Profile For Tay

This is in way not first time company sense training has put me in situation could caused me to go to hospital but first time technically would not been there fault exactly just partly it been for sure fault of the hotel hallmark inn in Nashville thought.

Partly western dusty sense they place there employees there.

Hotel moved me through four different rooms all which where filled with black mold

It’s issue because in past black mold caused me be hospitalized and I came close to dieting from it had have lung wash.

The company should require better safety and sanitation standards from locations they are boarding there people at

Been stuck now for week going going second week I’ve called company and made couple reports to medical and health contact that are supplied to us by the app that we are told to call.

Hopefully I’ll be done with this in about half of week.

But I am just going deal with being sick till I’m sick till education parts over.

Then I’m going tell dm I’m assigned to that I am not taking out truck till I drive back to wi via enterprise rental go to see my oncologist and get checked out.

Then I’m going hang out at home till the allergic reactions subside and I can breath agin cleanly clear without feeling dizzy or like I’m going fall on my face when I am lifting something.

For example my breath been so labored from my trainer vaping that I when I was lifting the traps put back on flat bed I almost fell on my face due to being unable catch my breath.

Which is not normal for me at all I am use a doing work like stack 2k bails hay on my farm that weight about 60 pounds the. Unstacking and carrying them one by one and restacking them.

I am actually 45 years old and have a autoamune disorder which is permeant now which company is aware of due to lukimea treatments and all of this is in my long form.

The jumping off bunk bed is annoying at best because I have a shredded ACL which is knee now held to gather by pins and bands.

So when I get done with training I’m going to take some leave and recover and pay them for the training part.

Once I feel better I’ll see about driving some loads for them on my own in truck provided to me to or if I just take diff options that come up.

The lack of response from numbers I been given does not inspire confidence that they care.

Forgive me if I missed this but, how long have you been with the trainer?

Forgive me if I missed this but, how long have you been with the trainer?

My biggest issue is health issue, I have not been able to get moved to a diff trainer.

Issue there is this I asked for none smoking trainer or whatever you want call it.

Now I was comparing this to three of other friends I enter program about same time I did who also asked for none smoking

All three of us got paired with smokers who signed up for none smokers

Reason wanted none smoker because two past cancer issue and two I’m allergic

So one night i was in top bunk and trainer started vaping/smoking and all that vap

I woke up about 2am coughing eyes swollen having issue breathing I had jump off top bunk like I have had to do most times I get up.

Bought some Benadryl took four of them and waited lucky swollen and my breathing improved or I would had call 911

Now I reported the incident to medical and safety everything.

But so far only option been provided it just to deal with it and keep taking the Benadryl to keep the swelling down and finish up training.

I have also talked to trainer about vaping but she denied vaping at night she has cut back vaping in front of me.

I have talked to my wife along with couple other trainers going. Through some what same issue.

At end of my training I am going to pay for the education that was provided to me via the contract terms.

I talked to my own lawyer I use for my farm operation and gave him L4N agreement and talked to the IRS with way the agreement written I can pay off debt and it be consider for taxes as a student tax write off for me.

So I am going to do that after I do that I have not made up my mind if I’m going to stay at western or not.

I had other offers before I started here and I still have offers on table.

But the issues I have had when related to just health and safety is enough to concern my family it seems.

As of right now I’m still sick and have swelling and eye issues due to situation and breathing issues.

Which been ignored by western medical and safety.

The writing I just done via cell phone I am not big text typer so typing via phone is not my thing.

I

Reahl dehl I agree. I found the op’s post very hard to read. Typos we all have but the structure and phrasing both in this post and bio lead me to think they are not a us born/raised person. I also suspect they are younger in age, I may be wrong and do not intend to offend the op, or anyone else.

Nothing wrong with it by any means, but I have found that folks often times have very different expectations based on their culture and upbringing. As well as a lack of understanding towards some things in the US.

It sounds like the trainer is leasing from WE and has not explained the difference between them and a company driver.

OS started with them in flatbed so he can shed more light than the rest of us.

I don’t think I may not stay at WEI I am not sure I feel company does not overly care about my safety for one and Nothing company has told me has been true so far as employee driver or as a trainee.

As employee driver for this company following has been my experience

1: insurance on truck I am liable for any damages I cause or someone elese causes to truck and or any property that is stolen the company forces that on employee

My trainer had to pay out pocket get truck fixed when someone damaged fender on truck in parking lot while she was at home.

2: gas cost only gas company pays for is when loaded and part does not always cover gas required to get to next load my trainer had pay some out of pocket to get to a load.

3: pay is about 750$ solo for flat bed driving which I am doing dry van friend was at says it was about 500$ week for him the pay is about 20 cents less per mile than what recurter or paper work I seen said.

I have been asking all drivers who are new this year of 2024 what there average pay is every week and I was told 750 and 500 if your lucky and have good week 1,000$ but that does not happen enough to raise average.

4: traines make 215$ week flat bed

5: traines have to pay 2,500$ to have right to work for anther company if they d code not work for western express

6: you get 1 day vacation for ever 70 hours worked

7: vacation starts day you head home so drive time home counts as vacation time when under load or not Same with drive time back to the terminal that counts as vacation time also

8: if going home or coming in by back under load or not you have to pay for gas for truck

9: western express rule I can become trainer pretty quickly then I when I get a trainee I have them work for me I collect my own income plus there income till they are signed off on. By me

That how trainers make there income

I also learned that they are recurring new people 60 week due to turn over rate people quitting.

