Starting Over With Trucking

Banks, I agree. It's a real mess right now. Both sides have been disingenuous. Management has their fingers in the cookie jar just as much as labor. Both sides are guilty of running the company into bankruptcy.

I would think they'd be forced to just go away, but I've thought that several times before. One side eventually capitulates and they come up with a compromise. Then about six months later they realize they got taken advantage of.

I remember when their labor force had to accept reduced wages as a loan to the company. That loan has never been paid. It's got to be an extremely frustrating place to work.

My impression is that the Teamster Union is just a shell of it’s former self.

Are union drivers destined to become non-union drivers as time moves on and these old companies like Yellow go belly up? Are there any solid Union companies out there that are on firm financial footing?

Everything I hear about Union companies is negative. I am wondering if there is anything positive about the Union state of affairs?

Banks, I agree. It's a real mess right now. Both sides have been disingenuous. Management has their fingers in the cookie jar just as much as labor. Both sides are guilty of running the company into bankruptcy.

I would think they'd be forced to just go away, but I've thought that several times before. One side eventually capitulates and they come up with a compromise. Then about six months later they realize they got taken advantage of.

I remember when their labor force had to accept reduced wages as a loan to the company. That loan has never been paid. It's got to be an extremely frustrating place to work.

They did accept reduced wages and reduced pension contributions. Right after that contract was signed, Yellow tried to buy ABF. Of course, the employees are looking at that saying "I thought you didn't have any money". I can't blame them for not believing them and wanting those concessions back.

Are there any solid Union companies out there that are on firm financial footing?

ABF

My impression is that the Teamster Union is just a shell of it’s former self.

Are union drivers destined to become non-union drivers as time moves on and these old companies like Yellow go belly up? Are there any solid Union companies out there that are on firm financial footing?

Everything I hear about Union companies is negative. I am wondering if there is anything positive about the Union state of affairs?

ABF is pretty solid. They're currently negotiating their new contract. The current proposal is 6.50 over 5 years with an uncapped COLA. I think they're currently at 28/hr but I'm not sure. Pension is in good standing, they have team care health insurance, which is top notch and they're profitable.

Then you have the poster child, UPS. Everybody that ways a union says "we should have a union, look at UPS".

T-Force is also union, but I'd have to do a little more digging to find out about where they are financially.

As a CDL instructor at Prime who had over 50 students last year... i can tell you that yes people fail even with 8 to 10 months clean. Supposedly....how would i know rhe truth?

Wait a year like PJ said.

In regards to training length, I had about a day and half of on the road training and I'm doing just fine a year later and I've seen plenty of solo drivers from companies with long training periods who do all kinds of stupid crap I never would have even conceived of. Some folx have a good head for this job and some just don't and if you're in the latter category, more training probably isn't going to help you that much.

I wouldn't get married to the idea of driving for xyz carrier, the most important part is getting over those initial hurdles of test passing. You can spend weeks researching every company under the sun but if you can't pass a drug test then that was all just wasted time.

In regards to training length, I had about a day and half of on the road training and I'm doing just fine a year later and I've seen plenty of solo drivers from companies with long training periods who do all kinds of stupid crap I never would have even conceived of. Some folx have a good head for this job and some just don't and if you're in the latter category, more training probably isn't going to help you that much.

I wouldn't get married to the idea of driving for xyz carrier, the most important part is getting over those initial hurdles of test passing. You can spend weeks researching every company under the sun but if you can't pass a drug test then that was all just wasted time.

A day and a half for a driver with zero experience? I don't believe that for a second.

In regards to training length, I had about a day and half of on the road training and I'm doing just fine a year later and I've seen plenty of solo drivers from companies with long training periods who do all kinds of stupid crap I never would have even conceived of. Some folx have a good head for this job and some just don't and if you're in the latter category, more training probably isn't going to help you that much.

I wouldn't get married to the idea of driving for xyz carrier, the most important part is getting over those initial hurdles of test passing. You can spend weeks researching every company under the sun but if you can't pass a drug test then that was all just wasted time.

A day and a half for a driver with zero experience? I don't believe that for a second.

My boss at my previous job paid for me to get my CDL so I could drive for him. The day I passed the road test was the day his company went belly up. A few days later I called a place that had left flyers at the school I went to, got the job the following day.

Week later I go out with the fleet manager , who was a previous driver of 15 years, after all the paperwork, that'd be the half day. Out with him again the next day. Day 3 he was planning to go out with me but just handed me the keys and went over where I was going for a few minutes and that was that as far as training, besides calling him and other drivers for advice.

It's been trial by fire since day 3 lol, I even had to learn to chain up a coil with YouTube videos.

A day and a half for a driver with zero experience? I don't believe that for a second.

My boss at my previous job paid for me to get my CDL so I could drive for him.... A few days later I called a place that had left flyers at the school I went to, got the job the following day.

It's been trial by fire since day 3 lol, I even had to learn to chain up a coil with YouTube videos.

So, you actually had more than 1.5 days of training when you went to the school to get your CDL.

How long have you been driving from when you were at that school?

Laura