Multiple Mention Thread

i haven't heard anything bad about kllm, and had one person tell me they were a decent company to work for. like you i'm a newbie, and havn't gotten the cdl yet, but working on it. i would try to get on with them, but if not and home time is what you are looking for, then maybe going local for one of the companies like coke or pepsi would be a better deal for you. the class a cdl says you can drive a big rig, but it doesn't stop you from going with a smaller one either. look at all the options and possibilities, not just the big rigs. they may not sound as glamorous, but they are just as needed.

the werener recruiter came to my school a little while back and mentioned the dollar general account, said they are now loading things in a cart or something, and you have to pull that to the back of the truck, supposedly the store emplyees take it from there. what happens to the carts after they are unloaded, no one asked, but i would think someone has to go around and collect them at some point.

any who, good luck and look at things that may not have occured to you as possibilities. any thing you have in your home was on a truck at some point. it depends on how much manual labor you can or are willing to deal with as much as your desire for home time that will most likely guide you in a job hunt.

take care and good luck.

 

Estes, one of the best non union ltl. Lest everyday pressure

 

if you go tmc no % for your pay stay with cpm iam a shipper and know what the truck get payed at my end but that not what they tell there drivers in some 10-30 % off always less then what we agreed to pay tmc

 

Right Eagle. The percentage that the driver gets paid at TMC is based on the rate to the truck AFTER the fuel surcharge is removed. WIth some shippers that pay one rate the computer will automatically figure how much the fuel surcharge would have been and deduct that before figuring driver pay.

Some also may be deducted if one driver does not complete the entire load. You wouldn't expect the loading driver who tarped and drove 400 miles to get the same as the local driver who has to drive 50 miles and untarp the load, would you?

If they didn't do that then every time fuel went up $0.10 per gallon the rate per mile would have to go up 3 cents not just 2 cents because the driver would get a cut of the fuel. The fuel surcharge goes into the tank, not to the driver. That is the way that almost all percentage based pay is calculated. Having the driver get a portion of the fuel surcharge would cause the rate charged by TMC to be higher than other competing companies and cause TMC to get fewer loads.

I plan on keeping careful track while I am in training, but I believe that percentage pay will be better for me in the long run.

 

Talk to several drivers cause you'll get different takes - Sometimes different takes depending on how their trailer was loaded that day or how their dispatcher looked at them.

In your order;

Estes - Good outfit, growing, treat their drivers good, pay is not bad.

Con-way Southern - Been there (Con-way Central) 14 yrs. Good outfit once you pay your dues. They treat new people like crap (at CCX). Stable with low debt. Should be there for me to retire from. They don't haul it unless it makes money. Pay is excellent. I feel fortunate to be there but I have some senority.

Watkins - Suspect they won't be around long. No growth and little investment. But this is only a gut feeling. Pay is excellent.

Roadway - Yellow bought them and they like to drain assets and close 'em (Preston). Don't understand why they would want two similar but competing carriers. Would recommend Yellow though. Pay is excellent

ABF - Excellent to work for. Smaller and solid. Great pay.

Kenan - Don't know 'em.

Steady work at all of these depends on freight levels, seniority, and growth. It's a crap shoot.

 

That are good to start out with with no experience.....Swift and CR England are out of the equation so any help would be appreciated....I'm looking really hard at Roehl and Maverick. Any suggestions?

 

I am going to TMC on the 16th. There equipment, Peterbilts is what made it final. I look at it this way if I am going to have to live it week after week then I wanted a peterbilt. Its worth it to me to have better equipment than a penny or two. Thanks eveyone for all the info.

UPDATE:

Well, my wife and I have went over everything and if we want our kids to have a christmas than I have no choose but to go to Maverick and after the first of the year I can change to TMC and get my Peterbilt. Thanks everyone for all the info.

 

Hehe, although a pete is nice, you have to be a bit gentler with em I hear, they can be a tricky truck... Though, they are TONS better than the Freightliner Columbia you'd be driving for Maverick anyway.

Good luck, hope it goes well for you.