My return to LTL... with SAIA

whats linehaul

 

Terminal to terminal. Brings freight from other places for local delivery.

 

@cgilliland so picture it like this:

Local P&D guy picks up a box.

Linehaul guy takes the box to another place.

Local P&D guy delivers the box.

 

Last couple of days at work have been challenging. For whatever reason, the closest breakbulk hub to us has a hard time getting out linehaul guys out early, but even when they are getting them early (and the last line guy gets back at 0630 at that point), for one reason or another my TM gets surprise trailers coming in to the terminal in the morning that he had no idea central had en route to us.

This, has led to a majority of city drivers at my terminal not being able to get on the road until after 1100, and in extreme cases like myself, not getting on the road until 1200. I have an amazing territory which is close to where I live, but it's a 40 minute drive in a tractor trailer, so leaving at noon, I'm not getting to my first delivery until 1245. Oh yeah, lots of businesses in the area close at 1600 because of "reduced pandemic hours" and the like, so it's leading to bringing at least 2-3 stops back every day, but I suppose that wouldn't happen if I neglected the many pickups with 1500 close times and the like.

I'd normally be losing my mind at the concept of bringing anything back, but when I can't get out the gate until noon, I never had much of a chance to deliver all my freight AND get all the pickups.

The hours so far are there, granted at this point about 2 of them every day is spent in the parking lot waiting to be notified that my trailer is done and ready to go (TM doesn't want drivers on the dock for any reason).

TM also mentioned another linehaul spot being added under the thought of "just thought I wanted to know" because he knows I loved running line at FedEx Freight. It's a systems driver spot though.

The only reason it could even be an option is because of the ability to take my seniority with me to another terminal when I move in 5-7 years and continue to work toward daytime linehaul spots. Who knows... one day at a time as an LTLaholic. If I did decide to take it, it'd be a kick in the shorts because I could have stayed at FedEx Freight at that point, although at FXF I'd never be able to take my seniority with me OR have a crack a daytime line spot because they don't exist out of that terminal.

 

Word, well in that case. Any opinions on ABF? Was looking at them.

 

Union gig, excellent healthcare, solvent pension and the company has solid financials. Wages will be less than other big LTLs, but you make up for it with benefits.

 

@LtlAnonymous used to work at abf. Hopefully he chimes in info in regards to abf.

 

Of course. I go where I'm mentioned. lol

ABF is a great gig, money-wise. It varies from terminal to terminal on how great your lifestyle will be. The southern drivers (and Dayton) all had it pretty good when I was there. The northern drivers (including my Chicago terminal) had no lives to speak of outside of driving a truck. I don't know why the culture is so vastly different between the two regions, but it is. I can't say much about west coast ABF operations, as I've never been there.

All of this said, their pension is intact, their insurance is 100% company-paid (and excellent imo), and you could do a hell of a lot worse.

 

Oh, I guess a little info on income would be nice. We don't work for free.

I was typically on pace for the 90k range, and that was with giving away a LOT (OH MY GOD A LOT) of work. I'd log heavy as hell, take extra time off...if I worked as often as they wanted me to work? Six figures EASY.

 

@McUzi how many deliveries you left with today.