Watkins and Shepard - Page 3 - Truckers' Trucking Forum | Message Board

red95king · **^ Top** #21 07.21.2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pharaun

Nice and easy when you have a Staples load.

Not so easy when its a Pier 1 load. If you don't care to fingerprint freight don't go with W/S.

ddog · **^ Top** #22 07.21.2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pharaun

The 30 day school was really good when we went. They covered a lot of material and a lot of things that you drive only in the western states....such as large mountains. The instructors were great and knowledgeable. W&S housed you right there at the terminal - most likely you would have a roommate. During the weekend and "after school" my roommate and I would practice driving the training trucks in the yard. I know it doesn't sound exciting, but the extra practice really helped.

At "graduation" they put you in a truck and assign you a load. No trainer for 6 more weeks or anything like that. After 3-4 months, you can sign up to go to their 3 day flatbed training and start driving a flatbed. They pay for your FB training time too. I would highly recommend W&S, especially if you're living in the west and would like to get home regularly.

Pharaun,

Could you be more specific on class cost, interest, payback period, and company contribution? Maybe their road rate range takes that into account, but no one rides for free. Even the rate range has time limits and specific costs associated with it. Recruiters will tell you those details after you ask 3 times in a row.

B-rad · **^ Top** #23 07.21.2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by ddog

Pharaun,

Could you be more specific on class cost, interest, payback period, and company contribution? Maybe their road rate range takes that into account, but no one rides for free. Even the rate range has time limits and specific costs associated with it. Recruiters will tell you those details after you ask 3 times in a row.

The cost of the training for 30 days is $4,000 and if you finance through Transportation Alliance Bank the interest rate is 7.75%. They require $250 at the time you enroll and then the loan payments are approximately $40 a week for 104 weeks. The first payment will be due a couple of weeks after you start driving. As long as you stay with W/S they will make the first $25 of your weekly payment leaving you a balance of $15 each week. If you leave W/S before the loan is paid in full the unpaid balance will be entirely your responsibility to pay off. The tuition also covers the cost to get you to the training site and lodging while you a there.

I am giving you this information from the letter I received from W/S detailing their pay and training.

Brad

ddog · **^ Top** #24 07.21.2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by B-rad

The cost of the training for 30 days is $4,000 and if you finance through Transportation Alliance Bank the interest rate is 7.75%. They require $250 at the time you enroll and then the loan payments are approximately $40 a week for 104 weeks. The first payment will be due a couple of weeks after you start driving. As long as you stay with W/S they will make the first $25 of your weekly payment leaving you a balance of $15 each week. If you leave W/S before the loan is paid in full the unpaid balance will be entirely your responsibility to pay off. The tuition also covers the cost to get you to the training site and lodging while you a there.

I am giving you this information from the letter I received from W/S detailing their pay and training.

Brad

Thanks Brad,

That's close to votech except living expenses double cost, and don't get fed/state/county financial assistance with company school. I'd want to pay off sooner even though only $1560 over almost 9 years. With low interest rates, almost paying off all loan principal and little interest. So $200 (or add $175 vs $15) payments would be done in about 1.7 years years, so not hanging over your head when making career decisions down line for family's sake.

Too bad they don't contribute 62.5% flat rate to what you contribute (25/40), but its still a very competitive rate and you have the job so really hard to beat any way you look at it. 6 to 8 weeks class is just long time to make bill payments in advance of classes no matter what route you take.

B-rad · **^ Top** #25 07.21.2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by ddog

Thanks Brad,

That's close to votech except living expenses double cost, and don't get fed/state/county financial assistance with company school. I'd want to pay off sooner even though only $1560 over almost 9 years. With low interest rates, almost paying off all loan principal and little interest. So $200 (or add $175 vs $15) payments would be done in about 1.7 years years, so not hanging over your head when making career decisions down line for family's sake.

