dock worker

yard worker

truck driver

receiving associate

local driver

Carlile Transportation

Unorganized is an understatement. Each department argues back and forth for weeks determining what their department's job duties are. So as an employee, you're stuck waiting in limbo, waiting for managers to work out their issues. There is absolutely no effective leadership in this company. Management become defensive, egotistical, and will take credit for your ideas and suggestions. The work culture is toxic. You will absolutely not get any recognition for some positive things you do in the company which means when you do leave Carlile, you literally have nothing to show your next employer. My former coworkers went 5 years without raises because the profits were negative each year, which is ridiculous since Tacoma/Seattle has one of the best economies in the United States. That itself tells you the problem is on the inside. It's pointless to try and improve the work processes, culture, etc because they are stuck in the old ways of doing things. They have no idea what innovation is which is sad. Your own manager will allow other managers from other departments talk to you horribly. Despite this being such a negative review, I hope REAL qualified leaders are hired in and can turn the place around. 

Today a low-boy, tomorrow a set of flats loaded with scaffolding and misc building supplies needing 40 straps to tie it down.. 8 fresh inches of snow to drive through today, tomorrow it becomes 3 inches of frozen slush and ice. The yards are a skating rink in the winter. Your brakes are frozen (time to bang the drums). It's -52* F and your lower radiator hose craps out so now you have no heat.You lower the windows while you're driving to keep the ice from condensing on the windshield. Your staff and co-workers all get a laugh at your expense and then tell you about their stories of fun and adventure. This is what working at Carlile is like. This isn't lower 48 trucking. You need to be able to make small emergency repairs to your truck. Everyone in the office is just trying to help get the job done, even when the equipment and the environment won't cooperate. Carlile pays decently and has a really good benefits package. The equipment has gotten substantially better (as of 2015-2016). There is lots of overtime, at least in Fairbanks, but when the economy slows the overtime goes away. That's just the way businesses work. All in all, you can get better pay, but not a bigger challenge.

I've had the privilege of working at Carlile Transportation Systems since March of 2024, and it's been a fantastic experience from day one. The company truly values its employees, fostering a culture of respect, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

What stands out most about Carlile is the commitment to safety and reliability. The company goes above and beyond to ensure that every aspect of the operation runs smoothly, which makes it a stable and secure place to work.  This stability is also supported by Saltchuk (Carlile's Parent Company), which is a large family owned group of transportation companies. Carlile also prioritizes innovation, regularly seeking ways to improve processes and stay ahead in the industry.

The team dynamics here are excellent. There's a strong sense of camaraderie among colleagues, and everyone works together to achieve common goals. Opportunities for career advancement are abundant, with clear paths for those who are motivated and dedicated. 

Overall, Carlile Transportation Systems is a place where you can build a rewarding career. Whether you're just starting out or looking to advance in your field, this is a company that will support your journey.

Carlile is an excellent Company to work for and with. Management is professional , skilled and family friendly. I have enjoyed working with all departments especially my own crew and supervisor. 
 Most of the six years I have worked for Carlile were spent on night shift ( 5:30 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. ) with a crew of four to five team members. Our team worked very well together every project was a team effort including individual projects where we were ready to jump in and pull our weight to help get one an others project completed on time and in a professional manner.
 My supervisor Larry Frazier and I collaborated frequently to plan , troubleshoot and insure all aspects of the shop were fulfilled satisfactorily. 
 I worked closely on a daily basis with Drivers to insure all concerns were addressed and resolved before the Driver would return to the road with equipment. 
 All in all Carlile is an excellent company to work for and I will miss my team , supervisor and drivers who'm I have built a great working relationship with.

