Watkins shepard

I wonder if W/S hired them on, if they were willing to stay..... My guess is probably..

 

LOL@Rambler

 

Anyone from Watkins tell me what to expect there? I have 15 years experience up to 2008, but nothing in the last 2 years so I am expected to go through their 10 day thingy and then hit the road. I haven't done OTR since 2001 but I did it from 1993 to 2001 so I had plenty of experience and knew what it was like.

But... I also know some things have changed. My main questions are about equipment but also the company rule about idling. From what I understand, some states and some companies don't want you idling all the time, but it is Summer and it gets hot, so what do you do for AC and what do you do in Winter for heating if you aren't allowed to idle?

From reading posts I gather I am also still going to need an inverter for my computer, fridge, TV, etc. Any company rules there aside from having an in-line fuse?

Back in my day the QualComm only allowed something like 200 characters of text per message and it took many moons for it to send and receive. I gather some can practically web browse. What does the company use and are they of any value or just used for company/driver communications?

Is there a GPS unit in the truck or like us old timers do you use a map?

What is internet wireless access like? I read you can get it at some truck stops but can you get some kind of nationwide service package through a cell phone company or anything like that? So used to having internet 24/7 I am not sure how I would get along without it. But I want to know how to get it, what it costs, etc.?

I've been around long enough to know that one company is pretty much the same as the next. There is no greener grass on the other side of the mountain. Each company has its problems, its problem people and its good stuff. Not too worried about that. Been there, done that already.

I would like to know if there is a high level of loading and/or unloading? I am used to 1 out of 20, but if it's all the time I might go elsewhere over that.

Also a little bummed they want to start me at .25/mile for something like 90 days, then only bumped up .27. I think I made more than that in 1993 when I started and it hurts to not get any experience pay for so many years. But I everyone wants that 6 months recent OTR experience and I don't have it and local jobs have 700 applicants for every job position.

Any info would be really appreciated.

 

Hello!! The first thing I have to say is that if you have been truckin for 15 years I would think that WKSH wouldn't be near your first choice. I say that only because the pay here is definately directed towards guys with little to no experience that want to hopp right in a truck without having to deal with a trainer for six months. Having said that, I think you would def. enjoy driving for this company and have the ability to decide what you want to make a week.

Equipment--
WKSH has Volvo's and Freight-shakers. It is a toss up which you will get, mainly determined by what open trucks are in the area at the time. Don't know how soon u r coming over, but there is a century series freightliner in missoula right now that would be a good truck if you are willing to spend 2 days cleaning it up. Another driver here just told me it is pretty messy, but a nice truck underneath. Most trucks here that you will step into are gonna have from 300,000 to 500,000. My truck is a century series, freightliner 2007 with 509,000 miles. Truck is in great operational shape, good tires, and clean. There are some klunkers out there and I know of guys here that spend more time in the shop than on the road. Like I said, its a toss up.

Idling--
Most all trucks here have APU's on them, so there is your heat and air. No idling, no problem. Just flip a switch and your temp is perfect through the night in all types of weather.......hahahahaha, oh wait, this is WKSH. I have had two trucks sinse working here, both had APU's, neither of them worked. I idle my truck every single night, and all day when I am unloading etc.... No one has ever said anything to me, and somehow I am still getting my bonuses!!! As for the states that don't allow idling..... We have terminals in those states so just make sure you get there for the night and idle away. No cops bother you there, nor could they if they wanted. You are off the road and behind a fence, so no worries.....

Inverter, qualcomm, gps--
Get your own inverter, any shop will hook it up for you to their specs and it wont cost you anything besides actually buying the inverter. I know they have a max that they allow, but I dont know what that is. I have a 1500 watt inverter and they installed that for me, so i know it is within their regulations. That runs my fridge, freezer, microwave, tv, dvd player, and my laptop with no problem. Doubt you will need anything bigger than that. The qualcomm in most trucks is the older style with limited character entry by the driver. Dispatchers can type as much as they want, but it isnt like that on our end. Messages send as quick as you hit the button now days, and you will often get replies back within a few minutes. They don't work while going down the road unless you are running team. I was lucky to get a new touch screen one in my truck with solitaire on it and some other cool features. As for GPS, there is no company provided one. They will send load routing on the qualcomm, but it is useless once you leave the interstate. I have the rand mcnally GPS and I would put it up against any on the market. I do a lot of furniture runs and am on backroads and city streets all the time, and it hasn't done me wrong yet.

Internet--
I use my droid phone as a modem and have roadrunner speed everywhere in the country. A lot of pilots have wireless, but i believe you have to pay. TA and Petro have wireless as well. It is around 5 dollars for 24 hour access and you can use your driver loyalty points to pay for it. When you pull up the internet it brings you right to the screen and tells you exactly what to do.

Loading-Unloading--
This all depends on where you are out of and it you wanna move or not. If you run out of the NC terminal you will get stuck with furniture loads sometimes. We are technically only required to bring the freight to the back of the trailer, but you know how that goes. Other than that, you will hardly ever have to touch freight. There are also a ton of D&H with this company, so that is even better.

Pay--
The pay here SUCKS!!!! Im sure you are smart enough to see that. With that said, you CAN make a lot of money here. WKSH will never question you about your logs as long as they LOOK good. Run like you need to run in order to make what you need to make. You can literally run as many miles a week here as you are willing to run. Work your book and keep asking for loads. They have tons of freight moving coast to coast. Usually, sitting more than an hour between loads is unheard of for me. The dispatchers will learn how you like to run and they will remember you next time you are in their area.

Hope this helps. Good luck to ya.......

 

Wow i was already sold and crossing my fingers that I can get on with W/S. But if I hadn't already been sold, I WOULD be now! Thanks for all the good info.



American Trucker

 

Definately! Anything you wanna know about the company, just ask.......

 

Hey Bigmoneytruckin,
What model rand mcnally do you have? I've been comparing gps units but I haven't made a decision yet. Thanks..... And thanks for the info on W/S.

 

What up Royger.....
I have the Rand Mcnally TND 500. I think it is like 399.00 at most truck stops these days. They just came out with a new one, the 700. Don't waste the exta 100 bucks unless you are just looking to blow money. The 500 is everything you need and more. They make updates for them all the time that you can get, and they are free. There is a thing that you download on your computer and update from there. If you are worried about being able to get to your computer and update it, don't. I haven't updated mine sinse i got it because I never have time, and it has been spot on every time. The only negative I can say about it is that sometimes it will say you have arrived at your destination, but the address you are looking for is actually like the next building away. Nothing is perfect, right????????

Do you drive for WKSH, or are you still in the researching phase????

 

I've been trying to decide between W/S and Wel Companies. I'm headed out to Wel Companies tomorrow. But I have second thoughts about it every now and then. I'll give WEL a try. They pay decent and you get to take your truck home. If it's not a good fit Roxy said I could come to W/S anytime.

 

I know absolutely nothing about them, so I won't be one of these guys to bash them and say come to WKSH. All I can say is that if you want miles and don't get them there, don't waste your time in hopes that they will one day come. The fact is that there are as many miles as you want at WKSH, as long as you are willing to run. Good luck to ya out there in whatever decision you make......