Too bad they don't contribute 62.5% flat rate to what you contribute (25/40), but its still a very competitive rate and you have the job so really hard to beat any way you look at it. 6 to 8 weeks class is just long time to make bill payments in advance of classes no matter what route you take.

If you go to W/S from another training school you would go through a 10 day training class without pay and then be out with your truck/trailer at $.28 cpm and they reimburse $100 a month for 36 months or the cost of your school tuition.

danc694u · **^ Top** #26 07.22.2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by antc7

hm, thanks for all the info.

Any info on their New Jersey terminal?
Or driving from them while living in the east coast.

You can get out of New Jersey easy. You can get in just as easy LOL.

I could do a round a week to Jersey if I wanted...I did for about 3 weeks.

Generally, coming from Jersey, you will pick-up in Penn. and go to Ohio, then south. Or, being out of Jersey/Ohio/Michigan you will load out of Penn going to GA....Where you will be loaded out of Dalton, GA back to Jersey/Ohio/Michigan if you want.

If you are OTR...don't look for weekly turn arounds. Those are for regional drivers.

They try to get the regional drivers as close to 2500 miles a week as possible before turning him/her to the house.

Pharaun · **^ Top** #27 07.22.2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by B-rad

The cost of the training for 30 days is $4,000 and if you finance through Transportation Alliance Bank the interest rate is 7.75%. They require $250 at the time you enroll and then the loan payments are approximately $40 a week for 104 weeks. The first payment will be due a couple of weeks after you start driving. As long as you stay with W/S they will make the first $25 of your weekly payment leaving you a balance of $15 each week. If you leave W/S before the loan is paid in full the unpaid balance will be entirely your responsibility to pay off. The tuition also covers the cost to get you to the training site and lodging while you a there.

I am giving you this information from the letter I received from W/S detailing their pay and training.

Brad

Sorry guys... went on a mini vacation. This is what it was for the newbies 4 years ago too.

Oh also... if you decide to get into their insurance program, make sure you *really* need to have insurance as it was about $60 a week. It doesn't really sound like a lot, but it was a lot for us at the time. I sometimes wondered why we even signed up. lol

But overall, I still think they're a good company to work for.

B-rad · **^ Top** #28 07.23.2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pharaun

They do a lot of Missoula driving at first, but we also went on a couple trips to Seattle and LA with our trainers. You get the required amount of behind the wheel time in the class- I'm not sure what that is now, but it was something like 168 hours or somewhere around there. We would also practice on our own after school.

The first day of training is pretty much the day for paper work, introductions, and room assignments. They covered a few things, but yeah, we didn't get into a truck until the next day.

When you took the trips to Seattle and LA during training how many were in the truck and how was sleeping arranged.

Thanks again,

Brad

Pharaun · **^ Top** #29 07.23.2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by B-rad

When you took the trips to Seattle and LA during training how many were in the truck and how was sleeping arranged.

Thanks again,

Brad

Well, when we went to Seattle no one was really "sleeping" because it was a quick trip. We had a trainer and 2 students in the truck, so the truck could run constantly. However, we did end up staying at a Super 8. It was the same when we went to LA.

So we had a driver driving, one in the passenger, and one in the sleeper. Our truck had a bunk bed too.

antc7 · **^ Top** #30 07.24.2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by danc694u

You can get out of New Jersey easy. You can get in just as easy LOL.

I could do a round a week to Jersey if I wanted...I did for about 3 weeks.

Generally, coming from Jersey, you will pick-up in Penn. and go to Ohio, then south. Or, being out of Jersey/Ohio/Michigan you will load out of Penn going to GA....Where you will be loaded out of Dalton, GA back to Jersey/Ohio/Michigan if you want.

If you are OTR...don't look for weekly turn arounds. Those are for regional drivers.

They try to get the regional drivers as close to 2500 miles a week as possible before turning him/her to the house.

Thanks Dance,
The million dollar question I guess is, are the OTR guy pushing at least 3000 every week? Cause if that's the cause I'll prob need at least another 700 (3200 mi.) miles to stay OTR on tours.

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