Walmart here I come!

Rob, well said! That is exactly how I looked at this last step in the process.

You are really in a great spot. 33 years old and real close to the DC to see the family more often if needed. Good for you, Rob!

 

I WISH I was that close. Closest one to me is Woodland at 2.5 hours. Toby is 4.5 hours from my house. You are very lucky to live so close. Wish they'd build a new DC near me. Last night, after a long day (was cut loose on my own yesterday afternoon and did my first solo run) I drove home. I got sick with a bad cold during the previous night and don't think I slept much at all. It was an exhausting trip home, having to stop for two naps on the way. Just hoping I didn't bite off more than I can chew.

 

It can be a little overwhelming when you start on your own. Just take it slow, and do everything the same way all the time. The mentors make it look very easy, and do things very quickly, especially when it comes to the computer stuff. Just take your time, be safe, and the money will come.

Just get yourself better, and it won't seem so daunting.................. well, it will still seem daunting, but you will handle it better.

It takes me 2-2.5 hours to get home, because I live in the mountains. You will be tired your "Monday" because it will be a very long day. "Friday" often times ends a little early, but you will still be tired when you get home. Right now you are feeling more tired because you don't feel comfortable with the procedures. That will get better with time. I'm going on 8 months now, and am still learning things daily. However, I have my rhythm that I stick to faithfully. My efficiency improvements show in my ADP increase. My stress level is so much lower than it used to be with my old job, that my 2 day reset is truly time off to enjoy with my family. You will also find that after your second night back, you will feel much better. Your body will adapt. Just remember that it gets better................ and easier. For me, another driver lives in my area........... but 30 minutes further away. He has been here 10 years.

Drozzer, my week started much like yours. The truck I was supposed to go in wasn't in either. So, they put me in another sleeper truck that I change out tonight for my original truck. I will have that for the rest of the week. We are really busy, and really behind. Can you say quintiq??

 

By the way Rob, congrats and welcome. Should've said that earlier but this cold is kicking my tail! I'll be looking for you. I had to do my orientation in Pottsville cuz I was the first and only one ready to start. Good luck with everything.

 

We have a 110lb Rott that sleeps on the bed with us (he is not fully mature yet. He will top out about 130lbs). Thank goodness we have a king. Of course, I only have myself to blame. We got him when he was 5 months old, so I was worried about bonding. The first time I was home, I had him come on the bed with me. Since then, he sleeps plastered to me. LOL Yes, he is human. When I am not home, he sleeps in my spot, with his head on my pillow.

BTW, I think you are the youngest guy that I have heard getting on here. The youngest I have seen in my DC is in his late 30's. Hearty congrats !!!

Drozzer, I have had a lot of days in the 5-600 range, and some over. Of course, it is a long distance to the next GM DC out here. I had 2 weeks of huge miles, then 2 weeks of short miles and tons of activity. I don't know what this week will be, yet.

 

Jim, I am ahead of the other three guys as well so I don't know yet if I am going to have to wait for them or if they will ship me off to another dc to do orientation, my back round check should be back Monday and them I am ready. We are very fortunate to live in the northeast part of the country for it is the region where Wal-Mart is always hiring. I know many drivers come here from the south and west just to get a foot in the door. Woodland is another dc that hires often once you put in a year you should be able to transfer, 2 hours beats 4.5. This is very strange that toby is doing hiring, I know it is because of all the retirements and I think there are more to come. You see when toby first opened back in 2001 or 2002 CF just went out of business and Roadway got bought by Yellow and had there own problems. With all this going on Wal-Mart was able to staff toby very easy with quality drivers with many many years of experience. Now these drivers are getting to retirement and this entire region is hurting for drivers with experience.

 

Thanks Extreme, I was always afraid that my age might be a problem getting hired, or should I say I thought they might associate age with being immature. In the end it all is going to work out. I think I am the youngest at toby.

 

Extreme, care to explain this in more detail? For the few of us that have not gone through orientation yet, I am curious. Not knowing some of the lingo, it sounds like you are managing your time much better, thus earning more.

Matt, how do you feel you are doing now that you have been solo for over 6 weeks? Is slip seating trucks one or more times a week hurting the pay you could make if you had an assigned truck?

Thanks!

 

At the end of every pay period, you get your greenbar. It shows everything you did, miles, stops, drops, hooks, live loads, live unloads, layovers, unscheduled time, and other (weekend mileage premium, meetings, drug tests, etc). It also shows what your ADP (average daily pay) is, at this time. Your ADP is a good way to see, in numbers, how much more efficient you are being. For me, in the 7 months that I have been driving, it has gone up 20%. That means I am 20% more efficient than I was when I started.

I still have a long way to go. It is everything from being much faster with the computer (a big one for me, as I didn't have one at my X job), knowing how to maneuver yourself at stores............. which is very different from Supercenters to Neighborhood Markets. Being better at backing the trailers in the first time. Basically, everything that you do.

While I realize you asked Matt, it does apply to me also. When I started, I was normally changing trucks 2x a week. Now it is once a week or one truck all week. When you don't have to switch trucks, you make more money. It is as simple as that. I always leave a truck better than I got it, so it takes me longer than some drivers. However, I can do it no other way.