Pros and Cons of Being a Linehaul Driver for ABF Freight

Join me as I run from Kansas City back home to Dallas. I discuss the pros and cons of being a linehaul driver for ABF as well as ramble on about other random things.
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[@scottriley9398]

Great videos👍 I like that you give a complete view of how things work here. Keep it up! I’m a road driver in Phoenix.

[@spencergardner9603]

Great video brother! I just transitioned out of the Army last month and started my CDL training yesterday with ABF

[@leomanta6208]

I’m enjoying the videos I have a friend who’s a yard jockey with ABF. And I’ve encouraged him to look into the dock to drivers program.

[@beckyumphrey2626]

Great video.. Thank you for you Service.in the Army. 4 year Navy Vet here.

[@MrByTheMile]

Awesome! Great info!

[@johnmiddlestate4770]

Keep going you’re channel will take off

[@ch1cken460]

Very enjoyable and informative

[@KDSTrucking]

Another great video brother 😎

[@MrByTheMile]

Great info!

[@thearmyvettrucker5410]

Who's got a good count of how many times I said "Y'know" in this video!?

[@MrByTheMile]

Outstanding

[@BJJ705]

Cool video and hello from terminal 221!

[@rullusion]

I can’t wait to get out of the Army in a year and a half and start trucking with ABF. Thanks for the video

[@jasonokara4855]

do it brother. I did it myself, and it's so worth it bro

[@jeff7764]

Get in to low boy’s and hauling heavy equipment. That’s where the real money is, I make $46.55 hr driving a low boy and Landoll in the south Jersey/ Philadelphia area. I start at 4am and am done by 1-2pm everyday. I drove for freight companies and they all sucked.

[@questtech7148]

​@@jeff7764Some people would think getting up at 3am for work would suck. It's different for everyone.

[@MrHunt916]

@@jeff7764I agree. F*ck LTL

[@YBCannonz]

@@jeff7764man I’m so tired of freight. I’m going to look into that

[@MrByTheMile]

Same here with the ATO. Our clocks don’t reset. Been running on my 7th tour now lol

[@BJJ705]

Brother soon they will begin to reset.

[@waynekeifman252]

Just going into my retirement with New Penn/yellow agree with your comments on health care and pension save a few % you'll be in great shape you have the best truck driving job in the industry be safe

[@t3xac4n]

You have to buy your time when it comes to seniorty. I've worked for two airlines that were union. The people that hate the union are the ones that don't understand why one is in place. Crazy thing is when people have no idea what's in the contract. To me, the contract is the BIBLE

[@henrycolby4473]

I loved working for ABF. Retired January 1 2007

[@seanbutler8127]

Ex local 222 and looking to go back! I gotta stay at FedEx Freight for a year because they helped me get my CDL and will try charging me apparently but then I’m going to ABF.

[@MarkOPolo456]

I believe you are describing how recaps work when you get hours back after the 8th day on a 70 hour clock.

[@cruz7391]

On thing I regret is hopping on with ABF when y’all had that 15k sign on bonus upfront 😅

[@renejr2296]

👌Thanks brother, what would you say a weekly paystub would be for a new hired driver?

[@philn9813]

LTL generally equals shipments 70 lbs or more and indicates a variety of shipments being on the same trailer. My first orientation back in 94 the ops manager stood in front of us and said "Gentlemen, If we have a customer with a pallet of cow S*&t in Kansas city that needs to go to a lab in PA, our mission is to get that pallet to PA with no additional stink." - That next Saturday morning I was working inbound and had a shipment of 4 pallets of kitty cats that were sealed and prepped for disection class. How do I know? The box wasn't fastened and I took a corner to fast. Cats. went. everywhere.

[@windycity2411]

Hi, Army Vet....! Great videos your putting together. Question???? At ABF do you guys have to work the dock?

[@thearmyvettrucker5410]

Great question! No we don’t. As road drivers, we will never work a dock or yard hostle.

[@2Brandec]

Great video! I have a few questions. 1- how much can you make in a year if you want to stay out more than 2 days a week? 2- do you get the hotel points for the stars or do they go to the company? 3- how many hours do you work a day/ week? I almost worked for ABF in Dayton Ohio last year, but they never gave me a start date. I eventually settled for US Foods. It’s all touch freight, but I make $120k a year. I really think I would’ve enjoyed being a road driver. I’d love to quit my current job in food service and go to ABF, but I don’t trust the economy at the moment. Food service absolutely sucks, especially when it’s cold out.

