McLane Trucking / Erlanger, Ky

I just started with McLANE in Aurora, CO. Depending on what type of run you're doing you will be unloading about 1k-1500 cases out of the truck, over a period of 1 to 3 days to like 4-14 stops, frozen, refrigerated and dry products. when I did my interview all the transportation manager said was its hard work, over and over. I don't know how hard recycling is, or how heavy, you are using a dolly (2 wheeler) going up and down the ramp into the truck, which is separated into 3 sections usually, and it carries like 7-14 boxes per trip depending what you're carrying of course. I'm not a seasoned McLANE employee, im still in training, but thats what I've noticed so far. also, thats for foodservice, if you are talking about grocery then thats very different (I have no exp with foodservice just otr but 15k is quite a long time for training when you are only driving 200-400 miles a day)

 

Well if you like to run up and down the ramp! Hauling 50-300 or more pounds for 30000 pound at various stops, then have at it, I'm a DRIVER I get the goods to the dock and someone else takes it from there, But this is my second career but I am also approaching the 1/2 century mark pretty quickly, With that being said, If you are a young guy in shape and like physical work to stay in shape, this may be your GIG!, For me I blew out my back running all over the place! So I'm not into running up and down a ramp into a truck!

 

as far as times go... they vary. I went out with my first trainer and his deliveries started at 1pm, so we ran out at that time, did a few deliveries, about 6 of them, until about 1 am then headed to the hotel, stayed in the hotel until about noon, got fuel, started deliveries again, 5 on the 2nd day, same times starting at 1pm and ran until about 2am (the first hotel we went to stay at was full so we had to run another hour to get to the next one that he wanted to check on) we also had a back haul that 2nd night so after we were done delivering we organized the stuff in the trailer (pallets, plastic wrap, load locks, straps, etc...) and went to a warehouse to get loaded up for stuff going back home. 3rd day was just the run back home. I've also done a metro which left at 1am and we were back same day at about 3pm, 5 stops but much heavier than the first trip out of town, lots of fresh chicken (BWW) and that stuff aint light lol, so a bit different than the 11 stop run but bigger (and heavier) deliveries. In a few days they are flying me up to meet another driver and running a route with him for a few days, I think its a 4 day run, right now they have me in town playing yard dog (most the trailers we were dropping on the line for the drivers were scheduled to leave between midnight and 2am), they also put you in the warehouse for a day or two, so you see how each side works.

 

yeah I usually drive, so they just stay on duty the entire day. its not much driving, so you're just watching out for your 14 hr and making sure to take your break before the 8 hrs. physically its ok... I haven't worked out in forever, and the past year and a half I've sat on my butt driving OTR with no physical activity at all, and well im not the smallest person in the world. I know I wouldnt be able to do it as fast as these guys right now, I don't load my 2 wheeler up as much as they do so I would take a few more trips lol but Its not killing me just yet, guess we'll see how that changes when I actually go out by myself. and all of it isn't heavy, the frozen stuff of course is the heaviest but you do have lots of dry stuff as well. just glad we're going DOWN the ramp with this stuff and not UP lol

 

at first you are on extra board, so as long as you have hours you can work, of course you get your 2 days off cause you need your reset. i dont think the routes are based on hours, its more of the area, how much they can put on the truck and how many stops you have Id Imagine. if when you get up to being able to bid, and you bid on a route, that is your route each week, until next bid, which happens every 6 months (could be 2 or even 3 actual routes but they set it so what its a weeks worth of work that you are bidding on)