McElroy Truck Lines

Hey Parrot,

I live in Southern Kentucky. Close to Tennessee line right off I-75. I dont know many particulars yet. My invitation is dependent on me getting my cdl. Essentially a prehire agreement. It looks like I will be heading to Sage in Indianapolis either October or November. Once I'm there I am supposed to contact the folks at McElroy and firm things with them.

My concerns about the physical agility are just my age...lol....After passing 50, I find things don't work as well as they used to. Probably my flexibility is the thing that worries me most. I'm not in the best of shape. After all the effort that I and the great folks at McElroy went through to get me a prehire, I would certainly hate to be sent home because I couldn't walk a balance beam or something like that.

I have looked on YouTube and found some physical agility tests from other carriers so I am making up a workout regimen of exercises that will hopefully help prepare me a bit. I really want to do well and take advantage of this opportunity that has been given to me.

Thanks for the reply!

No problem. They're a good company to work for. Good people that care about their drivers and try to make things better. Home time on the weekends is a big deal for me. My first job with a directional drilling company I was gone 3-6 weeks at a time. I've got a wife and daughter at home so that wouldn't work out. I started at 48 yrs old so I know what you mean. If you have a 6 ft 2x4 or even better a 4x4 just practice walking that from one end turn around and back. Practice standing on one leg, just bend one leg and hold it. They do one exercise where you bend down and look under a table or shelf and read a tag number then walk around to each corner doing the same thing and repeat it 2-3 times. This is to simulate looking under the trailer, just remember it's not a race, slow deep controlled breathing helps with your heart rate. Think we also had to do a duck walk to simulate walking under the trailer. Couple of push/pull exercises with your hands and lifting the tarp onto a self is about it. Good luck.

I've had the hardest time choosing between Maverick and McElroy, but from what I have seen I can get home every weekend with McElroy, which is awesome since my wife would love for me to spend the weekends with her. I know that Maverick has all Auto's which is good for me since I have a war wound (3 screws in my left knee and a titanium Socket) while in the Marine Corps. Now, before anyone asks, I have been delivered Kegs for Budweiser for the last 4 years, no issues but for some odd reason a clutch always kicks my ass in city driving. So my question is this...Does McElroy have automatics? Do they give you a choice or is their a specific policy for it somewhere that I have not read yet? Any help guys would be very much appreciated!

The trucks we are getting in now are automatics except for some of the trainer trucks. We are supposedly phasing out sticks but need some as training trucks since all 16 & 17 models are still sticks. I bet if you talked to them and explained the situation they would probably set you up in an automatic. It is good to get home every Friday. What area do you live in?

Parrot.

That is good to know and I didn't even consider just asking them if that is even possible. I live in Greenville, N.C. I see McElroy trucks every week. They are always running up and down 264 and Hwy 11. On the weekend at the local Sears store there are usually two parked every weekend. The driver I talked to a few weeks ago, drove a Stick (nice guy), we talked for about 20 minutes. He told he how "his" typical week goes, and I gotta admit, it sounded really good. Last night I took the plunge and filled out the Application.

First off, Thank you ou for your service. I’ve never but lots of family on both sides have. I would be sure and tell them the automatic is one reason you chose them. Let them know why you’re asking about it while explaining all the things you manage to do without any problem. All companies have at least some complaints from some drivers but I’ve been really pleased with them and their personal care about employees. Definitely you’re names and not just a number.

Parrot.

That is good to know and I didn't even consider just asking them if that is even possible. I live in Greenville, N.C. I see McElroy trucks every week. They are always running up and down 264 and Hwy 11. On the weekend at the local Sears store there are usually two parked every weekend. The driver I talked to a few weeks ago, drove a Stick (nice guy), we talked for about 20 minutes. He told he how "his" typical week goes, and I gotta admit, it sounded really good. Last night I took the plunge and filled out the Application.

Parrothead66,

While at work yesterday I was stuck in meeting most of the entire day, so I sent my recruiter at McElroy a nice letter explaining my situation and why i wanted an automatic. In the letter I asked about the possibility of getting one and a detailed message about my injury while in the Marines. Her reply was short and to the point. She said "The fleet is 10 speed manuals, at this time we do not have any automatics. Do you want to continue application process". That was it, that was all she wrote. Almost seemed like she didn't care cause it came across like she could care less about my situation. Now Granted I wasn't expecting or seeking sympathy BUT "IF" it would have been nice if she elaborated a little more about a timeline or at least that she would keep my name on file, etc. So at this point, McElroy is off the list.

I do want to thank you for all her help and advice. I really do appreciate it.

Parrothead66,

While at work yesterday I was stuck in meeting most of the entire day, so I sent my recruiter at McElroy a nice letter explaining my situation and why i wanted an automatic. In the letter I asked about the possibility of getting one and a detailed message about my injury while in the Marines. Her reply was short and to the point. She said "The fleet is 10 speed manuals, at this time we do not have any automatics. Do you want to continue application process". That was it, that was all she wrote. Almost seemed like she didn't care cause it came across like she could care less about my situation. Now Granted I wasn't expecting or seeking sympathy BUT "IF" it would have been nice if she elaborated a little more about a timeline or at least that she would keep my name on file, etc. So at this point, McElroy is off the list.

I do want to thank you for all her help and advice. I really do appreciate it.

What else did you want her to say? If they don't have any automatics, they don't have any.

Listen, don't worry about the recruiters. They're just there to walk you through the hiring process. Time and time again people get all caught up in how their recruiters speak to them and they wind up choosing a company based on the recruiter instead of on how well the company suits their needs.

People have this idea that the recruiter should kiss their *ss and spend a month chatting with them. It doesn't work that way. The recruiters get paid to put drivers in the seat. They have a gigantic stack of applications in front of them and they simply don't have time to sit around and chat all day. They'll answer your questions if they think you're serious. They'll also want you to apply to the company before they'll spend much time with you.

So make sure you apply to the company before speaking with their recruiters and don't expect them to treat you like a rock star or a high roller in Vegas. You're not. You're some dude who might drive a truck, no different than a million others who are thinking about it. Find some companies you feel suit you well, apply to them all, and see who offers you an opportunity. Pick the one you're most comfortable with.

You can apply to a bunch of companies at once with our quick application right here:

Apply For Company-Sponsored Training

I wrote an article about people handling the recruiting process the wrong way. Check this out:

The Biggest Mistake New Drivers Make When Speaking With Recruiters

Brett,

Wow, good article. Made a lot of sense, and some good points that I really didn't even consider. Gave me a different perspective from where I was yesterday. Ironically I did apply to McElroy anyway. A friend of mine said go ahead and do it. This way they have your info and you can keep in contact with them on a regular basis, so I went ahead and filled out the application.

On a side note: Brett always some good info on this site. Makes me think outside of the box and moving forward.

I guess I overreached a little. Looks like the few automatics we’ve gotten in so far are going to the million milers first to get their trucks replaced and updated. So it may be a few months before they start seeing them out in the general fleet but that is the direction we’re heading from everything I’ve been told. Glad to hear you went ahead with the app. Hope everything works out for you whatever the direction you choose.