Bulkmatic, as it happens...

It will depend on the truck you are assigned. All 2018-2019 trucks are autos, older trucks are 10 speed manuals.

Nothing has been said as far as I know but I assume eventually the whole fleet will be autos. From the numbering sequence on the tractors they have purchased at least 167 new units this year, all of them autos.

 

Stick with it, the ups and downs will get better.

Sadly, I didn't figure anyone would relocate to stay with the company, but I thought it wasn't going to be until July that the switch happened, figured they had until then. Personally, it sucks.

I met Sonya and Matt, Matt would dispatch me when my regular dispatcher was off, he really has it together, plus nice as hell as a person too. I can only assume Sonya was the same. Good dispatchers are like gold, they will be missed.

 

Little update.....

Well the year is over. Not my year but the calendar year anyway. Not much has really changed...

Got my bell rung pretty good some days in the beginning but for the most part have been able to settle into a sort of rhythm and have figured out the basics of things and not panicking when something turns to #### like I was at the start. Also had some days when I thought I was being smart and finding a better way only to end up sticking it to myself.... live and learn... the hard way... seems to be the only way I can

On a good day I might even consider myself to be slightly proficient at the job, but overall there's still a lot to learn. I still am playing around with trailers during unloading and whatnot experimenting (so to speak) to see how one thing affects another and have gotten a decent understanding the big picture of pneumatic from that, but the finer points still allude me at times, I think it was @rbrtwbstr that said earlier in this thread you can unload the same material from the same trailer in the same place 2 different days and it will be totally different each day.... he wasn't kidding.

As a company they still seem decent. Like everywhere, there have people I've met that I don't care for for whatever reason but mostly haven't had that issue. Generally everyone there will help ya out if have questions or issues so far.

Got assigned to a different dispatcher a few months ago, so far so good. Had zero complaints about my 1st dispatcher. If I had questions he got got me answers, if I needed a part, I got it. Once he realized I could be on time and would inform him of any issues but wasn't going to bother him otherwise he pretty much sent the load info and left me alone. My current dispatcher is the the same, so still no complaints there.

Was assigned a new truck in October (like totally ####ing new, 53 miles on the odometer when I got into it) which really surprised me. Don't know if my name came out of wheel like a random thing or what. Expressed my concerns about it and was told if you really want to stay in your old truck you can but if what you just said is what you're really worried about take the new one and don't worry... so I did.

The last little bit around the holidays have been slower, summer was definitely busier overall, but still decent. The money is there to be made if you're willing to work, you won't starve.

Benefits are decent.

Admittedly, Bulkmatic is my first and only experience in running dry bulk, but I think I could have chosen a lot worse places.

Most of what I do is dragging pre-loaded trailers out of a place, I generally don't trans-load. I don't know if ended up that particular dispatch by design or chance, but I'm good with it. Loading is part of the job, and I do what the job requires, but loading is not my gig. If I had to do it on a regular/daily basis or multiple times a day like some of the drivers here I don't know how long I would last. That being said if nothing major where to change in my dispatch or in some type of large company change I could see finishing out whatever good years I've left in me here.

It's only been a short time but so far a lot more good then bad. Hopefully I haven't just jinxed myself.

 

It was urine when I was hired.