Hotline Freight

I have been watching your thread to see what you have found out, but still no answer. I was wondering myself, they keep running adds around here for p & d as well as linehaul, but I have never heard of them before, might be a new startup company.

 

Their site says:


16 terminals, 200 employees, 125 tractors, and 250 53’ trailers.

In business since 1988.





They might be growing and that's why they are running ads. It seems they also run expedited.

 

I saw they were hiring in the Green Bay, Wi area so I called a guy I used to work with who lives out by their headquarters and when I mentioned "Hot Line" to him all he said was "You do not want to work there". They may have some newer equipment but some of their stuff is pretty ratty.

 

Not a good place to work. No benefits, they promise a lot in safety bonuses, but you will never see a dime. Worked here for 20 months and was lied to on a daily basis.

 

My dad worked for hotline freight. He did linehaul out of Madison. He had no complaints but they couldn't give him the hours he wanted. Said he wanted to run more but they didn't have the work for it.

 

Watch out for Hotline freight in Rockford Illinois. They dispatch based solely on favoritism as well as spite. If you go out and party with a select group on Saturday night (dispatchers and so called management), buy lots of rounds of shots and beers for everyone - while making a complete fool of yourself: you will get a lighter work load the following week. If you dont do what is written above or don't show up to the tavern, you will get a much increased work load to cover for the people that only make 1 or 2 deliveries and come back with 1 or 2 pick ups on a 53ft trailer. If you bring in a nice hot breakfast sandwich from mcdMcDonal for the lead dispatchers (I use that term very loosly)...you will also qualify for a smaller workload and will get to sit at the truck stop (while on the clock). Then, they can't figure out why they're bleeding hundred dollar bills. They claim that everyone has to have hazmat cert. The truth is, less than 5 percent of the drivers can pass the fingerprint / background check. All the others who do not qualify are still dispatched in regular fasion. The hazmat drivers now have to pull double and triple duty going into another person's area to pick up a load because "driver X" has a criminal record etc. You literally get punished if you have hazmat, doesn't pay to have it there from what I hear. This terminal runs out of toilet paper, paper towels, soap, ink for copy machine, DEF, dock guys use newspaper for coffee filters (because they ran out of those too) won't plow the lot in winter until everyone is stuck, won't buy any Diesel 911 until it's 40+ below 0 with wind chill -65 and then complain when multiple trucks won't start and blame the drivers. Dock guys damage freight with forklifts, then quietly load the damage way up in the nose so that when the driver / receiving notices it, the driver then has to take pictures and play phone tag with OS+D costing him valuable time. There goes more $ out the window. Almost every trailer you hook has at least one flat or several burnt out lights. Pre trip and post trip inspections are virtually non-existent here - just leave it for the next guy!! Dispatch is totally lost. Have many trucks overlapping into others areas while they let the favorites just sit. Don't know the difference between Wood Dale and Woodridge. These are all common complaints from multiple current and former drivers that have worked there at some point. How they compete with other ltl carriers that actually have their stuff together is a modern day wonder. If this terminal is like this, what are the others like?