truck driver

local driver

over the road truck driver

diesel mechanic

forklift operator

Estes Express Lines

I started in August 2018. I had a great interview with the terminal Manager and felt a good culture vibe from the start despite the terminal being very ragged,old and just dirty. The Job is like any other p and d job for the most part except the freight is junk and damaged 90% of the time. You are expected to try and pawn it off on the customer unless its broken glass. Most of the trucks and trailers are junk with the exception of a few. The supervisor is a former driver and really tries to do a good job although he is still learning as he goes. The culture changes over time and becomes stressful when your driving junk and delivering junk freight. So to wrap up the review and why I departed. I put in for three in paid days off (which were denied). There were two drivers scheduled off on one of the days(plus the terminal manager)and only one the other two. I was willing to be reprimanded for the days because my son was graduating high school out of state and it wasn't an option to miss(I had no paid days left due to moving and retrieving belongings from out of state). When I returned I was asked to go to the terminal managers office and told this was my sixth unexcused absence and grounds for termination. I was never informed of 1,2 or 3 although the policy is a coaching after 3. I was told the 3rd absence occurred on May 3 and I never received a coaching. I asked the terminal manager why I didnt receive the coaching which occurred almost 30 days prior he told me he didn't  know until he started digging into the 3 days I just took. That is part of his job and there is no excuse for that that if your a terminal Manager. Had I known that I was at all in jeopardy of being terminated I would have tried my best to make other arrangements. As I said previously two of the days I asked off for had only one other person off. I asked why it was ok for 2 drivers to be off the first day back from a holiday and why at least one of my days couldn't have been approved. He told me freight levels for the week following a holiday were two high(but himself and two other drivers were scheduled of Tue following memorial day) and that wasn't acceptable. Sorry this review is so long but I'm trying to be very complete. I had recently told the terminal manager(about 2 weeks prior) that I had received a job offer elsewhere and was gonna be taking the position. Since then his attitude had changed toward me. I know most places will do this or send you packing immediately but this terminal pushes a we are family mentality so I was trying to be upfront and let them know well ahead of my departure but that obviously backfired and I should have known better. I was told the only way to leave on good terms were to resign immediately.  Which I did.  Just want people reviewing to see an honest post. Most everyone in this terminal including the Manager are nice people but when it comes down to someone being incompetent and not doing their job properly they are most certainly gonna cover their butt before yours, dont take the generosity of the staff for granted as I did because it will bite you before you know it. Hope this is informative as I've been honest as possible.

The only plus I can come up with is the starting pay was $23.50/hr. They would give you a 50 cent raise every 6 months and every Jan. We were getting a $1.00 per hour cost of living raise. The health basic was about $25 a week and it wasn't t very good. The more you wanted to pay from there the better it was, and the 401k had matching to a certain point. The atmosphere was awful it felt like walking through a funeral home. The other drivers were pretty nice and helpful but most were in a hurry in fear of losing there job. The terminal manager would tell you were doing a good job then writing you up for anything and everything the next day. It took months for Estes to even find a terminal manager to come to their Temple location. The daylight dispatcher was SO terrible he was hated by all the drivers when ever he was on vacation that at the Monday morning meeting the entire room would clap and cheer! The evening dispatcher was a woman that hated men and talked to you like a dog. The other office staff was real nice and helpful. They couldn't keep any dock supervisors they quit one after another one only stayed a week. The terminal manager was constantly on the dock intercom screaming at the dock workers to get the trucks loaded. So there was such a rush the Freight was damaged so much half the load was refused by the customers. They wouldn't t get some of the trailers loaded til 11-12am and then you had an hour drive to your first customer there was no way to get all your stops done by 5pm. So you were constantly berated for not getting the trailer unloaded. I had to buy my own pallet jack because they wouldn't t provide me one that worked. The Christmas gift for your hard work was a $100 gift card to the Estes Company store what a joke their money going right back to the company! I have nothing good to say I come to realize and heard from other drivers that all LTL company's suck like Estes or they are worse. I guess it depends on how desperate you are. So if you have any other choice stay away from Estes Express!!!!

This position is a great last-ditch option for anyone needing a job with half-decent pay (at least $15.00/hr) without requiring a college degree. You go through the online training which takes one to two days to complete, drug & background test, and then you’re in. You’re given a safety vest, which you need to wear at all times at work. Trust me, you’ll need it.

