Watkins shepard

My wife spoke to Roxy at WS today. Give her a call JW, she is very helpful. I can tell you that they are defintely not doing the financing anymore, but there are alternatives...talk to her about that. And yes, school openings depend entirely on their need for drivers.

 

Thanks Kiwi, I hopefully will not need the financing, and also I'm hoping that since I put October for a potential hire date that they will look at that and put me first in line for October's list. Don't know how their system works though. I'm still looking at Prime but they have a hiring freeze on west coast students right now. I would really like to work for W/S though.

 

Just my two cents, when I appllied to the company over a year ago they were doing short training in three locations back then.

With that said two are gone and now everything is done in montana so yes it will take a little time to get your app in. Now this company will be a high turnover outfit in the future so stay in touch.

 

Hi Naw'lins....what makes you say they will be high turnover in the future?

 

They've been heading that way the more they grow.

 

Watkins is no longer a family first company, they flipped the script and became a money hungry company. As in swift, jb hunt and the orange people; don't get me wrong the company hasn't gotten that bad yet but it looks like it's haeding in that direction.

first dispatch has no clue " read further post when danc was with the company." Yeah wow is right that long, S2b always mention when he comes east that the company are short of drivers over here know why cause 89% of them are doing western loop even if they stay in atlanta.
Bottom line is W/S is a good company to " get exp". If you can live off of Am I getting punked wages then let me know when you see a for rent sign in your neck of the woods. Just saying if u have a family to take care of this is not the place.
I repeat to start with pick watkins just don't get comfortable. youve been warned.

 

Thanks for the warning Naw'lins =)

 

Personally, as with any job or career you choose, do the research and make your decision on the facts.

Any large company (or even small ones for that matter) in any industry is there for one reason and that is to make money, and when economic conditions dictate, they will do whatever they have to do to continue to make money. Why else would they be there? Im not suggesting that anyone should choose to accept poor working conditions, but I think we have to accept that if we choose to work for a large company, we should expect that we are going to be largely just another number.

I am not a trucker, I do not work for a trucking company; but the industry I am in (and I own my own business) is no different. I just laid off 4 employees. Hardest decision I ever had to make, but also the easiest...if that makes sense.

Anyway...im just rambling but hopefully there is a point in there somewhere. If there isn't im sure someone will tell me.....

 

I saw some of this back after my prehire with WS was pulled, but I doubt that it's entirely a matter of them suddenly "going bad". Probably more a matter of trying to stay alive in this flagging economy, and the drivers are on the bottom rung of the ladder.
We know what always rolls downhill, don't we?
I haven't heard of them doing any growing per se, but perhaps there are plans. With the wage cutback, I'd guess that some seats became available when drivers on the edge went over.

 

red, thats true, some did leave cause of the cutback, it was the final draw from them, nawlins is right in a way, if you do have a family to support then you prob wont wanna stay at watkins long,
whats long?
well most of the companies that new drivers wanna get into require 1-3 years otr driving, some guys are lucky and after just 6 mos otr they land that dream job, it does happen, but not always, a lot has to do with where you live, knowbody has to come to work for w.s i recomend starting off here, its a great company to start off with, youll get a real feel for the trucking industry, and many people say we are turning into numbers here at w.s, which is not true, its not that bad here, "**yet**"?
it could be worse, and it may get even worse, and knowbody can seem to get a grip on weather or not w.s is going to pull through, i think we will..
think is the key word, im 23, young and stupid as many would call me. and its not wishful thinking either, i could leave today and take a local job back home which pays wayyyyyyyyyyy more then w.s
but all and all, for the time being you really couldnt go wrong with starting at w.s.
w.s has the same drivers that all the others have, the people who are just happy to have a job period, and people who bad mouth everything cause they didnt/dont get what they want.

just my .02...