The truth about watkins, my expierence

You will find most of the drivers with more than a years experience running local or shortline out of the terminals. There's a few OTR teams who've been around for ages and some O/O's on the flatbed side as well, but generally the dry van company side is a place for rooks to come and go pretty quick. Honestly, W/S would be a much better company if they were not paying wages from the 90's. I believe it's part of their business model to rely mostly on rooks out of school, keep the wages low and put a new one in after they've had enough. I had to leave to benefit myself as the places I were delivering to as a local hourly driver, the warehouse workers were making as much or more than me!

Otherwise I didn't have very many issues at all, I loved the lanes W/S kept me on when I ran OTR and everyone at the time was very helpful. But as noted, the equipment does tend to get its full life use out of it before being turned in. You don't see much W/S stuff being used in a 2nd life after this company sells it LOL!

 

So I quess they still keep those trucks that you saw

 

I came by someone's FB on one of those trucking groups the other day that was just starting out in my 05' that was given to me brand new! Had black corners on both sides of the bumper, boy the stories that thing could tell after I left lol.

 

I worked there 2 yrs and have nothing bad to say about them. Perfect, nope, every rose has a thorn, but for starter company, I say as close as you can get. Never had a pay or home time issue. Never had a truck issue they didnt fix instantly without question. Everyone has their own experience, sorry hours wasnt better, they're good people.

And those 20 stop LTL runs are what all newbs should be on, especially to the mom and pop stores built for horse and buggies, best experience & skill builder you can get in trucking. I made over $1000/wk running those, they paid good.

 

Lol. Great read. I feel bad for the OP. Great input Spiritwolf and wd40.

 

Watkins shepard is probably the best company a rookie can start with. you run with them everyone else seems easy. you got the shaft on getting a truck but **** happens. I think Detroit drivers got it the worst for hometime due to geography.i started with them and im a better driver for it. didn't work out for me either but im not gonna complain about it just find a new company and keep truckin. the best part about ws Is the freedom, the regional dispatchers aint constantly hovering over you I do miss the freedom. ltl wasn't for me I like long hauls and had to get out of the ne got sick of being up there all the time I now run the se and sw much more laid back. as for the trucks take a look at a knight truck then a ws truck, they are the same ws gets their trucks from knight at around 400000 mi so very few people get a new truck picked my truck up at knight in carlise pa. ws trucking is an acquired taste some like it some don't but they are not as bad your post says

 

Why didn't it work out for you North ?

 

ltl and the ne. i ran regional out of conover. nothing bad about ws just my preference to run below the mason Dixon and truckload no touch. but for people who want freedom ws is the way to go do to the regional dispatcher setup

 

they did...they dont anymore. I think we have bought like 300 brand new trucks or more in the last year, and are still getting more.

 

Pretty much all of this. I personally like the latitude W/S gives its drivers. The wages suck pretty badly, and I'll likely leave at some point in the future, but I'd say I have mostly positive things to say.