J.B Hunt Intermodel

Here is an account of my year at JBI Local.

I started 6/26/12, went through three day orientation in Dallas, TX. Class started with 30 people. By wednesday when we finished orientation we had eight remaining, some failed drug tests, driving tests,medical, rude super truckers, the norm. Rich D. came in and told us what time to be in Haslet,TX the following monday, seemed like a nice guy, was a driver for J.B prior to moving up the ladder. He answered any question I had, gave point to point directions to location. Told us what to expect, etc. BTW orientation seems like forever.

Haslet, TX the following monday-Get there at 0700 spend the entire day going over position policy, pay. (start at .27 hub mile, penny raise per yr, 22.5 d/h, 32.5 live, 14hr detention, lives start at 1.5 hrs at arrival, 1 hr for d/h. breakdown pay 14hr starts as soon as you send message to rd service. e-moves 10. tonu (truck order not used/not ready) 10. rejected ld 21. reefer 18. haz mat 10. funeral pay, jury duty pay) At the end of the day you go to Rich's office and select your shift, typically you will start running nights. Actually make more on nights, its pretty much all d/h. The most i have done in one night is eight and was pushing 300 for the night.

The following day in Haslet you go out with a trainer in a local truck, you learn how to run the ramps etc. It is pretty much a second driving test in that the trainers are taught to let you become comfortable with them as a person so they can see your actual driving habbits. Their all really nice guys and understand no one really double clutches, waits for a green light to turn right depending on situation. (jb has a no right on red) They just want to see if you tailgate, proper lane change, real life backing situations, traffic, and ability to handle pressure. In my entire year on Intermodal no one was let go, now we had some o/o's who ran all flatbed and couldn't back (this btw you will become very good at within six months) we have had people who only have driven automatics and couldn't shift, but the trainers will teach you and if need be keep you and extra day or two.

Lets fast forward, so I was on nights up until Nov, I made high side close to 300, lowest was 100 on really slow nights. Usually 150-210 a night. Then I got a day shift 0800, pay decrease all the good loads d/h go to the elders here at hunt. Since I have averaged 130-190 a day, still pretty good but not the 2-300 miles a night with 4-6 d/h and a couple of tonus an haz mat.

Benefits- 401k through merril lynch w/ 50% match @ 6% of your gross, matching starts at one year anniversary. medical, dental and vision. My advice go with dental, and vision its combined cost is $12 per week before taxes. Use an outside vendor for health ins. you can find em online for cheap (bcbs for 24 a month) because jb will rape you on this. when I started for my wife and I it was $86 per week after taxes, when renewal rolled around in Nov 2012 it jumped to $116 per week. Bye bye medical ins from jb for me. They have discounts on everything from at&t, and verizon to cars, college, appliances, clothes and toys. The discounts range from 5%-20% and employee pricing on autos. Ford, Gm, Dodge, Toyota, Lexus, Mazda.

Office staff- Generally pretty nice, follow policies, be respectful normal human crap and their really nice people. I am 24 and most are around my age, few older people. They will answer any questions you have, help when you need it. If you can't find the place they will literally google map where you are and where you need to be. I have never had to use this feature, if I can't find a place based off the street its on I will map it on my phone. They will work with you on pretty much anything, funerals, time off, etc. My a/c went out in my apt 6 times between march and jun 2013 before getting replaced I lost two days of work due to no sleep on the nights prior. Instead of assigning me attendance points (you must give atleast 24hrs prior for no points, after 8 you lose annual bonus) I was able to switch that day for a saturday.

Loads and planning- pretty consistant work year round, unless a train derails or its like feb your busy expect to work atleast an 8hr shift each day, but typically you will work 10-12hrs. The planners can be a tad dim, but what company are they not? Example would be I delivered live waxahachie at 1200, upon arrival they send me next pre-plan to live Lego in roanoke at 1300. Generally a message saying hey cannot make will either get it taken off and something different put on or they will contact customer and get an ok from customer to come in late. Typically you will have to sign some dumb piece of paper stating company can't charge detention, but do not worry if your there for required start time of detention jb will pay. That day on that load I ended up sitting in roanoke for 5 hrs I was paid the 32.5 for the live, and 3.5 in detention. When they get new people on planning they suck, you will literally be one end of dfw to the next for each ld. Nights are the only ones whom deal with this. As all new FM's and planners start night shift. You will go on average only 50 miles from bas but up to 150, I've done like temple, ardmore, paris, tyler being the farthest I've gone

Equipment and maint-generally pretty good, they do have some ragged out equipment though, but their working on phasing out. After all it is intermodal an running 45k over 20+ train tracks everyday will generally wear your stuff out. As far as maint DO NOT TAKE YOUR TRUCK TO JUSTIN SHOP, TAKE TO DALLAS YD. Those techs in justin couldn't fix themselves a bowl of ramen let alone replace a lightbulb. They have one tech there, he works days, nice guy and the only one there qualified to actually do his job. The rest probably live life thinking there is an exhaust bearing.

Tips-Always do your proper pre-trips, and report all damages/issues with truck. Basically CYA though a great company they do not eff around, if you don't do the job your paid to do they have no problem bending you over and sticking their trailers up your.....you get the idea. JB gets alot of beef, its not for everyone. You must be professional at all times, in uniform everyday and keep a positive attitude. I've seen so many steering wheel holders, and super truckers fly out as quickly as they flew in.

I was on intermodal up until 08/02/13, I have changed to dcs because I want to run some distances. I just started with our Budwieser account running dallas to houston and back every day. In a year I'll let ya know how that is. lol. Sorry for the lengthy read hope it helps

 

JB HUNT good Co. well all depend on your fleet manager. Now they are hiring fleet manager straight out of college without any knowledge of the trucking industries and it does create problems. If you are working INTERMODAL you will end up with a lot a waiting for your next load. I have work for other Co. and for me they are all the same Money first. But on the average they are not so bad.

 

Idk about other cities, but I never waited on anything other than live unloads. I typically had my next sent to me as soon as I sent my arrival call, an generally when I was 5-10min out from tye ramp I'd send a message askin what was next an before I'd ingate i would have my next.

 

so i've got a question regarding jb hunt or any other intermodal carriers/brokers. my boss wants to put my in a daycab tractor to haul intermodals, but the companies he's been contacting say they only allow the actual owner of the tractor to drive for them. how can we get around this issue? or what are we not seeing? my boss wants to buy 2 more tractors to do local hauls, but this is holding him back. what carriers allow drivers that aren't on the title to drive for owner operators?

sincerely,

 

You'd just have to hunt around at different dreyage carriers. I belive empire is one that will allow it

 

Also eff dcs budwieser, omg what a screw ball division, ditsy managers. Weekends if ya run nights good luck getting ahild of someone to give you load info. Dummy goes home an "leaves his cell on." Randomly will end up not working an making $50 for the night because of no load down to houston. Back on intermodal w/jb hunt running nights.

 

anyone on here run for jb hunt intermodal out of Chicago,il? I was looking into the 4 state regional.

 

out of Chicago that's sounds close....

 

I heard those drivers are making better than dfw, by much idk.

 

if they make more mileage pay its the cost of living differential....