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\t\t\t\t\tThis is a 4 month review and I\u2019ll update as time goes. 4 months isn\u2019t a very long time, so any experiences are subject to change, but here\u2019s my review at this point.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
Overview of company:
Predominantly reefer company out of Le Mars, Iowa that\u2019s the main carrier for Blue Bunny ice cream. Also have lots of freight that come from Tyson plants in the northern Nebraska and western Iowa locations such as Storm Lake, IA and Council Bluffs, IA. Also the primary carrier for pulling dry van loads for Bomgaar\u2019s Supply stores. It\u2019s a 48 state carrier that\u2019s typically out for 3 weeks on an \u2018out and back\u2019 style of running. If you take a load from Iowa to Georgia for example, your next load or the one afterwards will almost certainly be back towards Iowa. It can get repetitive at times, but it also means a lot less 300 mile loads just cause they paid well off a load board. No driver facing cameras.<\/p>\n
My Pay, Equipment, and Miles here:<\/b> My reasoning for why it\u2019s my favorite:<\/b> \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
I\u2019m making 56cpm with a 5cpm bonus paid out monthly to total 61cpm. Bonus is don\u2019t be late due to driver error and be safe, and it\u2019s guaranteed. Speeding isn\u2019t very strictly watched either. Can run 3mph over all day, everyday if you choose and no one will complain. You\u2019ll pay the consequences if you\u2019re ticketed though. Benefits are above average with 401k matching, and PTO accrues from day one. I\u2019ve only worked with one dispatcher<\/a> so my experience is based off working with him, but I\u2019ve averaged 3100 miles a week with an average length of haul of around 1000 miles. Have had 4 2000+ mile loads and regularly see loads upwards of 13-1500. The equipment is a slight con, solely for the fact that they run International LT\u2019s. All are 2019 and newer with a Cummins and well-maintained, but we all know how International build quality is. Reliable fleet, but definitely not luxury. They\u2019re not \u2018brand loyal\u2019 and I have seen some brand new KW\u2019s getting stickered, so maybe they\u2019re making a swap in trucks over the next couple of years. Trucks are governed at 69.<\/p>\n
I know, you read through all that and thought \u2018well, that\u2019s decent. Doesn\u2019t stand out much from many other reefer companies, though.\u2019 When I was looking to make a jump to the reefer side, I was looking for true 48-state carrier with long runs, and that\u2019s what I found here. Might not be the highest paid out here or the fastest truck, but I\u2019m having fun with trucking that I didn\u2019t find at other OTR companies. I also feel some stability and a sense of family here. A lot of the employees on the office side are all locals and making careers out of the company since it\u2019s in small town Iowa. This means everything from payroll to dispatch runs smoothly and the owner is even in at the office everyday like any other employee. Being a 50 year old company with steady growth also adds a nice sense of job security. Will I be here for 15 years? Probably not. But knowing that I have the job security to make a career out of one company if I choose is a nice feeling.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n