Poking the hornets nest

Discussion in 'Western Express' started by granitecrusher, Feb 1, 2014.

  1. Chinatown

    Chinatown Road Train Member

    68,040
    142,327
    Aug 28, 2011
    Henderson, NV & Orient
    0
    Sometimes, you have to make your own decisions. If you listen to every detail from everyone, you'll never get anything accomplished. If Western Express looks OK to you, for your situation, then go for it. I know the man that started Western Express and he worked hard to build the company and did it successfully. Unfortunately, he passed away. I recommend the company on this forum at times. The company may not be a good fit for everyone, but no company is. If the company looks like it offers what you want, then go for it.

    Years ago I worked for the man that started Western Express when he owned another trucking company. Good guy & I really liked the guy.
     
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. 77smartin

    77smartin Road Train Member

    2,183
    3,020
    Apr 3, 2011
    I dunno.
    0
    Are you going to work for Western Express?
     
  4. Moon_beam

    Moon_beam Heavy Load Member

    877
    1,265
    Aug 29, 2012
    0
    Perhaps it is just me but I don't remember trucks 9 years ago passing and they are still behind your drives yet they already have their blinkers on. The ones that I notice doing this are the no ticket no accident in 6 months so you are now a trainer companies doing this type of driving.
     
  5. granitecrusher

    granitecrusher Bobtail Member

    7
    1
    Oct 24, 2013
    Pensacola, FL
    0
    Yes. I leave for orientation today. But, that's not why I started this thread. I have read just about everything I could on this company and every bit of it has been negative. I'm sure most of the negativity is from employees that either got fired for doing something boneheaded, or just a lazy sorry ### that couldn't make on time deliveries and wondered why they wasn't making a decent check. I just can't figure out why SO MUCH negative feedback. It is a trucking company. And just like any other trucking company they are out to do one thing and one thing only, and that is to make money. I just can't figure out why all the bashing. Just my opinion.
     
  6. 77smartin

    77smartin Road Train Member

    2,183
    3,020
    Apr 3, 2011
    I dunno.
    0
    Well keep everyone updated and let us know what you find out. Hope it works out for you.
     
  7. Moon_beam

    Moon_beam Heavy Load Member

    877
    1,265
    Aug 29, 2012
    0
    Most people come to a message board to complain. Corporations of all types/industries are difficult to work for once they get to a large size and trucking companies are definitely not an exception.
     
  8. "Hang - Man"

    "Hang - Man" Heavy Load Member

    737
    583
    Nov 12, 2013
    Western PA
    0
    Hopefully this is a good chance to document your time with them and start a thread that will tell of it.
    Then we, you can make a decision on if it is a decent company or not - you seem to have the correct attitude- now will wait and see if it all pans out or not.
    Good luck driver!
    I am also under the impression that for each company you can have many out comes.
     
    granitecrusher Thanks this.
  9. Jonrulerofearth

    Jonrulerofearth Light Load Member

    232
    340
    Sep 1, 2011
    Hueytown, Al
    0
    I worked for WSX. I did my research before hand and knew exactly what I was getting in to. ( The company that I wanted to work with had a hiring freeze in place when I got my cdl. ) Knowing that I needed experience and some miles under my belt while I waited for the hiring freeze to be lifted, I went to WSX. They got cheap labor out of me and I get experience. Once the hiring freeze was lifted, I left, and on good terms.
    That being said..........WSX is a second chance\training carrier. They haul crappy freight. You "will not" make what they told you would make while driving for them. Example: you are told .29 cpm to start, however you only get paid .27 cpm. How can this be? I'll tell you how.... What the recruiters fail to tell you is that .05 cpm fuel bonus and .05 cpm safety bonus are part of you overall pay package. Those two little bonuses are only paid quarterly. When I was there, I "never" knew a sole to get those bonuses. There was "always" some reason that the bonus was not met. Hence, the lower pay you will see on your pay statements.
    You dispatcher will be in a locked room which you can not enter (if he\she is in Nashville or Birmingham), you get to talk to him/her through a sliding glass window, all because you are a driver, and you will be looked down upon by these folks in Nashville and Birmingham. Drivers are not allowed in dispatch, seems they have had problems with that in the past, just saying......
    The orientation at Nashville is a complete joke, but then again, they are trying to run about 70 plus warm bodies through there twice a week. (hope you like Firehouse Subs, it's what is for lunch, everyday)
    Oh, did I mention their freight lanes? Do you like the Northeast? If you said "yes" to the last one, then you are in luck, because you get to see A LOT of it. While I was with them , I went west of the Mississippi river 1 time.
    The equipment is decent, if you go flatbed. Lumber tarps are the norm, for everything. Every now and then you can come across an old SMX steel tarp. If you find one, hold on to it, they are few and far between. (nothing like tarp a steel load that is only 18" tall with a lumber tarp that has 8' drops)
    Now, play your cards right, play by the rules and keep your nose clean, get the experience you need, and then move to a better company. ( I tell you these thing not to scare you, but to inform you. Knowledge is power). Good luck
     
    granitecrusher Thanks this.
  10. granitecrusher

    granitecrusher Bobtail Member

    7
    1
    Oct 24, 2013
    Pensacola, FL
    0
    Ok earth ruler, I have read about the poor pay, but was that your pay because you were new in the business, or was it the way it was the whole time you were there? Were you running dry van or flatbed? Yes, lumber tarps suck. So they don't issue steel tarps? How about the home time?
     
  11. damutt

    damutt Road Train Member

    1,126
    370
    May 6, 2013
    0
    pay for me wasa .27 for me when i started. i had 6 months exp. i ran flatbed. steel tarps are not issued, however you can purchase them ,they take it ouf of your pay
     
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.