Out on the docks, you’re in “training” for a week or two, basically shadowing one of the senior workers, but you could be done with training within less than a week if there’s too much freight.

Afterwards, each day is a gamble. The typical driver uses their forklift like a race car,bobbing and weaving between one another, with three-to-six foot long pairs of teeth on the front that can skewer you. Adding to this danger is the potential of carrying/moving a few extra thousands pounds of freight at a time! Those vests may be the only thing to keep you safe, and they may not be seen by some of the other drivers in time.

The greatest aspect of this job is the shifts you’ll be working at this position. Twelve to fourteen hour shifts. You will have no life outside of work. I repeat: YOU WILL HAVE NO LIFE OUTSIDE OF WORK! You will be too tired to do anything else, regardless of age. The only thing you will try to schedule and plan for is sleep so you don’t pass out during your shift.

If you have any of the following criteria, then this job may be a blessing for you. 
 -Considerably large bills/debts
 -New additions to the family (children, elder family members moving in, etc.)
 -Just starting your career from high school, especially in the summer of your graduation
 -Any short-term costs that can be paid off within three to six months

You can stay at the job for a few weeks or months, but eventually your body will tire of the work. Do your job, but spend every free moment outside of sleep trying to find work elsewhere.


Great Company, Over 80 years of family owned business:
I was employed as a Regional Human Resource Manager in a 12 state area, traveling 40-70% of the time.
• Consulted Executive Leadership in areas related to employment policies and procedures, diversity, employee morale, business initiatives, local, state and federal personnel laws.
• Managed all aspects of HR functional areas including HR operations; employee relations; employment/staffing and recruitment; compensation; benefits; training and development; and company sponsored programs.
• Coordinated all payroll and compensation functions
• Managed the Benefit Analysis and selection processes; served as the custodian of all Benefit related duties
• Managed all areas of Recruiting/Staffing, Succession and Retention Planning
• Managed all areas related to Employee Relations, including discipline/termination implementation
• Partnered with the assigned strategic business organization management team to assist in optimizing people, strategy, structure, process and culture, and to facilitate the liaison/delivery of HR services as appropriate.
• Communicated and ensured compliance and consistency with corporate and HR related policies and acted as the first line resource to managers and employees on employee relation’s issues and partnered with them to implement solutions.
• Served as an advocate to employees. Through positive employee relations resolved
issues raised by employees and/or managers, in a timely manner, and documented the outcome.
• Coordinated and delivered training to management on HR related activities (i.e., salary
planning, harassment, affirmative action, policies and procedures, new employee orientation, employee motivation surveys, ethics reporting, outplacement, etc.).
• Developed job descriptions and worked closely with Executive management to evaluate and implement the positions.

I've spent nearly 30 years in the LTL Carrier Segment (both union & nonunion at all levels below TM/SCM.  The work, processes, and freight realities are the same across the industry; just different equipment colors and varied vernacular that is company specific.  It's nearly impossible to get valid financial and operational data via 3rd party analysis on a privately owned company like Estes, but I can say that every year the annual "state of the company" address from the CEO is always a positive one over the past five years -- good raises, new equipment purchases, continued growth is on an upward trend.

Nothing cutting edge here, just "tried and true" ways to doing things.  Regarding technology, Estes is definitely a relative laggard, but is   going into that direction: electronic logs in place for about 4 years; electronic P&D applications just got upgraded a year ago; electronic dock system is expanding...

The company ought to invest in long term professional development of their managerial staff instead of just recycling people from other competitors. If strong company specific philosophy & processes existed, the company wouldn't have to rely on the talent of the  individual which is very rare to find -- instead, building a solid process template and filling it with average people (which are plentiful) would diminish turnover at the sup/ops mgr. level which really negatively impacts the operation in terms of performance, customer trust/loyalty, and subordinate moral.  

As a local driver, I've taken advantage of the company's referral bonus program earning $500 per recruit convincing five people over the past four years or so to "jump ship" to Estes.  As I tell the average "working stiff" who asks how I like working here, "it's an easy place to work at"....followed by my annual earnings of $75-80K per year working Monday through Friday with weekends off.

