Profile For Jamie

Jamie. Congrats. Is that what Schneider does? Gives a road test to every driver at the one year mark?

Once a year, we have to go through a review to make sure we're still driving safely, and doing things the way Schneider wants us to do. This is a few things such as a short driving test, coupling and uncoupling and backing into a short. Things you'll do everyday.

Passed my annual review with Schneider today, got dinged a point for pulling into a lane that was clear while making a left hand turn, and a car decided to change lanes as I was pulling out. Other then that, everything was fine. I'm good to go until next year again.

Garmin's, and most newer GPSs can handle this. I use a Garmin as I usually have between 6 to 14 stops a day, or lower on slow days.

He doesnt look very grumpy!

Usually I only have loads on one side of the trailer, and not on both sides depending on what it is and how much I'm picking up. We do this since we have to unload it with a forklift that hooks unto the back of our trailers, so it makes it easier without moving the truck. Anyways, will this method work even with things that are loaded onto a single side of the trailer?

I don’t know, just a habit I’ve gotten into no matter the load. Seen several different loads winched on just one side that tipped to that side.

Our newer trailers actually have a hook holder between each winch that forces you to alternate. Never really felt it took that much longer.

I have noticed certain loads will lean one way, so maybe I will try securing it from different sides of the trailer to see if that helps out!

This is an interesting thread that I totally missed-had no idea Jamie went flatbed since I usually tune out the dry van guys when I’m busy. I am curious what the pay is, I’ve been looking at several local flatbed positions the past couple months and would have to take a pay cut of around $30k a year if I came off otr flatbed, and this is with both small and large local outfits. Even the local linehaul jobs would be a pay cut. The only way I’d do better is with the local specialized haulers and they all need 3+ years.

Without going into the specific amount I made while I was OTR nor what I am making now, I will take my statement back on making double of what I made OTR. After going over my pay statements, along with what I am making. Although I am making more then I did over the last 10 months still isn't that important, it's not double but it is a decent amount more. Of course I could make more OTR the longer I would've been with it, but I wanted to be in a position where I would be able to see my wife everyday and take care of the things I need to do everyday at home. I couldn't stay on the road for weeks at a time anymore due to personal family health problems, and this account offered that without taking a pay cut compared to what I made while I was OTR.

Maybe one day I will return to over the road, but for now I will be staying on this local account Schneider offers. Although I would probably love to get into flatbed OTR, and not go back into dryvan. But we will see how that goes when the time comes.

Some loads will ride a lot better if strap pull is alternated.

That would make sense. I'm not sure if the things I carry would make a huge difference, I commonly haul lumber, windows, doors, things commonly used to fix up houses and what not that is sold at Home Depot. But it's never in large amounts.

Is there a reason why some flatbed have winches in both sides of the trailer rather then just one side? My current flatbed trailer which is assigned to me only has them on both sides, which can cause me to waste more time having to walk back and forth around the trailer, vs when I was with a trainer he had them all on one side. Just figured I'd see if there was any specific reasons to it.

I've been thinking about putting them one one side only since I do a lot of city driving and rarely have a full trailer that often anymore.

then changing the story,

How did I change the story? I'm still making double of what I made OTR, it doesnt matter what I could have done differently. I am making double that.

Well, more is a far cry from double

No, nothing has changed beside the wording. I am making double of what I made while I was OTR. But either way, I enjoy the new job so that's fine by me.

What I made while I was OTR wasn't important at all, this topic was to simply let everyone know what I've been up to lately you could say. This account offered everything I needed for my specific situation, that I couldn't get while I was OTR. It wasn't just about the money, I simply included that I was making double what I made OTR, rather if that was my own fault or not isn't relevant to this topic. You can make great money at Schneider, as shown by many other Schneider drivers I've talked to. But my situation is different, and I couldn't wait to build up to that point. I needed a stable income now.

Since I like working for Schneider, I didn't want to leave. So I found another spot within the company that would better support my situation. But over all I was on track to drive around 110,000 miles my first year with the rate I was going while I was OTR. \

Without going into my pay details, no I am not making 6 figures in this new job or close to it. I am simply making more then what I made while I was OTR.

But nonetheless, I understand the replies regarding pay and I felt the need to reply that this is regarding my specific situation and not what I could have made while I was OTR.

