Very happy with LTL work!

Driver attitude has a lot to do with that. I hear drivers from other companies complain about customers that I have no problem with. There are a few everyone complains about. I spend about 15 minutes of my day with them. The rest are pretty good.

 

Seems I'm one of the few who can't stand p/d. 3 reasons, 1) the dispatcher plays favorites....meaning less work for other drivers and more work for me. 2) typical slugs at work who either refuse to hand off load freight or claim there is a ''safety'' issue. then I get stuck with it. and 3) never , and I mean NEVER getting an ''easy'' day....today was a classic, operations mgr, took 2 stops off a shore run and threw it on my run for that day.......then later the dispatcher sends me 20 miles out of my route to pick up 1 effin skid, ...when I got back to the terminal, the the route truck that should of made the pick up was 7 miles away....line haul here I come.

 

One thing I dislike about where I work within LTL, is that not all of our drivers are similarly qualified. Not all of them are Class A licensed or have Haz-Mat and Tanker. Both of which we see quite regularly. Which forces me and two other drivers to switch routes regularly. The boss still thinks we can get away with straight trucks. Even though we often remind him that many of our stops will not drive into our straight trucks, anymore.

 

Our straight trucks never see a dock, unless it's a pick up, rarely do we get a refusal too drive a forklift in them.....but by then, you're so distracted from all the B.S. from the day you run it in with the pallet jack......how dumb is that?........like I said l/h 16 days away!

 

There is always a need for straight trucks, so I understand having a few Class B drivers, but Haz and Tanker is required where I work. It doesn't make any sense having to look at the driver pool to see who is qualified to make certain pickups before dispatching them. They should all be qualified. Even our straight truck drivers have those endorsements.

 

I would be happy doing all that extra work because your getting paid by the hour.... You get time and a half after 8 right?

 

I'm thinking you've never been on the other end of a long city run.

Yeah you're getting paid.. but when you have to do things like that it takes the job from somewhat enjoyable to hell I misewell go work for Sysco, US Foods etc..

 

I have done LTL, not sure what your saying though.

 

I think I thought your previous post was about something else. You've got me, man. Carry on!

PS: It does suck to do hand unloads though.

 

after 30 years, you get tired of doing other drivers work, trust me. When I get to full rate I'll prolly sing a different tune or shut up altogether. I've only been with 3 employers since '78......So I kinda been down this road before, sadly.