Working for Wal-Mart: A Review

It's very rare I do a double drop and hook on the grocery side only pulling reefers because it's all live unloads at the stores. I have had a store ask me to move a trailer before though. We can either pay ourselves for the time involved or pay ourselves for the activity in that scenario, it's about the same amount of money either way. Some drivers just do it as a courtesy and don't bother with either.

Wait time is based off when you hit the arrival button at whatever vendor, store or dc you happen to be at. It's automatic and starts paying out after 45 minutes.

We have automatic truck washes at the DC's and it takes all of 5 minutes to run through that. A few of us who take a little more pride in it might spend another 30-45 minutes with brushes and power wands doing a little more detail washing because the auto wash is just a basic job that misses spots.

But that's all you have to do is run it thru the auto wash if that's how you want to do it. At my DC if the wash is down I the winter with nasty roads we can go to the blue beacon every other week. If the truck wash is not down we can only go to the blue beacon once a month. You dont have to go to the beacon but you can. And you can get the top of the line wash there if that's what you want. Cleaning the inside cab on go home day is about a 30-45 minute job. Pack light, don't be a pig and maybe it can be done quicker.

 

If you're doing a double drop and hook at a store with a dry grocery or GM load you're getting all the activity pay on that. It's automatic when you arrive drop and then depart entering your new trailer number.

 

Thank you for the detailed information. I couldn't find that anywhere else. I hope it helps other people who are reading this. You have helped to put my mind at ease on those issues. Thank you for being active in this form

 

You're welcome. We help each other out at Walmart it's what we do. Good luck!

 

In order to save time, can you go shopping during a live unload or do you have to stay with the trailer and watch the unload?

 

Yeah I do it all the time but you have to be quick about it. I prefer to watch over the unloading to be sure they're getting what's theirs but it's pretty foolproof anymore and they can typically handle it without me telling them anything. I've got a load map. They scan every pallet. They know what they're supposed to get and even know exactly when we'll arrive. They get ETA updates on their smartphone. Some are better at keeping tabs on that than others.

Always report the slackers on your tablet when departing. Give praise for the ones doing it right. That’s keeping everything running like it should, a tight ship, and looking out for your fellow drivers by doing so. We don't tolerate that "I'll get to you driver when I can get to you". That’s not how it works. They get on our trucks as soon as we get there.

For your personal groceries get what you need for a couple of days then do it again a couple of days later or you may figure out a way you like better that's more efficient for you. It's the driver's job to raise up the reefer bulkheads and it's a simple thing to do but a lot of store associates don't know how. Some do but won't lift a finger to do it. At a good store they'll tell you they've got it. You'll only be at most stores live unloading for anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes at most. Once in a while maybe an hour if they have to reload you with bad pallets.

 

Just finished my third solo week at WM. Grocery DC in Wellford, SC. Working a steady 11.5 to 13.5 hours a day, but it’s still the easiest trucking gig I’ve ever had. Hardest part? Unjamming a stuck bulkhead and needing assistance from someone who isn’t as vertically challenged as I.

 

We've got another $275 extension bonus offered this week. They offered it last week too. Never seen one in February before now. Most likely due to the current mess in the northeast.

 

It was offered this week at Wellford too.

 

I say get it while you can but you're closer to retirement, commute a little further than me and probably don't care about working an extra day. A lot of guys never extend and that extra day does make the week a grind. I want to be one of those guys eventually but I'm almost 20 years from retirement so I gotta make hay while the sun shines.