My 2 & 1/2 Years with McElroy Truck Lines, Inc.

Ike and Bamanation:

You are both correct. It is kicking my ###. Way harder than being over the road. Most of my OTR "long days" were spent DRIVING THE TRUCK. I love driving a big truck. Now, most of my day is spent strapping and unstrapping and sitting in God awful local traffic. The stupid part is that although it could be fixed easily with some route changes, (i.e. - all "across the water customers in the morning, all nearby customers in the afternoon) the Manager just feels like the earlier you start, the later you can work. The later you work, the earlier he wants you to come in the next day! I clocked in at 5:00am today. Clocked out at 5:15pm this evening. I have to be clocked in at 4:00am tommorrow morning. That means he will probably want me there ar 3:30am Friday LOL!

Now, they finally got the truck that I will be "assigned to" fixed, so I will get to drive on my own starting Friday. First week was watching stupid training films, filling out paper work, and riding around with the two other drivers. This week, I have been driving one of the other driver's truck while he sits in the jump seat beside me and points out EVERY SINGLE ROAD SIGN AND TRAFFIC LIGHT AND ROAD CONDITION as if I have never driven around my own home town before, much less ever driven a big rig LOL! Talk about "T.G.I.F."

All in all though, I get time and a half for every hour over eight hours in ANY GIVEN WORK DAY. That means like today for example. I earned nearly four hours of over time even if I were "out sick" the next two days. AND, I am off ALL WEEKEND, which is a real pluse. I'll keep you all posted.

 

GregLightning: No problem brother. Just remember what others have commented on (which is sort of like those "disclaimers" they put on the weight loss commercials) - although the story of my experience with McElroy is all true, it may or may not turn out to be the same for you depending upon many factors such as where you live, how much experience you have, how well freight is moving in the lanes McElroy typically runs etc.... I'm sure, however, that if you take all of the good with the not so good and are willing to work hard, you will be fine. All in all McElroy is a decent company to work for and they treated most every driver I personally knew (and know) pretty well. Best wishes!

bamanation: Yea, the overtime thing is pretty darn cool about Bluelinx. The only drag is that I'm not really sure I feel like lumping for 12 hours a day - four to five days a week. I'm told that once I am "officially" the third driver at my branch, that the loads will be more evenly distributed. But, here it is Thursday, and I started at 4:00am thinking that it was my final day with a side seat co-driver, and when we finally get back to the branch at 4:00pm, I'm told that "my" tractor STILL needs a current D.O.T. inspection sticker and it that the shop failed to replace a broken mud flap, so now it will be possibly Monday before I can cruise alone. ARGH!!!!

IKE: Ok my brother, you are from Va. Beach as well, so check this out. The branch is located off of the witchduck road exit from 264. So the Manager will do crap like this: Morning run -3 Va. Beach, 2 Norfolk, 2 Chesapeake OR 1 Kitty Hawk (NC), 1 Coinjock, 3 Elizabeth City etc... OK. Fine. but then, you get back to the branch at like 2:00pm and he says Afternoon run - 1 Williamsburg, 2 Newport News, and 2 Hampton!!!!! Apparently the whole concept of the H.R.B.T. and I-64 friggin LOGJAM CRAP every single afternoon is completely lost on him! In fact, we faced a choice this very afternoon - right before the 64/664 split. Sign says - 3 & 1/4 mile back up H.R.B.T. - No Delay Monitor-Merrimack. So side seat man says "your call". So I say "3 & 1/4 mile ain't bad for 3:00pm, so let's go the short way.". Sure enough, sitting in the right lane when along comes some four wheeler (probably texting) and smashes into the stopped traffic in the left lane causing four car chain reaction. We just looked at each other and said "they're gonna have to change those delay signs for sure now LOL!". It's like that every #### day. All he needs do is reverse the morning and afternoons and it would help big time. but apparently it's all based upon pre-arranged contract times etc.... I'd rather work 9 hours and have more time with family than 12 hours and be a walking pay check zombie

 

You ran HARD My Brother! Bluelinx (as of my limited experience) doesn't run as far up or down. Furthest north is Williamsburg, VA. Furthest south is Englehard, NC. I live near Pleasure House Road & Independance Blvd., but I used to park the "Red Roof Inn" # Big Charlie's Off of Northampton Blvd.