thank you TR members!! Saia is great!

Discussion in 'Discuss Your Favorite Trucking Company Here' started by big1troy, Jan 20, 2018.

  1. big1troy

    big1troy Light Load Member

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    I used TR extensively researching trucking companies before I switched companies. I really want to thank all of you for posting so much information about so many companies it made the job search a heck of a lot easier and now it's my time to return the favor.

    No trucking company is perfect and as we all know there is no such thing as 100% always smooth running operations when in our business. After beating my body up for over 5 years delivering soda for Dr pepper / 7 up I wanted to get back to just driving. The LTL industry is a God send for truckers that like to make real good money and still have a life outside of the truck. I honestly do not know why anyone drives for low paying stuck on the road carriers. Well enough about my two cents let's talk about Saia.

    I drive linehual so it's night work, but now that I am accustomed to the time change I don't think I'd have it any other way. No traffic is amazing! From what I have seen the fleet is mostly Volvo some older international and some of the new 18s and frieghtliner. Trucks are 12 speed automatic some are still 10 speed manuals but very few. Yes we have forward and driver facing cameras and I know that turns a lot of people off, turned me off at first too but they are not bad. Driver camera only records if you do something to make it come on; turning to fast and hard, stopping to fast ( literally slamming the brakes), following to close, or getting in a crash ( does come on if you hook up to hard). My camera has only came on a handful of times in 3 months and my TM has only showed me 1 video and there was no punishment. Most importantly trucks run good and are well maintained and we have 24/7 support in Atlanta for any problem we may have. I'm sure some of you have heard saia refered to as " some arse in Atlanta " in regards to our dispatch. If you are on a bid route dispatch does not really affect you, some of the system guys complain about not getting over 500 miles a night but it's honestly not bad.

    Now the important stuff, pay and Bennie's.
    At for LH starts at .55 cpm and tops out at .64 cpm after 18 months. You drop and hook pay based on an hourly rate of 24.50 to start and 26 is top. We get delay pay if you are held up longer than an hour after your cut time, breakdown pay starts after one hour. The benefit package is very good and very affordable saia offers just about everything you could need or want. Medical insurance has a $250 deductible! They offer medical, dental, vision, 401k, stock purchase, Aflac, short term and long term disability, life insurance, death and dismemberment, and more. You can get everything they offer and it will cost less than $100 a week. The medical for the family cost $39 a week! After 10 years saia pays for your medical insurance. You get one week of vacation starting Jan 1 and then the following Jan 1 you get your second week. Tops out at 4 weeks after 18 years. We do get personal and sick days but I'm not 100% sure on those. Here at my terminal, not sure if it's company wide, we got Thanksgiving and black Friday off paid as well as Christmas and the day after paid off and we get the other major holidays paid off as well. No weekend work unless you volunteer!! No forced weekends! For those of you with attendance issues Saia has a very generous 12 point attendance policy, you accumulate points for being late and calling off.

    Well I hope this info helps Saia is hiring in just about every terminal and I highly recommend applying. If you have any questions please ask and I'll do my best to answer, I have been with Saia for 3 months now and I thoroughly enjoy it here.
     
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  3. BrandonCDLdriver

    BrandonCDLdriver Road Train Member

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    Ok just a heads up, the camera is always on. It might only send the video into the office when you have one of the violations you listed but, it doesn't "come on" after you do one of those things, otherwise it would be useless. Not sure who told you that line of bull, but it's not true.

    You mentioned benefits. Do the benefits start day one or after 90 days? Big difference, as having to pay for insurance yourself for 3 months (since you'd no longer qualify for Obamacare being employed) can cost an arm and a leg as an individual.

    I'm glad to hear you are so happy with Saia. The trucks are slow as molasses, but that doesn't bother some people.

    From what I've heard, SEFL is another good LTL company. I applied with them before Ozark, but they wouldn't take me with no driving experience.
     
    Last edited: Jan 26, 2018
  4. big1troy

    big1troy Light Load Member

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    You are correct about the cameras, I should have phrased the op better. The cameras are always on but only record when triggered and it records 4 seconds before and 4 seconds after the trigger.

    Benefits start after 90 days but you do get holiday pay starting day one.

    Yes the trucks are goverened at 65 just like most major fleets. 70 would be oh so nice... Like I said there is no such thing as a perfect carrier to work for personally I'd put Saia in the top 10% of carriers to work for.


    Never heard of SELF, what terminal did you run out of with Saia?
     
  5. BrandonCDLdriver

    BrandonCDLdriver Road Train Member

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    Not SELF, SEFL. Southeastern Freight Lines.

    I never worked for Saia, I just spend my life blowing their doors off.
     
    Need4Speed Thanks this.
  6. big1troy

    big1troy Light Load Member

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    Lol sorry bout the typo. Yeah I have heard of them now, read about them actually. I'm up North so I've never seen their trucks
     
  7. BrandonCDLdriver

    BrandonCDLdriver Road Train Member

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    How do ya'll back up those doubles and triples? I guess a good driver could back a triple into a tight parking spot at a Loves huh?
     
  8. big1troy

    big1troy Light Load Member

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    Lol I've never seen anyone back up a set, I've heard there are people that can do it but I am not one of them. I've tried lead trailer goes one way dolly goes another and the rear trailer another... I go forward
     
  9. crackerboy

    crackerboy Light Load Member

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    How are you dispatched being a system driver? First in first out? Run on your 10’s? Is it Mon.- Sun.? I can’t get over how inexpensive and good their health insurance is! I just might have to make the jump over there. Starting pay is based on experience right?
     
  10. crackerboy

    crackerboy Light Load Member

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    I meant Mon.- Fri.
     
  11. big1troy

    big1troy Light Load Member

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    At the smaller terminals it is m-f unless you want to work Saturday, I know at the break bulks they have some scheduled nruns that do Saturdays. From what I heard they run you on your 10s when you are staying in the hotels. Now when your terminal has an open bid route central will make you run that route until it gets filled and in that case you will will just come in before cut time.
     
    crackerboy Thanks this.
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