from WAL-MART PRIVATE FLEET to SUPERIOR CARRIERS LTD

This will be a continuing THREAD !!!

Check back daily as I update and answer any questions from members of this foreum about either of the 2 companies and weigh them side by side in an UNBIASED fashion.


This THREAD will be based on an experienced driver whom resigned from agueably the best trucking job in the nation (WAL-MART) and found himself on the outside looking in. This is a story of SUCCESS and HARD WORK with tons of DEDICATION to the industry in which made me a living for so many years.

Please stay tuned I will label my entrys by the day and will address each and every valid question presented to this THREAD.

Thanks for reading . I hope you enjoy ...

Ky 24

 

ENTRY 1

The story starts in MAY 2008. I am called into the GTM's office in WALMART terms thats GENERAL TRANSPORTATION MANAGER and told that I was on the block for transfer if they did not get plenty of volunteers. The General Merchandise Warehouses aka GMDC or REGIONAL DC's were slow of freight and they must slide drivers to HVDC's (High Viloscity Distrubution Center) aka Grocery DC

Walmart came up with a master plan called REMIX which took the top 250 selling GM (general merchandise) items and transfered them to the HVDC in doing this they took the slow 100 items from GROCERY DC and sent them to the GM DC . The result was slow work at the REGIONAL facilities and a stronger work load in the HVDC arena.

The items took from REGIONAL consisted of High cube items such as

• Toliet Paper
• Water
• Soda
• Dog Food
• Washing Powders
• Paper towels
• Trash bags / other paper goods

To name just a few in each of those just few catorgories you have several different top selling brands which help to make up the product matrix of the 250 metioned above

In return the REGIONAL got low cube items or the lower selling 100 items such as

• Pork n Beans
• Gravy mixes
• Higher priced cerals
• other slow moving can goods etc

What this did was decrease the amount of outbound loads from the REGIONAL and increased capacity at HVDC's by 40% We saw our outbound loads decrease by 40% company wide in the REGIONAL capacity.

No loads means no work for everybody hence the transfer talk. I figured I would get a HVDC transfer to a HVDC closer to my home had 3 realitvely close 110, 150, 295 MILES . so I didnt worry much about it figuring I would get a position at one of those and still keep my job.

WRONG ... I got a offer for LEWISTON MAINE which was roughly a 1800 mile move for my family . I have 3 girls (13,8,7) and my wife to think of and they did not want to go and live in an IGLOO in Maine . Never the less we thought about it and we decided to resign my position at WALMART and look for something else. That was the option given take it or leave it they have 1000's of applications just waiting to have your job.
So I did what was best for my family not finacially by no means but for family sake.
My wife is an RN so we have a second income which is good to fall back on so we would not sink to the bottom of the earth but we do have bills so I had to think fast

I drove for WALMART from Feb 2004 to May 2008 and my just over 4 years did not give me enough seniority to get closer than that to home.

Now dont get me wrong .....

I am not mad at them nor hold a grudge They have a business to run and they have to do what they have to , to be able to stay afloat like anyone else. They did offer me a position just too far for us to move off from friends and family and no guarantee of wife a job up there either not to mention property was almost double if not slightly more and my wage would be the same but RN wages from what she found on the net were slighly less than she got where she currently works. and not to mention our girls

They treated me GREAT some of the nicest people you will ever work for and you get to run 100% legal go home every week and make good money. My last year was 69k plus
worked 235 days off 130 (give or take a few rough estimate)

I drove 97 miles one way to work as the trucks have to stay at the terminals for maint etc.

Walmart paid me off the HUB and never shorted me a dime and always double and tripple checked my pay each week for acuratacy . Ever needed extra time off never a problem neither paid or if you had no days on the books you could take a VTO (voluntary time off) for no pay .

I took the resignation option as stated above and they let me check out other companies to see if I thought I could find a good fit and if not could still take the transfer if wanted ....
(PRETTY NICE I THOUGHT)

I went to BARR NUNN orientation in Cloumbus Ohio , What a joke .. They got more guys coming into that small terminal turning trucks in than they can get qualified as employees . This is a rough crowd and not what I was used to so I quit in orientation went back home to WALMART and looked somemore. Barr Nunn just wasnt what I had in mind and mind you I had been out of the real world trucking and pampered for over 4 years. No way was I going there.
I did like the fact that they are owned by a

US MARINE in which I am also so SEMPER FI..... DEVIL DOGS...

I also liked their band pay for minuamual miles and extra HAZMAT pay . but other than that nope not for me ... They also told me could be home weekly till I got there and then changed the story to 14/17 out 2 home

The only complaint I have on them is they DAC'ed me for NO REASON wasnt even a employee but I got that taken off because when I left I made them sign a paper I made on the trusty laptop here and submitted it to DAC SERVICES and it was removed ...

Bar Nun pays PRACTICAL MILES which was also a plus for them ...

Next ...

