Stuck at Western Express after orientation - NO TRUCKS!

Did I read that right. $65 a day? What is wrong with people to even think about working there. A fast food job will pay more.

 

I see after 5 years some things haven’t changed. I did orientation at the old Nazareth,PA terminal back in November 2014 and when I was done with my trainer in December that year I was routed to Nashville to pickup my truck,only to find out they didn’t have any available yet. So they sent home on Greyhound to spend Christmas with my wife and I returned to Nashville the day before New Years Eve and they had one available. My inaugural run was New Years Eve/Day hauling dog food from Lebanon,TN to Indianapolis!! LMAO

 

If you add in the cost of a motel to the $40-65, whatever it is, it's basically food and shelter. What more could a "blemished" driver want?

But yes, I agree it is BS to have them all around there waiting on trucks and loads like that. I can remember the same when I started out so many years ago at other companies.

I was once flown to some shag yard in Oakland where I had to sleep in a shed until the truck showed up. Oh, I didn't have to sleep in the shed, I could have stayed awake or got a motel on my own dime. Such as it is. It's just hell starting out.

I understand your husband has 3 years on 1099's and health problems. It's not a great look for most companies. But he could probably still do better than WE. Maybe even checking Craigslist for some other 1099 jobs. If he can get health insurance through your job or something else, there are some decent 1099 gigs out there despite all the negativity.
Hope you all can get out of this and on the right track.

 

No it’s not that way starting out. People are told that this is the only way and they believe it. Just like political lies, I mean promises. There’s places everywhere that aren’t dumps that will train someone and treat them decent.

 

It was probably worse back in the day during the transition from good ole days to newbie tourist drivers.

Let's say there is a millennial, or Gen Z, who quits college and decides to get into trucking. Before this he had never really worked a day in his life other than some fun restaurant jobs where it was just basically like an extension of his social life.

To go from that to trucking, despite how well a company treats you, can be hell. It's like one day you're playing golf at the country club off your parents' membership and the next you're in some s-hole truck stop at the edge of town where you're lucky if you can get an Uber.

 

Sounds like you are the one who is aggravated. Both at W.E. and your husband's lack of confidence in himself. Let him work it out and relax.
He is using them for nothing more than a resume builder and they aren't putting mints on the pillows. It's a two way street and a nasty business. He knew what he was dealing with going in. So did you.

 

He had too know that is one of many bottom feeder companies. Why on earth would he lease anywhere but especially there? Yes that’s typical of them. So is inexperienced crap level dispatchers or driver managers lol. It’s no shortage of dumb and desperate in trucking. I have no sympathy for anyone who knows better or should know better anyway.