Typical Day at Work:
Each day feels like a monotonous grind, filled with uninspiring tasks that offer little challenge or intellectual stimulation. The routine is mind-numbing, and the lack of variety makes the workday seem endless.

What I Believe I Learned:
Unfortunately, the learning curve is almost non-existent. The absence of opportunities for skill development or training sessions leaves employees feeling stagnant and unfulfilled in terms of professional growth.

Management:
Management is disconnected and appears disinterested in the well-being of their employees. Communication is poor, and there's a noticeable lack of transparency regarding company decisions. It feels like decisions are made without consideration for the impact on the workforce.

Workplace Culture:
The workplace culture is toxic, with a pervasive sense of distrust and competition among colleagues. Collaboration is discouraged, and there's an underlying sense of fear that hinders open communication.

The Hardest Part of the Job:
The most challenging aspect is navigating through the bureaucracy and red tape. Getting even the simplest tasks approved becomes an arduous process, hindering productivity and causing unnecessary stress.

The Most Enjoyable Part:
Regrettably, there's little joy to be found in this work environment. The occasional break is the only respite from the daily drudgery, but it's not enough to offset the overall negative atmosphere.

Overall, this workplace fosters a sense of dissatisfaction and demotivation, making it difficult to find any redeeming qualities in what should be a fulfilling and engaging professional experience.

GOOD OLD BOY CORPORATE MENTALITY

.BACK STABBING MANAGEMENT DOES NOT WORK WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS (BY DESIGN).

FIRE DRILL SHORT TERM GOALS, OPERATION MANAGEMENT DOES NOT MAINTAIN BASIC STANDARDS. HANDLING, SERVICE, AND DAMAGES ARE ALWAYS ISSUES DESPITE COMPANY POLICIES.

CUTTING CORNERS TO MAKE MONEY IS THE BOTTOM LINE..

.THE COMPANY TRIES TO RUN A LEAN OPERATION AND IT BACKFIRES FOR BEING TOO LEAN. ITS HARD TO SELL THE SERVICE TO CUSTOMERS BECAUSE WHAT THEY EXPERIENCE IS NOT WHAT THE COMPANY PREACHES

HARDEST THING ABOUT WORKING AT ESTES IS TRYING TO MAINTAIN A CUSTOMER BASE BECAUSE OF SERVICE ISSUES.

THEIR IS BASICALLY A GOOD WORKFORCE OF DRIVERS. MOST OF THE SLACKERS WILL LEAVE OR BE TERMED.

THE HUB MANAGEMENT SHOULD ALL BE FIRED BECAUSE OF THE POOR HANDLING OF CUSTOMERS PRODUCT.(TRAINING OR LACK OF TRAINING IS OBVIOUS)

THE HUBS ARE PRESSURED TO MOVE AS MUCH FREIGHT AND TO CUBE OUT TRAILERS REGARDLESS....AND THE DESTINATION TERMINALS COMPLAIN ABOUT THE HUBS...VICIOUS CYCLE...THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE VP IS RESPONSIBLE FOR BOTH HUB AND TERMINAL...SO THE VP'S TALK OUT OF BOTH SIDES OF THEIR MOUTH..LOOSE, LOOSE SITUATION.

THE HUBS ARE BETTER TO MOVE THE PRODUCT IS A SAFE MANOR AND MISS SERVICE THEN TO JAM IT INTO THE TRAILERS. SERVICE ISSUES...LATE PICK-UPS, DAMAGES, THE CYCLE STARTS AGAIN

THE DESTINATION TERMINALS THEN DEAL WITH THE "SLOP" THAT COMES OUT OF THE TRAILERS AND TAKES FOREVER TO UNLOAD AND RE-STACK AND LOAD.

IF YOU COULD FIX THE HUB ISSUES (HANDLING, NOT ENOUGH DRIVERS, EQUIPMENT, MAINTAINING CUT/ARRIVAL TIMES...THIS WOULD ELIMINATE 90% OF CUSTOMERS ISSUES AND PROMOTE A FAVORABLE ATTITUDE WITH DESTINATION TERMINAL MANAGERS AND DELIVERY DRIVERS.

THIS IS NOT THE WAY TO BECOME A MAJOR PLAYER IN THIS BUSINESS... CUSTOMERS ARE IN A REVOLVING DOOR SYNDROME..

