Starting Schneider National Dedicated Flex Fleet

So, another update:

At the beginning of Sept I took my TAH (except not at home). Parked at the Sturtevant drop lot near Milwaukee and had my dad pick me up. Spent some quality time with my dad, grandmother, and cousins. Also got to take my dad to Summerfest to see some live music!!! First concert since covid started and it was a great experience to finally see live music again. I needed that. Also got to go swimming in Lake Michigan. Almost made it all the way through summer without going swimming and that was driving me nuts.

When it was time to go return to work, I was pleasantly surprised to find that they put me on the Master Halco account in Milwaukee. Apparently they had lost all of their permanent drivers due to them getting into fender benders and damaging property. So, I ended up being the fixer and cleaning up the messes that were left behind. They sent me with a bunch of long 4-5 stop loads that would run my clock into the ground, just trying to get them all caught up. I didn't mind it though, I got to park at a truck stop 10 minutes from my grandmother's house and I was able to spend an extra weekend with them during my reset at the end of the first week. I love Schneider for giving me the opportunity to do that, seriously. I don't think they actually know how much that meant to me, or if they did it on purpose, but I'm definitely humbled and grateful. I hadn't seen my dad and grandmother since 2019, and I don't get to see them much, so any time I get to spend with them is time well spent in my book. At the end of my 2nd week doing MH in Milwaukee, they ended up transferring me to MH in Chicago which is where I am now.

They gave me some van relays to shuttle from WI to the Gary OC before I started the account. So I did that and started my reset at the OC when I finally got there. It was cool taking a reset at an OC again, haven't done that since April. I was finally able to get my fifth wheel greased, get a new steer tire put on, got a couple wiper blades, and a handful of gladhand seals. Also free showers, free laundry, and using the company car to get epic food woohoo!!! This weekend if I do my reset there, I think I'm going to get some tire chains and practice putting them on while it's still dry outside lmao.

I'm wrapping up my 2nd week here in Chicago and it has surprisingly been my favorite Master Halco account so far. When I first saw the word Chicago on my assignments, I was nervous and a bit apprehensive because I've always heard stories about Chicago being notoriously difficult. I was nervous about the switch, but also looking forward to the challenge. But I've been pleasantly surprised to find it isn't nearly as bad as I was expecting. Not sure if it's that it's not actually that bad, or if my experience level has just increased. Maybe I intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle me. Lol.

The guys at the MH yard here are really good about loading the trailers in such a way that doesn't give me major anxiety when I'm trying to figure out how to strap them down. They keep the loads centered on the bed and keep the center of gravity low. It's easier to have even pressure across the straps when the product is stacked low and centered. With lopsided, funky loads; the strap tends to pull the load towards the roller, which is no bueno in my book and it makes me nervous every time. MN and WI were very hit or miss when it came to this sort of thing. Sometimes MN and WI would stack stuff sky high, and also just kinda throw random product in the middle of the trailer bed, between stuff, where I couldn't actually get a strap around the product to secure it the way I'd like. I'd basically have to make bulkheads out of the rest of the product on the flatbed and make sure there was no way for anything to roll out the sides or come loose and slide out the front or back. There weren't really enough winches for this on the trailers either; so I'd have to use up all the winches, as well as all of my portable ratchets. Made things take a lot longer because I had to do some extra engineering when I was strapping.

MN and WI also had a way of running my clock into the ground such that I'd be scrambling at the end of the day to get to parked before I used up my 14. WI more so than MN. Chicago has been giving me loads that I can start and complete within their business hours, which pretty much ensures that I don't run my clock into the ground. This has been a huge stress relief and has dramatically improved the quality of my life. I'm no stranger to hard work and I don't mind working a 14 hour day every now and then... but a 14 hour day EVERY day... man... by the end of the week I feel like I need a hot tub and a therapist. Lmao. On those 14 hour days when you finally go off duty, you're still in grind mode. If you want a full 8 hours of sleep, you basically only have 2 hours to eat, clean up, take a shower, check in with fam/friends, trip plan the next days load, and then get ready for bed. Your 10 hour break is literally 10 hours because you have to be back at work the same time the next morning. Those days/weeks are rough. I've had them on both MH and HD accounts and they stress me out. Those days haven't happened here in Chicago and I'm grateful.

For future reference if another NDF driver ends up searching this board for tips on the Chicago Master Halco account:
Don't use the intermodal drop lot during the week for your 10 hr breaks, I considered that too, but other drivers told me to avoid it if I can. Apparently the single shower there is nasty, and it will also make your morning and evening commute worse because the traffic around there can get a little nuts. You're better getting away from Chicago at the end of the day rather than going deeper into it. There is also no easily accessible food in the area.

