Midwest Motor Express - Minneapolis terminal, linehaul, 6 months review

This is my first and only linehaul job and I can honestly say, this has been a pretty good move for me. There are pros and cons like any place and I'll get into those below. If you're looking for headline numbers, the pay right now is $0.73/mi, no doubles, averaging about $1700/week on extra board. There are a few main turns that make up 90% of the job:

Fargo: 472 miles
Sioux Falls: 490
Des Moines: 496
Cedar Rapids: 588

There are nightly meets in Albert Lea (206 miles), Mauston, WI, (402) and Hudson (62) that you will pick up during bad weather or slow nights.

As for weather, there is a lot of it. If it is really bad, then management will shut down for the night, otherwise expect to drive on a lot of snow and ice.

Pros:
Equipment and tires are good, I have yet to see a single tire that was even close to 2/32 or 4/32 on steers. Trucks are new Internationals and some older Freightliners that are being phased out. I have my qualms with both of these trucks but they're kept in good operating order. Trucks are governed at 67. As for the daytime guys, some of them really trash the interiors. Others will hide the fuel card, lock the door, keep the fifth wheel puller, or do other things to be possessive. This is a pretty small group tho.

Most of the people at this place are solid. I haven't have any trouble with anyone.

You can fuel right at the terminal. This is a major pro to me, it saves a lot of time.

Cons:
The one big complaint I have is the start times. Your call could come anywhere from 8pm to 1am. 80% of the time you'll start work between 10pm and midnight. From what I gather about linehaul, this is pretty typical for extra board. I pack a hammock every day, and I use it regularly, because this job will wreck your sleep.

One thing I'll file under "unusual", there's no bidding here. I am still learning exactly what advantages seniority does and doesn't provide. From what I can tell, seniority will only guarantee that you'll get called in before the extra board guy. Most of the guys in front of me do seem settled on their own runs, but I'm not sure how that came to be. Usually about once a week the guy at the top of the ladder will be waiting on his trailer along with me at 11pm.

Benefits seem to be pretty standard. The company pays $15/week into your HSA. 401K has a 3% match that is fully vested after 5 years. Human Resources tells me that knight-swift stock will be offered at a discount to employees starting this April. Oh yeah, MME is a Knight-Swift company.

 

One other pro

There are weekend runs available. This is a seniority based deal, but currently there's not a lot of competition for weekend work. I get a weekend run about 60% of the time I sign up for one.

 

Do you guys ever pull doubles, or are you saying that you in particular never pull doubles?

 

MME used to be a Union Company the Union was kicked out in the mid nineties. They have a truckload carrier called Midnight Express that runs or used to run 48 states. Since it is owned by Swift/Knight now, look at youtube and see Alex's interview with the leaders in Phoenix. Muthatruckers. I was impressed and will start buying some stock in the company.

 

We don't pull any doubles out of this terminal. Only 48' and 53' singles. A lot of 48s. Out west they do pull double 40s.

 

I think they're all T680s too at Midnight, with the big sleepers.

The general vibe is that the KNX takeover has been good for MME. Someone in another thread said Swift was going to acquire a NE and SW carrier soon. That would give us the whole 48.

 

Are you home nightly/is everyone home nightly?

Also, so even if other terminals have doubles going out West, by staying in the Minneapolis/Sioux Falls/Fargo/Cedar Rapids terminals then whenever you drop and hook (whether at a terminal or during a meet with another driver), you're always getting a single 48 or 53' trailer and never doubles on your trip back to your home terminal in Minneapolis, right?

Just wondering if I'm understanding you correctly (apologize if my wording is confusing).

 

Yes on both counts

 

No, that's you guys.
Us daytime folks tend to avoid using the linehaul tractors if possible.

More 48 and a pup than anything else.

 

Have you ever had an instance where management said you had to drive, but it was obvious that while the roads might have been fine at start time, you knew by looking at the weather forecast that the roads were not going to be fine halfway through your shift?

Or what about instances where management said that drivers had to drive, but you didn't feel safe driving?

What happens when you call an audible and make a decision to shut down and find a hotel for the night, when management says otherwise that the roads are good to drive?

Or have you and management pretty much been on the same page as far as weather related conditions go and there's never been an issue?

I've always wondered how the decision to drive or not to drive during inclement weather worked for local drivers that have to deal with the stuff reguarly up North, as opposed to OTR where any reputable company gives the driver 100% leeway in making the decision to drive or not to drive during inclement weather.