Harris Teeter - North Carolina

I'd bet within a year Harris Teeter becomes a dedicated account for JB , Schneider, or some other BFI . The days of private fleets are numbered.

 

You can easily gross 1K per week, in a bad week. In good times, like weeks before Christmas, or when snow is coming to the South, you will gross $1200 without problem. New drivers starting salary is $17.30 per hour, and that is "computer time" - actually drivers make 10-20 % more. Every 9 months, for three years, drivers have rises, and after three years they make almost $22 per hour - and they still perform 10-20% more efficient, making actually over $25 per hour. And HT pays for every minute you work for them - pre-trip inspection, fueling, drop and hook, unloading, etc.

Additionally drivers receive profit sharing checks and safety bonuses - two, or three $K per year, and 50% matching 401K, up to $2000/year.

Drivers work days or nights, new guys usually have to work Sundays, some works 4 days a week, others 5 days a week and shifts change every 6 months. New schedule is chosen by truckers on seniority basis. Drivers working for HT longest choose first, new guys take what is left. And new guys stay new for long time, nobody quits job at HT. Only retirees go away.

Some runs require staying overnight - those to Nashville, or Florida, but if someone doesn't want to go there, he doesn't have to. Runs to Wilmington, or Charleston, SC take all day - one trailer per shift. Local job, in Charlotte Metro area, requires three, or four runs per shift.

Good equipment, great, friendly people, best job I ever had.

 

Message for a person, who sent me PM: I cannot answer back until I have seven posts. You have to either wait, or ask me here.

 

I think most grocery chains have their own private fleets. Food Lion, BiLo, Harris Teeter, Kroger, Publix... Actually I don't know any big food store chain, who is using outside carriers. Wal Mart is using them for reefers, but Wal Mart is not a "normal" grocery store.

 

Some mega carriers pull frieght to those stores. Walmart uses everyone and anybody lol. Schneider pull freight for kroger.

 

Kroger is using atlas logistics, Publix has there own fleet but use Davis Express for the majority too. Meijer also outsources to carriers (mostly us xpress)

 

Still looks like majority of the grocery chains has their own transportation. Meijer doesn't have stores in Carolinas, Kroger also left my home town many moons ago, and those, who stay here use theit own trucks. Publix is building their first store in Charlotte, they have already couple of them i SC suburbs of Charlotte - and I see sometimes Publix truck in Rock Hill. Didn't know they use other companies, but that is exception to the rule. Piggly Wiggly and Ingles also have their own trucks.

When I was hired several months ago, I've been told we (there was two of us) where chosen amongst "thousands" - for sure it was exaggeration, but looks like they have many candidates for each job opening. However with several drivers approaching retirement age they will need new guys to take their position.

 

Publix does have their own fleet but use Davis Express heavily. Davis has their own dispatch office at the Publix DC on Dacula, GA