atlas orientation evansville ind

Atlas van lines?

 

So just picking up agent loaded trailers(HHG/freight) and delivering them to branch offices?

 

I have been an owner/op with Atlas Van Lines for almost 6 years now. I am leased on with an agent, not directly to the van line. I can't help you with the orientation. I do know that a lot of guys that are doing that new shuttle fleet deal do end up involved with household moves. They pull the trailer to the shippers residence, a local crew loads, the shuttle driver then pulls the trailer to destination and a local crew unloads. Not clear on how the shuttle driver gets paid for this, but my point is that it is not all just drop and hook.

The owner of my agency sold a truck to a driver that was signing up for the shuttle fleet and he was under the impression that all he would be doing is drop and hook. This is not the case for him.

Be aware that Atlas has a lot of fines for various things. Get a speeding ticket and you can be fined $500. Have an out of date or improperly filled out medical card during a roadside inspection...$500 fine. Late logs are $5 per log per day. ETC ETC

Keep up on everything and do your job...Atlas is easy to work under. Be a problem driver and you will have a hard time.

By the way, I am a HHG driver...not Shuttle Fleet. This is just what I have been told by some of the Shuttle guys.

Good luck!

 

I supposed to start orientation on Monday 05/13 on the shuttle side, Atlas already reserved a room at Holiday Inn in Evansville, but I have doubts about this $1.52 all mile stuff because I'm currently running local on intermodal run and doesn't do too too bad. Can you fill me in on how things go as far as settlement & do they have tons of trailer to move?

Appreciate your response.

 

May to September is this busiest moving season because people prefer to let their kids finish the school year before moving . The summer months will be real busy then expect things to drop way off .

 

Walter: Please take it from an insider. I have been with Atlas for 21 years and I hope to be there until I die but I have to warn you that the shuttle fleet isn't a good way to make a living. Moving is seasonal and you will starve in the off season. Supposedly, this is a drop and hook fleet but you will sit (unpaid) at the customer's house or at the agent's dock for 10 hours while the agent loads the trailer during the summer months. You will log this as "on duty not driving" and you won't be able to log many paid miles.

Also, please consider the math: $1.52 per mile - $1.00 per mile for fuel. You can make 42 cents per mile driving someone else's truck so that leaves you with 10 cents per mile to make a truck payment, pay insurance and pay for repairs. It's just not enough.

 

I am leased to an Atlas agent(less than a year) in Special Products.

chillyd I would have to disagree on the logging on duty while waiting for the trailer to be loaded. I don't see any reason why you are on duty while the agent loads the trailer. You can do what ever like during that time, which to me says you are off duty. That is how I do it now. At a residence you may not have the flexibilty that you would at an agent.

As far as drop and hook goes... Atlas has trailers sitting at various agents around the country to enable drop and hook during the busy season. But that doesn't mean that there will always be an empty trailer when they need one.