[@thearmyvettrucker5410]

Sorry for the late reply. So ABF has a pretty systematic approach to linehaul. Our runs are generally turns or laydowns. They design the laydown runs to have the driver back to his home terminal the next day. It is possible to get extended but isn’t something you can reliably count on. If you’re wanting to stay out all week and only be home on weekends then ABF may not be a good fit. We can get the same miles as OTR and regional carriers, yet we can also be home daily or every other day generally. Not sure why you’d want to go elsewhere. Yes you can collect hotel points. I’ll generally work 50-70 hours a week.

[@antonionalesnik4706]

Hi there, I'm from Cleveland, Ohio, and I was curious more about US Foods. Can you tell me more by chance? 120k sounds great, is your job otr or local? Hiring process, etc? Please let me know 🙏

[@Kcjones1386]

@@thearmyvettrucker5410 the only thing that keeps me from abf is the working days and nights. I don’t have any desire to swap back and forth between the 2. I like to be on one and stay. I’m pretty lucky where I’m at it’s dedicated and you just get it there before the due time. I used to be interested in abf because of the union though. Oh and I’m pretty sure I saw you in Tucumcari a while back

[@x1mmx]

Anyone know how the Knoxville, TN terminal operates?

[@SylentLight]

Is there any tips to getting hired? All i pretty much did was do road driver application but I really want the job. I live 10 mins away and meet qualifications

[@drsmooooovedre7819]

Great video brother! If ABF Freight has inward-facing cameras, how then are you able to record a video and drive? 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@thearmyvettrucker5410]

For one, ABF does not have inward facing cameras. For two, ABF allows us to use electronic devices that are handsfree.

[@benroberts750]

I’m a line haul driver for Old Dominion, did 8 months wild then got a bid run. How fast are y’all trucks

[@barnabasmorton6795]

Questions had an interview for city/p&d last week. Gonna take my drug test tomorrow, can i switch to linehaul b4 i start ? I did linhaul 9 yrs at YRC b4 they shutdown. Thanks

[@MarkOPolo456]

Are you using a Ram Mount suction cup / tablet mount for your tablet. Im always looking for other ways to mount my Garmin GPS if I don’t install a Ram Mount ball on the panel next to the ELD.

[@thearmyvettrucker5410]

Sorry for the late reply. Yes, I am using RAM suction cup mounts. So far, they work great!

[@MarkOPolo456]

@@thearmyvettrucker5410 Thanks for the reply. I’ve been using the RAM suction cups also and they do work great!

[@Tripp9]

What do linehaul drivers make per mile in 2022?

[@jeffwomack360]

At ABF, is a Road Driver, and Line Haul Driver the same job? Where I live in Nevada they have a Road Driver position posted.

[@thearmyvettrucker5410]

Correct. A road driver is a linehaul driver.

[@iLaMbo2]

Can you stay at Any Hotel or they have dedicated ones you stay at and do you have a card they give you to pay for them?

[@thearmyvettrucker5410]

Sorry for the late reply! At some terminals, there is a dedicated hotel that they have contracted. At other terminals we may have a few options that the terminal will have posted. The company issues us a Corporate Lodging Card (CLC) for paying for the hotels.

[@Itsmoooose]

Hey army vet truck driver!, brother I got out of the army and went with Werner I deliver to Lowe’s stores pretty much home everyday. If I go with abf and be a line haul road driver how often are you home? And I’m just confused with abfs terminology like what’s the difference between city and road? Also is road always doubles? Is there a difference in routes if your not driving with doubles?

[@thearmyvettrucker5410]

As a Road (Linehaul) driver, I am generally home every other day. A road driver is all point to point and drop & hooks. No touch freight. City drivers are home daily but run city delivery routes and pickup/deliver palatized freight. 90% of the time we haul doubles but sometimes we haul 53ft vans, single 28ft pups, or containers. Routes are generally all the same unless you have HAZMAT. These are all great questions and I will include them in a future video btw!

[@rickg2516]

Great content-thank you! What do you think of the Ram cell phone mount?

[@thearmyvettrucker5410]

I have minor complaints but it’s overall very good and durable.

[@uncomfortabletruth-nr3gv]

How much $$ are we talking 1st year? Then beyond?

[@overtheroadnick4233]

I currently haul fuel for Circle ⭕️ K. I am home every day. I average $95,000-$105,000 depending if I work a 6th day or not. However it’s extremely dangerous . We had one of drivers die in an explosion 💥 when a Kia stinger rear ended the tanker. My question is is it worth leaving fuel hauling for Linehaul driving?

