Abilene Motor Express

Generally it's one day home for every six days out. I have been running 2-3 weeks at a shot over the holidays and then take a long weekend at home.

I live about an hour west of you in Lenoir.

 

You are just down the road (I-77) from our Yard in Wytheville too. Good location for a couple of our routes. I highly doubt home time would be an issue getting back to Statesville.

 

We don't have APUs in the trucks but with their liberal idle policy and awesome bunk heaters I don't see that APUs are really even needed. I haven't come across a time when I thought to myself "dang, if I only had an APU"... Idle in the heat and run bunk heater in the chilly weather... And if cold we idle too.

 

I called them and they told me starting pay was .35 and forced nyc for a whole .35 as well. .35 is pretty low and a steering wheel holders pay scale. I was laughing at the recruiters before I hung up on them. They were dumb enough to transfer me to the recruiting dept head. I laughed at him too.
If you are hard up or fresh meat that might look good to you put I wont put my boots on for that little. Good luck you are going to need it.

 

Sir,

While parts of your post is close to the truth, it's a tad incomplete...

"starting pay was .35" ... I am new here and making 36 CPM and in a few months I will make 37 CPM.

"forced nyc for a whole .35" ... That's incomplete... There is also a 10 CPM bump for any miles driven in the whole NE region. Plus, $50 if they send you into NYC.

Plus, although we are all 48 State Drivers, each driver rarely gets sent to NYC. We have a Regional Team that handles most of the NYC and surrounding area. The rest of us then pick up those loads and run them to the final drop.

In six months, I personally have only been to NYC once and NJ on another occasion. Both seemed rather tame... Not sure what the big deal is about.

We drive very new and nice equipment with both fridges and inverters. As I mentioned, I have only been here for six months and I am driving a 2014 Volvo.

Within the year, I expect to be switched and it will quite likely be to a new model or at least a 2016. We get TONS of miles and the freight is both quality and no touch loads with much being drop n hook.

As a Second Career guy myself, and pushing 50, I assure you that I am neither "hard up" nor "fresh meat" ... and I plan on being here for several years to come. I expect to clear the $50k mark in my very first year of driving for Abilene... and probably more in the years to come... and I rarely even break a sweat.

The recruiters are all pretty good and decent guys ... and doing their jobs... Let's not name call, shall we?

There is another gentleman here on TTR named @JohnBoy who has 30+ years of experience as a Driver and could probably take his pick of places to work for and he came here just three years ago. He might have a few more benefits of working at Abilene to add to this discussion too.

So, please Sir, educate us all, just how much would it take ... for you to put on your boots?

Stay Safe,
MD

 

You answered it nicely. I've lost interest in trying to educate people. They usually have their minds made up. Me? I'll keep this 65k per year job another few years until retirement.

 

Looking forward to meeting you, and have you educate me.. We've been in talks, so Im sure you're pretty familiar with me lol. ☺

 

Ok im confused I keep seeing starting pay from .35-.38 cents. I'll be done a year at my starter company in july and heavily looking at abilene. Whats the starting pay for someone coming in with a year experience? Thx. The allure of huge miles and good equipment has me interested. I drive a pos frieghtliner right now and am lucky to get 2000 miles a week lol

 

Also no stranger to the northeast. I live in delaware, and currently 80 percent of what I run now is north of maryland. No stranger to nyc lol

 

I have been here for six months and should be up for another penny soon bringing me to 37/CPM... So I would guess that could be the ballpark for a year of experience.

Now, since you live in the NE, you get an extra 10/CPM for all miles drivin in our NE Region... Plus like $50 to run to NYC.

I came here thinking it would be my starter company and would just be glad it wasn't a mega... I like it... A LOT... Thinking I will stay.