Watkins & Shepard Trucking, Inc. - Missoula, Mt.

Randy and Susan, I wish you the very best of luck. We would have gone with WS and they had us assigned to a class (Dec 27th) We then got an email saying they had more experienced applicants and were not going to hire us. It was certainly nothing in our past or anything like that as we are squeaky clean, so no idea why really. We had even been referred by a current WS team. I like the company and I think most who drive for them like them also. We went with US Xpress and we are very happy. Our list to pick from was pretty short as we have a small dog my wife wants to take with us. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions, I can put you in touch with Jeff and Melissa who have been with WS for over a year.

 

Hey Craig, I wonder what you may have heard about Swift out of Denver.

 

Swift has a terminal in Denver so that helps. You will hear a lot of bad about Swift but they are so huge (20,000 Tractors) and negative comments are much more likely than positive. I have met a couple of Swift Drivers and they said they were happy and making money. That is really all I know.

 

I have heard nothing specific about their Denver operations however and they cannot compare to Watkins Shepard just based on what I know.

 

I found the Denver terminal for WS to be one of the most efficient I've been to...Good peeps there too!

 

..well that's a big surprise to me as I've been watching the W/S threads for years now & it seemed they were always hiring newbs' just out of school, but that was solo, maybe the team drivers are another story or they're just getting more experienced team drivers applying there now.. sorry you didn't get your 1st choice & I haven't run across very many positive threads for U.S. Xpress so good luck there; if you can make it for 6 months or longer just re-apply to W/S & you may get another chance at a team slot, that is if you're still up to team driving OTR..

 

Well, I have to say our USX experience so far has been pretty amazing. Everyone we have met, other drivers, office staff, mechanics, you name it, have been great. Also, the pay is higher and the miles (from other teams I have talked to) are great, 5500 to 6000 a week average. The $5,000 team Hazmat sign on bonus did not suck either. Both of our trainers are great with good instruction skills and Orientation was professional and actually pretty enjoyable. I know there will be very crappy days ahead but it has been way better than we expected. Just like any large company the haters come out of the woodwork.

 

I just finished their ten day orientation in Missoula and though Im not an experienced with other companies I can tell you my experience here has been invaluable. Learned a lot. Its pretty intense, but well worth it.

 

I have heard alot more good things than bad about WS.

 

After MANY hours of research on the web I have decided to give Watkins and Shepard a shot. They have the least amount of negative comments on any thread that I have looked at and they seem to be very straight up when talking with one of their recruiters. I didn't want to go to an independent school... because I am so broke... but considering the alternatives I don't feel I have another choice! I am a little bit nervous that I will be in a truck after only eleven days of training with their company but like their recruiter said... you will either know how to drive after getting out of school or you won't ... bottom line. Hopefully they will give me a shot when I graduate from school. I am going to go to Sage School in Salt Lake... I meet with them tomorrow afternoon. I feel like a little kid right now! Excited, scared and looking forward to a new career. Sitting behind a desk doing what I have done for twenty-two years and now something totally new and different. I use to love what I did (mortgages and real estate) but haven't for quite sometime now. I was excited for all of the new regulations and hoped it would weed some of the 'bad' loan officers out of the business but it is only weeding the good ones out... the bad ones will always find a way around all of the rules and continue to take advantage of people that trusted them. My husband loved driving truck when he could work and Watkins and Shepard will let me take him along after 90 days of probation have passed. Plus, they will let him bring his dog when he comes for a $500 pet deposit. Believe me, I understand the deposit. I have rented to irresponsible pet owners in the past and they can cost an owner a lot of money in a house and I don't imagine that would be different in the cab of a truck. So thanks for all of your comments... without them I could have been working for CR England, Swift, Prime or Stevens. And I would have probably even signed a lease! This forum has been MORE than helpful. Thanks to everyone that has posted even if I haven't commented... I have read hundreds of them. If anyone is interested I can continue posting my experience with Sage School tomorrow and where ever I end up from there (hopefully with Watkins and Shepard).