My time at Wiley (2000-2001)

Well as I ran for them I though I would post what it is like or at least what it was like. I recently talked to another driver and I don't think it has changed much.

I was hired right out of school. In fact my instructor went there at the same time. We had the same orientation class so that was cool. I remember arriving in Troy on a beautiful September morning. I had a Wednesday-Thursday orientation and I arrived by car the day before. I was paying (and got reimbursed!) for a room at the Holiday Inn so I was well rested. Most of the first day was Logs and QC stuff. The second day was safety films and policy. Tested out in a T600 (big surprise there) and got assigned to an O/O that had 4 trucks leased on.

I met my first trainer who was a nervous type but a lot of fun. He had me in the seat of that big 'ole brand new (less than 60k) W9 inside of 2 hours! I was with him for 6 weeks and was handed to another guy for the final 4. My new trainer was one of those unflappable types. You could probably set off a nuke and he would not even flinch.

I was with him when my 28th birthday arrived. We were in Green River, UT that morning. To me it was such a moving sight. Here I was actually doing something I had always wanted to do. The rest I keep for me.

I got my first truck about a week later. 1992 or 1996 T600 (depending on what part you were looking at) that could only have been a glider, and was that thing a junker. It would pass a DOT, but that was about the only thing it would pass. I was on my first load, heading for Eden, NC (I bet you know where), and was on a SC Scale when I found out my alternator had passed on a few miles back.

Yep it died on the scale...

Well I got it jumped off and pulled into the parking area where it died again. 3 hours later the mechanic showed up, and promptly had a few kittens when he was inspecting some things.

An engine mount was broke as was a tranny mount. So that explained the banging and dipping the truck was doing every time I broke torque.

I had that truck for exactly 2 weeks. I came back to the yard and was handed the keys to a 97 T2000 with 443500 miles. I DOT'ed it, topped it off, scaled it. Then grabbed an empty and scaled it again. Sent my ready for load call.

Nuthin...dispatch closed.



I had just parked it when I got a pre-load. (Apparently the system was backed up). I grabbed that trailer and got the heck outta there. I was on the way home with a Home Depot load that had two stops, Pensacola and Panama City. Yay! Even got a 30 dollar bonus!

Well from than until early June I usually ran Cantonment, FL to El Paso, or the LA Basin. Then played out west a while, and went up in the northeast. I usually stayed out 16-22 days.

I was always paid on time, never had any serious problems until a load I have mentioned in another post. My dispatcher, Robin Sullivan is a great guy. He and I were working well until the Load form hell.

I rubbed someone (probably Driscoll Colquitt) the wrong way. I was just a neophyte that said or did the wrong thing at the wrong time. To this day I couldn't tell you what it was.

I was unceremoniously kicked out of the truck in Newnan, GA and thus ended my career with WSTL.

I wish someone had written me a letter explaining what I had done. I wish someone had told me "YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG!" but it never happened.

WSTL has a lot of great people that work there, as well as a few nimrods. I had a run in with a dispatcher named John Outlaw.

You can guess what he wanted me to do. Perhaps that is where it started, when he was filling in for Robin. I explained to him I did not and never would run illegal for anyone or any load, short of a national emergency. He basically made me sit for 6 days at the T/A West, presumably to think about it. Kept offering me the same load. I had told him on the first day, get the delivery rescheduled and no problem. He exploded, told me to grab a new log and go, even went as far as to tell me how to disable the QC!

I hope CSA 2010 does away with dispatchers like that.

But that was my worst run in as far as I know. Yes, I would happily go back to them in a heartbeat, but they wont re-hire me. But then again I haven't tried in about 4 years either...

 

No it is the T660's, the T700 (Not 770) replaces the T2000. But the 660's are few and far between. Last time I rolled by the yard in January, the trailer drop yard was overflowing and they had about 50 tractors (all 600's) parked.

Looks like another is about to bite the big one.

 

Dang, should I re-apply? I never had anything against WSTL except Drsicol Colquit...
I would go to my grave thinking that WSTL was a great trucking company, with out the place kickers family...