You are absolutely NOT making double what you were in OTR earnings. If you're working a regular OTR schedule you were earning 60k ~ give or take 5k. So you're saying now you're gonna make 120k?...Come on now....

I absolutely making double what I made OTR in the last 10 months, based on basic math for the next 10 months, not including any type of pay raise I might get. I never once said I made 60k OTR, and you cannot compare yours or other drivers earnings to what I made while I was OTR.

Congrats on the new gig! I assume you will have a day cab? If so welcome to the dark side!

Are you hauling the same stuff to the same place every day or does it very?

Yes it's a day cab with a 36 foot trailer. It's apart of the Home Depot account Schneider has out of Memphis, TN. I'm actually delivering Home Depot products ranging from wood, drywall, etc to people houses, businesses, new development areas within 60 miles of Memphis, TN. Every now and then, we might have to go outside the 60 mile range but we get paid extra for that.

We get loaded at Home Depots around the Memphis area, and we go to the customer and unload it with a moffett which is a forklift type thing that hooks onto the back of the trailer. We might also have to do something called "carry-in", which we have to carry the products into the house or another area they want it where the moffett cannot get too. Generally if it isn't much, we have to do it by ourselves but if it is a lot of stuff to carry in they will either get another driver to assist or even hire someone from some company to help you.

Each store has 30 minutes to load us, and if they aren't done by that time we can mark it as a miss due to the store not having the customers order ready and we can leave without it and the store has to have it rescheduled. So I no longer have to wait around for hours at the mercy of shippers and receivers, each delivery doesn't generally take to long about 10-15 minutes each and that is usually unhooking the moffett and unstrapping everything. I also forgot to mention, we don't have to tarp any loads. So if it's raining, we might have less things to take out since it cannot be carried in the rain, but we still get paid for a full day. My trainer said during the winter we might not have anything to take out since it's so cold and people have it rescheduled but we still get paid for that day.

Over all, I'm happy about switching to this account since I can see my wife everyday and I generally get between 12-18 hours off duty depending how fast we finish. I'm still riding with another driver currently, but once I do my moffett trainer this coming week I will get my own truck and assigned to a store.

I decided to switch to a local flatbed account Schneider has out of Memphis, TN. I'm going to miss the road but I took the chance to switch to this account where I'll be making double of what I made OTR, I'm home everyday, and the days aren't usually to long. I start my day at 6am every day and I'm usually home around noon or 1pm, and I'm paid for the whole day.

I make a set amount of money everyday, 6 day work week and I'll be paid rather if I work all day or for 1 hour, I'll always make the same amount each week excluding bonuses payments I can get. I actually switched to this account earlier this month, so I've been going through training and what not.

It was nice meeting you and a few other members I had the chance to meet! But I did end up switching to a local account with Schneider, it offered both a stable income, double what I was making OTR, and I'm home every night.

Hello Joseph, and welcome to our forum!

Hey let's start off with what you perceive as a problem by working with a "mega carrier." Can you give us a little insight as to why you want to start elsewhere?

There's no wrong answer here. If we are to help you, it just helps if we know what the issues are.

I'm pretty sure it's the bad rep mega carriers get from people who dont make it in trucking.

I haven't moved my fifth wheel since I went solo about 10 months ago. Never had too. Only been over weight two or three times where I had to have the load reworked, and moving the fifth wheel couldn't help during that time.

I have dropped CFI trailers at both FedEx and UPS yards.

I dropped a Schneider trailer at a FedEx yard in Indiana, and left with a FedEx trailer over the winter!

Today Schneider assigned me a load and said the appointment was between 11:00 and 14:00, supposed to get live loaded. Turns out the appointment was for 11:00 only, so they had to work me in an already busy place. Lucky for me due to the load, I was put into a different set of doors for these drinks, while everyone else had to wait even longer.

I was giving a dock door, and told they didn't know when they would get to me since I was late to my appointment. I was a bit frustrated about it, but I was nice and professional about it. I was low on hours as well, so was in bit of a rush. I kindly asked if they knew when they would load me by any chance, and they said they didn't know. But shortly after they started loading me, just about time Schneider was ready to pull the load from me, to avoid running out of hours there since they didn't offer parking.

Another long story short, they finished loading me and I got to my parking location with 30 minutes to spare. I would like to believe being professional and understanding about it, helped speed up the process. since moments before they said they wasnt sure when they would get to me, since other trucks were waiting longer then me.