dock worker

truck driver

human resources generalist

Oak Harbor Freight Lines

My day would start by coming in and saying good morning to the staff. No one would answer, everyone hated being there. The work itself, which I loved, was overwhelming because we were short staffed. Each day we scrambled to get as much processed as possible, knowing that it would be impossible to get everything done that needed to be done. We tried to keep up on phone calls and requests for payment but that was also a losing battle. We processed thousands of payables monthly and handled daily cash recs, weekly check runs, monthly costing reports, quarterly and annual taxes and reports. The overtime became more of my paycheck than my regular pay would have been. I was middle management which added managing personnel and reporting to upper management to my daily processing duties. There is a continuing labor problem between the management and the Teamsters Union. There was a strike in 2008 and Union workers are still working without a contract. Wages are frozen and they have healthcare but no pension and the whole mess is still in court with the NLRB. This has made a mess out of what used to be a great place to work. We used to celebrate birthdays, go out to lunch at least twice a year on the Company, always had a Christmas get together, and annual awards banquet. The banquets have been stopped, no company lunches at all and last year for Christmas the Company told us they couldn't stop us from bringing our own stuff for a lunch (on our regular lunch time) but they wouldn't be supplying anything and no one from management would attend.

I was a local p&D driver for Oak Harbor Freight Lines for just over 5 years. I started out as a part time dock worker with full intensions of obtaining my CDL and becoming a truck driver. I did just that!! The company offered a dock to driver program that I took full advantage of. From there I officially became a truck driver. My Start time was 9:00 am and began driving a solo liftgate to Seattle. This was awful! I was delivering the most horrible, biggest, heaviest, most awkward kinds of freight in the most tight, dangerous, unsafe of areas. When bids came around the following year I started at noon and was instantly happier with the type of work offered. From 12-5 you're delivering and picking up. After lunch you're doing trailer swaps at night. Easy money, easy work. Dispatch was alright... Little unorganized, but overall okay. The retirement is awful. With this 401k program you'll be working until you're 90 years old. 95% of the truck fleet are automatics which is fantastic. This is a good company for someone to start out driving at, but there are better LTL companies out there with better pay and better full pension retirements. Dispatch has Their favorites and will give the "gravy work" to Their buddies and drivers they like. If you're new or someone they don't like you're gunna get dumped on with the most undesirable routes. Hopefully this helps! 

I was told upon hire P&D drivers make upwards of 70K, MAYBE after 10 years when you eventually get off swing shift and work 12 hour days with OT. We are too stupid to math I guess, but it is still decent hourly so I let it slide. But on swing where you will start, 5 hour days are not uncommon so be prepared to "call it" at 8 when you started at 3 a couple/multiple times a month.  I was told you would fill in for a hostler  every now and then, try multiple times a week as a new P&D driver. The dispatchers/managers on the 2:00pm - 11:00 shift are dating. They give favor to drivers they like and dump on drivers they dont, be it with truck selection or tasks to complete for better hours. Office management is so out of touch with the yard dispatch does what they like and their word is law, basically office management is not engaged with the drivers whatsoever aside from friendly conversation.  Most trucks are pushing a million miles, I red tagged 3 trucks in 2 days once. If you are the type to show up and do your job quietly and not get involved too much you might do well, other than that be prepared for high school social politics. 

Work-life balance
Work-life balance at Oak Harbor Freight Lines is okay I guess depending on your shift.

Pay & benefits
My pay and benefits at Oak Harbor Freight Lines are I didn't have any benefits, pay was low never got a raise (everyone else did though)

Job security and advancement
In terms of job security at Oak Harbor Freight Lines, I think were terrible. Everyone I knew when I first started was gone or leaving about a month or two.

Management
In general, managers at Oak Harbor Freight Lines are salesman...they tell you what you want to hear and completely switch it around

Culture
Collaboration with my colleagues at Oak Harbor Freight Lines is the worst experience I ever had. The lead man would show up whenever he wanted. We were a 2 man crew and he showed up at different times, told the Terminal manager he wanted myself to have less hours so he could get more.

