[Aviator]

Anybody know anything about driving for Fastenal? Nothing on search but a tool they have. :lol:

[GTR SILVER]

Originally Posted by Aviator

Anybody know anything about driving for Fastenal? Nothing on search but a tool they have. :lol:

found this.....BOL 2 ya 8)

http://www.fastenal.com/web/Employme...il&jobID=41852

[Aviator]

Thanks! I was wondering on any drivers here that have worked, or know those who have.

[nickbtubas]

knight trans has a deal with them too. not sure on the details

[rcpilot]

Aviator.. I drove for them in Central Cali... After I hired on they put me in a box van and I ran from 10 pm until 10 am delivering allover central cali... 350-400 miles a night.. they only had 2 long runs with tractor-trailers.. one ot L.A. and back and one team to Salt Lake City to meet up with another team from Winona, MN (their headquarters) to swap loads... Just reall check them out and what they want you to do as a driver... The deliver job really sucked... I would unload at stores in teh middle of the night and in some really bad areas... many drivers have been robbed or acosted from people as they try to deliver.. it paid was salary plus some bonsus but it did'nt match up with the time I spent on the job... there were times the loaded these steel/alumn beams by forklift and I had to unload them by hand...there would be 20-30 of them banded together and I would have to cut teh band and unload them one by one.. that sucked and took a lot ot time...

Again really ask q's of them and make sure you know what you to do..

[Aviator]

Thanks rcpilot. They want a driver to go to canada and deliver for their stores up there. They say its dedicated, route and home time. It sounds like I'd be at 40-44k for salary. It sounds like there is stop pay also. I have an interview with them on wed. I deliver for Sysco now. I'm hoping that this isn't as physical of a job as Sysco is. My back is killing me! haha. If they don't work out I'll look back into car hauling, or OTR wih a co like crete.

[mbadriver]

Nuts and bolts. Don't forget the lock washers.

[sdloe]

What rcpilot says is partially accurate; there are OTR runs to different distribution centers but mostly the guys with seniority get those. The route drivers drive at night delivering to stores, anywhere from 5 to nine of them. We unload pallets that can be heavy, either at a dock or with a forklift. The load may include threaded rod and other metal such as strut. It ALWAYS is a matter of figuring out how to unload the product in the quickest manner since every day is a different challenge. I've never had to unload a pack of steel one at a time, there is a method of doing this without the headache.

Yes, we deliver in some rough areas and if one is fearful about this then it is an issue. I grew up in a Detroit suburb so the 'streets' are not something that gets to me. We have had a couple drivers get ripped off but it was because they either left their cab unlocked or the windows cracked while they were unloading or in the store. Salary is pretty good, starting above 40k and going up every year until a cap of around 60k after ten years. Also, you get to 'bid' on different routes every year, which is great. Some routes are shorter but heavier. Mine for example: I drive four+ hours to an area, deliver for four hours, then another 4+ hours to get back to the hub. Other than a long night, it is cake compared to any other driving job I've had.

Overall, Fastenal is a great job if you are looking to get started, if you are a bit older (like myself) and appreciate the exercise, or if you have been employed by horrible companies in the past and are tired of the way smaller trucking companies abuse you.

Steve

[Hoyt602]

Looked like a cool video on their website. Spoke highly of the company promoting from within. Their sales reached 2B in 2007. I am sure the economy has had to slow that somewhat. What areas does Atlanta serve? Do they have layover type delivery runs in the southeast? What speed do they govern their trucks at? They have a couple of openings in Atlanta. If things don't improve around here much I might have to look at the company driver job. Seemed overall that it might be a decent place to work. Do they mandate so many stops an hour? I assume you have a liftgate for your deliveries.

[sdloe]

Answers: Yes, the company always promotes from within so even drivers have the opportunity to move around be it shipping, receiving, sortation, supervisory and even management positions. This is one of the reasons I took the job. Sales have been strong for decades with dozens of stores added every year. One particular note is that they have NEVER laid off workers! They scale back before this happens, choosing to hold off expansion rather than let anyone go. Another reason I am happy to be there.

As far as Altanta, I only know that the routes are within a 200 mile radius, with OTR runs to main distribution centers. For us in NC, we have about five OTR routes to Indiana, weekly. Most of the senior guys have these routes since there is only one stop enroute for unloading or picking up. The trucks have recently been governed at 71 mph, none of us like it but hey, it could be worse.

The routes are estimated at 14 hours with stops, given 15-20 minutes per store, so the actual driving time is about 10 hours or less, with anywhere from 7-10 stores per night. Not bad, I know of Food Service drivers and other LTL routes who make up to twenty stops or more. The stores all have either a dock, forklift, or liftgate, though only a few stores will need a liftgate. Unloading is no big deal (though some drivers absolutely hate it and will nitpick about this), we have one guy who averages 8 minutes in his stores and he is always first back, averaging eleven (total) hours a night. The delivery routes are only four nights a week. My route is probably one of the longest; I have to travel 250 miles, make seven drops which takes 3-4 hours, then return. I can do this in 13 hours easy, less if I really bust my butt. Most of the routes are this way; if a guy really want's to 'hump' he can be back in about 12 hours, some less. Obviously, some days are heavier than others (also seasons) so you just put up with this.

The trucks are all fairly new, the maintenance & repairs made ASAP, and only the OTR routes are slip-seat, delivery routes get assigned trucks. Anything I missed? Be glad to respond when I have time. Keep in mind that each 'Traffic Department', which is what the freight section is called, is run slightly different. The quality of the personnel and their relationship with the drivers can make or break moral. Our manager run's a tight ship so we have turnover in the guys with less than a year, they either simply cannot make it or they decide they don't like working at night. It does take some effort to adjust your body clock to this, but you see that thousands (if not millions?) of drivers are out with you every night replenishing our urban areas. It is not as lonely as it seems.

Steven