Your best bet is using the cluster of truck stops at I-90 and US-20 around Hampshire, IL. I've been using the TA because the EFS card works here so I can get free showers; but there is also a Speedway Truck Stop, Road Ranger, and Love's all right here at this exit and they all have a wide variety of food selection. It's a 30-40 minute drive from the yard in West Chicago, but its not nearly as bad as it sounds. There is also a Super Target off IL-59 and US-20 you can stop at to get groceries on the way to the truck stop. You might think the Pilot in Carol Stream would be the move; but the Pilot in Carol Stream doesn't have showers, the parking lot only has 20 spaces, and they're 2-hour spaces anyway so that Pilot is pretty much useless for an NDF driver. Might be good for you if you enjoy racking up Pilot points. Personally, I don't care about points, I just want showers. Lol. I took my reset at the Gary OC over the weekend and it was nice. Took the South Shore train into downtown Chicago on Saturday and did some touring around Millenium Park. Had a good time.

Anyway, not sure if I'll be on MH Chicago again next week, but I'm hoping so! Should get my assignment message tomorrow evening. The week after next, I start another block of TAH, but this time I'm parking at Carlisle OC and driving a rental van to NYC and Boston to visit some friends. When I get back from TAH I'm running through January and probably February too. Thinking for my next block of TAH I might finally use my passport and go visit a foreign country or something!!

Will check in again in a month... maybe sooner. Stay safe everyone!

 

Update update update!

So, I finished out my run with MH in Chicago. Did some OTR runs for the week leading up to TAH from Carlisle. Went from Indiana to Ohio, then Ohio to Virginia, then Virgina back to Ohio, then Ohio to Massachusetts, then Massachusetts to Pennyslvania. Was a fun run, getting back into Eastern time was a welcome experience. Got to see some of the truck stops I missed going to when I ran the VTI account early this year. I love the Petro in Raphine, VA and for some reason it made me happy to take a 10hr break there lol.

Somewhere along the way from Ohio to Massachusettes my truck developed a coolant leak and I had to buy a couple gallons of the stuff to refill my coolant tank. Parked my truck in Carlisle and had a nice 2 week vacation in Boston, NYC, and Philly. Got a bit addicted to Lobster rolls and NYC pizza while I was up there. I didn't expect for it to leave such a lasting impression, but I haven't stopped thinking about that food since I've been back at work lmao.

Returned to work on Oct 27th, and was selected to take a random drug test. Guess they wanted to make sure I didn't party too hard lmao. Also got a tablet message saying that I had to get a PM scheduled before the end of November. Wondering if my coolant leak had any effect on expediting that. I've put 50,000 miles on the truck so it probably needed the PM anyway. Was originally supposed to end up on the Walmart account out of London, KY after hometime, but the day I was supposed to head that way I got a call saying that the assignment changed and ended up getting sent to Pittsburgh instead to run the Home Depot account. Same thing I was doing in Minnesota, but in Pittsburgh.

I got tipped by some other drivers that it would be highly beneficial to ask for a daycab to use while running the HD account here, and those drivers were 100% correct. The terrain and roads around here are very difficult to navigate with a sleeper, even if the trailer is only 40ft. The turning radius on the daycabs is almost a requirement around here. In Minnesota you can get away with the sleeper much easier just because the roads are so much wider. So for the past 3 weeks I've been whipping around in a daycab during the day and using my sleeper as my hotel lmao. I park the daycab close enough to my sleeper in the lot of a home depot so that I can login to my sleeper and go to sleeper berth without having to do the whole tablet shuffle and everything between trucks every day. The account here is pretty dang difficult, I can't lie, but it's manageable.

Last weekend I had my PM scheduled to be done at the Coraopolis OC, which is actually an OC for bulk drivers but is shared with the HD account. Doesn't show up on the tablet for van drivers, and if you are a van driver, don't even bother trying to go there because it's seriously not meant for 53ft vans. They have showers, laundry, a company car, etc but its kinda like a self-serve facility because after a certain time no one is there and you have to get in with a code. Was kinda cool being there as a dedicated driver, felt like I didn't belong but also somehow welcome.

Turned my truck in on Sunday morning for the PM and didn't have anything else to do so I took a bus into downtown Pittsburgh to look around the city since I'd never been here before. A lady on Facebook ended up giving me a free ticket to the Steelers game and I was able to catch the last quarter of a Steelers game just for it to end in a tie! LOL! I'm not even a Steelers or Lions fan, I'm a Packer fan, but it was fun to be among all the people twirling their terrible towels and yelling GO PACK GO! LOL!

Got a call while I was on the way to the game, apparently my truck needed a lot more work than just a regular PM-B. They tracked down the coolant leak in my truck to a chafed coolant line, they also found a DEF leak somewhere, water leaks in the cab, a loose belt and tensioner, and they also had to replace all 4 drive brakes. They ended up having to keep my truck until Wednesday. During the week, my DBL for the HD account told me to use a bobtail daycab that was at the Cory OC to get back to the flatbed at the store where I was working from. They got me a hotel near the store and I basically ran my route during the day and took the bobtail back to the hotel at night. Wednesday they let me start my route late so I could get down to Coraopolis and swap out the daycab bobtail for my own truck. So now I got my house back!