Called HEARTLAND EXPRESS because of their higher mileage pay and ability to be regional but after talking to a number of their drivers at truckstops and on the CB most were averaging 1800 to 2000 per week and some less. They also pay off HHG for miles which is short 10-12% so you would run 2200 to get 2000 pay and NO acessory pay such as drop hook etc .....
Also found out NO power inverters at all.... not even the small ones you can plug into the cig lighter some one burned down a truck some years back or thats what I was told and they banned them all .. To get laptop power they have a approved converter you can use which cost like 60 bucks and good for nothing but.

Anyway didnt go there...

Called a small company called KOCH (pronounced COOK) which had a KMART account based out of the KMART DC in Lawerence KS so I took a job with them ..

They are a pretty good company as long as you are not OTR for them you will set. The owners own allot of other things like Logistics, National Lease, (aka a franchise of NL called KOCH NATIONAL LEASE) in which they have a pretty good LP program with a good sucess rate and pass on 100% surcharge but I went company driver.

Long story short they are a good outfit and will bend over backwards for you just get on a dedicated run like

• KMART
• ONAN
• CUMMINS
• BEST BUY

The owners of KOCH own a small percentage of BEST BUY and thus the dedicated account they run volvo 660's with APU units with shore power they do have some PRO-STAR NAVASTARS but like 40 of them and not getting anymore .

I got home weekly and made about $950-1000 per week . got $20.00 per drop usually had 2/3 drops on a trailer. good health benefits and 401k.

They pay Rand Mcnally miles

Always got paid on time and never late or wrong ... pay you correct ...

They were good to work for but I got a chance to go to a local company and be home more (a mistake) cause I dont make anything close to what I need and work like a slave to get what I do . I now deliver hard ware for DIB (do it best) which is small mom and pop hardware stores usually 10-13 drops per trailer. $11.00 each and 0.40 cpm make about $700 per week. ALL hand unload 50 pd boxes of nails 80pd bags of quick crete no pallets lift gates nothing me and a 2 wheel doly ... most truck loads have anywhere from 900 to 1400 cases depending on amount of drops and weigh about 17 to 20,000 pounds dont sound like much till you finger print it all.. okward stuff not like breaking down a pallet Ive done that peice of cake compared to this . 102 degrees , rain, snow or -10 (windchill)which was last load in Nebraska it all comes off no question and no help..

Been there since JULY (still there)

Would have went back to KOCH they would take me back but they did not have any dedicated openings only OTR but said I could go on the waiting list for a dedicated opening in which I did . But I just dont dig the OTR division for KOCH some may like it but not for me. I did like the time I spent their and the KMART account and my dispatcher was AWESOME no doubt about it at all .. I made a dumb move thinking the grass was greener but it definetly was not If I had it to do over again and did not find SUPERIOR CARRIERS I would be at KOCH no doubt in my mind. They tell the truth and expect you to they are honest folks or they were to me.. Dumb mistake on my part I left for my reasons nothing KOCH did to me they were great and put a GREAT commit on my DAC also how many companies do that????? said I was a GREAT DRIVER and left under favorable conditions and reccomended for rehire...

Came across a website for SUPERIOR BULK LOGISTICS which is the mother ship for SUPERIOR CARRIERS . they are a big player in Bulk Tank freight by truck and RAIL and also have a Small FOOD GRADE division called CARRY TRANSIT which only does food grade tank and some Rail ..
I saw they had a small terminal in Memphis TN which is a 147 mile drive for me not much more than what I was driving to go to WALMART .

I called the corporate office as they do not have a recruiting department and ask if there were any openings Told them I was interested in Memphis or Nashville TN terminals . He told me he didnt know for the terminal managers hire their own drivers based on need and with a low turn over acutally 4.5% you never know someone might be retiring so he asked me if I wanted to be connected to Memphis I said yes (
(GLAD i DID)

This may be the answers to all my prayers ... They pay just like WALMART did pretty well and any way talked to terminal manager whom is awesome they are very laid back . very nice folks ...

Told me to fill out an application asked me a few questions she asked me of my employement history I hid nothing and explained my recent hopping and why it was. They were very understanding .. and said premier companies are hard to come by I understand the job switches after WALMART and will not hold it against me Other than the ones Mentioned above I have only had 2 jobs in 10 years ..
Clean MVR
Nothing on anything ....

Anyway submit application and get a call the very next day (Saturday) on the managers day off to offer me the job as long as physical/ drug test are good / passed and I pass drive test.
I accepted ..

My employment will be all verified next Monday and should start tanker training the next day or Wednesday depends on when it all gets verified..

Next entry ..............

In the next entry I will compare the 2 companies side by side in a short pay summary entry and also answer any questions anyone has so far. Thanks for reading I hope you have enjoyed thus far.

