Family Dollar?

My downtime at truck stops was usually enough time to fuel and shower. I maybe would spend one night a week at the truck stop. Usually I did one backhaul a week the rest of the time you ran empty back to the dc. I lived in Delaware so normally I would bring my Monday load home with me. This acct can give you the flexibility your looking. I knew people that would deliver every other day.

 

hey guys. im heading out with werner in june. i really like the sound of the dedicated, and being home weekends(or some weekends). whats the chance of getting a dedicated(any) after training? ill be based out of northern houston. thanks !

 

I'm getting ready yo get out of school. Are there any open accounts for FD in the Utah area. Are there any other dedicated runs that anyone would suggest for this area. Thanks

 

so does anyone know the likely-hood of getting dedicated acount for a new driver after training? is it basically if they have spots in your area?

i tried calling them yesterday, sat on hold for like 20 min tho.

any info would be greatly appreciated.

 

Hey party Leprechaun, what school are you getting out of? If roadmaster, im sure I know you, I get done in one week and I'm in class 16

 

Stevenater, yes i'm going to radmaster. I'm in class 17, the night class. Who are you triing to go with. I'm not sure yet. I would like werner, but the "salesman" recruiter didn't show up last night, and swift is really pushing to get me to sign up with them.

 

i got hired on with roehl flat bed is that gonna be better than the family dollar account?

 

I myself have been pre-approved with Werner. I already have my CDL but lack current experience so no other company will even talk to me. They told me I would have to take 175 hours training, which is really not that long, if you get a good one and was told I could, more than likely, get a Dollar General account because I am only 3 hours away from a MO DC. Really I think the unloading would not be that bad. I used to work for Wal-Mart DC in shipping (loading trucks), receiving (unloading trucks, many by hand) and order filling (putting labels on boxes and throwing them on a conveyor, as many as 5000 cases a day) and really it didn't bother me too much. It did get to my back some but common, how much exercise does a truck driver really get? I AM NOT trying to be MEAN OR RUDE, but have you looked at some of them? I am NOT a pot calling a kettle black as I am 6'3, 315lbs myself but when I drove flats the last time I really enjoyed the "extra" work (chains, tarps, etc). It gets you out of the truck, gets your heart pumping, your sweat flowing and when I used to go to the gym many months ago, I would sleep better, eat better, just generally feel better. How many drivers do you see (and I used to be one) that would drive around the truck stop for 30 minutes to get that one space that was two trucks closer to the entry door? PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT TAKE OFFENSE TO ANY OF THIS!! Like I said I have been that driver. I don't want to just sit in a truck day in and day out. I know how I used to feel then and know how much weight I gained then also. So I think if I decide to go to Werner and if I get offered DG runs, hell yea. up to $900-1200 a week, and get to be home on the weekends to see my little girl. Plus what I read, getting the extra backing (as I SUCK at it) too. Sounds like a no brainer to me. But this is only my OPINION.

Drive safe drivers and take care!

 

good luck, a few things to consider:

1. Unloading close to 31K lbs of freight by hand in a 95-120 degree sweat box in the summer months while breathing dust and cat litter is not a conducive environment to get in shape, actually it will be quite a strain on your body if you are not already "in shape" to begin with. Many drivers have passed out from heat stroke and been injured by falling boxes unloading these trailers. A heart attack by an overweight / out of shape guy is quite feasable.

2. Lifting the various freight found on a typical FD trailer is not the same as going to the gym where you are rotating the training of different muscle groups and using proper form. At the gym, total reps and sets are kept to a minimum to ensure you do not over train where this kind of work is exactly the opposite of health club "weightlifting" as it not only overworks the same muscles by constant repetitions, it is continuously causing over training and fatigue. It also creates a perfect environment for injury
since the same muscles, mostly lower back, never have a chance to repair & recover. It would be the same as going the the gym everyday and doing deadlifts with bad form, eventually you will injure something.

3. The time you spend unloading vs. driving is 70/30 which equates to being an under paid dockworker/lumper making about $12 hr with no overtime and putting in about 45 hrs week of "hard" labor equivalent to digging ditches in a chain gang in the Nevada desert. At the end of the week you will have about 60 hours logged.

 

Dollar General is not as rough as the Family Dollar account since the freight comes in pre packed rollatainers, just dont stand behind the door when you open it as they have been known to break loose and stampede out the back. One of the other major risks on both accounts is the location of the stores and getting a 73' commercial vehicle to them without hitting anything or getting hit or ticketed for being on questionable "truck route" back roads, and thats not even considering winter months in the snow. With CSA2010 coming into play you have alot of potential liability stacked against the driver on these accounts which could possibly be damaging to your "rating" and future employability.