Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach

The LA/LB ports aren't that bad, despite what you hear. I just got done running the port for a company based out of the Phoenix area. I actually kind of like running the port to be honest, but I'd rather do it as a local driver getting hourly pay. It sucks when you're based out of AZ and you're not usually pulling your own company's chassis. Tire blowouts left and right.

I speak a decent amount of Spanish thanks to my girlfriend, and it honestly doesn't help me at all in the ports. There's a lot of Mexican and South American drivers at the ports, but they aren't important to the function of your job. They mostly walk up to you asking how to get to their area of the terminal in Spanish. Sometimes they ask about other small things, but nothing important to you. I need the practice so I respond in Spanglish when I feel like it.

All the people you need to talk to down at the ports are Americans. The clerks behind the pedestals are almost all native English speakers, and the boots on the ground inside the terminals are the same way.

Same goes for Mandarin and Cantonese. The Chinese drivers don't typically try to even talk to other drivers unless they're Chinese, no matter how good their English is. Koreans and Chinese typically don't associate with non Asians unless they have to. I know because I'm half Korean. Mexicans and South Americans are a bit friendlier and more willing to talk to others.

So there's a detailed explanation of why Spanish and Mandarin/Cantonese isn't something you should even be worrying about. Your main focus once you get hired on, is getting a terminal map from the trouble desk as soon as you make it through the pedestals, and studying the maps religiously on your time off. Knowing the terminal layouts will help you immensely.

The chassis pools are a nightmare sometimes. The longest I spent finding a chassis that didn't have any major issues (they all have something wrong with them) was 4 hours. The shortest I spent finding a good one was 10 minutes. It's completely luck of the draw, just like your in and out times. Quickest in and out for me was 25 minutes at APM, load in own chassis, load out own chassis. Longest was 7 hours in Evergreen... depending on a lot of factors, you can be in there longer than 7 hours.

The only other piece of solid advice is DO NOT give any of the terminal employees an attitude whatsoever, even if they're giving you one. Several times they told me I was just plain ####ed and had to wait, I just played along like it was no big deal and gave them a smile and good attitude... moments later I'm picking up my container. Tell them to have a good day at the end of the conversation and sound genuine about it. If you act nice, laid back, and chill about everything, they'll be more apt to be cool about everything and help you out. The moment you give them an attitude, you're now waiting next to your container for hours while top handlers drive right past you without helping you.

Other than that, your best bet of having a smooth ride at the port is to get on with one of the unions the port workers are buddy buddy with.

In short, don't be a dick, be patient, and understand you're doing one of the most ######## jobs in the industry. It's not a job for every driver, some are just cut out for the rails/ports, some aren't. I've decided that I'm gonna try and stick with the rails and ports as much as possible.

 

Idk how often you come down here. But I'm in here daily 5 terminals a day on average. I can tell you these cats are the worst. Example last night at apm/maersk one of these mechanics pit the chassis i had out of service due to no bit. He overlooked the sticker i had to go to the second shop and have a supervisor give it a look and he okayed it. Fixed it a tire and i was on my way. The mechanic got a write up. They just don't care about us. And as for being hourly? Your better off per trip. You can make 1300 a week in 4 days working 12 hrs.

 

So I went into the ports for the first time today. LA/LB has 14 terminals. My dad is an o/o and it was my day off and I have my twic so I thought why not.

First suprise of the day is when I met him at is tractor and he threw me his keys and said see you later, apparently you cannot have anybody else in the truck at the port twic card or not.

So basically he threw me to the wolves, I only did 2 loads and called it a day, everyone was actually really suprisingly helpful (other drivers and port workers/security)

 

You can have 2 drivers at once at certain terminals. K line(its) is one of them. You just have to call ahead. NRT, the company routinely trains drivers with a ride along to certain ports.

 

Hey Rex are you an o/o or company man? Any tips on learning the ports? Tried to pm you my number

 

Did you take the Commercial driver training course at Lbcc? I know National Retail Transportation hires people out of Cdl school, they pay $15 an hour, local, home daily. You have to driver with an experienced driver for a couple months and then you'll go solo.

 

That's great, I'm currently trying to get into the program but they told me they will email when the next orientation is scheduled. I'm new to this website and cant find a link to directly message you to ask you some questions about the program to see if its worth waiting or should take a cdl classes in a local program. My brother's friend went to trucking school through Employment Development Department and he got a job at the port straight out of school and started making $20 or higher.
Look up National Retail Transportation they are located in Ranch Dominguez and Compton, call a recruiter (they have ads on Indeed). I also think Mayor Logistics hire new drivers. I can't wait to get my CDL and start actively looking into these companies.
If you can send me a personal message, so maybe you can tell me about the LBCC program. Thanks.

 

I went to talk to the guys at nrt the other week, I got a real sketchy vibe from them.

Went to the ports again today, some of the people are nice while others there are just plain scumbags, they're lowclass, from the ghetto and I'm sure have spent time or prison or will have.

As long as my dad runs his trucks in the ports I will stay there but once I take over, I'm getting the hell out. Way more money to be made outside and you don't have to deal with the low level monkies working at the ports.

One tip is make sure you have the correct container they drop on your chassis before you drive away. These longshoremen make an average of $150,00 and they're too incompetent to give you the right container. Of course they know how to go to lunch and breaks right on the minute.

Hope they do open a port in mexico to take all the business, trucks can go elsewhere but those ########### scum will be screwed