To stay or to Go

Wal-Mart in itself, I hear, IS very anal. However, I know many a man at Swift, running DC to DC and home daily, not having it up the rear so bad. One of my friends at Swift got hollered at for using a "cleaning brush thingy" at their DC to get the bugs off his grille. As soon as they saw the logo on his truck, being Swift, and only the ID in the windshield and on his lanyard, they told him .."ok sorry, carry on." ONLY THEIR own fleet cannot use the brushes??? Yeah, not a place I'd like to work, either.
Heck, SNI wouldn't take me 6 years ago, for a seat-belt violation, in my CMV. Cop followed me in to gas station off 95 in Fredericktown, and I unleashed myself to dig wallet out of Carhartts, and by gosh "I never had it on at all" according to him. To me, that was a blessing in disguise.
It's all what you want, and what you make it, O/P. We all *most of us anyway* had to get our feet wet in places we'd rather not've been. You've got some decent advice here, bro. Run with it as you see fit.
Some peeps on here can be dramatic, and then you got us GOOD GUYS....
Best wishes, keep us posted!

 

Too many people hear that Walmart is a top payer in the trucking market and set that as their goal. That is true, but things change, and that is one thing I have been hearing about Walmart. If you wan't to make money, and who doesn't, there are other options in trucking rather then dealing with a anal retentive employer like Walmart.

The Swift Walmart gig I have done. It is no way on the same level as the Walmart paid Walmart gig. However, it is better then the average Swift gig, but not great enough to brag about. In the end it kind of like having the worst of both jobs and then some; you have an anal customer like Walmart, a micromanaging carrier like Swift, and a poor paycheck just like any other mega. It is really a job within a job within a job, in that: you have to keep Swift happy, you better brown nose the manager of the Swift Walmart account, and you have to play second fiddle to the Walmart drivers and staff that hate you.

 

I didn't know you knew first-hand, bro. Kudos to you... I'd personally despise that! Who can use "what brush?" Minimum wage people ordering you around like they are some WM - po-po's?
Great post, man.
The O/P should get a lot from this!!!! ^^^^^

 

Well, in the mean time, this will at least ask the question for you.

 

Few drivers stay at their first company much more than year. However, don't change jobs just to see what happens. Your second company should be a better match for you & you should stay their until you get hired at Walmart. Make decisions like the outcome is important, it is.

 

Why not give walmart a call and see what they have to say about what you have in mind. That way all the speculation is put to rest. I hope you get to the place you want to be.

 

Best thing you can do to increase your pay is to aply at other companies. Get approved and submit your 2 weeks notice. If you have a good treck record for those 4 months most likely they will try to keep you and offer you incentives to stay on. If they dont continue on with your 2 weeks and move to new comoany thats is offering more.

 

Applying and getting 'hired' <<< or even invited to orientation, tbh... two different things. Putting your 2 weeks in on a 'prehire' is not something I'd suggest, but.... Y'all are young' I'm old schoolish..... it's different nowadays.

 

Don't look at me, Ive had 50+ jobs short and long kinds all sorts of things. Half the companies don't exist anymore.

Hang in there at least a year. Don't get that walmartisis, if there is a ongoing exodus out of Egypt of many thousands of veteran drivers from there why do you want to work for them? Hmm?

Use this time in your life your first year to absorb everything, excepting preventable, accident, incident, yelling, etc etc etc.

 

You will need 3 years accident free, including preventable incidents scratching a trailer,
Making contact with a yellow pole or basically hitting anything other than a dock.

Many have claimed clean mvr, but failed to mention other stuff they tore up on private property.

I'm not claiming or implying you did any of the above, just a heads up. Dedicated carriers are always hiring at most of the grocery DC . Don't know where you are located, but some of the Schneider guys claim they make decent money, some even more than us .
. Anyways good luck to you