Anyone know what's up with Western Express?

The goverment paid for the whole thing for me I got the physical, drug test, cdl permit, schooling, the cdl license total $ 4260.00
I could of got a gas subsidy but I told the workforce center that I would pay for all of my gas. I drove 50-60 miles each way to school.

 

Was that the amount of tuition, or above tuition for the school?

 

The benefit for trucking companies to have schools that they fund and carry the risk of default on, is to lock them in for an extended period of time. Thus reducing turnover. Schools are a breakeven cost of doing business for trucking companies. How many private schools are there that foot the loan for their students? The default rate is to high to be profitible. The benifit is less costs to hire a driver (National average is around 7k per driver. That is for all expenses associated in getting a driver in the door). With a school, you spend less. Once you have a driver in, after about 3-6 months they become more knowledgable and safe, and that is where the company starts making its money. New drivers are most definately the most expensive driver out there in total costs. I spend close to 9 cents per mile on accidents costs just for new drivers alone, this does not include the out of route miles lost, productivity lost do to being late on a delivery, getting used to the hours etc.. That is why the new drivers pay is lower, but increases 5 times over their first year. The most expensive truck we have is a mentor truck. You are paying full mileage to the mentor, and also a gaurantee'd weekly salary on the trainee.

Each company is set up differently. Swift recruiters are paid by the driver and their experience. We pay more for experienced drivers then we do for inexperienced. I will get the exact dollar amount for ya today!

Wes

 

"Not necessarily so, Wes.
And just speculation on your part."

I can honestly say its not speculation on my part. I am an "insider" and see the financials. I replied to someone else on the reasons.

"Ask yourself this, if trucking companies DIDN'T make money off training, why would they offer training if it cost the trucking company money? Otherwise they'd quit being trucking companies and go out of business. They're sure not offering training out of the goodness of their hearts. So what IS the REAL reason?"

In business sometimes you have to look at long term strategy, and also reducing an expense. Take in house shops as an example. Our company shops cost us money. They do not make us money. We have in house shops because it would cost us more money to use outside shops. Schools are the same thing. On a per driver basis, when you look at the costs to bring a driver into the company, its cheaper overall using schools. As you stated this does lock them in for a term with the company.

"Driver retention for the year to 18 months they require to "pay back" the cost of the training?
If so, wouldn't it make more sense to do away with costly training, let the private driving schools handle the training, and offer a higher wage to their drivers to retain them?"

We have pay tiers already for new drivers up to 5 year plus experienced drivers. Not hiring new drivers, and only hiring experienced would not dramatically change the upper pay. Overall its relatively in line with the industry for mileage pay and benefits. So the solution is to reduce the begining drivers wages, giving them multiple (5) increases in their first year of driving. That also follows their improvement as a driver becoming better and more profitable.



When I was a driver trainer for a large trucking company, a few of my trainees who were fresh out of the Armed Services informed me that the government was coughing up $5,000 for their training, and would do so for their wives as well. That's more than I paid to attend a private driving school.
It's hard to imagine a large trucking company would find the cost of training to be more than a private driving school could do it for.

The cost of College when I went is more expensive now then then. Costs go up. I went to a big meeting last year with the top private schools of the country. (Going over some new legislation that was being proposed for mandatory training hours). I can tell you they all were looking at raising their tuition. I would have to look at their websites now and see if they actually did, but I am betting they did.

Private companies are not financing the cost of most of the students either. It still costs money for the equipment, staffing, food, utilities, land, building, employee's, benefits etc.. Thats a hard expense. The default rate is fairly high, which the company has to foot. As I said overall the school itself is just a break even event. Its the long term contract and road experience that is profitable.

Trucking companies share a common trait with ALL companies. That being the bottom line, ---- PROFITS.
And training can, and I believe IS, just another profit making venture for them.
Which ain't necessarily a bad thing.

Every public trucking company lists their profits and loss statements online (Quarterly earnings, 10k SEC filings etc..). Take a look for yourself where their money comes from. Not being a smart ##### by this remark at all, but if you need help reading them dont hesitate to ask. I can either give or get an answer on each line item of their quarterly earnings.

 

Gotta put my 2 cents in here....

My DH has been working with Western Express for a few months now. Besides the pay being kinda low, it hasn't been that bad. They get him home when he needs to be home and he is getting plenty of miles. He is averaging 2700+ miles a week. Yes, there are some annoyances but isn't that true with most jobs? As far as we are concerned, it is a decent company to start out with.

 

MommaPossum,
Unless there have been some major changes in the front office and/or how they handle pay and/or other incidentals, it sounds as though your suspicions just might be correct.

It's a sad commentary, if true, but certainly not unheard of. I hope for all involved that this has all been some sort of oversight on the company's part, and hope things eventually work out for the better. I certainly understand your suspicions though.

Please keep us posted as you get to the bottom of all this?
Good luck and best of success for ALL involved.

 

That was the whole thing school tuition included with all of the other things I posted.
The school had a policy that they included everything in their tuition to get the state to pay for the whole thing that way the student did not have to come up with the extra money for the little things.
The student would only have to pay for the transportation to and from school some people got a voucher for gas weekly from the state but it only covered about $ 25.00 of gas per week.
I paid for my own gas as I was working early mornings delivering newspapers so I had the money to cover my bills and the gas.
I wanted to show them that I was gratefull just for them paying the tuition for me.
I did not want them thinking here was a guy that wanted everything handed to him on a platter.

I had other classmates that was complaining that the state did not give them enough money for gas I told them well be like me get off of your lazy butt and get a job delivering papers in the morning.

I guess they thought that I should go pick them up and take them to school with me they lived in the same town that I do but to pick them up I would have to go out of my way.

 

You're not inclined to tip the I.R.S., are you MG?

Man-0-Man!
This country needs more folks like you.
Now-a-daze it seems more people are lookin' for a free handout --- albeit at other folks expense.

The only thing that's free, is nuthin'
Nuthin' ain't worth nuthin' --- but it's free.
And I'm thinkin' that's more than they deserved for free.

What a concept!
*Personal responsibility.
*Self sufficiency.
*Independence.
I'm thinkin' that was something they hadn't considered, or that had even occurred to them.

I doubt you going out of your way to pick them up and deliver them to class, and back again, wouldn't have bothered THEM in the least. Probably wouldn't even have cared if you'd been on time, and may have preferred that you were late --- most likely THEY would have been. And had you not waited for them to appear on time, no doubt they would have blamed YOU for not making the grade.

What are the chances they'd have offered to share gasoline expenses for your efforts and their convenience?
Predictably, ....................
Slim to none?
HeY!
Give us a ride to the bar after class.
We'll let YOU buy the first round of drinks for us.
Hang around 'till last call, and we'll buy you a beer. That way you won't HAVE to come back to pick us up at closing time.
Thanks, buddy.

 

The IRS man takes enough out of my checks If he wants a tip I will tell him to wish in one hand crap in the other see which one fill up faster.
Yeah the funny thing is all the people would talk to me about is hey you should pick me up never about if we carpool we can split the gas.

They just wanted a free ride that way they could use their gas vouchers to drive arround town.

There were only two of us in my class that wanted to go otr all of the rest wanted to stay and try to get a local job. I though wow what a waste of money.

There are not alot places that will accept new grads for local work.

I even told the class that they will not find local work they were like so what we will not go otr we have family to think about.

I told them if you are thinking about your family why not go ort and make money instead of being unemployed and the family being hungry.