Western Express

Trucking 101. There are no rewards and reciprocities for putting up with company crap. It will NOT get better, your dog like dedication will not be rewarded by invisible market forces with a juicy bone. A boot in the arse is the only reward you can count on.

Saying that. 2 weeks is ENOUGH to see whether or not you'll put up with the crap. If you don't like what you see in the first 2 weeks, it will NOT be any different after the first two years. IMHO. 2 months to prove yourself my hairy arse, what planet folks writing that garbage are from? It's not the way big carriers operate. In two months you may have 3 different driver managers (or more).

Of course, being a cautious guy I don't quit after 2 weeks, I pay for my mistake with several months of my life. Once I've made big mistake of staying put and waiting for that good wage slave reward for 2 years. That was a bummer, a true eyeopener. Nope, that's not the way trucking business operates, nothing personal, your dedication and willingness to take up your arse means little in the trucking world.

My advice, if you don't like what your see first 2 weeks, start looking elsewhere. Simple. Quitting after 2 weeks with Western Express is lame? Nope, quitting (getting fired) after two years with Western Express is really lame.

 

My experience with Western Express;

I'm doing this as I sit in a parking lot in CT.

I've worked with western express' flat bed division for over a year now.

Everyday that I continue is another day I wish I was in another truck with another company. I'm completely unhappy with the way they do business. I started with western express in January of 2011. I called them up while I was working with Covan/Coleman American, the nice recruiter told me van does the east coast and flat bed does 48. So I told her I wanted to do flatbed since I hate everything about the northeast besides the snow(I'm serious; I like driving in snow its calming). They told me I'd make 34 cents a mile flatbed and 15 dollars for tarping loads and bonuses that are extremely easy to get. So they get me a greyhound to Nashville. They put me in a hotel for the night with another poor soul. We wake up at 5am to catch a 6am shuttle bus along with 30 other drivers. We all cram inside and head up to centennial blvd off briley pkwy to a body shop/recruiting/training building on the adjacent side of the highway from the actual terminal. We fill out paper work/piss/physical and all the while a gentleman explains in the most layman terms how to fill out the paperwork; so it takes all day. The next day we proceed to be learned on how the company operates and how to be successful for the company(not for yourself but the company). On to the next three days I would sit in a flatbed class for a brief time we would actually learn something, the rest of the time its personal hazing by the teacher or break time. I personally was asked if I wanted to just jump in a truck or go out with a trainer for some training. I opted for training because I knew I wouldn't make it or kill somebody unless I knew how to flatbed. I Learned more on the first day with my trainer than I did in 3 days with a teacher. So I'm grateful for opting into training. The trainer wasn't a bad guy at all, thank the lord. So after three weeks I hop into a truck complete a few loads around 1600 miles tarp every load. 420 dollars. I did a quick calculation that's like 27 cent a mile. I rage really hard for quite a while in my mind. I look at the check in my email they took 100 dollars for orientation. I thought to myself "eh, this is just a slow week" it'll get better. I was wrong they pay remained at 14 cpm straight tax and 14 cpm per diem and I never did get above 1700 miles/wk for four months all in the good ole' northeast(needless to say I ran my little butt off for four months in the northeast for my 1600 mile average). So I quit. I had a load going to Atlanta delivered it and took the truck to the Birmingham yard(i know how to not ruin my career).

But the mad scientist that I am I came back looking for different results. It changed I got 31cpm still on per diem though. Still in the northeast. Now everything has changed for the worst. Not only am I unable to idle this truck. I'm no longer allowed to run out of route miles with the fear that they'll charge me a $1 for every MILE i'm out of route. I happened to get a hit and runner and I was charged 200 dollars to fix the mirror(that plastic shell is hardly 200 dollars you crooks). As I continue to work here I realize I'm being paid city center to city center, so I'm always losing 20-50 miles on my trips. I have to tarp everything it seems. I'm always dealing with broken equipment and these ###### trucks from freightliner that always seem to have a problem.

There is a lot more and some of the things I said in the last paragraph I realized in the first three months. I'm just so mentally & physically exhausted I can't complete thoughts right now; so I'm sorry I'm not ultra clear with what I'm saying. I'm really just trying to cope by saying all of this. I just don't feel like they give a rats ### about me or how hard I try to please the company.

The best check I got at western express was 920 dollars for running 3800 miles. Lucky week that I got loads with no problem. The only time I ever felt happy to work for this company.

Time to be an owner op.

 

you'll be more miserable if you become an O/O with no cash on hand....

 

Sewell why not look for another company, you have that 1 year experience that may open some new opportunities.

 

2 weeks is in no way, shape or form long enough to learn a companies in's and out's or let them get familiar with you as a driver to see what, how and where you like to run. You need to give a company at least 2 months. If your this angry after 2 weeks you didn't do your homework on the company before hiring on and have no-one to blame but yourself. Also, how many companies are going to hire a driver with a couple of 2 week stints on his record??

 

I've actually got 2 1/2 years exp but not like thats a big difference

 

When I quit JBHunt I had a job 11 hours later. If you are a decent driver with a good record without the constant job hopping then you can find another one pretty easily.

 

First of all why is the only alternative to the Trucking industry have to be fast food??? The Guy probably can get work as an electrician for all you know. Secondly in my 20 years as an OTR driver I have had 3 count em three abandonments on my DAC. Or unauthorized location of vehicle as it is noted on the hireright page. Trust and believe having this on your DAC is not the end of your trucking career. Your a frigging truck driver you ain't running for Congress. Good luck out there man. Keep ya head up. Don't let these buffoons scare you. You'll be fine. Just keep at it.