Abilene Motor Express....A New Place To Call Home

Ace write-up as always, John. Good to get insight into the company from someone who's been doing it for four decades.

As you say, Abilene ain't perfect. But they roll me in solid equipment, they treat me like a grown-up, they don't try to cheat me, they pay me what I earn, and they get me home when I want to be home. Can't really complain.

 

Apparently things were exciting over the past few days on I-40 between Nashville and Jackson, Tennessee. I was just through there three days ago on my way back from Dallas, but in the interim they had some snow. I counted 9 wrecked 18-wheelers over the course of about 20 miles of highway, including a rollover on the shoulder, a jackknife on the median, a three-semi collision on the median, a pneumatic bulk hauler with massive damage along the side, and a couple trucks that had just gone off the road and got stuck in the muddy grass and couldn't get out.

All the vehicles were unattended. Not even any emergency vehicles. Made the rollover look particularly forlorn there all by itself on the side of the road without anybody around it. Guess they're waiting for things to warm up before trying to get these trucks taken care of.

 

Extremely well put, John. Even with the issues that plague the company, I've still found that this is a decent place to work.

I think I'm 180 degrees from John in time worked and pay! Not because of Abilene, but the situation with my mother. The company, especially my FM and the guys at the window, have been extremely accommodating. If I needed to be home, I was. If I needed to run local, it happened (although I do have an issue with not being hourly for that). If I needed an extra day because I was exhausted, no questions were asked. It has been a very difficult year and it's not over as far as my mother's health issues are concerned.

I'm with ya on the lack of lights in the lot. Maybe that will change soon. One can only hope. It's so horribly dark! And the truck wash. But, the guy running it says he has a hard time getting the folks to work and that's why it's only open a couple days a week! Go figure.

As far as the raise, we'll see. I was denied one on my anniversary date this past year. One reason was, "You make too much for your tenure." Which, according to them is 2 years because I left for 18 days in 2015 and came back. However, I have been here since March 2013. That 18 days should be a non issue. It was also alluded that because I take my truck home and the fact that I have been on FMLA also played a part in that decision. Both of these should not have been a factor, and I will probably never know if they were or not. Leaves a bit of a bad taste, but not enough to say I'm done. At least not right now.

So, there's my year (really 7 months because that's all I worked) review. FWIW.

 

Thought this came out pretty well.

 

Thanks John for the very insightful review. This thread has already hit one million views. Impressive for a company that you don't hear much about here in the West though I did spot an Abilene truck close to where I live in disbelief. Was the new safety director something they have done in the last six months? Maybe I could re-apply again. Have not driven since CDL school though which was in 2015.

Have a great trip to Portugal btw. I have a brother going there the end of Feb.

 

The picture or the Indian food?.

 

Anyone agree with this?
Former Star Trek actress and owner of Jupiter, Florida-based trucking firm Bratcat Express Corp. says she's shutting down her company and quitting the trucking industry in protest of recent regulatory changes.

Seems many say trucking isn't worth it anymore.

 

Probably another one of those, that the only way they were staying profitable was running illegal. When this all shakes out, rates will keep rising. So many shippers and brokers counted on drivers running illegal, those days are over. The tight capacity is already showing the affects, now shippers and brokers are scrambling to cover loads, and on average paying .40 more per mile than they were in November.

I have a friend that has his own authority, he says he has made more money in the last three months, than he did in the previous 6 months.

 

That is both funny and sad at the same time... hopefully that will change in 2018.