Please help a wannabe LTL driver out

Are you already in trucking? Do you have your CDL? That is your first step. If you don't have your CDL and some experience, it is doubtful that any of the larger LTLs will hire you.

You can start by taking a look at the websites for the various companies. They will usually give you their minimum requirements for employment. If you have any of their docks within a reasonable commute, think about getting on as a dock hand. Some of these companies MIGHT (key word there) be willing to "train you up," if you show a good attitude and work ethic.

 

I'm retired now. Spent the last three years of my trucking life working for an LTL. It was a regional company, and it is even smaller now than it was then. But working for a smaller company does have certain benefits, just from a personal level.

Anyway, no, I never worked for one of the big LTLs. There are some Conway drivers on here for sure. I don't know if we have anyone from Reddaway or not. It does seem like I have seen somebody from Old Dominion on here, but I can't remember names worth a darn.

You might look into Peninsula Truck Lines. They are in Oregon and Washington. I'm sure there are plenty of others up there as well.

As I said, I have been out of it for a few years now, and wasn't in LTL all that long anyway. You can probably get much more current information from somebody who is still doing the gig. Be patient, and you WILL be seeing replies to your thread. Sometimes it just takes a while for the right people to get around to coming back to the forum.

 

There's alot of competition for LTL jobs. New P&D guys usually start out going in at 1 or 2 in the afternoon for drop and hooks. There isn't much turnover either, so you'd probably be stuck there for awhile. The only thing "family friendly" about LTL are the weekends, you won't see them much during the week. It's not a "be home for dinner" job even if you start at 8am. Businesses close at 5-6pm and you'll be picking up then, then drive back to terminal, drop, fuel, check-in, and drive home for leftovers and tuck the kids in, if their still up.

 

You may be able to find one that has a apprentice driver program, while you work the dock. Fedex freight does at the bigger terminals but, they may be layin off in your area IDK. A regional LTL carrier would be a nice choice. Like any other job, the economy dictates what they need and I don't know many that are growing right now. It's pretty tight out there right now

 

If you are seeking LTL jobs in the Wa. area, first are you into Union or non union positions. You will work the dock as needed and especiaqlly at the start. Hours can be from 8 up to 15 daily depending on the need. I am recently retired from the company you are seeking, Reddaway, in the Seattle area. Jobs in the LTL is presently tight, like the economy.

 

The Seattle terminal, not sure if it was company wide, of Reddaway had a program for dock workers. They could, and many did, become a driver. You could train in yard, and they, I guess, help you get your CDL. Many dock workers did it.