Watkins and Shepard

Not so easy when its a Pier 1 load. If you don't care to fingerprint freight don't go with W/S.

 

Pharaun,

Could you be more specific on class cost, interest, payback period, and company contribution? Maybe their road rate range takes that into account, but no one rides for free. Even the rate range has time limits and specific costs associated with it. Recruiters will tell you those details after you ask 3 times in a row.

 

The cost of the training for 30 days is $4,000 and if you finance through Transportation Alliance Bank the interest rate is 7.75%. They require $250 at the time you enroll and then the loan payments are approximately $40 a week for 104 weeks. The first payment will be due a couple of weeks after you start driving. As long as you stay with W/S they will make the first $25 of your weekly payment leaving you a balance of $15 each week. If you leave W/S before the loan is paid in full the unpaid balance will be entirely your responsibility to pay off. The tuition also covers the cost to get you to the training site and lodging while you a there.

I am giving you this information from the letter I received from W/S detailing their pay and training.

Brad

 

Thanks Brad,

That's close to votech except living expenses double cost, and don't get fed/state/county financial assistance with company school. I'd want to pay off sooner even though only $1560 over almost 9 years. With low interest rates, almost paying off all loan principal and little interest. So $200 (or add $175 vs $15) payments would be done in about 1.7 years years, so not hanging over your head when making career decisions down line for family's sake.

Too bad they don't contribute 62.5% flat rate to what you contribute (25/40), but its still a very competitive rate and you have the job so really hard to beat any way you look at it. 6 to 8 weeks class is just long time to make bill payments in advance of classes no matter what route you take.

 

If you go to W/S from another training school you would go through a 10 day training class without pay and then be out with your truck/trailer at $.28 cpm and they reimburse $100 a month for 36 months or the cost of your school tuition.

 

You can get out of New Jersey easy. You can get in just as easy LOL.

I could do a round a week to Jersey if I wanted...I did for about 3 weeks.

Generally, coming from Jersey, you will pick-up in Penn. and go to Ohio, then south. Or, being out of Jersey/Ohio/Michigan you will load out of Penn going to GA....Where you will be loaded out of Dalton, GA back to Jersey/Ohio/Michigan if you want.

If you are OTR...don't look for weekly turn arounds. Those are for regional drivers.

They try to get the regional drivers as close to 2500 miles a week as possible before turning him/her to the house.

 

When you took the trips to Seattle and LA during training how many were in the truck and how was sleeping arranged.

Thanks again,

Brad

 

Thanks Dance,
The million dollar question I guess is, are the OTR guy pushing at least 3000 every week? Cause if that's the cause I'll prob need at least another 700 (3200 mi.) miles to stay OTR on tours.