[@MrHunt916]

Both suck

[@rockeerockey6941]

Does this guy post anymore?

[@Saif_ALkaabi-98]

How are you, my friend? I would like to come and work with ABF Freinght. I am from Iraq. How can I get a work contract? Can you help me?

[@ricohicks380]

How do you like that pack out box? I’m thinking about getting one for the truck?!?

[@thearmyvettrucker5410]

It has been great! It is very durable and convenient. I like how it's water resistant and that it has handles all over it. The only con is that the handle that doesn't go all the way down. However, that issue can be resolved with a cheap Etsy mod that allows the handle to be removed for transporting.

[@ricohicks380]

@@thearmyvettrucker5410 Appreciate that.. I’m new to line haul this bag getting heavy..Keep the Videos coming!

[@oscarmagallon8368]

Hello Driver,! Question,… Drivers with all the endorsements and twic card getsbetter pay,?

[@thearmyvettrucker5410]

No, all drivers are required to have all endorsements to we all get paid the same.

[@user-uu4gn4ii3p]

It's Love❤s

[@richardclayton7170]

Sounds like your guys’ contract is about the same as ours at Yellow. Are you guys required to run 5 or 6 tours at Dallas?

[@thearmyvettrucker5410]

6 tours for 48hrs ATO + 10 hours rest.

[@richardclayton7170]

@@thearmyvettrucker5410 Dang. What happens if you don’t have the hours for a 6th tour and can’t run off a recap? Do you have to reset on the road?

[@thearmyvettrucker5410]

@@richardclayton7170 I’ve never been in that situation. Usually dispatch won’t send you on a laydown run if you don’t have the hours to get you back home.

[@richardclayton7170]

@@thearmyvettrucker5410 do you acquire any ATO after five tours?

[@thearmyvettrucker5410]

@@richardclayton7170 no, 6 tours is 48hrs, 12 tours is 72hrs and 18 tours is 96hrs. You can bank unused tours and save them. For example, if you take 48hrs ATO after 8 tours, then you’d only use 6 and 2 could go in the bank.

[@MarioMartinez-is1cg]

Are there cameras facing the inside of the truck?

[@thearmyvettrucker5410]

No.

[@joseperalta5855]

What’s the pay start

[@davewhite9828]

You know you can also go out on Hrs and it doesn't affect your ATO correct ?

[@thearmyvettrucker5410]

Yeah, I don't like to be constantly running with low cycle hours because it will often limit me to the runs I can take. I don't do that unless I am saving tours to take 72 or 96 off.

[@davewhite9828]

@@thearmyvettrucker5410 What I do is go out on hrs instead of ATO. That allows me to always have a 72 in my back pocket just in case I want or need it after I come back from hrs and complete 1 tour. Also , just because you accumulate 72 hrs doesnt mean you have to take the 72. You can always take the 48 & 10 instead. The end result is the same, but you have the option for more time off in that week if you need it.

[@bigtruckdriver7791]

I had virtual interview last Friday. Do ABF have a lot of freight coming through the door for bottom seniority guy

[@thearmyvettrucker5410]

If they’re hiring, that means they have more freight than drivers. Freight slows down in the winter, so that will be when freight struggles to get down to the bottoms guys.

[@bigtruckdriver7791]

@@thearmyvettrucker5410 when you say struggle to get to bottom guys what type of mileage can I expect?

[@thearmyvettrucker5410]

@@bigtruckdriver7791 I averaged about 2300 miles a week my first year. But that’s obviously based on my location and the fact that freight didn’t slow down too much last winter.

[@bigtruckdriver7791]

@@thearmyvettrucker5410 that was in the winter months? In the summer what kind of miles? Where are you located? I will be based out of the Memphis terminal.

[@thearmyvettrucker5410]

@@bigtruckdriver7791 that was the average for the whole year. I am located in Dallas. To get a better idea, I’d try reaching out to a road driver in your area via social media.

[@visionsofpromise]

22:15

[@ThePtballa087]

How many stops you get in average in a day?

[@thearmyvettrucker5410]

So as a line haul driver, I’m more of an A to B driver. Sometimes I’ll have to do 1-3 drop and hooks in a dispatch, other times I’ll just leave one terminal and arrive to another with no stops in between. The local guys (P&D) are the ones doing a lot of stops.

[@caudle93]

Do you not run a CB? Could come in handy for traffic concerns...

[@thearmyvettrucker5410]

I’ve thought about getting one. Since we don’t have assigned trucks, I’d have to setup and breakdown a CB every day. Not sure if it’s worth it. My GPS does a pretty good job of telling me when there’s traffic ahead.

