Changing Companies How To Handle

Thanks for your response. I read your diary a year ago when I was thinking of switching and also Papa Pigs DG diary when I started there. I'll go through your diary again.

It's been an evolving job. November they started sending me relays to my drop yard. I would do the Dakota's and Northern Minnesota stores. Be out 5 days. We lost the Dakota's a couple months ago. They have been sending me a trailer a day and doing 5 in five days. Home daily. Doing mainly Minnesota and a sprinkle of Iowa and Wisconsin. Pay is down 25% because of less miles.

Was notified 3 weeks ago that the relays would be stopping and I will have to travel 300 miles to start my week. Still in limbo when that will start. Not really keen on doing short loads around the DC, staying out and hope they can get me somewhere near home. Yesterday I was 218 miles from home, 148 from DC. It will work out since I will get a relay, however in the future that would have been 400 miles of unpaid deadhead. no way im doing that.

Mclane and yes 2 wheeler fun, They have an office and a tiny fleet of 3rd shift drivers at my drop yard. The $15,000 bonus and 4 day work week is nice. However much more intense than the DG account. I can do a DG trailer in 4-5 hours depending on the stops. Drop key is sweet however doing 3rd shift in Minneapolis/Saint Paul is not appealing to me. They have extended Fargo trips and shuttle. I know I'll get the crap since I will be new.

I see a new regional intermodal option with Schneider. I also inquired with Ruan with that Rogers MN to Gwinner ND dedicated bobcat mon-friday home daily. No sign on Bonus. If I stay with Schneider for 3 more months I get 80 hours of PTO. I should probably do that.

But yeah I'm totally lost. lol.

My employer runs MVR yearly which i believe is the minimum. Larry what type of food service gig is it? Is it 2 wheeling a load like Sysco/PFG? Bumping docks like Dot Foods, Walmart, supermarkets? If it's shuttling/linehaul for Sysco/PFG/ US Foods etc. Make sure you understand what you're getting into. Some warehouses all drivers hold the same position and bid yearly based on seniority for those shuttle positions. That means you may get hired and start as a shuttle driver but could be bumped off it next year and be 2 wheeling.

Those dollar accounts are always hiring. With your experience level anybody would take you on to do those accounts if it doesnt pan out. Would you really be able to give it your all with a fall back plan? Starting any new job regardless of the industry is frustrating at times because of different policies and not as efficient as your previous job. It takes a while to get in the rhythm.

If you're getting on with a food service company would you be running out of the warehouse/terminal location or a domocile/drop yard that trailers are shuttled to? At PFG drivers that were based out of the terminal weren't guaranteed hours, other than 40 guaranteed from union contract, until they had a set route. You'd basically be on call and could be sent out to other domiciles to cover for vacations or call ins. They also had several layover routes that could have you out for 3 days at a time, just to turn around and go back out when you were legal to do so.

If it's a 2 wheel unloading check out the diary I did of Food service as a rookie

If it's drop/hook how are you getting paid (daily/CPM/Hourly)? Some of those gigs look at a run and say it'll take you 5 hours to turn so you get paid 5 hours at your hourly rate to complete it. It doesn't matter if it takes you 8 hours to actually do because of traffic or anything else you're only paid 5 hours.

You didn't really share what has you looking for something else. Those dollar accounts are tough and we don't fault you for wanting a change. Heck, lasting nearly 2 years (if I remember correctly) is a great accomplishment. Unless there's a dire need it may be best to just hang tight where you're at for now. The economy is in the trash and many members in OTR and even LTL have shared their struggles with having work available. Running for the dollar type stores I expect them to only get busier until things turn around. When most people need to tighten the budget dining out is usually one of the first things to go.

With McLane are you team driving?

In my area they shuttle 53 footers from the DC in Northfield MN down to Ankeny IA (Des Moines). Routes are scheduled to be out 18 to 24 hours if I remember correctly every route is teamed in sleeper cabs. Upon arrival back to the drop yard they grab another and go back out. Out of this yard though they also service all of Iowa with their main customer being Kum & Go gas stations so it may be different for you. My brother in law drove for them out of the Denver area and said it was also sleepers and teams out there. Just something to make you know what youre signing up for. Where I'm currently working we have a few guys that came over from McLane. They all agreed it was tough labor but they made over 110k a year. Another guy that did almost strictly shuttle runs said the management out of Northfield DC wasn't very understanding about a driver shutting down for weather. Obviously you're protected by FMCSA to do so, but I personally wouldn't want to work for someone that may try to force me to go out when I don't feel safe doing so.

