Dollar General Acct ?
 

Well Wednesday I told hogan I was looking for a new job this w/e and That I had enough of their bs... Moments later I got a phone call. Considering staying there, I stay out two weeks at a time and never make any money. This week I ran about 1000 miles :roll: . No kidding.

Long story short, what they have available right now is the Dollar General acct, you make more money (They say about 1000 a week) Home more often.

I want to hear from the drivers doing these loads. I understand you deal with roll containers.. Is this job very physical and how many hours are you needing to work per day to get your stops done..

It looks like most stores are gonna be hard to get in to, let alone get turned around. I understand you will get used to it though.

Pls reply, I'm giving them my decision on monday.

Even with the rolltainers, the freight is still floor to ceiling (lots of cases crammed onto the tops of the rolltainers and requires mostly finger printing, the empty rolltainers from the are stores are then collected and have to be strapped into the trailers. If you have a backhaul, you have to unload all of your empties out of you trailer and into another trailer before you can load. trailers are pretty junky, the maintenance is thoroughly done by blind chimps who are obviously missing most of their opposable thumbs. The loads are sometimes VERY late! lots of waiting and of course no compensation for that.

I will be getting onto U.S. Xpress D.G. Account soon and this is what the U.S.X drivers on the account have told me: 1)You have to help with the unloading. The heaviest things in the trailers are usually big bags of dog food. They said it is not to bad because the containers make it alot easier. The containers are pretty much giant shopping carts. 2) You will be going into some pretty tight spaces. Alot of the time the company will give you a trailer that is already been beat up that way when you go to the dock if you bump it its not a really big deal. 3) For U.S.X. the Dollar General is the highest paying out of all the dedicated accounts. The amount varies depending on how hard and much you run. We have guys bringing in $1500 a week running from Ohio to N.Y 3 times a week. 4) Hometime is better on the D.G accounts. Expect to get home once or twice through the week and usually every other weekend.

I have talked to Hogan and Werner drivers that also have D.G. accounts and most of them are happy with it. Hope this helps. Good luck.

The only docks that you will see for DG will be at the DC's and you are not allowed to touch trailers at the docks. The trailers have liftgates that are in various states of disrepair, the rolltainers are usually overloaded and pretty hard to control, it is VERY difficult to get the rolltainers out onto the lifts without dropping them or having them roll off of the liftgates, destroying them and the product in the process. lots of danger involved. The drops pay decent, but its really hard work and lots of people are injured. The reason that they came up with this loonie plan was to save money on the labor for the DG employees. Do not expect help at the stores, because most DG employees are old ladies. :shock:

I see those guys pushing very heavy rolltainers across rough, busted-up asphalt parking lots. Doesn't look like alot of fun - especially in wintertime going across ice and snow. And sometimes they even have to lug em' up a ramp as well. I deliver a few cartons 2-3 times per week to DG stores and I have a hard time manuevering around some of those places with a day-cab and a small pup trailer - no way would I want to tackle some of those stores in a sleeper truck with a 53' trailer. One of the DGs is a very tight blindside back off a busy 2-lane road. The poles and dumpsters around those places are all bent and scraped-up with red-and-white US Xpress paint.

This is what I wanted to see, down to earth real world advice

well, as a current driver pulling for dollar general i can tell you it sure has its moments of frustrations as many of the other replies have mentioned. i
have a really tough time when it comes to pushing a heavy rolltainer of dogfood or beverages/water/clorox/can goods up a steep ramp or uneven
surface. some days i really enjoy my job when all the stores are as they are called EZ Stores with all the right elements, even surface, clean storeroom, cooperative store managers, room to maneuver your trailer. then on some days i hate it and don't know how long i'll stay as i am getting to old for this type of physical strain on my body. the company i drive for pays fairly good but could use some improvement when it comes to $ paid for unloading trailers. i wish you goodluck and if there are any more specific questions i can help with let me know. :D

I have 7 months experience, I've seen the dollar generals, I know first starting I will get very crappy stores... Well thats how I imagine it works. Do go to the same stores all the time, rotate or what, how does that work. It would be nice if it were the same stores each week but I imagine its not. Where do you park to take your 10 hour break? At the stores?

