Considering Greatwide....comments?

I currently have my lease at Prime. The only thing I will say is make sure it is a "Walk Away" lease.... Meaning that if you want out....they will not come after you to keep getting the payments.... You will still lose any escrow or maint./tire fund monies....but you won't be responsible for the payments on the truck.

Have you thought about going to work for a company like Con-way or FedEx Freight? These are both excellent companies if you want to stick close to home and make maximum $$$$!!! And, they both have EXCELLENT benefits programs!

 

Google search "Fed ex ground"...That is what you are reffering to. You will find limited info on the website along with contact info to talk to someone about oppurtunities in your area.

 

Every time you see a greatwide driver he is either starving or needs money..the winterhaven divison is the worst.. The are always giving me crap loads..do not sign on with them ..they talk a good game but have the trucks are crap an i see why..guys cant afford to fix them when you make 300 a week after all deductions

 

It's only a written test. Don't be afraid of it. No big deal. I dropped my Haz-Mat when they wanted more money. The doubles/triples test is easy. So is hooking and pulling them.

Check into FedEx Freight (Red FedEx logo) as a company driver. You'd be home every night.

FedEx Ground (Green FedEx logos) will likely not have any openings that will get you home every night. Maybe if you are near a hub, but doubtful if you live near one of the smaller "satellite" terminals. There's nothing around Paul's Valley besides OKC and one contractor has all of the runs there sewed up. I doubt you could even get in the door, but it's been a very long time since I've been there, so maybe it's different now. You would likely be able to lease on as a OTR driver out of a hub (Dallas is closest to Paul's Valley), but you'd need a team mate who would be able to qualify as a FedEx driver and you won't be home every night. Also, I hear pretty different stories as to how long those guys sit. Some love it, others hate it.

That being said, I wouldn't lease on to them. I was there before FedEx. It has been a steady downhill slide every since they took over. They've finally gotten rid of all the old management and have installed died in the wool FedEx management just about everywhere now. They are very controlling, use some pretty sly tactics, and are for the most part slimy when it comes to dealing with the O/O's. They WILL try to run your truck for you. I am somewhat of a pain in their side. I've been there long enough that I've seen all their stupid BS tricks and games and, so far, have been able to see them all coming and stay ahead of them. You HAVE TO, ABSOLUTELY MUST be able to tell them "NO" without bluffing and be ready to back it up by walking out the door. If you can't do that, THEY WILL run your truck and business for you. They will NOT have your profitability in mind when they force you to do things.

Money's good. Stability is good. Head games and underhanded politics and selective enforcement of policy blows. Dealing with the dregs of the driving community that FedEx has allowed to come to pull for them is an embarrassment on the road and a hazard in the yards for responsible O/O's and their drivers.

The contract is the size of the Old Testament. The settlements are, IMHO intentionally, pretty complicated. They'll make "mistakes" on your settlements constantly, and you'll need to be able to find them to get your money. Bottom line is that I wouldn't recommend them, and I've been there since 1996 or 7 (don't remember for sure which right now).

 

isaw a greatwide truck driving for flex flac are they hauling sand now?

 

Yes....they have been hauling sand for quite some time now.....the trucks
with Greatwide hauling sand are leased under Cheetah.....I guess GW owns
Cheetah as far as I can understand it.

They were parking at Diamondback/Superiors yard in Cresson.


Of course.....anybody with a blower truck and a tanker is trying their hand at it lately.

 

I drove for Greatwide as a temp in the Reno area (hauling Wal-Mart trailers). The worst part for me was being a team driver because I can't sleep in a moving, bouncing truck. I can't comment for the side that deals with O/Os, but that place was very disorganized. Delivering to Wal-Mart is cool, but then they forced back-hauls that might be hundreds of miles in the wrong direction...then waited 9 hours to be loaded, splitting $10 per hour delay pay with my partner. I looked off in the distance and observed a McDonald's and thought to myself: if I work there, I could make 50% more money than I am as a trucker. On the other hand, I spoke with an O/O with Greatwide and he bragged about how good he was doing, and how he was preparing to buy a second truck. The problem with his credibility was that he said he made $110,000 without mentioning any costs. I'd imagine his Net pay was between 40-50 Grand.

 

There is always , always , more than meets the eye and remember .... if it sounds too good to be true it probably is . Do your homework but most will tell you Greatwide has some shady business practices . To be upfront , there is NO lease to purchase plan in this industry that benefits the driver . If there is I'd like to know of the company and the terms . Becoming an o/o especially right now is a very risky proposition . There is a lot going on in our country right now that could throw everything into a tailspin and no matter what happens you are still responsible for that payment . I speak from experience , I'd spend at least a year reading everything you can about being a successful o/o . I'm not trying to be a blowhard but I have just seen too many folks reeled in by the proverbial ' pie in the sky " only to be let down and lose everything . As you know this is a cut throat industry and at the end of the day you do not matter to these mega carriers . I may be completely wrong but I'd buy or lease your own truck . Do not get tied into any company leasing one of their units . Greatwide ( from what I have seen ) has old FLD's from Swift that are beat to hell . You can do better . This way when things don't turn out you can take your truck elsewhere without any hassles . Good Luck and be safe , God Bless !