Saia and Estes in Springfield, MO

Back at ya...happy 4th to you and yours also!

 

@Bob Dobalina , at Dayton, how is vacation time allotted? As in is it 1 week after a year of employment? Or working X amount of hours earns a vacation day?

 

@lcfd15 , I have the same question as I asked Bob Dobalina, except about Saia. How is vacation time allotted?

 

You get 2 weeks vacation up front, then every year. Plus 3 personal days (although maybe that was 2 personal days initially - I can't remember). I don't know how many years until you get a 3rd and 4th week of vacation.

As I understand it, the vacation time is technically accruing throughout the year, but is allotted up front because of how we bid vacation times in January. I think if you were to quit after using more than you had accrued up to that point, it would be charged against you in your final check. Likewise, if you accrued more than you used, you'd be credited in your final check. I think that's how it works, but I hope I never experience either scenario.

 

An update.

I’ve mentioned this in earlier posts. I applied online to Saia June 16. June 23 they called and told me that the application had been seen and that it was valid for 60 days. July 11, the director of safety and I had a nice chat with the lady. She said that she would be emailing the Springfield TM regarding the phone chat we were having. I haven’t heard from the TM yet.

I applied online to Dayton June 26. I’ve called June 29, July 6, and July 20 and left messages with the Strafford service (terminal) manager. I’ve also called the human resources office for Dayton and they have told me that my application has been received, but I need to contact the service manager of where I’m applying.

Tomorrow, I’m planning on going to the Dayton terminal with a resume in-hand and see if I can speak with the service manager. Depending on how that goes, I’ll plan on also going to the Saia terminal with a resume in-hand to see if I can speak with the terminal manager there.

I talked to a Saia linehaul driver from the Springfield terminal and he was very helpful. He mentioned that the TM likes face-to-face meetings.

At each of the companies websites, the dockworker positions are still shown. I just want to know if my application(s) are being considered by the managers so I can either wait or apply at another company that has a dock-to-driver program. I have read that applying at LTL companies is a (or can be a) fairly long process.

 

@Bob Dobalina , I might not be wording this correctly, but is there extraboard and seniority regarding the city/p&d drivers (and for linehaul drivers) at Dayton? I've read that with some companies, the new/rookie driver has to sometimes sit-by-the-phone waiting to get work after he/she is hired.

If @lcfd15 see's this post, I have the same question for how Saia does it.

 

If you're asking if Dayton has any bids where you're sitting by the phone "on call", the answer is no. We work every night. The only exception to that is when it is super-slow and they post a "CC" (company convenience) sheet asking for volunteers to take the night off. Since our senior drivers always jump on those opportunities, I have never been forced off work.

 

Yes, that is what I was asking. Thanks.

 

Now, we do have P&D bids (at my barn) which are called "On Call", but aren't like that either. Those guys just call in early to get their start time for the day.

The On Call bids don't go to bottom guys; they are usually snatched up by drivers in the middle somewhere who can't get an early start bid, but by choosing On Call they are generally more likely to start earlier and are thus more likely to get more hours than if they chose a late start bid. I don't know if that makes any sense. Kinda hard to explain.

The bottom line is that there aren't any layoffs unless the whole country is falling apart.

 

Yep, it makes sense.

I'll see if I can get my 'foot in the door' this afternoon after lunch and talk to the SM.