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

Discussion in 'Discuss Your Favorite Trucking Company Here' started by JohnBoy, Apr 10, 2013.

  1. RebelChick

    RebelChick Road Train Member

    2,753
    5,140
    Jan 2, 2012
    Coastal VA
    0
    No. It was one of ours. 6762. I finally got it back in front of the stop. I rolled ever so slowly back and forth to get it unbound and then backed against a curb and slammed it in reverse. Once I got it back in front of the stop, you could tell the stops were badly bent and the metal on the slide piece was also bent, so not the first time that had happened. Then the mechanic showed up. Only took 2.5 hours of my day. Wrote it up once back at the yard, but will they fix it? Probably not.
     
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. Silverdriver

    Silverdriver Road Train Member

    1,108
    1,613
    Nov 19, 2013
    0
    One of the yard guys at Richmond terminal mention that Abilene was going to purchase 20 new trailer this year; but with the Knight purchase... I will just wait and see.
     
  4. ExtremeUnction

    ExtremeUnction Road Train Member

    2,407
    6,523
    Apr 24, 2016
    Mechanicsville, VA
    0
    Actual photo of RebelChick sliding her tandems:

    da8180200fe8d0e08e65925685653ad7--semi-trucks-cars-and-trucks.jpg
     
  5. RebelChick

    RebelChick Road Train Member

    2,753
    5,140
    Jan 2, 2012
    Coastal VA
    0
    That is freaking awesome!! :biggrin_2559:
     
  6. Silverdriver

    Silverdriver Road Train Member

    1,108
    1,613
    Nov 19, 2013
    0
    WOW! doing a wheelie! That puts my truck in shame! LOL! If I do that minutes later I will need to call break down.
     
  7. Need4Speed

    Need4Speed Light Load Member

    60
    26
    May 8, 2013
    0
    What changes will Abilene drivers see now that Abilene has been acquired by Knight? Is there another thread somewhere on TRP with this information? Thanks to everyone!
     
  8. Redtwin

    Redtwin Road Train Member

    5,322
    7,119
    Aug 17, 2012
    PBC, FL
    0
    Only change I have seen so far is that we can now fuel at Petro/TA
     
    Lonesome and Need4Speed Thank this.
  9. ExtremeUnction

    ExtremeUnction Road Train Member

    2,407
    6,523
    Apr 24, 2016
    Mechanicsville, VA
    0
    This is what I've been told:

    -They're not going to turn our trucks down. We're still going to run at 71/72 on the cruise and 69 on the pedal.

    -They are not going to begin micromanaging our trips. Load assignments will continue to tell us where we need to be and when we need to be there and the rest will (within reason) be left up to us.

    -Load planners and dispatch will continue to operate as they always have, without any corporate meddling from upstairs. 3000 miles per week will still be the average for most drivers who want those miles and are willing to put in the time.

    -Abilene will continue to buy the same trucks it has always bought, which means we'll be flying Volvos and KWs in addition to the Freightshakers. The word I hear on the street is that next batch of new tractors will be all Volvo.

    -We will almost certainly be getting better insurance benefits next year, not that it will be difficult because our current insurance sucks.

    -We will probably start seeing incentives for MPG and idle time and things like that.

    -We have already had our pool of potential fueling options expanded. We can now fuel up at Petro/TA truck stops, whereas before it was just Pilot/Flying J unless you were RebelChick. ;)

    Basically, I was told that, in terms of what I as the driver see and experience from inside the cab, very little will change. And what changes do occur will be positive.

    Granted that it's only been a month or so, but yeah, it still feels like the old Abilene.
     
    Lonesome and Need4Speed Thank this.
  10. Need4Speed

    Need4Speed Light Load Member

    60
    26
    May 8, 2013
    0
    very helpful. I'm surprised that there are no cons or downsides. Perhaps the cons will rear their ugly heads in the months to come.
     
  11. ExtremeUnction

    ExtremeUnction Road Train Member

    2,407
    6,523
    Apr 24, 2016
    Mechanicsville, VA
    0
    On the one hand, I am also a very cynical person, and so I naturally believe the same thing.

    On the other hand, Knight bought Barr-Nunn last year and told them the exact same thing they told us: "We bought you because you were profitable, and we don't want to screw that up so we're not going to change the way you do things." And everything I have read indicates that they weren't kidding. From the "inside-the-cab" perspective, Barr-Nunn operates now almost exactly as it did before they were bought. The "things are gonna go to crap just you wait!" changes prophesied by the cynics and naysayers have not happened, and don't appear to be in any danger of happening.

    So I am cautiously optimistic.
     
    Need4Speed Thanks this.
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.