Yrc or McLane

I'm not sure about McClain, but the Food Service Company that I used to work for had a list of injured drivers just like a football team or maybe worse

That really open my eyes to how hard the work really is. Sure all the guys work there made a lot of money, but they were like athletes almost because they had a limited career most of them. It was only the guys they really learn how to survive and not beat their bodies up that ended up getting into the seniority and getting the routes that weren't quite as bad or they were less physically demanding. And even a lot of those guys were injured but they learned how to hobble along and stuck it out until retirement.

If you have an opportunity with an LTL company that is way way way better than food service. And with LTL you can make a lot of money also even union jobs too.

 

McClain your probably gonna have many stops and get to unload yourself w a powerjack , a pallet jack or maybe a wheeler. Not a dealbreaker but just know going in.

Ask one of the older guys at YRC about 2008 and see how far down the list they went for layoffs, meaning how much seniority was the cutoff.
Keep that in mind.

 

You didn't mention how old you are. A know a ton of guys at our local McClane distribution center. Starting out as a helper gets over $70K per year. I know a few who've been drivers for several years who are over the $100K mark. Most of the guys I know who are there are in the late 20's-30's. If you are physically capable...it might be worth it for a while at least.

On the flip side, I trained a guy a year ago at my current company who worked for McClane for 20 years. He said he's had surgery on both knees, 1 shoulder and a hip. He's in his early 50's now. After a 1 year and a half in our line of work, he went and bought his own truck and works for himself now. Says it nets way more than McClane could ever pay him as a driver.

 

I’m one of the food industries victims. Used to love the work out I got. Started weekends at 11 yrs old at Farmers market working 14 hr on saturdays Then full time at 15 helper on Produce Truck . Driver at 16 plus all lifting.Got out and into LTL at 28. Got into TL at 32 Back progressively got worse . 34 yrs old 3 ruptured discs. Had Surgery to fix 1 causing excruciating pain like I don’t ever want again. Now 20 yrs later limited due to back injury. Also shoulders and elbows and wrists Arthritic last 5 yrs or so.I have a good riding Truck. Would not want to drive Day cab again. All because I hated School !!! It’s really not worth the potential serious damage that can really affect your life seriously. YRC All the way.Im sure they will treat you good. Mclane a little more $$ may cost you a lot more than $$ in long run. Not worth it

 

If you've already started why rock the cradle stick it out for 12 months and keep in touch with YRC then switch over after you've got the 12 months under your belt .

 

I’m thinking once settled in at YRC pay should be top notch. They’re part of Master Freight Agreement. Best contract in the biz I believe they just resigned for I think 7 yrs . That’s a new record I’m sure. But I’ve heard the pension scare is pretty much straightened out. And Health benefits were always best. Oh yeah save every pay stub... seriously as Schemsters will try to screw you out of pension time earned. Gotta pay for the two and three pensions Rank and File give themselves somehow

 

You have no clue about YRC. They are almost a billion dollars in debt. Every driver under YRC is working still under a -15% pay cut. That contract expires in March. That pay cut has been set since 2008. No raises since. YRC still lost money this year in one of the quarters in a good economy. Everyone is hopeful for a pay raise but a lot think it won’t happen. If they get a raise it won’t be much. Top out as a city driver is around $21 an hour. Top out for linehaul is .53cpm. That’s in the contract not here say. City if you work 70hrs a week you’ll make 70k’s. Linehaul is likely 80kish. Which is good but in the LTL industry the lowest. YRC has improved but barley. Why people think they won’t get a raise cause it could send them back into losing money.

Also your going into a Union company. Places like FedEx Freight, Saia, Old D, XPO and Estes might not look at you cause of the worry you’ll bring talks of Union into their work environment. They are trying to keep the union out as much as possible. YRC drivers are known to be very union pro.

McLane is hard work. But you don’t need to do it forever. Also personally it looks better on the resume. They are non union. These LTL companies know McLane you must hustle, you are likely to know how to drive cause of the tight places we have to go, and it’s a big dog in the business of trucking. I’ve gotten offers from Post Office, UPSF, Saia with McLane as my current job.

Ive worked for McLane and YRCW/Reddaway. Reddaway was non union also. it’s a good idea to get the experience but the union thing might kill a call back from a non union carrier you want to join in the future. Like I said the McLane experience won’t hurt your chances to open doors it actually helps.