wel companies

Mama, like I said in the post I put up a few mins ago, I considered the l/p hard and was bout to jump in a truck. Most of the dispatchers over there want say anything negative about the l/p cause they probly can't, but my dispatcher kept saying everytime I talked to him, "are you sure you wana do this?" Luckily the truck wasn't ready when it was sposed to have been ready for me to get a few weeks ago. I sat down and again and weighed my options considering fuel keeps goin up and you gota make sure to keep up with your set fees of bout 1k bucks every week, and oil changes, and tire replacement, and what happens if ya go 5 miles down the road and the trany falls out of a 5 y/o truck with half a million miles already. I talked to a lot of driver in the first few weeks that l/p, and read tons of posts on here about l/p. I never talked to anyone that was particularly jacked about l/p, and I talked to a few that hated it. Then I heard rumors of guys that made bank! Just make sure you're financially stable in case something happens. After thinkin harder about my options, I realized I'm just too far in the hole right now to take that chance... hopefuly in a few months I can afford to chance it since do have that walkaway option. I'd never even dream of a l/p that didn't give that walkaway option.
I hope my rantings were in some way enlightening, but now I gotta get back on the road to hotlanta.

 

That is funny..my husband delivered in Atlanta this morning, and is Mcdonnell, GA now. Can I ask what year you were going to go for? 2007, 2008, or the 2009? They don't have a truck ready for him either, so he is in a loaner truck, and getting paid by the mile. I appreciate your insite...and he has talked with L/P drivers, they all say there is good weeks and then there is bad weeks. I don't know, but I will talk to him a little more about it later.

Also, when my husband went through orientation he had his own room from Sunday to the next following Thursday morning, and they also paid him his orientation pay along with the other drivers. They didn't force him to buy a king pen pully, because he had it with him in the room along with other stuff to put in the truck. The only thing he had to get was the padlock, shirts, and load locks.

Be careful and drive safe out there..and keep in touch to let us know how things are going.

 

LOL baby wipes are ok in the winter but I prefer soap and water as long as it's above 50 but I have washed my hair in BFE when it's in the 30'S and snowing, I just hooked a bungee cord to the jug handle and hung from the cabinet so it's a few feet above the bunk heater water was toasty warm by morning, and I never had a problem fill the jugs for free at any of the truck stop I used. as far as plastic forks and spoons knifes I just don't like them but that me.

 

Hello to anyone who reads this. After a lot of researching I have decided to go with WEL trucking and will start on 10-15-12. They have a small yard about 20 miles from my home in NH. I heard I have to be able to bring the truck home, I just don’t have a place for the trailer here. I’m hoping I can drop the trailer in the yard and drive the truck home. However I do have some questions for anyone who has done the 5 week training; is the truck you train in the one your assigned after training?, During training, do you always eat out?, do you ever get home during the training stage?, If I bring my computer is there any wi-fi spots where I can use it?, who does the most driving, me or the trainer?, And I hope I get a trainer that doesn’t smoke. I have read the tread from the beginning so many questions I had have been answered. I’m not looking to get rich but enough to pay the bills back home. At 54 this is a new direction for me but something I have always wanted to do but never got the opportunity. Over the past year I have studied and trained hard to get my CDL-A and am proud to have it, I just hope I enjoy the type of work. I drove 8611 miles (cross country) on a motorcycle in 3 weeks and slept in a small tent every night, Loved it. So how hard could this be? One way to find out. I want to thank all the people that posted here, Great info.

 

Hi morr2fab. I can only answer some questions because I don't know all of the answers. You will be riding with the trainer in his truck, and when you are finished training then you are assigned your own tractor. If your trainer stops at a walmart to stock up his supplies, you can also buy things to keep in the truck to eat in order to save money. Also make sure to get laundry detergent and fabric softner to take with you to do laundry on the road. I don't know how their home time works for trainees, but I know how their home time is when you have your own truck. You can bring your computer with you, and some smaller truck stops might have free wi-fi or you can purchase an internet card at the bigger ones. It's not always the fastest, so if you can use your cell phone as a hot spot it might be better. I will tell you it is a hard job, but if you enjoy the open road then you will be fine. Their are alot of factors that come into play when you are out there, its just listening and learning that will help you along. Congrats on your new journey, and I hope you keep us updated.

 

Grats morr2fab. WEL is a great compny to work for. Typically WEL don't like for driver to drop a trailer, but if you put it at the drop yard, I'm sure that'll be fine. Most likely you will get a diffferent truck after training because you will be training in the trainer's truck unless he's gona switch trucks after ya train... which is extremely rare. But you'll likely have a very similar truck, and driving's driving anyway.
As to how often you eat out or how much you drive depends on the trainer. Most trainers will have a cooler in the truck and ya'll do the walmart thing that mama mentioned. Most trainers will start ya slow and ramp your driving up depending on how confident they are in your skills. Some trainers are complete idiots that will put ya in the driver seat the whole 5 weeks while they sit back and play video games! Least I've heard rumors of trainers that do that at other companies. I think wel trainers are probly more competent then that.
I'm currently at a reciver in north Mass somewhere using a wifi usb modem. I also have a monthly subscription at the pilot/flying J cause the card has 5g data limit. I use pilot/j wifi when I can get to one, and the usb modem when I can't. Pilot/j wifi wil run ya 20 bucks a month and could just stick with that if ya ain't a computer junky like me cause a usb modem wil run ya bout 60 bucks a month. OR you can do the wifi hotspot on a cell phone, but you may not wanna take the comp on the road while ya with a trainer. You have to pack very light cause 2 grown men in a lil 9x9 box ain't fun. Likely you'll have to stuff all your gear in the corner of the top bunk!
You probly want get home until training is over, but again it depends on the trainer. Soon as ya get off trainer's truck you'll get a truck and get sent home for a few days. You will get a trainer that don't smoke.
Driving is what ya make of it. You can make it harder then it has to be, or easier and you'll figure out your style and preferences as ya go. They taught ya in school to drive a truck. Now you learn how to be a truck driver. I'll tell ya what my trainer told me 10 yrs ago. You'll know w/i the first few weeks if it's a job for you cause if you hate it from the start, you'll probly always hate it no matter what. If ya love it from the start, it'll get in your blood and you'll never do anything else.
GL brother, I hope it works out well for ya.

 

Well to give you guys an update....not really thrilled with this company. To be told 2500-2800 is a lie...my husband has averaged in the past 3 weeks 900, 1600, and now this week will be less then 1000 miles. I am glad we did not go with the lease purchase option, and no it has nothing to do with turning in his paperwork...he is set up with a scanner and internet in the truck along with turning in his paperwork at the terminals. So, the job process of looking again has begun. Be very aware that the people are nice at the terminals and the corporate office...but the lack of miles and the way they plan these loads will make a person quit real quick. Just FYI.

 

mammamullins, are you referring to Wel?

 

Yes I am. It depends on who you get for a dispatcher..and at this point I am to far in the whole with bills to let it go any further. The people at WEL are very nice and easy to get along with, but it just never felt like things were going our way. Every person's situation is different..some have good..and some have bad.

 

mamamullins.......sorry to hear your experience at WEL turned out like it did......my did as well and moved on within 3 months as I realized the same. Couldn't be happier with my decision. Driving for a small local company making double what I was/would of ever made at WEL and home a lot more often. Good trucking companies can be found who want an honest, good driver for a good days wage.....but you will not find it as the trucking mills. WEL is just a miniature Schneider. Any company that needs a "recruiting" department to hire drivers is a red flag. If WEL was worth a ####, they would not have to constantly recruit drivers. Good luck in finding a new company.