YRC: Lay-Off Pay Question? In CBA?

Is Fed Ex Freight also Union? I have no experience with Unions whatsoever, just curious, as the other Union job didn't seem to benefit You.

A short little primer for anybody following this thread with some interest.

LTL is different than truckload. The biggest difference being the extraboard, and along with that, the concept of seniority. Linehaul drivers usually bid on runs (unless the terminal is so small that there aren't enough drivers / schedules to bid on). Bids usually happen annually or twice a year. The senior drivers, or those with the highest seniority, bid first - starting with the top driver. The only way you gain seniority is if somebody retires, gets fired, or quits. The ones with the highest seniority get the most desirable runs.

Having a schedule run or 'bid run' is similar to having a dedicated account in the truckload sector. Except the linehaul driver is going to a terminal or a meet point and doing all drop and hooks, not interacting with customers, and is usually home after the shift is over. Some linehaul drivers stay at hotels. Most are home every day/night.

New drivers always start on the bottom. They usually start on the extraboard and basically run the extra runs or cover schedule runs when the schedule driver is off work. How long it takes to have enough seniority to bid on a schedule run depends on the size of the terminal, the number of drivers hired in relation to the runs available, the ebb and flow of freight, and other things unique to each terminal. Some drivers choose to stay on the extraboard, even with enough seniority to bid on a run during bid time.

So you can see that when freight is slow, wild drivers or extraboard drivers feel the pinch. Some of us drivers who have bid runs at my terminal will volunteer our runs on occasion when freight is slow, so that the extra guys can put food on the table. We get a day off without using vacation, and somebody else gets to run. Extraboard drivers at our terminal sometimes go without work during the work week, but I've never heard of a driver not working at least 3-4 days a week when it's slow. There are other terminals I know of that do have some drivers without work for a week at a time, but these terminals seemed to have hired too many drivers, and are not the norm.

The nice thing about being at a larger terminal is the variety of runs you can bid on. I'm at a place now on the seniority board where I can bid on close to 20 runs during bid time. We have about 110 schedule runs at our terminal, and about 180 drivers on the roster. I can pick a short run (400 so miles), or I can go heavy and pick a big run (546). We have runs close to 650 miles a day, but the top 30 or so drivers are usually gobbling those up. We bid twice a year, so I can change it up if I get bored with a run. These choices increase with seniority, so if a driver starts earning some seniority at a terminal, it's not so easy to just pick up and leave if freight is slow. Once a driver can land a bid run, things get easier.

Going to the same place every day, going home every night, not dealing with customers, having a camaraderie with other linehaul drivers, getting paid well, being off for holidays, having a real weekend at home, are some of the reasons I love being a linehaul driver. I'll take boring and monotony over the 'adventure' of not knowing where you're going from one run to the next. For those that love the adventure and unpredictability of OTR or not being on a dedicated account or scheduled run, I'm sure they'd be bored out of their minds with my idea of a perfect trucking job.

I think it's really hard for us OTR guys to understand Tina's problem here. The basic structure of the LTL companies load assignments is foreign to us. Anybody first getting started in this type of work is going to be at the very bottom of the seniority structure, and that could be a grueling start depending on your terminal.

Unfortunately Tina found this out the hard way.

I was typing my long dissertation while Old School beat me to the punch. I'm too long-winded.

Thanks! Just got a new job so hope this will be my final move...trying to find a good employer to eventually retire with.

Well, since you already got a new job, I'll save some of my planned comments. Are you still in LTL? Still a linehaul driver? What company are you with now? If you don't mind me asking.

I'm still in LTL , now with FedEx Freight

Good for you. I wish you the best. Fed Ex Freight is a great company.

I think it's really hard for us OTR guys to understand Tina's problem here. The basic structure of the LTL companies load assignments is foreign to us. Anybody first getting started in this type of work is going to be at the very bottom of the seniority structure, and that could be a grueling start depending on your terminal.

Unfortunately Tina found this out the hard way.

I was typing my long dissertation while Old School beat me to the punch. I'm too long-winded.

You perfectly explained LTL in one post! That's exactly how it is.

Is Fed Ex Freight also Union? I have no experience with Unions whatsoever, just curious, as the other Union job didn't seem to benefit You.

No, they're not union.

Is Fed Ex Freight also Union? I have no experience with Unions whatsoever, just curious, as the other Union job didn't seem to benefit You.

FedEx Freight is very anti-union and from what I've read, the terminals were given a chance to vote. I think my particular terminal is unionized.

Is Fed Ex Freight also Union? I have no experience with Unions whatsoever, just curious, as the other Union job didn't seem to benefit You.

No, they're not union.

Lol, I am not really sure...they didn't mention it at my orientation so I need to ask around.

Thanks for that explanation. I had no idea. Its very similar to the USPS union set up. With 18 years in,..it was hard for me to walk away.

It sounds like it could be a good gig for a married person who.might not have to rely on the pay, but still contribute. If I was married I'd go for it.

It sounds like it could be a good gig for a married person who.might not have to rely on the pay, but still contribute. If I was married I'd go for it.

Just for clarification, having a bid run as a linehaul driver is about as reliable as it gets. It's the extraboard that can have more swings. LTL is no different from truckload in that freight can be up or down. But a linehaul driver will have a much more consistent paycheck than your standard OTR driver, or any driver that isn't on some sort of scheduled run or dedicated account.

My paychecks every week are the same, down to the penny. I'm the breadwinner for my family of four, so we certainly rely on the pay!