Calex Express....My New Home!

Gary, Keep in touch with Mort, I called him at least every other day when I was job searching and it finally worked out, very good I might add! I have finished my 7th week here and my miles have averaged out to 2750 p/w and home every week for 2 days each week. I have been able to get a reset while at the house and start the week with a fresh 70. My 30 days are up so my health insurance kicks in on the 1st. I still have the same truck that was given to me when I started. I finally was able to get the smell and nicotine out of it. It runs great, so I hope to keep it for a while.

Fortunately for me I know what I have to bring to the table for any company that would want my services. This is just my opinion, and we all know what they are like, I just wish that these driver mills would put more emphasis on safety and less on an ### in a seat. The idea of working for a company that hires drivers at the end or beginning of their freight lanes seems to make perfectly good sense as far as operations and driver retention goes.

They mainly are a truckload carrier. With that being said, I had a 2 dropper last week that p/u'd in Georgia with 1 stop in NC and finaled in the Bronx right by Yankee Stadium. Companies that are set up to do LTL wind up paying more for that type of work. I did LTL for a number of years and personally enjoy it.

Hey Dryver, I agree with everything you said. All drivers need to do is a little research and they can find that company that you don't see advertising or bad mouthed. Believe me, even though this has turned out to be a blessing, if something needed to be said good or bad I would put it on here. Thats the only way I could truthfully share about my employment with any company.

Thanks for the flowers elk. I was actually able to ride last weekend while at home. The health insurance is offered the first of the month after your 30 days are up. They offer a PPO with 3 different levels of deductibles. It comes with a prescription plan, they also have a dental plan. The premiums are deducted pre-tax on a weekly basis. I had Humana for years that my wife and I were paying for ourselves and this coverage is very comparable to that but a lot cheaper. The trucks are governed at 68 mph which is just fine for me. All of your dispatch is done on an out and back basis. You get dispatched from Pittston then your back haul is back to PA or the North East, then after you empty your brought back to Pittston for your out bound load. You might be asked to drop your empty at one of our customers on the way back to Pittston. Thats what happened last week with me. I emptied in Harrington DE was told to come to the yard but to drop my empty at Mountain Top PA. By the time I got to the yard I had my outbound load assigned to go back to Florida. Which is were I'm at right now.

 

Well everyone, It's Sunday afternoon and I plan on leaving around 10pm to unload in Orlando. I've been to this customer 5 times already and they back you in and the lumpers start unloading you at 4am. Your done around 8am. I have my preplan already and will be back in PA on Wednesday. Please everyone, be safe I saw 2 big truck accidents this last round with one being a fatality wreck. Be safe all!

 

They want you to log like you do it. I haven't had any issues with my logs yet. Fuel stops must match within 2 hours. We use PeopleNet which is what I use to log my stopping and check calling. With a reset every week that eliminates the out of hours issue. Now, as we all know, there are times when one needs to critique and sharpen ones pencil to make sure everything looks good for the occasional inspection. But the only real "Hot" load I was dispatched on was a load from Hazelton PA to Reed City MI that I picked up at 3pm and it had to be in MI the next day before 1pm. Not a problem, just a little creativity. Oh yeah, we use loose leaf logs which does come in handy.

 

Thanks dshaw. I always try to be helpful and truthful in everything I do. I learned along time ago if you tell the truth you don't have to worry about what you said, and to always treat everyone that I come in contact with the way I would like to be treated. I know what it's like to have to deal with nasty rude people. It takes less energy to be respectful than it does to be nasty and rude.

 

kwray, I got your pm but don't quite have enough posts to be able to send a pm. Thanks for the welcome. It's still going good for me, how can it not? All I do is run from PA to home, which is were I'm at right now. I got in last night and deliver Monday. Louie has a reload set up for Monday night to go back north.