Overall
My experience working at Oak Harbor Freight Lines was the one of the worst job experiences in my life. I was hired for outbound worked part time while having an hour commute...but the new lead man told the Terminal manager to cut my hours and they did. Just an overall bad time in my life

Work-life balance
Work-life balance at Oak Harbor Freight Lines is not what it could be.

Pay & benefits
My pay and benefits at Oak Harbor Freight Lines are better than most freight company’s. Over time after 8 hrs. Benifits will never exceed 2% of your income. Your hourly rate will depend on your skills and position.

Job security and advancement
In terms of job security at Oak Harbor Freight Lines, I think once you get past your probation period you will be fine. Unless you begin costing the company money.

Management
In general, managers at Oak Harbor Freight Lines try to meet there goals.

Culture
Collaboration with my colleagues at Oak Harbor Freight Lines is decent. Every driver has been at the bottom of the list. Most of the senior drivers will offer you guidance. MOST NOT ALL !!!

Overall
My experience working at Oak Harbor Freight Lines has been a nightmare. Trying to get your truck loaded in the morning is horrible. You must have patience. Looking for your freight is like Easter egg hunting. Literally!!

The company seems to have a hard time attracting and retaining quality people.  Although this seems to be true throughout the industry. Most workers are aging out of this physically demanding job and younger people are not interested in working this hard. The pay is several dollars an hour less than what national LTL carriers offer but the benefits are better and  there are less corporate hassels because it is still a family owned company. It all depends on what is most important to you. It's transportation so don't expect any kind of work life balance. If that's what you are looking for, go back to school and learn another trade. I think the company honestly tries to live up to their motto of "Family 1st " but the demands of the industry often override even the best of intentions. Good luck with your decision making process.  Hope this helps. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
Seniority gets you nothing.
No time to recover from injury as there is no light duty activities.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Physically demanding,irregular dispatching 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
My way or the highway mentality.
They say they listen,but what they are listening to are for people who dont go with thier flow

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
First i wait for a dispatch by text,usually 5:30 am telling me what time i need to report in,usually 2hours notice but most times less than that.several ASAP moments.
When u arrive to work they will assign you a tractor and inform you of your tasks for the day
No matter your work load you are required to take a 30 min “lunch” break,often very conflicting and seldom at your convience.
Most days are 10-12 hrs some days more some days less

I have a good shift, so I cannot say everyone will have a good shift, most drivers are jerked around and work long hours .. when you start is when you get off, as a driver, meanwhile the company waives the "Family First" flag. Compensation is solid, if you're looking for hours, there's always work to do. Drivers sit in the break room for sometimes 2 and occassionally 3 hours waiting to go. There is no employee-handbook. The attendance and call-in policy is not understandable, and management cannot really explain it well enough nor apply it uniformly. However their boxers smell that day determines how they will apply their unintelligible inconsistent attendance policy. They treat employees well on average. The supervisors for the most part operate okay. This is a decent company to work for, considering its issues in some of those other areas.

started out as a coder, worked my way up to biller, then to dispatcher assistant, os&d, and rate clerk. i learned everything about the industry and enjoyed every thing as i did. worked well with management didn't receive bad reports and they were always will to allow me to advance and pick where i wanted to because if i work for a place i am more likely to do a great job if i know and believe in the company i am working for. hardest part of my job was when our company grew and they separated the different kind of employee thinking it would help productivity and it did the opposite. working in different fields and with different people and learning all i could

What is the best part of working at the company?
They have pretty good low-cost health insurance

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Terminal managers and operations manager gives no support to supervisors favoritism is very high with certain drivers and when they decide they don’t like you, they will come up with reasons or cut your hours to get you to quit

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Extremely toxic environment, terminal manager and operations manager are not on the same page and everybody else at the terminal feels it

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
As operation supervisor, my main job was to come in and beg the drivers to do their job as a P&D driver. My job was to pick up and deliver all the freight that other drivers didn’t want to do.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Dock worker 3 salaries reported	$21.67 per hour
Truck driver 1 salary reported	$30.54 per hour
Human resources generalist 1 salary reported	$53,000 per year

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