Questions or comments from the wives of Walmart drivers.

Well, I appreciate your posts in defense of Walmart. Just keep in mind most of my life where I come from is a part of trucking that is very unlike walmart so to speak. I can pretrip the heck out of a truck or airplane, no problem.

It's the rougher side of the industry Im trying to show as a possible cost to anyone contemplating trucking. It's a wonder I don't drag the bosses out and fist fight them until first blood sometimes.

 

I understand that completely. There is a reason why so many drivers want to drive for Walmart, and it isn't just the great pay. Drivers are treated with complete respect, and like the professionals that they are. I know it is hard to believe being on the outside. The entire atmosphere is so different from what the vast majority of drivers are used to, and when they start here, even they are surprised by how good they are treated. They expect good due to what they have been told, but they do not expect this good. My husband has been here almost 4 years and we talk about everything.

This is the model by which trucking companies should aspire. Is it perfect................. no. However, it is about as close as you will get in trucking.

 

There are class outfits out there. Ive had a few in my later years with the wife on the road. McKesson comes to mind. But they supply narcotics and essential drugs to hospitals direct and have to be decent and classy to everyone.

Ive worked walmarts before in the DC there in Searcy. It's not bad, if you like unloading 8 trailers and loading 12 in about 4 hours. Not myself, there was 4 of us throwing boxes. It got kind of crazy that night.

We have a new walmart that opened up in my area almost two years ago, so far so good. Until our area improves and evolves they will have to make do.

 

Hello all!

My husband is going thru the application process. He passed the phone interview and has his PTI and road test in another week or so. He's great at what he does so I'm sure he'll be fine with passing, he's also been watching YouTube videos just to make sure he doesn't leave anything out. He applied for the Shelby, NC DC does anyone have any insight about this DC? And it seems that the drivers are happy and even the wives seem excited, but we are used to him being home every night. I know Walmart will be OTR so of course we're trying to prepare for the big change. What are some of the disadvantages of being a Walmart trucker's wife? I know they have the phone rule too which will be very hard for me when I usually call him whenever I want to. Also as far as trying to see him as much as possible, should we move close to the DC in order to do that? All help is appreciated, thanks so much!

 

Disadvantages? Let's see.

Wife and I had a rule. There was a spare room for me to use a while if the day did not go well as sometimes happens in the local work. I would be a bear and it is not smart for mama to come round bothering me with a honey do list at this time. It wont take too long before I get civil and am able to deal with that list.

Regarding OTR, first dispatch after marriage, pending trip gone minimum of 3 weeks to possibly 9 months. She cried. I made it two weeks and get home again. It's not conductive to OTR if lonely wife sits home. Solution, wife comes with me as a second seat driver. Did that for a year. Learned that there were pending medical issues such as obesity on bad food etc. It's the way the cookie crumbles.

Wives do not do well when dispatch calls at 3 am.

As far as the phone rule? Eh? It's a Federal Law now. Big time fines, 7500 last I hear. That should cool your desire to call him.

Learn to solve problems around the house and family. Putting it on him 2000 miles from home over the phone does not do well, especially if he is facing Sherman Hill and 20 hours on chain doing battle shortly.

Money? Get it figured before anyone gets ahold of it to spend it. Once it's gone it's gone.

 

Don't worry about the phone thing. It is a non issue. There are so many opportunities for him to call you when he is doing "activities" vs driving, that it is no big deal. The biggest change for you will be him having to call you instead of you calling him. (you can still call, but leave a message so he can call when convenient, or, if you are really lucky, he will be sitting at a vendor or store and will be able to pick up).

The not having him home thing can be difficult. However, think of this............... is he currently happy with his job, with his pay, with his job stability, with how he is treated?? If you answer no to one or more of those, then the time he is home will now be quality time. He will be happy again. In my case, I got my husband back. He will always have at least 2+ days off (unless there is mandatory week extensions when working a 5 day week, but that isn't often). He will get all kinds of paid days off that he will earn his full average daily pay (ADP). He will be treated with the respect he deserves. He will not have to worry about getting his truck fixed.