BUT!!!! This Friday, my DTL planner called me and told me they have a like-new truck for me!!! I'm running the Home Depot account next week thru Tuesday, then Wednesday I'm getting loaded out to Indy, then I spend Thanksgiving day moving into the 2022 Cascadia. I'll apparently be the 2nd driver, the truck was being used by another NDF driver that left the fleet, and somehow my name came up when they were trying to figure out who to let use it next. So next week I'm getting the new truck... and it has been a surprisingly bittersweet revelation, I've been emotional about it all weekend. I'm attached to 63912.

My truck, 63912, has paved the way for one of the most monumental years I've had in my entire life. My truck has been with me through thick and thin; this entire year. It has been my home. But it has also the vehicle that has been delivering ME to my DREAMS, to the people, places, and things that I love. I know that sounds cheesy, but it is so true. I remember the first night I got into 63912... I remember the first dock we bumped, the first time we fueled at the Pilot, the first time I got a flat tire, the first time I had to change a lightbulb, the first time we got a paycheck, everything. I gained independence and confidence with 63912. It was the first truck that was mine and that will never change. Almost considered getting the number 63912 tattooed on me somewhere but that's too much lmaooo.

So yeah, it's gonna be a bit tough when I drive away from Indy and see 63912 disappear in my mirrors. But.. that being said.. the new truck is going to have an EPU, opti-idle, a real fridge, and I won't have to lift the bunk all the time to turn the inverter on/off lmao. I'm still trying to figure out how I'm going to be able to translate my storage solution in 63912 to the new truck, as the interior space is setup a bit differently. Going to also take a bit to get used to the new cup holder positions. I've driven some P4s before and I absolutely hate the cup holder location, but I'm sure I'll get used to it lol.

Anyways, after I get moved into the new truck, I'm getting routed down to Walton, Kentucky to help start up a new Schwan's reefer account. Will be my first dedicated account that isn't flatbed, so that will be an interesting change of pace. DTL planner made it sound like it would be multi-day long hauls up to 1200 miles away with no-touch freight. We'll see how it goes. I'm down to do some more long hauls after basically working local accounts since April. For some reason I like having to plan where to park between pickups and deliveries, makes me feel like I have some freedom and creative license on how I can get things done. I have been hoping to eventually get routed through the big Iowa 80 truck stop to see what it's like, not sure if I will go that way, but I hope so. Lol.

Til next time, yall stay safe and have some happy holidays, I heard the Indy OC might have a turkey dinner for us on thanksgiving, guess we will find out!

 

I'm still trying to come up with a good elevator speech on how to explain what NDF (National Dedicated) really is without getting too far into the weeds, but it's not nearly as complicated as it sounds.

As NDF, you're basically a jack of all trades, master of none. You can do just about anything that Schneider throws at you aside from Tanker and Intermodal. You are the mission specialist. When Schneider calls for backup on Dedicated accounts, you show up, you are the backup. You primarily run Dedicated Routes, but you will run OTR sometimes too, you will learn to do both. Some dedicated accounts are local, some are regional, some are coast-to-coast. You could potentially run any and all of them. You don't stick to just one Dedicated account, you'll work an account until they don't need you anymore and then they'll send you to another account where they do need you. Rinse, repeat.

If you're adaptable, if you like variety, if you don't want to have to do the exact same thing over and over, NDF might be for you.

How was that? Does that sell NDF pretty well? Lmao

 

Also since I'm here, I'll give a short update, I got my new truck! 2022 Cascadia with 26,000 miles on it. It is NICE!!! Took me 8 hours to move everything from one truck to another but I got it all worked out and organized finally. I'm loving it.

I am currently running the Schwan's reefer account. So far it's been interesting and a nice departure from the flatbed accounts.
Started off a little shaky due to it being a brand new account, but things are smoothing out as the week goes on.
Will give a full review when I take my reset this weekend lmao.

Old truck on the left, New truck on the right:

 

NDF is salaried so you get a weekly rate.

I started off at 980/week but over the summer there was a Schneider-wide raise and I'm not sure what the starting amount is anymore, but it's higher than 980/week.
I also got a tenure based raise after 6 months, and I'll be due for another raise at my 1 year mark, which will put my base rate close to $1200/week before taxes. Right now my weekly rate is $1,140/week.

If you stay out past 4 weeks, you also get a $400 bonus for every extra week you're out on the road. I rarely take time off so I've been stacking that $400 bonus.

You also get performance pay based on your metrics:
One metric is "Days Worked", basically if you work 54 days in a quarter, then that gives you 3 points on your quarterly scorecard and you get an extra ~$30 per week for that.
Another metric is Driving Efficiency Exception minutes, which simply put, is the percentage of time you keep your foot on the accelerator once you're up to the governed speed of 65mph. If you use cruise control it's super easy to keep your minutes low. Right now I'm at like 0.6% and you have to stay below 2% in the quarter to get the bonus. Only time you should really have to keep your foot on the accelerator is to override the adaptive cruise when you're closing the gap behind someone right before you pass them. The bonus for that is like ~$20 per week.
I got all 5 points last quarter so now I'm getting the extra $50 per week as my performance bonus on top of all the stay-out bonus.

So, with all of my bonuses and my current raise, I'm getting about $1580 per week before taxes and insurance are taken out. After the 1 year tenure raise it'll be closer to $1650/week.