Walmart here I come!

6023 Sutherland

 

Oh ok 10 4 I'm out of hope mills

 

So I went to the DC in Grove City, OH yesterday for the pre-trip, road test, and drug screen. The pre-trip went well. I started at the front of the truck, opened the hood and commenced to naming everything I knew and seen using the phrase "mounted securely" "no obvious leaks" and "no bulges, tears or other visual damage". It was fine....I missed two things, the city and road horn check in the cab. Excitement I guess, the tester said I could have missed 12 things and 30 minutes was the time limit.

The road test was like driving my line haul run. The tester told me where he wanted me to go, I knew the area so I was on auto pilot. We talked like a couple of guys would out for a drive. Happens that the tester knew some people from my current employer and he was involved in our state TDC so those commonalities made the drive easy. He had me set up to back into the dock.....between two trailers. I told him the process I was going to perform, which was to spin around for a straight line back in. He said that was great that I seen this option but wanted me to do an angled approached. No problem, I wheeled in and got set up and pulled the brakes, told him I was gonna get out and look, when I came back he asked if I was nervous about backing in between trailers. I said "No, they are all long boxes, its kinda sketchy backing a 28' pup between two 53' trailers". I tapped twice on the city horn and backed up 25 feet going into the hole and he looked out the mirror and saw i was well on my way successfully and told me to stop and pull out he knew I could do it. Kinda nice I thought.

After the road test he took me back to the HR people and told them "This guy is terrible, send him for a drug test". That too went fine, now I guess I wait.

A couple of observations. All the drivers I encountered were friendly. The waved when passing on the yard, on the road, etc. The tester said that was apart of the culture at Walmart and that it is kinda policed by everyone. These people are genuinely happy. I had a chance to speak with a couple drivers while waiting for my road test and the feedback I got from them really was insightful. They both came from the LTL (both had 8 years service with Walmart) world and had the same concerns as I do about switching jobs. They expressed no regrets and seemed satisfied. It was great being able to talk to "live" people who understood what I was thinking and the decision I was trying to make. Lastly, the doctor that performed my physical said to me, as we finished up, that he performs all the DOT physicals for two Walmart DC's. about 250-300 drivers. He said that from his observation of all the Walmart drivers he sees, the positive comments are overwhelming. Most say its the best driving job they have ever had and that they should have started at Walmart sooner. He did say that a couple (like 2) complain, but isn't there a couple of folks that are never happy? BTW, the doctor's comments were unsolicited on my part, he just said he wanted me to know how good of a company Walmart is.

I brought my wife with me for this whole experience, she spent most of the time in my pickup studying (she's almost done with her nursing degree 5/2017), however she did go into the physical and sat with me during my exam and was impressed that the doctor would say something like that about Walmart. At the end of the day it's our family changing jobs, she has her concerns too, I never really considered that before until now, guess that comes with age LOL.

More to follow........

 

Just passed the phone interview for mount crawford, va. Now waiting for a call to setup roadtest. Was told it could be quick because they're trying to get the road tests done by the end of the year. Anybody on here out of mount crawford?

 

Congrats. I was very uneasy and unsure until about half way thru orientation. Many questions were answered by then. Others took until my 1st full 2 weeks alone.

 

If you do make the move, and your wife is able, have her come out with you. Walmart encourages family to go out with the drivers. They are very family oriented, and try to include everyone. Our son has a very nice Walmart Transportation jacket that the GTM gave him, and I sew the drivers patches on shirts that he has that are like Rick's. When he goes with Rick, he is a Walmart mini me. LOL (well, not so mini anymore, he is taller than Daddy). Our son now works for Safeway (he is 14) and is sad because his ability to go with his father will be almost non existant now.

Oh, btw, nice write-up. When Rick was going through the process, the thing that amazed him the most was how happy everyone was. Yes, there are always complainers (these are the people who could win $10 million in the lottery, and complain because the week before it was $15 million). You learn who they are very quickly, and avoid them.

 

I came from LTL also. Been with WM for 2 months now and seriously, it's the best job I have had. period

Figuring it on my own, I'm grossing 1700 a week and don't really know the system yet. The money is there to make, and you coming from LTL, you're already used to running hard. The only thing you will have to get used to is not watching your back all the time.

Message me if you want.

 

Interesting.....I mean the "not having to watch your back" quote. I feel like that all the time. It's a pretty crappie feeling to know that people you have run with for years now will stick it to you in an instant.

Thanks for the insight.

 

Wow a former coworker of mine got suspended for eating a grape. A darn grape!!! With companies switching to these in cab cameras (for cheaper insurance). Will drivers continue to just quit/get fired. Or will drivers put there foot down?

The industry got ppl mad with the rollout of csa 2010. Then the $3250 cell phone ticket in 2012. And now since 2014 its been camera's. Will the next move be a camera in the sleeper, to make sure your getting 10hrs sleep?

 

Eye lid monitors.