ABF DDP Experience
Topic 28259 | Page 1
When in training you'll be paid at trainee rate which is $16.50/hr and when training complete it moves to $20/hr plus change. Its Teamsters union and local shops change terminal to terminal so I want comment too much on that as I only knew my local . With any union there is good and bad but if you are in it you are fairly well protected if involved in minor accidents. If you are thinking about starting P&D local this is probably the safest way to do it. again not the most recommended route but better than almost any other local job in regards to staying employed. You may be on that dock for awhile if there's a few people ahead of you and that may mean a year or two or three even . All dock work at my terminal was overnight 11pm - 8am .You'd go out on a run if someone is out sick or on vacation. Everything is done on a bid system for P&D just like the Road Drivers for routes and schedules though most start at 8am . Again this may vary based on your terminal .
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
P&D:
Pickup & Delivery
Local drivers that stay around their area, usually within 100 mile radius of a terminal, picking up and delivering loads.
LTL (Less Than Truckload) carriers for instance will have Linehaul drivers and P&D drivers. The P&D drivers will deliver loads locally from the terminal and pick up loads returning to the terminal. Linehaul drivers will then run truckloads from terminal to terminal.
As far as the equipment goes it's a mix bag of Macks. KWs , Freightliners and a few Sterlings . The newer tractors go to the Road drivers and older are P&D . It's a mix between Autoshifts and Manuals but ABF seems to be phasing out their manuals in the near future . I did my training on a 10 speed Mack myself though and I believe they still train everyone in the DDP on standard shift tractors presently . The Maintenance Program is pretty good but I think this varies based on location and Terminal size more than anything else . I think I've touched on all the main points so if you are looking to get into LTL I would say that ABF is a pretty good way to go with a caveat though . You may not do much quality driving after you complete training and depending on your terminal location it could be a while before you drive regularly , again filling in when necessary while spending most time loading and unloading trailers and that might not be the best thing in the beginning which is what I saw from guys ahead of myself. Some terminals may not be as busy so you may be considered a casual worker not working every day . I recommend researching your terminal as best you can to see if work is consistent. Anyway I believe that covers it and hope it helps out some folks considering LTL and ABF .
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
LTL:
Less Than Truckload
Refers to carriers that make a lot of smaller pickups and deliveries for multiple customers as opposed to hauling one big load of freight for one customer. This type of hauling is normally done by companies with terminals scattered throughout the country where freight is sorted before being moved on to its destination.
LTL carriers include:
- FedEx Freight
- Con-way
- YRC Freight
- UPS
- Old Dominion
- Estes
- Yellow-Roadway
- ABF Freight
- R+L Carrier
P&D:
Pickup & Delivery
Local drivers that stay around their area, usually within 100 mile radius of a terminal, picking up and delivering loads.
LTL (Less Than Truckload) carriers for instance will have Linehaul drivers and P&D drivers. The P&D drivers will deliver loads locally from the terminal and pick up loads returning to the terminal. Linehaul drivers will then run truckloads from terminal to terminal.
Yeah I'm a big fan of LTL too after having done both. The pay is better, the hometime is amazing. The only thing that sucks is going to a pickup and having to fill out 37 BoL's!
But yeah a really rough way to stand. Local driving is seriously tough.
LTL:
Less Than Truckload
Refers to carriers that make a lot of smaller pickups and deliveries for multiple customers as opposed to hauling one big load of freight for one customer. This type of hauling is normally done by companies with terminals scattered throughout the country where freight is sorted before being moved on to its destination.
LTL carriers include:
- FedEx Freight
- Con-way
- YRC Freight
- UPS
- Old Dominion
- Estes
- Yellow-Roadway
- ABF Freight
- R+L Carrier
Thanks Seebee, my dad has been considering getting his CDL again and getting out of management, ABF was one of the companies he was considering.
The only thing that sucks is going to a pickup and having to fill out 37 BoL's!
Paperwork? What is that??
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Thanks Seebee, my dad has been considering getting his CDL again and getting out of management, ABF was one of the companies he was considering.
The only thing that sucks is going to a pickup and having to fill out 37 BoL's!
Paperwork? What is that??
Its the thing we sign acknowledging the piece count and condition of the freight even though we are deprived of the ability to see the freight or the opportunity to make sure the count is correct. Makes sense!
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
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I saw some people with some ABF questions in another thread so I figured I post my experience with the company. DISCLAIMER I'm not working there anymore as I had a few personal reasons ( nothing bad ) but will detail as much information as I can for those interested . I originally was not going to start but had a few things change and decided to interview . I spoke with the recruiter and terminal manager, liked what I heard and decided to give it a go . They have 2 positions in the DDP. Road Driver and P&D it depends on availability so not a lot of Road positions are available.I was P&D. In order to be considered you need to have your A permit with Hazmat and Doubles/Triples or a least ability to obtain Hazmat , I'd recommend getting your TWIC as well as it's a good selling point . . .The Program was 6 weeks long and I trained at my home terminal about 20mins away M-F 8-430 doing everything from inspections and maneuvers to on the road driving and P&D work in my local area. The training they offer is excellent as its 1 on 1 and you are the only student , not in a class sharing with others so I would have the truck all to myself for the entire time. There is a possibility you may get sent to Ft Smith Arkansas or another main terminal if there are no instructors locally . When you test you must make the appointment with the state dmv and they'll conduct your road test from a state site .Terminal to terminal is different greatly in regards to seniority for how long you will have to wait to move up . You WILL spend a lot of time on the dock early . You are in the union after a 30 day probation period . The medical benefits are very good and fully paid for but retirement benefits and pensions are busted from what I learned. You get OT pay for any hours over 40 and also after 8 in a day , So if you work a 10hr day you'll get paid 2 hours OT .
HAZMAT:
Hazardous Materials
Explosive, flammable, poisonous or otherwise potentially dangerous cargo. Large amounts of especially hazardous cargo are required to be placarded under HAZMAT regulations
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
P&D:
Pickup & Delivery
Local drivers that stay around their area, usually within 100 mile radius of a terminal, picking up and delivering loads.
LTL (Less Than Truckload) carriers for instance will have Linehaul drivers and P&D drivers. The P&D drivers will deliver loads locally from the terminal and pick up loads returning to the terminal. Linehaul drivers will then run truckloads from terminal to terminal.
Doubles:
Refers to pulling two trailers at the same time, otherwise known as "pups" or "pup trailers" because they're only about 28 feet long. However there are some states that allow doubles that are each 48 feet in length.
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.DMV:
Department of Motor Vehicles, Bureau of Motor Vehicles
The state agency that handles everything related to your driver's licences, including testing, issuance, transfers, and revocation.
TWIC:
Transportation Worker Identification Credential
Truck drivers who regularly pick up from or deliver to the shipping ports will often be required to carry a TWIC card.
Your TWIC is a tamper-resistant biometric card which acts as both your identification in secure areas, as well as an indicator of you having passed the necessary security clearance. TWIC cards are valid for five years. The issuance of TWIC cards is overseen by the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.