Cone Solvents vs. Dupre Logistics

[thickshank]

I just got an offer from Cone starting around $16.80/hr. I don't know much about them outside of my personal impressions of them through the interview process. I got a good vibe from all of the people there and the way they do business and I am going to accept the job.

But yesterday I got a call from Dupre, who is a bigger company and takes a little longer to go through the application process. They seem to be interested in me and if all goes well in my interview I will probably get an offer. I don't know what they will pay me nor do I know what the work is like, but they know I'm only interested in local work. Assuming they do offer me a local job of similar money and most things are the same, I must choose between which one of these companies I will be happier working for.

If anyone has any feedback on either of these companies I would greatly appreciate it. I probably don't have a lot of time to figure out which way I'm going to go. FWIW, these jobs are local to the Little Rock, AR area.

[Orangetxguy]

I don't think Dupre is going to offer you as much money as Cone offered. Dupre is a decent outfit....but they are in a growing phase....and growing pains come along with that. Dupre used to be a "paid by the load" company, but switched over to huorly about 1 1/2 years ago. I think their starting pay is $13.45 an hour...but not certain since I turne down their job offer in 05.

[thickshank]

Thanks Orange. I just finished my interview, and while they havent officially offered me a job I get the sense that they will. I'd be hauling gasoline locally starting at $16.50/hr on the night shift which is $1 more than the day guys make. I would have to work on some holidays when they fell on my schedule where as at Cone I'd get 9 holidays off. Cone starts me with 2 weeks vacation but Dupre gives you only 1 after a year and then 2 after 2 years. I think I would get a little more overtime hours at Dupre though. They both seem like good companys with good people. I'll have to weigh all the pros and cons here and see what I come up with. I think I am leaning toward the Cone job.

[Orangetxguy]

Which ever job you take, I don't think you will go wrong. I talked with aguy who knows the Cone operation this afternoon. He said it is a very good group of people there. He made a delivery to their plant last week from Pasadena TX.

[thickshank]

I just wanted to update in case anyone was curious. After initially leaning toward Cone I eventually decided that the Dupre position was best for me. I had more things that I liked about the Cone job but in the end the difference in money swayed me to Dupre. The hourly wage is actually very simlar but at cone I'd be looking at around 45 hours a week while I will be about 55 hours on a 5 day work week at Dupre. Our drivers average something close to $52K/yr, which isn't too bad for a local job here in Arkansas. The other thing I love is that every other weekend is a 3 day weekend.

So far everything appears to be great. I attended the orientation in Lafayette, LA which lasted 3 days and was for the most part as painless as one of these types of things can be. The accomodations were first class, we stayed at a Marriott Residence Inn. We are guaranteed a 5 day work week, so even though I was only there for 3 days I was payed for 5 at $125 a day. On top of that they comped me $335 tax free for mileage + rental car(even if you use your own car to get there).

Since I got back I am now just about to start my third and final week of training. I hear that some companies will only provide a new gas hauler with as little as 2 days of training. These guys have no problem spending the money to take their time before sending a driver out on their own. They make it very clear that safety is a distant priority over anything else and they back it up with the way they do business. This is why they pay by the hour, because when you pay by the load then drivers are more likely to rush the job in order to maximize pay in relation to their time. Here, you wont hear dispatch try to urge you to hammer down. If you dont have time to finish your daily dispatch, you call them and tell them and they do what they have to do with no questions asked. No pressure on you. You dont have to fear making that call. The only call you should fear having to make is the one where you have to tell your boss that you just made a boo boo(spill, inproper mix etc.).

All of the people are first class too. I am the youngest(35) driver at my terminal and most of these guys have been here for quite a while. There is not much turnover here but they do have some growth which opens up new positions from time to time. After they get me up to speed and on my own they plan on bringing another guy in which will fill us up for the time being. I hear they are looking hard for drivers in southern Louisiana and Texas though. If anyone that has a good record and is interested in a local position like this in those areas I would highly suggest this company to them. I say that knowing as little as I do about them, but I am pretty confident in my ability to judge people. These guys are the real deal. They try to only hire good PEOPLE no matter what position they are hiring, and it shows.

