Just got the call for a phone interview!!!

I would stay at ABF,but if you must go ...the phone interviewer will question you as if you stoled something..They think everybody steals from them,so they will ask questions to see if your a thief..

 

How long have you been at ABF?
What is making you think that you should be looking elsewhere?
Why do you think that Walmart would be better?

I worked at Crete for 18 months and they had a dedicated account distributing groceries to Wal-mart stores in the plains states. Mostly night work but a few day runs. Managers at the stores don't always know the rules and can have an attitude.

 

Its funny you mention pensions,last time I was home I was looking over the statement I get from the trust that holds my former employers pension contributions. We are fully funded far into the future,thats as of now. The breakdown of investments show diversity and have a long track record of growth. Very little in real estate or other risky areas,I feel very secure and I know my pension will be there when its time.

My advice would be to get a look at your trusts financiall report and really think about that pension. All of us that came from union shops suffered and spent years putting in our time so your preaching to the choir. Each shop is different,I was set within ten years but other places like master freight take more time. I know your really thinking this thru,just dont miss anything.

 

If you are on the list at ABF, I would stay there.If your a casual i would seriously consider wal-mart.

 

He has nine years in and is sitting pretty good on his board. I know how he feels but if he comes here he may really hate life. Most of these new Walmart drivers came from chump jobs and cant properly relate to a guy thats coming from a good union gig.

 

3 months after I started at ABF I had 9 guys under me on a road board of 50 drivers. Now the road board is at 38 with 3 guys that have not driven in years still on the board and I have 10 guys under me. Not really getting anywhere but where I live this is about as good as it gets and I have no delusions about looking around. The nearest two Walmart distribution centers are about 200 miles each from my home in different directions. With my personality I am okay with running the extra board and the first bids that would be available when they get to me I would not want anyway. It will be another 5 to 8 years to get a decent bid where you might see a couple of hours of daylight on the way home in December. This job is just fine for me but we sure have a lot of complainers and I wished they would just leave but that is just not likely for many of them in the next 3 to 8 years.
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My Freightliner at Crete did ride better but I like pulling doubles too much and don't want to go back to pulling a 53 footer and sleeping in a truck again although I could.
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Central States Pension is a joke at less than 50% funded. I don't really see myself collecting very much if anything from it at all.
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For the grocery distribution center that I worked at the bulk of the freight was on Friday Saturday and Sunday and if there was a Holiday you could count on working the Holiday but the couple of days after a Holiday were like a ghost town with nothing to do. Slow season was from the day after the Super Bowl to the week before Memorial day with blips for Valentines day, Easter, and Mothers day.
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where I am at everyone sits so long at the foreign terminals that my sit pay combined with a pay cut is almost the same as I was making before but that is not the case for the bid drivers because some of them sit so long at a foreign terminal that they don't make it back in time for their next bid window so some are thinking about going back to the extra board.

 

You cant base the future of your pension on who is paying in and who is taking out. You need to see the complete financial picture to judge the health of your pension. These pension accounts are drawing huge amounts of interest and if the money is invested in solid sectors of the market they can grow substansialy.

Yes the union is on the decline but the private fleet is sliding into the crapper much faster. My odds are with the union. I have several friends in master freight and they are a little concearned but the big guys should stay solid and be there at least until you can pull the plug. Come here after you have your 25 in,and have the best of both.