It would be solo. Foodservice with trailers shuttled from Milwaukee.

I guess Northfield DC is grocery.

They have a 2 day 2 a week Fargo run. That peaked my interest.

When I first started I was able to keep my amazon warehouse job for 2 month's on leave. I just like to have as many back up options as possible.

My old manager would have taken me back in a heartbeat, however with them losing the states I was always in, not confident they would take me back.

I'm leaning to jumping into the deep end and see what happens.

With McLane are you team driving?

In my area they shuttle 53 footers from the DC in Northfield MN down to Ankeny IA (Des Moines). Routes are scheduled to be out 18 to 24 hours if I remember correctly every route is teamed in sleeper cabs. Upon arrival back to the drop yard they grab another and go back out. Out of this yard though they also service all of Iowa with their main customer being Kum & Go gas stations so it may be different for you. My brother in law drove for them out of the Denver area and said it was also sleepers and teams out there. Just something to make you know what youre signing up for. Where I'm currently working we have a few guys that came over from McLane. They all agreed it was tough labor but they made over 110k a year. Another guy that did almost strictly shuttle runs said the management out of Northfield DC wasn't very understanding about a driver shutting down for weather. Obviously you're protected by FMCSA to do so, but I personally wouldn't want to work for someone that may try to force me to go out when I don't feel safe doing so.

How did you get your position? Seems like a tough gig to get. The shuttle guys on my account are either senior citizens or young guys who couldn't handle it as a delivery driver.

There are drop and hook positions in food service 😉

After rereading the original post though I thought that is what he was referring to and its what I currently do but I believe I misread it. Still though, food service companies employ more than just delivery drivers, like our shuttle team who operates similar to linehaul. Doesn’t seem like the OP is going to respond but curious if that’s the type of position he was talking about, if so I would highly recommend it… the job not the two week trial.

Hey Bobcat, that's a good and legitimate response. I probably was not clear in my meaning.

My concerns are that there seems a lack of commitment to what it is he wants to switch into. He seems to want to go try something new for two weeks and then decide whether to stay or jump ship. That doesn't seem a good approach to me.

Local work is great and takes as big a commitment as any OTR driver has. When I see someone who doesn't seem to make much distinction between a drop & hook job versus a food service job, I start to wonder what it is they really want out of trucking. I always think it best to know what you want and then go for it. That involves commitment.

The position was open at the local depot, only required a year of experience. The hours and home time are no better for the delivery drivers, shuttle seems like a lot better gig. We actually have a decent amount of delivery guys that moved there from shuttle, they didn’t like it for whatever reason. Maybe they didn’t like running doubles or maybe with the delivery component pay they have the ability to make more money. No seniors or drivers that couldn’t cut it doing deliveries on our crew…

How did you get your position? Seems like a tough gig to get. The shuttle guys on my account are either senior citizens or young guys who couldn't handle it as a delivery driver.

There are drop and hook positions in food service 😉

After rereading the original post though I thought that is what he was referring to and its what I currently do but I believe I misread it. Still though, food service companies employ more than just delivery drivers, like our shuttle team who operates similar to linehaul. Doesn’t seem like the OP is going to respond but curious if that’s the type of position he was talking about, if so I would highly recommend it… the job not the two week trial.

Hey Bobcat, that's a good and legitimate response. I probably was not clear in my meaning.

My concerns are that there seems a lack of commitment to what it is he wants to switch into. He seems to want to go try something new for two weeks and then decide whether to stay or jump ship. That doesn't seem a good approach to me.

Local work is great and takes as big a commitment as any OTR driver has. When I see someone who doesn't seem to make much distinction between a drop & hook job versus a food service job, I start to wonder what it is they really want out of trucking. I always think it best to know what you want and then go for it. That involves commitment.