Getting with an LTL to transition to strict dock work.

Excellent idea, but that's coming from someone who has no faith in future trucking. Many here simply won't or more likely can't admit, trucking, as a driver, is in extreme peril. I feel sorry for the folks that are "stuck" for whatever reason, they can't afford to get out. I think the dock is a good job, little boring, but time went pretty fast, and 5 O'Clock is Miller time. I liked when I got disciplinary driving layoffs ( to cool down) on the dock, and nothing wrong with running a "towmotor". I doubt you'll make even close to a trucking salary, I wouldn't run a towmotor for less than $20/hr, but I think you'll be glad you did. I'd try and find a place with the least amount of fingerprinting, someplace that deals with full pallets. Freight outfits can be a lot of hand loading, FedEx or SYSCO,, a million little boxes, I'd stay away from that, many surprises opening THOSE doors sometimes. Good luck

 

Not sure i understand the rationale behind the switch? Not saying it's a bad move. Are there other threads we can refer to?

 

Oh, I hear ya', my parents had lofty dreams of me becoming a doctor or lawyer,,,"and then along came Mary", ( not just what you might think, my ex-wife happened to be named Mary)and driving a truck was about the most ludicrous thing I could think of AND GET PAID! All my friends were there too, it was a different job, with only the actual "driving the truck" the only similarity. Again, in this "shell-shocked" world we live in, $20-$30 is not acceptable,,WHAT? I had a family, house payments mini-van payments on half that, but t'was a really different world. I couldn't imagine what it would take to do that today. It was a fun job until I HAD to do it and with "Mary" along came responsibilities and I literally didn't have the time to do something else. Not a good position to be in. I'm sure you've seen different types of dock work, like I say, stay away from freight outfits. Full wrapped pallets of product, and maybe they need a yard spotter, you'd be surprised how many places have nobody to move a trailer. You'll be fine, odd, when you were trucking, there seems to be nothing else, but rest assured, it's a big world, you'll do fine. And you punks, get off my lawn,,,

 

As an LTL linehaul driver, I found dock work to be a lot more challenging than the driving. That might have been just because of the specific terminals I visited, but when I got my bills and walked off the warehouse to go build my set and return home, I felt like I was done work, and looked forward to the ride.

 

I like your last sentence that’s the aspirations to have in life. lol.