[@caudle93]

@The Army Vet Trucker , my dad was a road driver with Roadway from '69 to '95 out of Indy. So watching your vids brings back some memories of him. Thanks for making them.

[@AmillennialMillenial]

Does a tour mean round trip or one way?

[@thearmyvettrucker5410]

A tour is one dispatch. If it is a laydown run then the first tour is taking you to you final destination for that dispatch. After your rest at the hotel, you start a new tour (dispatch) going to your next destination (usually back home). If it's a turn run, then the tour ends back at your home terminal where you started. I know it is kind of confusing, let me know if that doesn't make any sense lol

[@davidbutler2701]

Why doesn't abf have passenger seats in they're trucks

[@thearmyvettrucker5410]

They’re not needed, give us drivers more space for any gear that we decide to bring.

[@mariomends702]

How often you get home on the line haul ?

[@thearmyvettrucker5410]

Generally we stay out overnight but we also have turns that have us home daily. There are times that you can stay out 2-3 nights but it’s not a regular thing.

[@driverjoelonghauler2881]

Hey brother ain’t that KC hotel just a peach 😊?

[@rullusion]

How much should I expect to make my first year?

[@thearmyvettrucker5410]

Stay tuned to the channel, I will talk about pay in a future video!

[@rullusion]

Could you also talk about your average day/ night time

[@scottriley9398]

@@rullusion I’ve worked for ABF for a bit, I’ll try to explain. If you want a regular schedule, don’t become a road driver. The first few years you’ll work when nobody else wants to. Plan on a schedule that’ll span 24/7. You’ll be off Christmas Day and most of Christmas Eve for sure, every other holiday is a toss up. If you’re clever you’ll figure out how to manipulate your hours to your benefit. Not in an illegal way though. You’ll most likely end up trying to log everything possible on duty most of the time, so they don’t work you to death. That being said, at times it’s either feast or famine when it comes to available work as a new driver. The most important thing to know is that every terminal works slightly different. Work rules, paid holidays, time off all vary by local and regional contracts. As for first year pay expectations, expect to gross $70k give or take if you work the full year. That isn’t counting the almost $30k a year that’s paid to the union on your behalf. It covers the very good health insurance and pension.

[@BJJ705]

You have dock worker and drivers making 100k + a year.

[@rullusion]

@@scottriley9398 how many years does it take to build up a good position in seniority?

[@r.gibson1080]

Do you have to work the dock?

[@thearmyvettrucker5410]

No sir! Road drivers at ABF never touch any freight. Perks of being a Union driver.

[@Bigzero.Scratcher]

You guys have driver facing cameras 📷?

[@patrickwright2071]

P😂l0pl😊vopllo😊h0to😊

[@patrickwright2071]

😊k😊

[@patrickwright2071]

😊😢 11:45

[@victorhardin2186]

How old are you

[@timcampbell343]

It you almost an hour to do what should have been done in less than 10 minutes.

[@DigitxlRxse]

Is ABF road test done with automatic or manual?

[@thearmyvettrucker5410]

Depends on what is available but they won’t hire you with an automatic restriction.

[@DigitxlRxse]

@@thearmyvettrucker5410 no restrictions x all endorsements

[@jeffreyfurtado3681]

Do they layoff new drivers.

[@thearmyvettrucker5410]

We haven’t had any layoffs since 2020, they laid off 5 road drivers and they all were back working 6 months.

[@reggieswilliams]

Trucks manuals or autos?

[@thearmyvettrucker5410]

All of the road tractors are automatic. There are some rare occasions where you might have to drive a manual city tractor.

[@carolinahoffman-gd5ln]

What you load?

[@thearmyvettrucker5410]

LTL Freight, whatever fits on a pallet

[@jeff7764]

Low Boy is where the real money in trucking is at!

[@navajo1abf2]

One problem with drivers in last 10 years is NO CB RADIOS to tell others of problems on the roads and these go to school to learn to drive can not use a life saving TURN SIGNALS FOR EVERY MOVE. I CALL THEM 4 WHEELERS WITH TRAINING WHEELS. IT SHOULD BE A $100 FINE FOR ANY VEHICLE NOT USING TURN SIGNALS.

[@EpicGameTime69]

Do you have off weekends?

[@thearmyvettrucker5410]

Thanks for the comment, great question! Unfortunately, weekends are typically the busiest time for drivers that are at the bottom of the board. Once you build some seniority, you can be more picky with which runs you take and when you take them. Hope that help!