J & B Distributors Inc. Green Bay, WI

Hi everyone. TTR is usually the first place I come when checking out a new company, but after an interview today with J & B, I'm finding almost nothing about them online other than basic information, and some reviews about the apartment rental business the owner also runs from a separate office in the same building. Does anyone have any information on these guys. I'll post a link to the original ad at the bottom:

Pros:
1) I have had a bad run lately by working for some big companies, and miss working for smaller trucking companies without a lot of the corporate nonsense. I'm currently driving for Ryder, and it's the most miserable job I have had in terms of how out of touch management is with the drivers. In addition to J & B I'm looking at a few local guys that haul hopper bottom, and getting more involved with cattle hauling with my family business.

2) I would only be a company driver with J & B, so I like the freedom they give the driver in terms of when they want to run, and how much they want to run. The way the manager described it to me sounded somewhat sketchy, but explained since all the trucks were older and paid off, the trucking business was more of a hobby for the owner an a way to prop up the apartment rental business, and he is not concerned with squeezing every last dime out of every truck. This freedom would allow me pick up more or less work to balance out the slow times on the agricultural side.

3) Flexible pay. Manager said we could do hourly ($23+), percentage, or miles. Whatever I wanted. I would be doing local/regional down to the fox valley, or chicago, or twin cities so probably hourly since on duty time would be paid as well.

4) I need to be local for the most part, but I do miss OTR, and this would give me the ability to run a load down to Texas or out west with my fiance once in awhile for something new.

5) Still on paper logs and no nanny equipment. I don't mind e logs, but after Ryder and PTI before that, I've had enough micro management.

Cons:
1) Equipment is all quite a bit older (I was seeing a few international 9400's, same truck I started with at Roehl), but well maintained. The mechanic was bragging about how all his tractors had good tires. The flip side of course to this older equipment is since everything is paid for, there is less pressure to be making the owner's truck payments. If anyone has watched "highway through hell", I compared it to Jamie Davis vs. the other companies in the show to my fiance. An old 9400 can do the job just as well as a shiny new pete if you don't own it.

2) The operation seemed a bit sketchy, and this is why I'm trying to find anyone that has had any experience with J & B. There isn't much support staff (seems like 1 mechanic, 1 office woman that took care of all the paperwork, and 1 driver manager). For a fleet of roughly 30 that's not unreasonable, but I don't want to be hung out to dry if I'm on the side of the road on the way to St. Paul. It seems like the company drivers are allowed to run very much like owner operators, and given almost complete freedom. Seems a little too good to be true, and you know what they say about that.

If J & B is serious about flexibility I might try just running 1 load/week on my off days, and see how it goes. I am nervous without knowing much about the company reputation, but also don't want to pass up a good opportunity because they are a small operation.

Thanks everyone for any help or insight.

https://www.indeed.com/cmp/J&B-Dist...gional-Driver-14e812eecb46b074?q=truck+driver

 

Thanks for the input 'semi' retired. Their big selling point is how flexible they are, so I think I'll try and run a few loads on my days off before making any big moves.