Comments By Amish country

Found out late this afternoon that my company and our larger affiliate have been negotiating and serving terms for a sell/buy situation. My current company has filed for restructure and the larger company will take us over as theres from what I understand. All should be done in 60-90 days. It seems to be a good thing for us. Benefits are significantly better, current pay structure/bonus is going to be reviewed to see if it can improve and 25 new trucks once its finalized with more by end of year. We keep all seniority and years put in and get those benefits right away. To try and keep drivers from leaving that are offering current employees $2k once the deal is done and another $2k 6 months later.

That about sums up what I know so far. Going to be an interesting year and if it's as good as they make it seem then itll be a great year.

My first year solo is complete incident free with my first company. Guess that makes me "experienced" now? According to my GPS recorded miles I've driven about 105k miles in my first solo year working 5-6 days a week.

I've definitely gotten more efficient with every aspect of the job. Backing is second nature now and comes without having to think about how I'm going to get it done. It comes with practice and backing multiple times a day into unconventional spots that are usually unpaved with little maneuver room. I use 2 lane backroads about 80% of the time compared to highways for the shortest route and to avoid traffic. PA 234, 41 and 272 are what I use majority of the time to get here I'm going.

Unloading the product and customer interaction is probably where I've improved the most. It is what I have the most control over when it comes to my time. On average the most time I spend at a customer is 1.5 hours total which includes weigh in, paperwork, unloading, weigh out. Most of the time I'm in and out in 1-1.25 hours now and spending around 30-45 minutes loading which used to take a lot more time.

The benefit of sticking with your first company. You know all the regular stops and are familiar with where to go and how to back it in. Who needs a weigh in and where you can just get right to work. Your DM knows your preferred schedule and start times and what you can accomplish. For example. My DM called me Friday about mondays loads and started the conversation with "I wanted to see what you thought about these 3 loads together. It's only 210 miles for the day but it's a lot of time for the other stuff. Think it can be done?" After walking through it and planning the time out with him and the areas that could cause an issue he finished with "you wont have those problems, you're a professional". Makes you feel good to have some validation about the work you're getting done. I can also guarantee that he wouldn't have asked anyone else in my yard about getting 3 loads done in a day. I get that opportunity from consistantly taking more work and getting it done on a daily basis. My pay reflects it as well.

I wasnt sure how this was going to play out when I started but said I'd give it my all and see if I wanted to continue after a year. Now I ask myself why I didnt start this years ago! It fits my personality and who I am perfectly and I cant see myself doing anything else. If you said I would do this until I retire I wouldn't be upset about that at all. It's already given me financial options I didnt have before and the ability to plan in the future.

Just wanted to post this pic i took the other day while I was unloading. Theres rolls of tar paper under the tarps. The shipper provided these for the driver. I'm not a flatbedder but I'm guessing they're to protect the rolls and provide support. 2 2x4s with a piece of strap between.

Something for new people wondering to check out anyway.

I run on percentage but I am also "local". I do pretty well usually grossing around 1,100 for 5 days and between 1,200-1,400 for 6 days of work in a week(paid more on weekends) at 24%. I have a pretty good relationship with my DM so he has told me what they get paid per ton for loads and I can figure out what my pay would be from that. Using that info and checking I havent been paid any different then what he said it pays them. Not all companys are like that though and I have heard stories of people getting taken advantage of.

In my situation I can control how much product I load under 80k so I do have some control of my pay for each load. Like it's been said it ultimately comes down to how you run. I deliver 2 loads daily but the majority of the other drivers in my yard only do 1. Most of them are complaining about their pay too.

If you work you end off you can pretty much make money no matter which way you get paid.

Took the week off last week for some overdue vacation and got her steer tires and an alignment done while I was gone. 3 days back into it and the radiator goes! Shes either getting back at me for leaving her or liked the break a little to much. Hopefully get it replaced tomorrow while I get paid to sit home since we dont have an extra truck to use atm.

Pretty much 78-80k every load. If its feed grade that runs out to 26-27 ton. If I'm doing a cogen plant its 25-26 ton. Heaviest was 79,960 but I dont run across to many scales.

I feel your pain. Driver called out so that switched my load to his since I was going to thr same place. The plant started having issues early this morning and didnt have product. 2 hours later I was ready to leave but didnt have the time needed to deliver but wouldve been able to do my original assignment. Now I make like $40 today instead of $200 and have to deliver it tomorrow instead of another load. Basically an hour difference in time cost me $200 this week.

Counting down the days until vacation starts on the 27th!

Pull a tank, never count holes again! It can get tricky sometimes since it loads however it wants. I've backed on a hill and hit the brakes to shift some product back before. If were over we just take the citation and the company pays it. No other choice really. Learn the backroads and avoid weight stations all together.

On a side note. Today I was loaded on a scale and my BOL registered my gross at 78,900. When I was heading out it didnt feel right and my drive pressures where higher then normal so I went over the scale on the way out (this quarry is used by 2 different customers and each has a scale at the entrance). This showed my weight as 82,420. The loading scale wasnt reading correctly at a section and nobody had noticed.

If it doesnt feel right check it. If your still not sure, check it again.

Schneider transfers parts between manufacturing plants. For example a load of seats from york, pa to the plant in Tennessee. They do not deliver completed bikes just pieces from plant to plant. My trainer used to do those runs. They have been doing that for a few years now.

I've gone back and forth on posting this but it's a good lesson on why we follow different rules of the road.

Yesterday (4/3/19) there was a tractor incident on PA 222 south roughly a mile from the ephrata 322 exit. It is suspected that the truck was about 10k lbs overweight and going above the 65 mph limit, this section of road is slight downhill. Early thoughts are the driver needed to slow/stop quickly but the weight of the truck didnt allow it so they took it off road, went airborne and nose dived in the trees. Driver DOA and the passenger somehow has survived.

The owner was on scene from philly and said the fines and other expenses will put him out of business.