well, you might not be givin the most desired loads on your first few trips but they will come once you have proven yourself. i've only been driving since september 06 and pulling dollar general since december 06 and the one thing i feel is that it sure has been making a better driver out of me with all the unique backing situations we are faced with at these stores. as
for where to park for your 10 hr break, it can be right there at the store or to any location you have remaining time to drive to, though i will say that most truck stops i have found that if you dont get there by at least
say 6:00 pm or sometimes earlier you might not get a spot to park. many times i have stayed parked at the store because it was convenient not having to move and many stores are located next to places to get a bite to eat. i have learned to manage my 14 hr work days very well because some loads will have you delivering to 4 to 5 stores in a day.

i forgot to answer about same stores or not. well, my experience is that i have delivered to some of the same stores on occasion but each week will vary and just basically depends on your dispatcher. though your company may run things differently than Werner? good thing for us is that if you have family you can generally get home every week and alot of times during the weekends, by the end of the week your 70 hrs will be gone and you will have to reset your 70 by taking a 34 hr break and our
dispatchers tell us to reset at home unless you just want to stay out, which will not really benefit you but rather wear you down.

Jacobson, and Weiner also have General Dollar accounts.

Well speaking as someone who has delivered to DG I can say at least from the DC's I've been too, that they treat you alot better than the (Un)Family Dollar folks.

Personally I dont care if I ever take another load to a Family Dollar DC.

"Rolltainer" my A**!

The correct equipment for delivering to a store with out a dock or truck access is a Pup, preferably one with a lift gate.

About a month ago my LTL barn got new Volvos. While they are head and shoulders above our Freightshaker Sterlings for driver comfort they suck for city work. I have had to flat out tell our dispatacher NO!, I can't safely go to X customer with a sleeper and van.

Swift uses doubles for some of the tighter Rite Aid stores; Schneider has wiggle wagons for their GM parts dedicated account. I guess they don't want their drivers having lots of little backing oops at car dealerships.

I'd be leery of taking a van and twin screw sleeper into those places as you could get a lot of little BS backing "accidents" that could make you radioactive from a DAC/ better gig standpoint.

Remember as the Driver YOU are in charge and responsible for your equipment. Know its limits and weaknesses.

Yeah, that's one thing I never understood Ian. The reason a customer requests a liftgate is that they don't have a dock. If they don't have a dock, that means they aren't expecting big trucks. So here comes the driver in a 53' with a sleeper truck and he's just asking for trouble. It doesn't take much to pop a windshield out trying to swing that 53' around in a crowded parking lot. Especially when alot of guys move the tandems all the way up in the city.

Those pups sure are nice. You can take those things damn near anywhere and not get yourself in a jiffy. Takes some getting used to backing them up since they move alot quicker than a long box, tho.

My mother has been with DG for almost 17 years now. They have never unloaded the trucks. It has always been the driver unloading. Either rolltaners or freight rollers.

Who do you think was "catching" the freight coming off of the rollers?

Pups are the bomb for doing city work! When I have a pup and single screw daycab I go into unknown driveways without fear.

With a 2 or 3 point turn you can turn around with them most anywhere.

The only thing I have to watch out for is overheads on private property.

When I have a long box I'm very careful about where I go. I'll park a 1/4mi away and recon on foot before I enter an area. Heck when blindsiding at one customer I'll G.O.A.L. 4-5+ times.

As a general rule for commercial/industrial areas most anything built in the past 20 years is going to be truck friendly.

That maybe be true but they do the same thing now. You roll the taners off and push them to the sidwalk then the store employees unload them. Wait it is less work on the driver. Wait I forgot most truckers would bitch if hung with the rope of there choice. If you don't like the job then let your wife drive atleast she would have a reason to bitch

How many loads have you delivered with either the old non-rolltainer way and of course the rolltainer way? You mother honestly is probably one of those ratbags who always managed to call in sick on "truck day".

