Finished orientation today

That's cool Newb. Who ya' working for now...is it Mclane? Just askin' because they have a DC in my hometown and thinking on checking into a job there.

 

Congrats, Newbie!
To Big Al.... My husband will have a year and I will have 6 mos exp. In 2 mos....if we wanted to be lease purchase then KLLM is the place to be! All the hoopla for lease just started a few months ago! Our concern is this: what happens this winter when freight slows down? The freight has been promised to lease people so they can make their wkly note.... I believe we (company drivers) will be sitting! I don't know about you but I'm sacrificing to be out here to make money so I will be able to retire! If you are young and not afraid to work (lazy) I stronly suggest "McLane".... And SAVE every dollar you can!
No the pasture is not always greener! Sometimes you have yo graze before you wander into the right pasture for you! I wish everyone much success!

 

Nope, Not McLane, it's Associated Grocers. All Daycabs- Kenworths, Freightliners and Internationals, all 53' Reefers. About $20 hr to start now, go to about $25 over about a year, cover Louisiana, Mississippi and East Texas, home everynight, except for some Texas runs, and they put you in a hotel, free Med.Insurance, Vision and Dental. Matching 401K. Very little touching of any freight. Mainly move a pallet or two around with a hand jack inside the trailer. The store people move everything with handjacks or forklifts. Free comfortable Uniforms with "shorts" which I like, free work boots/ shoes and most every weekend off with a steady schedule. I usually start about 5AM and off around noon or 1PM. Company guarantees 40 hours a week on slow weeks even if you only work 30, and time and a half for overtime. I really like it here. They require at least 6 months to a year OTR, and the same tests you took with KLLM, DOT Physical, agility test, etc.

 

That sounds pretty sweet newb

 

Yeah, it's a great Driving job. Plus you have the option if you want every now and then if someone calls in sick, to play Yard Dog and just move trailers around the yard in one of those spotter trucks. I've done it a few times and it's not what I like. I enjoy being out on the road, so I don't do it anymore, but some guys love it.
The one thing that's been hard for me to get used to is being in a day cab. No storage, short roof, and a back window. It really feels different, but much easier to back and move through traffic. Advantages are a tighter turning and angle radius, and it's so much easier to blind side back with the rear window. Still it feels like I'm driving a pick-up truck with a 53' trailer on it.

 

I hope that whatever is going on at KLLM, if anything, gets ironed out. Being from Mississippi, I would like to think KLLM is is good place to go once I've got some experience through Swift. I might end up being satisfied enough with Swift to stay for a while, but having KLLM as an option would be great!

Good luck to you and congrats on the new ride!

 

New trucks always have bugs. Get through the next couple months of working out the bugs and you'll be in good shape.