If you want to be stressed out every day and work for a company where the harder you work, the only reward is more work, then this is the company for you. Like spending time with family or need time off to take care of personal things? Good luck! Unrealistic tasks such as trying to deliver a 5k lb pallets of bricks to people's homes with nothing but a busted up pallet jack and a liftgate, that you stress out trying to even get to because it's down some small country road and you have a 53ft trailer. Prepare to have you're body destroyed from the back breaking physical work moving pallets around on you're trailer cause it will always be loaded backwards and most all the freight is falling over or busted up. Guess who has to fix that? Yep, you! Daily! Once injured and no longer any use to them, you'll be forced out for sure, seen it many times. Pay is not terrible, but nowhere near what it should be. Benefits are okay. Just when you've had a long hard, stressful day and finally get back to the yard thinking you're gonna be able to go home, be ready to be told to get an empty and go back out to do a swap. Every day! Need a day off? Good luck! Always told can't have more then 2 people off. Vacations are only approved when it's convenient for them, not you. Equipment there is terrible! Most trucks are disgusting inside and out, never cleaned or washed. The insides are so bad sometimes you feel like you'll be infected just sitting in them. Pallet jacks are always broke. Always! Management only cares about bonuses, and constantly nit-pick over little things. Trucks won't idle more then 2 mins, so be prepared to sweat you're butt off in the summer, and be cold in the winter. Try and idle em longer, you'll get pulled in the office and get wrote up. 

In general for daytime P&D work, you will be operating poor/older equipment in a grubby environment, doing many stops in potentially tricky situations. Your CDL and health will be at risk. In exchange, the pay is decent and there is a daytime weekday schedule.
Remember to calculate your actual pay rate because OT is not until 48hrs. Additionally, 8hrs per day is not guaranteed.

Having worked at different terminals, management styles can vary. 299 in particular seemed to nickel and dime/micromanage the drivers excessively (moreso than other terminals) perhaps for management to hit bonuses. For example:

*After rushing to complete many stops and satisfying customers throughout the day, skipping breaks and holding your bladder to save time, drivers can be questioned why they worked 8hrs and 15mins.
*Drivers shown GPS maps of the previous 7 hour workday and questioned on individual turns, 2-minute stops, and length of time for fueling.
*During the summer, drivers are told that after manually loading thousands of dollars worth of freight, they are to "sit under a tree to do paperwork" rather than spend a minimal amount of money idling the truck for air-conditioning.
*Drivers are strongly encouraged to solicit new freight contracts from customers. There will be no commission earned from the $250k deal, but you will be rewarded with a new backpack.
*Meetings where drivers are threatened with write-ups for "loafing" if seen having conversations in the yard.

I can not recommend this unprofessional environment, remenicent of teens working in a fast-food restaurant, for experienced professional drivers.

As a CDL A P&D driver, I really enjoyed my time at Estes Lewiston, ME terminal. If you like to hustle and problem solve and enjoy customer service, then this is a great terminal to work out of. I came in knowing very little about Less Than Load trucking, and my co-workers sensed that right off the bat. A large percentage of them would constantly be looking over my shoulder to make sure I understood the best way to do the job, like a bunch of big brothers, and it was clear that they cared and wanted me to be successful.
Problem solving comes in organizing your freight, and at times, trying to find ways to get what they call "Ugly Freight" off the truck with a combination of loading techniques and possible customer assistance. Nearly everyday was a challenge, but that's what you are paid for, and paid very well.
The terminal manager is the most skillful manager I've ever worked for and probably ever will work for. He has insight into precisely the type of interaction, guidance, encouragement, and discipline that a given person needs and he really understands all personality types, which is where the skill comes in. I am no longer employed there as a result of my own actions, but I would say it would have been a life long job otherwise.

One CON about Estes as a whole is that they deduct lunches from your pay whether you take them or not and the workload is such that expected delivery times push you into not taking a lunch so that you can satisfy customers thus you lose a half-hour pay. The pay is great but the lunch issue is something that should be rectified.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Truck driver 361 salaries reported	$34.43 per hour
Local driver 11 salaries reported	$37.45 per hour
Over the road truck driver 3 salaries reported	$8,182 per week
Diesel mechanic 101 salaries reported	$36.91 per hour
Forklift operator 42 salaries reported	$25.47 per hour

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