Werner gone!

Good for them? I was on a temp assignment out of Gas City, Indiana during the transition there, and every wal mart store I pulled to, said they hated US Express and wanted Werner back. Common complaints: All the stock in the trailer knocked over, lack of English comprehension, and plain lack of respect and etiquette.

And why are you happy? Makes no sense.

 

what do you expect quality drivers/equipment for cheap rates?

 

This will be a review mix of both Werner and US Express.

I started with Werner over 10 years ago. I never worked for US Express.

I'm not going to praise Werner, but here is my perspective on US Express, Werner, and Walmart. (I'll try to keep it short although there is so much to say)

I live in the area for the Walmart DC in Auburn/Garrett Indiana.

I was on the Walmart account there the whole time that Werner had it for 5 1/2 years (March 2007 - Sept 2012).

The dedicated office in there by the fuel/wash bay had complete turn over several times, maybe 3+? Yes, we've had a few idiots in the office at times, and a select few that were actually great to deal with.

Werner DID have their problems. Plenty of accidents and damaged Walmart trailers, as would expect from any training company. US Express had accidents their first week on the account! They dropped a trailer on the yard.

There was a few US Drivers that even went into Canada by accident cause hey followed their GPS. Anyone remember in Port Huron / Ft Gratiot how I69/I96 forks left/right where left used to be M-25 north? Well they swapped it and now forking left puts you onto the bridge to Canada, and you have to fork right instead, then turn left at the light at end of the exit ramp for M-25 north.

Keeping in contact with other senior drivers that were on the previous account with me, and signed up for US Express to continue at Walmart, come to find out a ton of problems already making drivers wanting to quit US Express at Walmart in Auburn, IN.

US Express drivers there get a day off only after their 70hrs is used up, not scheduled for same day each week like Werner did with 6 days on 1 day off each week.
Drivers with day cabs given 3+ different truck keys before finding a truck that is actually on the yard.
Macros were not set up, had to call dispatch for stops/deliveries.
Super Single Tires (this is a Winter driving account aka must drive through snow storms or they'll find someone else that can do it).
Automatic Trucks (see above)
Day Cabs - If you run out of hours in snow storm, they have a network of hotels. Good luck finding one with truck parking.

Now US Express is a training company just like Werner. That means they are going to pretty much have the same problems since they are both "Training Companies". Most drivers will have under 1 year experience. And yes, there are a few that don't know when its time to move on, so you do get the rare million mile drivers (at both companies). Speaking of which, Werner I never received my 1 Million Mileage Sticker, oh well they probably stopped giving those out (And no I don't have any chargeable accidents).

Basically US Express was excited to get the contract but I don't think they were prepared for it. It was sort of rushed and learn as you go, esp with their computer systems, qualcom, office workers, etc. Hopefully by the time I'm writing this (about 2 months since they started taking over) that they've worked that stuff out.

Now when I was in the office, I've seen the account manager (we've had several) at the time yelling at Walmart over the phone about some random issue. Basically it was rude, and I can understand why Walmart started to not like the certain select Werner Dedicated Office people there. Actually there is more than 1 account former Werner Dedicated Account Managers that I'm sure that Walmart will never work with or deal with again.

Now Schneider had that account for 5 years, Werner had that account for 5 1/2 years, and guess what, I think that US Express will probably have that account for 5 years. It seems that Walmart doesn't get too comfortable with 1 carrier for too long.

During the transition of US Express taking over for Werner, I did hear a lot of stores complaining about US Express, but of course they were not settled in yet or had a rythem. Who knows if they even got a copy of the direction book that Werner had, or if they had to make up their own. Night loads (Meat and Produce) some times had 0 minutes to spare from dock out time till the 5am/6am appointments for Sams/Walmart. So if you don't have directions or haven't been to the store before, then they are probably having a lot of lates deliveries.

Talking to the Guard Shack people, whom get to you know you when you been on the account for a while, they told me that US Express was already making Werner look good, but same when Werner came in, they made Schneider look good.

Winters are interesting. Its not like going OTR 48-state where you an shut down in a snow storm. Oh, sure you can shut down, but don't expect to be on the account much longer if you do. And with US Expresses automatics, day-cab's, and trucks with super single tires, curious to find out how much US Express gets into accidents out there in the snow.

Anyone that was on the account and senior probably knows who this is. So /wave hope your doing well

 

Oh, if your talking about the account manager Werner had (name starts with a B), he's now working for US Express on Family Dollar Dedicated account. So good luck? I guess. If the day is going slow for US Express at Walmart, but they need extra help at the US Express account at Family Dolloar (I69 x140 - aka new exit 340) then where do you think your going to get those drivers? Yeah, you'll be working for that same supervisor again lol.