How do you like your Schneider Dedicated Route?

May not hit your 60 k but look at accounts other than DG as options above that one. Hell if you dont mind staying out the national dedicated might suit you.

 

I've never been to that mall....been wanting to for the longest. And go back to the gallery of course.

 

You have a lot of dedicated opportunities out of Philly that can get you home weekly.....dollar tree, Amazon, international paper, Lowe's...you have plenty of options to be home weekly and after your dedicated run, you can take a dedicated run and get those cheesesteaks.

 

Just make sure you get all the small details about each account and make sure it fits what you are looking for now. Stay safe and more stuff within better companies will open up.

 

I've been on a dedicated account with Schneider now for a little over 3 years. First as a company team driver, then the last 2.5 years as a solo IC. It's been good enough to keep me here this long, though it does get monotonous. We deliver in a large metro area into retail stores that were never really designed for sleeper trucks with 53' trailers, but I've managed not to fold my cab fairings in. I don't know how other dedicated accounts are, I can only relate from the one I've been on, but over the years, they've slowly tacked on more "little things for us to do" at the delivery points. That's my only real beef right now... they keep taking more and more of our time but our compensation rate doesn't change... you know, drop and hooks that now involve shuffling 2,3, or 4 trailers around to make the store managers who don't care about what the drivers go through happy for some reason. Still, you can do a lot worse, and for someone just starting out, being dedicated does give you a chance to learn things in a somewhat controlled environment. Well, as controlled an environment as having around 45 possible end locations will get you.

When I started out as a team driver, however, that was rough. They had me with one guy at first who drove it like a garbage truck. He'd floor the rig to accelerate then stop hard every time. Sleeping under those conditions was pretty much the worst. After, I was put with a veteran driver who I could actually get some rest behind. It's really the luck of the draw with that, but if you end up having a co-driver you don't trust, it's going to be really difficult. Even with as great as the second driver I was put with was for me, it was still crappy enough to prompt me to get my own truck and go IC on the same account as a solo. Team driving is great when you're just getting started and could use a little guidance now and then, but dang, it is not for everyone.

 

I was just asking about this the other day. How is the pay on a dedicated account as an IC vs. The potential on the choice program? What's the pros and cons of being a Wal-Mart dedicated ic for example.

 

You need to see what and if any ic dedicated accounts are open.

 

I'm not looking to get on one specifically. Just looking for more info on everything out there

 

Well, on a dedicated account, you're going to make 92cpm plus fuel surcharge, period. Now, if your on an account like mine where you'll get 3600 miles a week, you'll clear around $2400.00. It isn't great, but in my case, knowing I'm home every Friday afternoon makes it worth it. Granted, I bought a used truck outside of Schneider, so I don't have a $900 a week payment being pulled from my check. Some of the guys on Choice do a lot better, as their cpm average is definitely above what I'm getting. There, however, you have to plan your trips, and there really isn't a guaranteed number of miles your going to pull...it's up to your own trip planning and what the market looks like. Honestly, it's a trade off. Choice has the potential to earn a heck of a lot more, but you've got to put in the work and light a fire under your own butt. Being on a dedicated account makes it rather mindless, but there is a comfort level in knowing what your schedule is going to be, along with a reasonable expectation that your paycheck will be fairly consistent. For me, the dedicated is working and paying the bills, but I'm very close to pulling the trigger and going on Choice now that I've gotten the basics of truck ownership squared away. I just have to get out of my comfort zone. That said, I've heard they aren't taking new ICs on dedicated accounts... they certainly aren't hiring them on my account anymore. If I leave for Choice, it will be a one-way trip. Decisions, decisions...

 

The driving is the easy part on choice.
At least for me my mind is always going.. thinking, comparing, running numbers.. trip planning different loads, deciding when to jump on a load vs wait for something better, going on the load board a lot, even while on the toilet lol. Now that winter is here trying to book to avoid snow storms. It never ends haha.
However for me there is a sense of satisfaction when I string together big money or find a solid escape plan out of the Northeast or to escape snow headed my way.

Dedicated is good for those who want predictability, home time, less to think about etc but that you leave money on the table. There's always a trade off.