Random LTL Rants (all are welcomed)

So someone posted this on my Vehicle Operations community that I follow (it's the quasi military equivalent of our job).

I want to get some honest feedback to see if this is something that could be potentially useful for stuff like residentials or just tailgating lighter pallets when you don't want to hassle with an actual pallet jack.

Two things that stuck out where the adjustable tines and the wheels which would be ideal for unpaved driveways.

Thoughts?

 

Reminds me of when I worked at USF Reddaway. Linehaul out of Salt Lake City where a bunch of freaking divas and coincidentally our VP had his office out of that barn and caved every time they came crying to his office.

My weekend bid was to move triples from Three Forks to Missoula (East to West). Then bring back triples to Three Forks (West to East). After my 10 hours off I would then take those three trailers and move them from Three Forks to Billings and then come back with three empty trailers since Billings was a end of the line terminal with very little outbound. The beauty was that if I got back early enough Saturday morning, I could start late Saturday noon and be back early evening and almost have a three day weekend each week since I didn't have to work again until Tuesday night.

I bring all of this up is because a SLC driver was running to our barn (South to North) and instead of going back to SLC, he demanded my Saturday leg to go to Billings just to pad his check with an additional 358 roundtrip miles that I would no longer get.

Of course he got my run and I took a $280/week pay cut and now only worked 4 days a week. I put in a transfer request to P&D with a 2 weeks deadline before I would switch over to FxF. I got the transfer right away.

I am still kinda salty. My Reddaway linehaul gig was probably the most money I ever made. 5% layovers a month and I enjoyed it. But my point is that people can get their lifestyle altered. All it takes is someone crying to the right person.

 

Quick question about R&L without opening a new thread. I saw they are hiring in my area and was curious:

1. Are they usually collecting resumes or is the company needing drivers?

2. Do they get overtime after 8, 40, or 60 hours or none at all?

3. How much are you guys shelling out each week/month on health insurance?

4. Does the company provide you a pallet jack/handtruck or do you have to provide your own?

Just for kicks and giggles I'll show you mine for comparison, since I work for Yellow.

1. I applied on a Tuesday, had a phone interview on a Thursday, and put in my two week notice the following Wednesday.

2. OT after 8 hours on some bids, OT after 45 hours on other bids.

3. 100% company paid. BCBS Silver Plan, valued at $14/hour by our estimates. Might be more or less but my wife had a $27k medical bill last year and they charged us $0.

4. We have to provide our own tools. While I disagree with the company policy, it's more than fair to assume that people will not leave behind pallet jacks or destroy them if they have to provide their own.

If anyone wants to chime in have at it. But I do want to hear about R&L since those are the ones hiring in my area.

 

What state are you out of? We have a listing of about 25 barns that need travelers help to cover their workload. One of our guys just got back after a month covering a terminal and said they had 30 trailers worth of freight that needs to be delivered just hanging out in the lot.

As great as that sounds, it's a horrible problem to have. That's like having 30 cans of Miller Lite in your fridge and you can't get a single one open.

Shippers and receivers notice this stuff and will adjust accordingly.