Choosing Between Two Local Companies

Anne, when you start a new comment, there's a blue button above your box that says "link". You fill in two boxes - the link and a human readable title.

When you're looking at local companies, you want a large company like one of the LTL companies or Mega carriers that have accounts at a local distribution center.

The only reason is, these companies expect you to have incidents out there and they're prepared to deal with it. When your talking about going into residential areas, it's not just traffic anymore. It's light poles, people's property (lawns, mailboxes etc), cars in the street and drivers that don't have time to wait on you, they're going around.

A small company not prepared to eat those expenses will have no problem tossing you out if you damage property. If the company can eat the cost, they'll probably retrain you for a bit, send you out with a safety and you go on with your life. Yeah, your record will have some blemishes, but you still have a job. Looking for a job because your last employer fired you for property damage is tough, especially when they answer no to "eligible for rehire?"

At FedEx, I saw guys hit cars, take out mailboxes, hit low bridges and destroy lawns. They got sent out with safety and kept on rolling. Pepsi is the same way. Just report it in a timely manner so we can handle it and keep moving. Not even a slap on the wrist.

You want a company that's local, but nationwide. That support system is important and valuable. A small company doesn't have the resources to make sure you come out unscathed.

Do either of them involve going into or south of Boston?

Both cover full Mass, so I assume that includes Boston :-(

Yeah, unfortunately I think with some companies they get inexperienced people to go in to the city because the senior guys don't want to do it. But it might not be like that at either of the places you are looking at, I don't know. And at least you'd be paid by the hour. I had a job where I had to go in to Boston and I got paid by the mile. Over all I was paid very well so I shouldn't really have let it bother me, but that didn't give me much comfort when I had to spend an hour driving across the city knowing I wasn't getting paid any extra for the trouble.

Anne, when you start a new comment, there's a blue button above your box that says "link". You fill in two boxes - the link and a human readable title.

Oh, I forgot the secret sauce:

If the link setup days that's not a URL, just fill the form out with www.google.com

Push the Submit button. Then simply replace the Google.com with the URL you want.

{a href="www.google.com"} Sample{/a}

10 to 12 stops. Doing runs into places like construction sites and residential areas. With a pallet jack. Tells me your are going to be in for some long, stressful, tiring days. Just bumping docks 10 to 12 times would be a long day. Add lugging a pallet jack around. Just be careful out there man. Especially with you only being out here for 5 months.

Have you ever considered running line haul for a ltl company like Old Dominion or FedEx?

When you say 10 to 12 stops. What do you mean exactly? What will you be hauling?

Anything, no hazmat though, since I don't have an endorsement yet. About 80% are businesses (furniture, hardware, construction, etc.), the rest is residential, I'll have to drop pallet on driveways with a jack.

Anne, when you start a new comment, there's a blue button above your box that says "link". You fill in two boxes - the link and a human readable title.

Oh, I forgot the secret sauce:

If the link setup days that's not a URL, just fill the form out with www.google.com

Push the Submit button. Then simply replace the Google.com with the URL you want.

{a href="www.google.com"} Sample{/a}

Anne, when you start a new comment, there's a blue button above your box that says "link". You fill in two boxes - the link and a human readable title.

Oh, I forgot the secret sauce:

If the link setup days that's not a URL, just fill the form out with www.google.com

Push the Submit button. Then simply replace the Google.com with the URL you want.

{a href="www.google.com"} Sample{/a}

Gotcha; thanks! I've posted MANY links, with nary a problem, and I've even LINKED TO a saferweb company itself before. Last two times it hasn't worked. Give it a try, sometime!

Thank you!!!! Will try THIS route, next time I need it.

~ Anne ~

I had road tests at several local companies, and got offers. I narrowed it down to two companies, and I would appreciate any advice helping me to make a right choice. Company A has about 300 trucks and 7 terminals. All trucks are auto, 2018-2018, all repairs are done in-house. Work hours are M-F, 8am until done, usually 10-12 hrs, OT after 50, routs are 10-12 stops, pay is $26. Company B is much smaller, it has 8 trucks, 2015-2018, all 10 speed, they do paper logs, work hours are M-Th, 8-10am until done, usually 10-12 hrs, OT after 40, routs are 10-12 stops, pay is $23. Both companies are 20 minutes from my home. I liked the owner at the smaller company, it does look like a family business. I also like the chance to drive a manual truck. I am not so sure about their maintenance though...

If you're going to do P&D you may as well go large and start with a big company. I put a couple links below for jobs with OD and FedEx. FedEx I would apply for the Driver Apprentice position as they will put you through their program. In either case you may even be able to start on the dock and wait for a slot if that's a possibility for you.

OD is out of Dracut, MA and FedEx North Billerica.

FedEx Freight

Old Dominion

I had road tests at several local companies, and got offers. I narrowed it down to two companies, and I would appreciate any advice helping me to make a right choice. Company A has about 300 trucks and 7 terminals. All trucks are auto, 2018-2018, all repairs are done in-house. Work hours are M-F, 8am until done, usually 10-12 hrs, OT after 50, routs are 10-12 stops, pay is $26. Company B is much smaller, it has 8 trucks, 2015-2018, all 10 speed, they do paper logs, work hours are M-Th, 8-10am until done, usually 10-12 hrs, OT after 40, routs are 10-12 stops, pay is $23. Both companies are 20 minutes from my home. I liked the owner at the smaller company, it does look like a family business. I also like the chance to drive a manual truck. I am not so sure about their maintenance though...

Any updates, Andrey?

Thanks!

~ Anne ~

Any updates, Andrey?

The general consensus here and among other people I asked was that a bigger company is better, so I decided to follow this advice. Right know I am waiting for the drug test results, they are doing some paperwork. I haven't started driving yet, so there is no much to tell... It is good to have some extra time, I am finishing an addition to our chicken coop - to keep baby chicks separated from the older birds :-)