FedEx Freight Diary (ala Russian Rabbit)

Yeah he said ton of dock and 4 days for at least a year. He offered the gig. I called him back and passed on it. I didnt wanna sit all night on a forklift.

 

Don’t get me wrong, I sit on a forklift for a few hours per night and it’s not that bad, especially with pay topping out around $29/hr to do it. But I’d like to have something to eventually look forward to other than a slightly further drive to my forklift job.

 

I used to know the guy that held the Evansville to Effingham run. He used to get good vias all the time out of there. He must of got a better bid because I don’t see him there anymore. I wish I had 4 hubs 200 miles away. I’m in the Chicagoland area and there’s 3 within 60 miles. Sucks when I don’t get a decent run.

 

One advantage with hub-dock runs is consistency; You'll know when you'll start and when you'll be back in the morning.

i did niteliner 2 weeks ago---had to fill in for someone(see last check). i actually had fun the first two nights. But it turns out, i'd rather just drive. i think if things were better organized----like you get there, put your lead in the door, then break (unload) your lead, take lunch, then wait for paperwork/hookup and go, it would be much more streamlined, more enjoyable. i think it's do-able if we hired more dockworkers.

So, it has it's advantages. That being said, i'd rather just drive.

 

P.S.
i just want to say that i think dockwork really isn't that big of a deal----it's 99.9% on pallets---and i think FedEx is the same way. i don't remember when was the last time i had to handle freight while doing dock.

i think my turn-off is that nightime hub-dockwork is too regimented----you've got to get there at a certain time, go thru absolute controlled chaos on the dock, hook your set up and GO!

i really enjoy doing outbound; Sometimes when i work city, i get asked to help out with outbound. This too, has a deadline----the outbound trucks have GOT TO GO by a certain time. But i think the difference here is that i know i'm just going to go home when we're done vs. having to hookup and RACE back to your home terminal. So, it's much less pressure and stress.

 

i meant "race" more mentally than physically.

 

Anyways, steps to make hub-dockwork-type runs better:

1) Put a decent sound system in----not some small radio or boombox. i'm talking like several 2x12"cabinet speakers. Several,hung from the ceiling. Doesn't have to be cranked (and shouldn't), but will provide decent sound quality. Let the drivers/dockworkerz create playlist. Could/should also include comedy/talk shows/podcasts etc.

2) Hire more dockworkers----you know, because it's dockwork? Driver is more of a supplement and helper to the dock crew.

3) Use 53' vans instead of two pups. Using 2 pups is stupid and wasting time and energy if you're only going from your home terminal to the hub and then back home. The driver can, upon arriving to the hub, drop her/his trailer in the usual assigned door AND hookup to the usual departing door AND do a pretrip and get that done right off the bat instead of rushing after receiving paperwork etc. at the end of the shift. Once the driver gets the paperwork, they are ready to go---no more wasting time searching for trailers, dropping the dolly in front of the kite, searching for the lead etc. etc.etc.