BE SAFE

ky24

 

ENTRY #2 and Q/A session

I am going to breifly answer the questions that have been posted thus far and try to give the answers you are looking for if you have any further questions on the same topic I ask you to be more specific if I did not give the answer you are looking for

Q1 from MRJUGGALO9ER
Basically asking if I condoned them being a major chineese retailer now and buying more chinesse imports?
A1 = No I do not support them in their actions and none do most all WALMART DRIVERS past or present. Since MR. SAM died followed by BUD WALTON (sams brother) and most recent in 2007 Helen (sams wife) they have done all they could to buy cheap and run over folks . When SAM was alive he bought 94% of all goods from AMERICAN COMPANIES and coined the phrases BRING IT HOME TO THE USA and ALWAYS!! for ALWAYS LOW PRICES. and wrote the book AMERICAN MADE . Both of the coined phrases were featured on WALMART truck mudflaps for years until recetly as you will now see a plain white as they do not do SAMS catch phrases any longer . They also are going away from the folks that made them who they are THE COMMON EVERY DAY WORKER. I think that the practices of the recent years buying from MEXICO and China Are the reasons as to why business go over seas or accross border. Cheap labor for a cheaper product WALMART will buy. Thus cutting the AMERICAN workforce. and hurting our economy in an industrial standpoint. If you can sell it to WALMART for 0.3 cents they want it for 0.2 I have heard of them tell companies to get the product price down by reducing the packaging materials etc or buy or put in less material or cut work force to hit the price points.
Hope that helps answer your question I do not support their every move but they are good to their drivers for sure.

Q2 from KINGHUNTER (three part question)
Trucks compared to Superior Carriers trucks
A1 Walmart and Superior trucks are really the same both drive small bunk International Eagle 9200i with 48 in bunks and cabinet packages with cab curatins (the ones that go around the windows in front)
Superior trucks have dual air ride seats.. WALMART do not passanger in WM truck are staionary.
Both are starit 10 speeds SUP = spicer WM = eaton/fuller

Superior has onboard scales WM does not

WM has TRI-PAC apu no shore power SUP = does not but heard they are as the upgrade fleet.

Engines both CUMMINS

WM has a air realease for fith wheel pin (no pulling pins) SUP does not

Q1a.. Benfits comparison (KINGHUNTER)

A1a By far in SUPPERIORS favor WALMART is self insured and pays BCBS (blue cross blue shld) to administer their health plans but funded by WALMART . best plan they have is a $350 per person deductable plan
thats per person now...
then 80/20
no dr visit copay (meaning you pay 20% of the visit and if they run blood work or other test your 20% for a dr visit could be up to $500 or more but a regular check up probally looking at 25-30 bucks your costs

Drugs good for they own a pharmacy
10/20/35 copays

DENTAL 1000 per year might be 1200 not sure
no orthadonics....

NO vision 10% discount at WALMART VISION CENTERS.

Family plan cost = for all above mentioned 235.16 every 2 weeks

short term paid by walmart

long term aval at 7% gross wage every 2 weeks pays 65% benefit

SUPERIOR =

80/20 PLAN
20 dollar co pays

dental 1500 per year

drugs 10/25

short term paid by superior

long term paid by superior 70% benefit

50 k life paid by superior

family plan cost $37.13 per week

Q1b Pay ?? (KINGHUNTER)
A2b King I am gonna cover this in my entry tomorrow with a side by side I can say it is very close probally a small edge walmart depending on work ethic and activity pay (you will see tomorrow in entry 3 )

Q1c Happeir at Supperior or would you go back to walmart?(KING HUNTER)
A1c I planned on being at walmart till i retired but SUPPERIOR looks really good and about the same automsphere from what I can tell they are just as picky (which I like) and both log 100% legal.. no exceptions...
but to answer the question if I was not forced out by transfer I would still be at walmart for sure I was extremly happy there.
things happen for a reason it is the MASTER PLAN I truly believe in that. I am happy with where this road has taken me it has had some bumps since WALMART over the past few months but I think all is good now.
If WALMART called me back tomorrow I would have to think really hard Superior is gonna be a great outfit also and the people are AWESOME at the MEMPHIS and Corporate from the ones I have spoken to.
Be a hard decision .... probally stay put... but would have to think hard very hard for sure.... time will tell..
KOCH was a good out fit also as you will see in entry 1 (nice also) might give them a look I dont reccomend many companies but these three for sure KOCH being #3 but still good to be on my list I am very critical.

Q3 from WALLEYE
Why did you leave WALMART ?
A3 I think this is covered in entry 1 it was not a easy decision but family before money 100% of the time no varience. wish it would have ended up different meaning no REMIX freight but they gotta do what they gotta do... may end up being better for my family in the end .. definetly not gonna loose much if anything..at all in the end I admit the first few months was a shock to the system though. but you have to be dedicated to the trade and your family and never give up till you replace the job you were forced to loose (if you can) my case is looking good not due to taking my licks though.
Thanks for the question ...


Thanks to all the questions that were submitted today .. I will give entry 3 now on tomorrow unless I feel froggy tonight (possible) so stay tuned and submitt your questions and commits be glad to report my findings

BE safe


KY24