If there is one complaint I have it is the vacation policy. While it isnt much different from a lot of companies I still feel it could use some improvement. After a year I earn a week and then after year 2 I will have earned 2 weeks. Then it is 2 weeks a year until year 10 when I finally get to 3 weeks. All the while they they claim that fatigue is their biggest obstascle to safety. For me I think we could take a lesson from the Euros on this one. I know a lot of people like to work but some of us like to play and relax too. Please dont accuse me of being a socialist for having this view Capitalism is good but it has some chinks in its armor and this is one of them. I'm just saying, I'm giving you 103 weeks of my first 2 years, and I only get 1 to myself. I think that blows. I would say that this makes me someone's bitch. Haha, well I made the choice so I can offer criticism but shouldn't whine and complain, right? Anyways, despite this particular negative which I blame more on our society/economic environment than I do on this particular company, I feel very very happy with my new job.

[Orangetxguy]

I just wanted to update in case anyone was curious. After initially leaning toward Cone I eventually decided that the Dupre position was best for me. I had more things that I liked about the Cone job but in the end the difference in money swayed me to Dupre. The hourly wage is actually very simlar but at cone I'd be looking at around 45 hours a week while I will be about 55 hours on a 5 day work week at Dupre. Our drivers average something close to $52K/yr, which isn't too bad for a local job here in Arkansas. The other thing I love is that every other weekend is a 3 day weekend.

So far everything appears to be great. I attended the orientation in Lafayette, LA which lasted 3 days and was for the most part as painless as one of these types of things can be. The accomodations were first class, we stayed at a Marriott Residence Inn. We are guaranteed a 5 day work week, so even though I was only there for 3 days I was payed for 5 at $125 a day. On top of that they comped me $335 tax free for mileage + rental car(even if you use your own car to get there).

If there is one complaint I have it is the vacation policy. While it isnt much different from a lot of companies I still feel it could use some improvement. After a year I earn a week and then after year 2 I will have earned 2 weeks. Then it is 2 weeks a year until year 10 when I finally get to 3 weeks. All the while they they claim that fatigue is their biggest obstascle to safety. For me I think we could take a lesson from the Euros on this one. I know a lot of people like to work but some of us like to play and relax too. Please dont accuse me of being a socialist for having this view Capitalism is good but it has some chinks in its armor and this is one of them. I'm just saying, I'm giving you 103 weeks of my first 2 years, and I only get 1 to myself. I think that blows. I would say that this makes me someone's bitch. Haha, well I made the choice so I can offer criticism but shouldn't whine and complain, right? Anyways, despite this particular negative which I blame more on our society/economic environment than I do on this particular company, I feel very very happy with my new job.

Thanks for the update. As far as the 5 days pay for 3 in orientation....if you figure the day to get down to Lafayette and the day to drive home.....you were gone 5 days.

Dupre's pay and vacation is part of the reason I never went to work for them in 2005. They only went to an hourly wage in late 2007 or early 2008, I believe......and that was because of the accidents they were havingdue to the "Gulf Coast" pay standard of "By the load".................which was very low even then. Dupre was just as bad in 05, of "having you hussle", as any other "By the load" Carrier, because that is how they are compensated by the customer.....by the load. The more loads you haul, with the fewest pieces of equipment............the more money you make.

In 2005, I had 28 years of safe driving behind me, 18 of those years hauling gasoline, and Dupre's offer to me was to "Come aboard as an untried Rookie". I laughed at the lady I was dealing with and walked out of her office, telling her that if she wanted to pay "Rookie Wages" she needed to advertise for rookies.......not for experience, like she was doing. I also informed her that I could move to Houston or Dallas and start immediately for Exxon, at $23.80 an hour, plus 3 weeks vacation, simply based on my work experience and history.

You didn't say what the "hourly pay" is, but judging by the $52K per year average, I would guess-timate the hourly to be around $13.65, based on the 55 hours a week....assuming they pay Overtime. I am not telling you that there is better money out there....because there isn't....not down here in the Gulf Coast and the South. The Major Oil companies have gotten rid of their truck fleets for the most part, and nationwide the Carriers filling those spots, are driving wages down, because they can.

Keep your nose clean and learn the job. If the economy improves, you should do alright, for the area you live in. Good luck young man.