on chasis,landing gear handle. Learn spanish,russian,polish language.haha There,s alot of Mack trucks in rr yards for a reason, the intermodal trls beat a truck up, more than anyother trl. I drove a co. JB truck, my body was going to hell,so I had to leave, driving a 1976 r modal Mack is less abuse. I did Wi. to Chicago, rr to rr called crosstown is much easier. GoodLuck it,s not that bad,but it,s rr freight, alot more stuff to go wrong. I might buy a truck and lease onto Comtrac in the future, they have a decent program,from the IC ,s I talked to there. I bet you run into Wi. also,when they have 900 loads a day in Wi., your going to Wi. Honestly I,m not upset at JB, I,m just stating some facts. I knew the job was just a steady pay check, I knew there reputation, on there trucks,trls, huge weird safety program, heard about the Chicago terminal years ago. I can make more money elsewhere,and drive a truck with a better ride,presserving my body for the long term.

 

Yes, I did crosstown moves but our radius was 150 miles of Chicago. I also did rail work with Schneider for 5 years prior to that so I already knew all I needed to make the $$$.

Just be patient, cuz the first 2 weeks will be the toughest and drive you to the brink of quitting but don't, once u learn the in and outs of each yard, you will be fine.

 

When you enter a new yard be sure to double check with everyone that you come in contact with about what you should be doing. many people will talk like what you are supposed understand and you drive around in circles. Until you know the lay of the land don't try and fix anything on the yard. UNION - and you are not qualified to change a light on a trailer. I did reefer containers and would get a talking to if I even cut the zip ties holding up the power cord from the gen set.