really
 

Ok well if my mother is a ratbag that calls in sick then you must be one of the guys who is 45 years old and never worked a day in your life. You say your a trucker sorry son but playing 18 wheels of steel 11 hours a day does not count. So I guess when you decide to come and and run with the big dogs then you can take that big wheels out of the yard and try. I get a kick out of you stupid f|_|cking guys who have to put someone else down to make them feel good. Sir I am sorry but you putting someone down will not stop you wife from thinking you have a small dick nor will keep her off the steps of my truck. Have a good day and don't forget to turn your computer off and log yours hours.
Dumb Fuck

Re: really
 

I knew the mommy crack would make you have a melt down.. you've never unloaded at DG before rolltainers or even AFTER the rolltainers so you know zippo about the topic! Other than what mommy tells you of course. I love watching you "big dogs" chase your tails like it matters a hill of beans. Keep chasing them big dogs, maybe some day it will strike you that you've been wasting your time. That tough trucker CB talk like "running with the big dogs" really shows that the trucking industry really has effected you poorly. And if running with Covenant is running with the big dogs, you must really be losing whats left of your mind. And the computer goes, We have OBRD and GPS logs and get paid for every minute of every day.. So I'll keep my "lazy little dog" job and put the money in the bank and go home every day.. but thanks for the offer...

say
 

Say what you want there Driver. I have worked at DG as well at haul loads to them for Werner. As far as Covenant goes I just leased a truck onto them today and I run with the top dogs. But when you see this big black freighliner pass you in the hammer lane remember. If you cant run with the big dogs stay in the fuel stop.

Re: say
 

*snicker*

Re: say
 

He wont get it no matter who tells him that. He's "running with the big dogs". He probably also drinks from toilets, sniffs other dog's behinds and humps people's legs in public. If he wishes to attain no more status than a mongrel dog... then he has reached that level. It amazes me sometimes that these people are actually serious in this BBR stuff...

I know SEVERAL O/O and non of them talk this BBR stuff.... They of course OWN their trucks and are not suckers for some leash purchase program. It seems like the high failure rate for these lease purchase people is due to their ignorance of profits VS loss and that the fact that the movie "Smokey and the Bandit was a COMEDY and not a DOCUMENTARY or some O/O training video!

And don't even get me started on that dumb "Black Dog" movie :roll:

Youre not talking to his mother fozzy, your talking to him! Be a man and keep his mom out of it, would think better of you if you did! He is worse with the wife crack of his, but hell he is new and needs to try his balls out. You know how the kids are...lol

yup
 

See I will not bring someones mother into something do that they might be in there grave. Thats just not right

Re: yup
 

add the roger beep and I'd swear that your on the CB...

Re: say
 

And what does Covenant pay an o/o? Yup, thats what I thought......

What happened here... :shock:

Why did it turn to cb talk??

Anyways with your feedback I figured hell its worth a try.. So Tuesday or Wednesday I will get to see how it is.. They need dvrs for the account so I made my demands, Two days off per week.. I know, not much of a demand to some but its hard to get when OTR.

Pay isn't much.. Not much room for advance. .34 cents to start, 70 per trl you unload and 10 dollars per stop.

I got a call from head of the Acct for hogan, Pay is supposedly between 910.00 to just over 1500.00 with the 34 drivers on the acct.. I've been making 750.00 to 850.00 as OTR.. (28 cpm)

just jump in there and go for it and don't let those with all the negative remarks influence your decision. good luck, by the way sounds like they at least pay better than Werner. Werner pays 36.00 per trailer unload, 32cpm, 15.00 per stop or for backhauls and only 10.00 too transfer the empty rolltainers to a dunnage trailer :cry:

Ouch yeah that is less, makes me feel better, I thought I made the least amount of money. Do they also pay HHG? :cry:

Werner does pay hhg. I run Dollar General, as well. Some days are bad. Other days are great, like today was. I get home every weekend and I'm making good money for not even having a year behind the wheel. As far as getting into the stores, G.O.A.L. is the only way to go. I have a Classic with no more than a few scratches from tree branches, but there are drivers with Centurys that look like they just came back from a demolition derby because they just don't pay attention. Not saying I'm perfect, but I do know how to stop the truck and look at things. When I do move on to something else(which is what brought me here) I'll be the better for having been sent to a store with a 53' trailer that by all intents and purposes shouldn't be there. Only problem is I look like an idiot trying to bump a dock most days.