Unorganized is an understatement. Each department argues back and forth for weeks determining what their department's job duties are. So as an employee, you're stuck waiting in limbo waiting for managers to work out their issues. There is absolutley no effective leadership in this company. Managment become defensive, egotistical, and will take credit for your ideas and suggestions. The work culture is toxic. You will absolutley not get any recognition for any positive things you do in the company which means when you do leave Carlile, you literally have nothing to show your next employer. My former coworkers went 5 years without raises because the profits were negative each year which is ridiculous since Tacoma/Seattle has one of the best economys in the United States. That itself tells you the problem is on the inside. It's pointless to try and improve the work processes, culture, etc because they are stuck in the old ways of doing things. They have no idea what innovation is which is sad. Despite this being such a negative review, I hope REAL qualified leaders are hired in and can turn the place around. 

Carlile was an ok place to work. Management was kinda disorganized sometimes, and it usually ended up giving the drivers a hard time. 

However, most everyone at Carlile are great to work with. They are caring people, and I will miss a lot of them. 

The trucks had their issues, and sometimes problems would go unfixed for months on end. A lot of the times though the shop fixed issues in a timely manner. 

Some of the routes are terrible, dangerous, and should be done differently or abandoned. There is a reason some of the routes continue to be a problem. However, instead of fixing the issues with them they just keep throwing drivers at the route thinking this time it will be different. Only to lose the driver, or have the driver run to something else ASAP. 

This isn't a 9-5 job. It's a 9 to "When we say you can go home." type of job. If that's for you I wouldn't try for it.  

Sometime I felt like I was asked to do unsafe things, and when I used my Stop Work Authority I felt like I got negative pressure from the heads.

The culture is atrocious. People quit constantly without putting in a notice. You are expected to go above and beyond but will not be compensated for it. So don't bother asking for fair pay. If you even attempt to get what you have earned you will be met with malice. Everyone is out for themselves. Teamwork? Not here. No one cares about each other. You're on your own. Need help? You cant go to Human Resources. Well you could, but they will just gossip about you the second you walk out the door. Managers pick favorites. The bigger the brown nose the better! Undeserved compliments to the poor management team will get you that promotion! The leaders of the company have no clue how to effectively lead and develop their employees. Business decisions are based on emotions and opinions not facts. Worker bees are expected to work 15 hour days 6 days a week but the entire executive team is constantly out on PTO. Stay away from this company if you value your sanity. It's just chaos. 

When you book a $40,000.00 shipment with one of your biggest customers that tends to be a hot shipment at that, you would think your operations team would get that move completed for you.  Instead they push back on you with small matters.  asking what we charged for this move and such. When the point is to get this move going as it is hot.  This happens quite regularly not necessarily on big moves like this but on smaller $4,000.00 moves as well.  Sales and operations often push back on one another and at previous companies this was common as well, but not to this extent.  There is a lack of structure on who does what and where things get handed off.  When you need to worry about random lay-offs all the time that isn't much fun as well.  My direct manager is great and does what he can to help simplify things.  The best part of working here is talking to the customers and learning about them.

Most days at the home office were spent with the management staff either reviewing performance or planning for upcoming work. This still left considerable time to get around the facility frequently and greet most of the employee in operations or clerical positions.

Traveling got me in front of customers, vendors and employee's who I usually communicated with by phone or video conference.

I worked with a great bunch of people who loved the company's owners, the brand, the work environment. Their motivation was much more than salary or benefits.

The biggest challenge was managing the last 5 years as we were in a growth mode averaging 12-15% growth annually. During this time we also were hit by the recession and were in the middle of a ERP install.

Work would start with a pile of reports and data entry waiting to be entered, through out the day getting calls and emails to complete other reports, assisting other departments in the office along with walk-in customers or over the phone customers who are picking up and dropping off shipments. Manifesting and sending drivers out with loads and checking in shipments that arrived at the terminal. I learned a lot about multi tasking and communicating with customers and coworkers. Management never seemed to be around so a lot of the work was separated by surrounding coworkers. The hardest part of the job was working long hours 6 days a week, and the most enjoyable part was working with people who became family, we were all so easy to get along with

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Dock worker 15 salaries reported	$25.65 per hour
Yard worker 8 salaries reported	$25.65 per hour
Truck driver 9 salaries reported	$28.08 per hour
Receiving associate 12 salaries reported	$24.31 per hour
Local driver 11 salaries reported	$32.39 per hour

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