R&L vs XPO vs Neither?

Hello,

I've recently returned to driving after a lengthy hiatus and have been offered jobs at a couple of LTL places. A day time P&D with XPO and the option of either day P&D or Night line with R&L.
I'm not crazy about dock work when I inevitably get knocked to the line with XPO but don't know much about R&L really.

What do their night line haul drivers do once they arrive at the away yard? The TM claims dock work is optional, if that's the case, do drivers just wait around waiting to be loaded?

TMs at both places claim P&D guys get around 55 hours. I don't know that I buy that and have no desire to work 70 hours or more a week.

As a third option. I can jump in a rolloff truck 10 minutes from my house at $20/hr and OT after 40 and work 55 to 60 hours a week. How much pay am I leaving behind by doing this over the LTLs?

Thanks

 

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The TM claims night time Linehaul drivers are averaging "around $230 - $232 per run.". That seems pretty specific so I tend to believe it, which sets us at around $1150-1160, gross, per week. That's not a lot to work overnight forever...

Daytime p&d starts at $25 and change per hour and he says it's between 50-60 hours a week. Probably closer to 60 since R&L doesn't pay OT I imagine. I assume that puts us between $1200 and $1500 (if I work more than I'd like pulling a pallet jack around).

At 50 hours, the roll off guys pay around $1100/wk. $1400 if I pull a 12 hour x 5. I'd be done by about 5 or 6p mostly just driving. Not having to buy my own pallet jack, bump a dock, or be out every night...

Any past or present roll-off guys around to give.their 2¢?

 

I dont know much about xpo or r&l. But i run ltl linehaul for FedEx Freight. When i arrive at the yard i drop out. Put my trailers in doors or in the yard. Then hangout for a couple hours. Read, sleep or hangout in the breakroom.

I think in the beginning you might break even with ltl or roll off. But the higher you get in ltl you will be leaving money behind. Our p&d drivers are $28.xx a hour overtime after 8 hours. Road is $28.xx for hourly stuff and $0.67 for milage. And the higher you get the better runs you can bid.

 

Thanks for the reply.

My concern there I guess is that R&L "starts you off a max" which is just under $30/he, bit they have a weird format for paying Linehaul. It's zip code to zip code divided by 55 (mph) x the $29 and change to come up to the run total. R&L also has lifetime bids so it makes.movility complicated. I still prefer it probably to XPO.

I'm 46 (returning to driving after a career elsewhere that was destroyed by COVID-19 more than a new driver) so that's a factor also in that 1) I prefer not to work 70 hours a week 2) I don't want to sacrifice my back (that already has it's issues) or wind up with another hernia surgery by lugging a dolly or pallet jack around all day. The guy who did my road test was actually on light duty comp because of a back injury from P&D. 3). Some sort of weekday family life - wife and kids and all. That essentially goes away in most LTL situations.

I'd like to be out of both situations by the time I'm 55 and some something closer to my past 9 to 5.

This isn't my knocking LTL. If it were FedEx, Odfl, ups, etc as opposed to XPO or r&l, the scenario may be different. Typing "out loud" I guess makes it sound like I'm leaning roll-off and I probably am. Just trying to get 411 before I make the final dive. I have start dates at 2 places next week, and a third in 9/20. Just trying to make an informed decision and all

 

I completely agree with the not wanting to work 70 hours a week. Ltl can be a challenge to work and have a social life. A guy i work has been on our longest run for 11 years and married 3 times in that 11 years. If the money seems right to you seems like the roll off might be a good fit. Either way good luck to you and hopefully everything works out.

 

R&L is a pretty large, well established company. I would jump on the linehaul as it would be much less physical work than P&D, not to mention stress and headaches dealing with daytime traffic and bumping docks. Besides hooking and unhooking doubles, you wouldn't have much physical work to do with linehaul.

The rolloff job sounds OK, but I'm at the point in life where I want relative job security with 401K and benefits etc. How big is the roll-off company?. Do they have lots of established contracts?. Benefits, 401K etc?.

 

Its all I can do to walk 60'....release the tandem pins, swing the doors open......walk ANOTHER 60 feet, slide the tandems, bump the dock..... go to sleep.

 

The roll-off place is part of "Meridian Waste.". They have facilities largely in the southeast, with a handful in the Midwest. Insurance, 401k, etc is present. Looks like a ~55 hour a week gig with a few more hours available to drivers that want them according to the head honcho.

Not a job to get rich at by any means, but 65k gross year 1 behind the wheel and still home to see the family isn't the worst situation.

Plan is to start there Tuesday, bit still jumping through the hoops for XPO as a backup just in case the trash place doesn't pan out. I have a few weeks before my official start date with them to test waters.

 

P&D is waaaay more work than that. They are lucky if there is a dock to bump.