Not seeing him every day can be harder, especially when you have kids. What we do is, Rick calls our son every evening before he goes to bed, and they talk as long as necessary. Then, Rick calls me............. our pretty much set time is 10:00pm and we talk for a long time. When kids are not in school, one at a time can ride with your husband, and they love that. We have a weekly family meeting to make sure that our son can talk about anything that he needs to talk about. Kids know when Daddy is happy or not happy, or stressed, etc. Time together will be quality time. Will it be easy at first.................. probably not. They will get used to the routine, however.

Disadvantages of being a Wally Wife?? Getting to get the rundown of every stupid driver on the road, every day. LOL

Oh, I don't know how far you are from the DC. Rick is 120 miles from his. However, he only has to go there once a week, and then when he comes home, so it isn't bad. Live where you want to live. Life is too short.

 

Yeah, it's not that bad. He can also call you when we walks to the front of the store for shopping or facilities and that can take up a few minutes right there. We're also allowed 6 10 minute phone calls per day though I won't have the phone anywhere near me once cameras are in the trucks.

 

Okay thanks so much! The main factor is the pay increase and maybe job stability, but he is treated well at his current employer, not really much to complain about at all. We have twin baby boys so I'm not sure if I am willing to sacrifice him not being around as much as I'd like to help raise them. It's a big decision to make, thanks for your input. I may have more questions and concerns.

 

I have a few questions that it figured the wives might know. I handle all the logistics of finances and moving and figure since husbands are usually on the road, other trucker wives do too. We are officially just waiting for the call and final offer. Does the DC or Arkansas determine the orientation date? Is a call received or a letter? Also, I know my husband was told average pay to expect but wondering if that would be listed in the letter (if there is one). We have to move and quite a few of the nicer rentals require you prove income is 3x monthly rent. I'm figuring since it's not a salary position, we'll have to settle on other rent options.

 

Ahem, Im in a building managed by Hud. Market rate would be a thousand dollars a month here for one bedroom here in Arkansas. Houses go for 1500 and up for 1200 square foot plus a acre of land.

With that said...

Many Apartment buildings, the better run complexes require your wages to be 2 to 4 times monthly rent, our local police officers live in very good apartments with rents slightly higher than mine at market rate and the city had to raise some of the wages locally for them in order to stay here in town or nearby renting without stressing about money or rules.

The really well run complexes, the ones you want to really live in are those with a requirement between 5 thousand to 10 thousand held in a verified bank account ready to go against unemployment etc. And there is Harding College in Searcy. They are really high end. Those buildings have it all. And for the money that flows from the rich lucky enough to live there and grow old there is no problem no riff raff, thugs etc.

We were a home owner, free and clear on acres of land. We discovered a constant parasitic increase in costs year over year to maintain that home even though it was paid for. Gasoline ran 1000, Gas rose from 25 to 90 per month over 10 years, electric rose from 30 to 150 a month until our house mains were rebuilt and fortified with 2 inch thick copper 4 feet long off the service aluminum wires to slow that meter down and dropped our use of measured electricity to 30 a month again. It's heat that spins those meters. And the revenuer taxes were frozen at 350 a year on homestead act. The termite people required 3000 dollars per year to defend the wood construction. And on and on and on and on. Always higher and higher.

The town water bill was the worst. We are a cooperative that laid a 6 inch pipe line from Greers Ferry Lake 50 miles away for a cool 7 million dollars in bonds against the town that needs retiring about two years from now when they mature. The aquafiler below our feet, about 400 feet down is failing and turning to sand. We are fixing to lay two new pipelines to reach better water with more bond issues should the Ballot Issue question pass in our elections.

For our home at 3000 gallons per month it meant 30 dollars 15 years ago per month it became 150 dollars a month.

Enough. We sold out and got truly debt free then became tenants. Let someone else worry about the building, taxes, land, costs etc. It's getting frightfully expensive.