Watkins Shepard 30 day training as experienced by Warpdrvr

I would like to thank everyone that has been posting on this site. I have been reading through some of them and found some good information. About five months ago I was laid off from the automotive industry and have found it very difficult to find another job. I live in the Portland, OR area(Vancouver,WA) and we have lost a few dealers with the slow down. I have been looking at going into trucking as a possibility and based on info found here, noticed that Watkins Shepard appears to be hiring non-experienced drivers in this area. Not sure if that would equate to a bit more home time since I live in a city that has a terminal or not, but I did leave a message for someone in the recruiting office this afternoon for more info.

Everyone keep up the great post and drive safe out there.

 

Hi ml welcome to the forum, sorry to hear about your job. I got on here because I though early in the year I might get the ax at my work. I did truck at one time in my life though. If you are serious keep doing your homework. My research would be to go to W/S if that time ever comes. Keep calling and most important keep checking this forum a few times a week. If you take this leap home time has to put on the shelf. W/S advertises 3 man rotation teams 2 weeks out 1 week home. So much has changed by reading this forum I would call to confirm if that what sounds good to you. Good luck.

 

Thanks for the welcome!! Warp, from reading all your input W/S does sound like a good company. And Znine, yes I know it means time away from home. Trucking has always been something that I have wanted to do and since my kids are in high school now and nearing completion of the school thing(except for college)now may be the time. My dad had 10 trucks running back in the 70's and our body shop we had for years mostly worked on the big rigs, so I have been around trucks in some form for a long spell, just never drove. My brother drives for UPS freight now and has been with them for about a year after driving for Wilson in VA for about 10 years. He gets plenty of home time, but has the experience and is doing really well with them.

I would rather try my hand at trucking rather than work several part time jobs in fast food or retail to try to make it. Automotive seems to be dead and I'm not sure it's going to come back. The collision repair business has been ruined by us giving all the control to the insurance companies. Maybe it's time to try something new. If I don't hear back today, I will call them back.

 

who is the man! WARPD is the man! hehe. great job! what do you meen when you say your trip envelopes?

 

Spoke with Sandy just a little bit ago! Sounds like a good program. I really like the part about getting right to it after the 10 day orientation. She is going to email some info to me so I can look it over and gave me the names of two training companies here in Portland to look at. We will see where it goes from here.

 

When I drove a trip envelope is what the driver puts the paper work in for the load after delivered, logs, reinburstment expenses such as windsheild fluid, and mails it to the company. The driver also has to write down the roads they traveled to get the load there so the company can pay the road tax. And the driver doesn't get paid until the company gets that envelope for each load.

I'm sure Warp is busy right now but I am sure he will fill you in more. Hope this works for now alex.

 

Sounds good ml, just put my 2 cents in because I am surprised a lot of people think terminal in their home town must mean time off any time they want or weekends off. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

thanks for that znine. i had no clue what it was. well i had a clue just wasnt sure what was all included in it. dont do that locally. haha. thanks my man.