Freight division.

How bad are the fumes when working the dock?

 

So does Freight. I read it my first day in my "orientation".

 

hey jakebrake i just graduated from school with my class a and diploma in hand. there is a yard in salinas, ca hiring. problem is i dont have the hazmat and doubles/triples endorsement yet. do they hire drivers without it if i tell them ill get the endorsements? i was going to ask them about going otr as well...

 

Just wanted to pass some info along..... Odessa/Midland Texas is hiring LTL drivers like crazy. They have no driver and are having to have other terminal send some of their drivers down there. All the drivers they had took off to the oil field. They are giving an $8000 sign on bonus (**Eligible for $500 sign-on bonus in addition to $1500 retention bonus after 6 months; $3000 after 12 months; and another $3000 retention bonus after 24 months***) My brother in law is down there right now, filling in from OKC,Ok. Just thought I share

 

Thought I would correct info even though this is the FREIGHT thread as far as the poster saying TRUCKLOAD has a no firearms policy that is 100 % NOT true. Truckload does provide lockers for firearms at the Taylor terminal and one of the head safety guys in Joplin is a nationally know firearms instructor. I will also say freight terminals I've been to all have a No Carrying Firearms sign at the front gate.

 

Has anyone heard anything good or bad about Con-Way Freight in Walton, Ky.?

 

Best you can do is call and talk to the personnel supervisor or ambush a few of the drivers doing their rounds and ask their opinions of the terminal itself and the management. Ask how long theyve been there as well. Freight as a whole is a good company, but each terminal has its idiosyncracies depending on the type of supervisors and terminal managers there.

Freight seems to be sluggish throughout the network, until about March. Also area dependent. But go out and do some homework.

If you do speak to the personnel guy, ask if they have a flex board, and how many guys are on it. That is kind of the indicator as to where you'll fall in. Alot of flex guys and you might not get too much work or youll become a dock monkey with a cdl..lol
Also if you can find out the terminal classification. Theyre classified between 1-6. Six being super small, and 1 being the largest. Smaller the number, the more freight that moves through that facility and the more possibilities for work.


Good luck, and LTL is definitely the way to go.

 

Might as well go get it before. You cannot start driving there without it. My hire date was pushed back because there was a screw up get my hazmat transferred. But call the terminal and find out,each one does things a little different

 

Does experience in the TL division help when bidding for a spot in Freight? I assume they really wouldn't care, I'd love to give Freight a try out of Orlando.

...when I get more experience though lol

 

Sadly my friend, your time at TL is only for experience...nothing more. You will start at the bottom of the flex board if they have one and work your way up. Depending on the amount of freight they move you could still work alot or be spending many a days at home.

So if you want to apply to Freight, its best to get in as soon as possible to start building seniority time at that location. I have to double check if you transfer from TL to Freight if you get to keep your vacation time and stuff. Not sure. But dont wait till you get enough experience, apply now!