Quickway

No, I worked there for a long time though. Is your name Kurtis?

 

I drive for Quickway and pull milk for Kroger. The driver unload is with an electric pallet jack...not bad at all. Putting the empties back on can be a challenge.

But their hiring standards are pretty high as it is an employee owned company. Gotta have no DUI's on your record to even be considered. But any company that is driver unload is gonna see turnover.

 

Oh, I drive one of those older Macks. Everyone wants those autoshifts and I guess I may never get to drive one before I retire in 10 years. But everyone here uses the GPS thing and again, I guess I am just too old to buy one of those suction cupped (I call them a breast pump) wonders. My wife and I put the route together the night before and I do fine. But every truck has a grouping of round smudges on the inside of the windshield. So is the GPS thing worth it? And do you think an old timer like me could figure it out?

It was funny at terminal 052, the drivers told me I wouldn't be hauling to Houston for years!! I started going to Houston (better pay) the second week I was on my own. But I am happy with it and it is a good job "if you are willing to work a little" as our regional VP has said.

 

I see Quickway all the time on I45 between Houston and Dallas. Don't suppose they hire CDZl grads.

 

Sorry. CDL grads

 

They require 2 yrs. experience in the terminal I work out of.

 

Go get some experience and try it. I am at the end of my career and am 55. If I can do this job, anyone should be able to do it! The pay is good, and the med insurance is about $35 a week for my wife and I. Once you are there for 5 years you are fully vested in an employee ownership program that continues to grow in value until you retire.

Believe me, I am one of those drivers that used to quit if they looked at me wrong! But I am liking this company. I do wish I was about 20 years younger but look on the bright side: You get to work in air conditioner set at 34 degrees!

You do have to be willing to work any days including holidays, that seems to be another reason for the turnover. Last paycheck that I had to work they paid me for it on top of my route pay!

Oh, you could do a lot worse!

(Dear G-d....I sound like a recruiter!)

 

We only have one OO in Fort Worth Texas, but he seems to be a happy camper. Most of the turnover here are from new hires like me and most want things a certain way and don't want to pull milk. They should be glad they didn't have to do it years ago when it was all on the floor! One area that needs improvement are drivers who just refuse to load empties back on the truck. Instead of getting to the store and having to load 4 or 5 empties, you might have 12 pallets of empties because some driver didn't pick 'em up. "I don't get paid for picking up empties"...I have heard it a million times from drivers. One store had 36 pallets of empties # 63 per pallet. That is over 2200 milk cases! To pick up empties means re-arranging your load throughout the route, and that is what some drivers quit over. It is not a job for drivers who want to make a living sitting on their rear ends.

So, keep your milk hook handy!