10: safety and health issues, the food they serve at dormitory hotel they put you in is served sometimes cold or under ****ed I got food posioing one day from chicken

11: me and three other who I got know signed up for none smoking trainers we all got pair d with smokers.

12: vey see smokers can request none smokers if they don’t want others smoking in there truck other than them selfs it’s ****ing stupid health safety issue.

My trainer said she was a smoker and isn’t want a smoker in her truck even thought she smokes in truck.

13: I got allergic reaction in truck reported it to company to the personal handles medical and jury reports I called it in left voice mail explained I have low immune system and I request a none smoker due to allergies related issues and that I could beaky breath due to thoart reaertive issues and I had to take Benadryl daily ever three hours three tabs day just keep it from getting worse and my eyes where swollen. I was at time close to calling 911 so I could go to hospital it was pretty bad.

I was given no choice but to stay with same trainer in truck for my training time period.

I kinda *****ed out my trainer who has limited her smoking around me which has helped

I was bit worried about getting tossed out on street corrner so I have had enterprise for app on my phone.

But my friend Tay had same issue and he was pretty much tossed out on street corner for it.

14: the training is not training it is team driving drivers run 24 to 7 so when trainee is driving trainer is not and vice versa. Been my experience and two of my friends at company.

Every one I have gotten to know so far at company has quit company with in month of working there.

I am starting feel like I should just walk away after I work long enough pay off the 2,500$ but out.

The main thing was the health issues that I had that company does not seem care about and my wife was also concern for me abut just 2,500$ is a lot if I u don’t have it.

I’m just passing time to get 25 hours in needed then calling it day probably going find diff place to work also

Only thing learned so far from western express is how to stick a phone on windshield and face time your boyfriend or girlfriend while driving and how to text hands free.

Most of everything from moving tandems so forth even hourly log books I already know how to do due to past work experience driving

I was talking to the three other people who where in flat bed division at western they all having same experience as my self when out with a trainer.

I my self almost had to go to hospital due to allergic reaction due to driver I requested none smoker and I was told this was only none smoking driver they could assign to me.

The girl like vap 24 to 7 won’t stop windows up or down currently been taking to a of Benadryl just to keep swelling down.

I call main office about issues and brought it up to trainer or team driver

Nothing got wait till all loads they want moved are done.

I am going probably just buy my self out of this contract and leave to do something else.

I was a team trainer. They drove 10 hrs, i drove 10 hours. We hit over 1000 miles per day. I personally made sure we showered every day, sat for meals at real restaurants, had time to practice backing.

If you are not getting that in a training situation.... even as a team trainee.. you need to speak up.

Agin thing is some of company like one I’m with it shift driving never awake at same time.

I agree with you to a degree, but yes it is training. The trainer will be ( or at least should be) watching everything you do and teaching you how to do it. They won't just be "sleeping"

But if not getting taught anything just doing every thing on your own, and both you and trainer are just taking shifts back and forth.

As someone who was a team trainer for the better half of a decade, I can tell you that we dont sleep enough. It is more like a new parent to an infant where you hear everything and wake up. Most of your driving will be on an interstate, and I do not need to be watching you for 10 hours on an interstate after you know what you are doing. Meaning lane control, watching mirrors, folllowing distance etc.

Teaching you how to find customers, checking in, sliding tandems and why, drop n hooks, HOS, dealing with dispatch, claims, accidents and even life on the road is covered. Even with 6 months, 24/7 i could not cover it all.

Check out some of my team training videos and you will get an idea of what it is like.

And no.. i did not make the same as my students. And i was not responsible for their pay.

Team Training

One thing people sometimes for get is if you do OTR and you are out for while doing local

Company’s may start treating you like your new agin requiring you do redo your training agin.

So sometimes it’s best to decide if you want to be otr or local and ahead of time.

In my experience since I’m a newer CDL A holder who just went through the hiring process and has been working for about 3 months now, OTR is really your best bet fresh out of school. Reason being is it’s the best and fastest way to gain your experience and you will find that most of these companies who are local only like you’re seeking want a minimum of one year experience. They want someone who knows how to drive, maneuver, back, hook and unhook from trailers multiple times a day, already knows logs, HOS, etc. Stuff you learn at an OTR company during training. Best way to gain that experience and the hours is to do OTR. A lot of these local companies aren’t setup for training like that.

I was just like you out of school. Didn’t want to do OTR. Didn’t want to be away from home. I ended up finding out I couldn’t get ANY local, non-OTR jobs around me with no experience. (I searched for 2 months) Your best bet is to go OTR right out of school for a minimum of 6 months, although at least one year is best. Get your one year in, accident free, no write ups, etc. You open up a lot of opportunities after that. Look at companies like Schneider, Swift, Western Express, CR England. I know there’s others that have been mentioned on here before, all of which will take you with little or no experience, train you their way. Then you get your one year in. And that one year coupled with a prospective employer knowing you got good training, will look good when you do start applying for local jobs.

I will say, I could be completely wrong, too. Maybe there is a company that is local that will hire right out of school but in my experience, they are far and few. Good luck.

I did local out of school then Otr

University class a you can drive anything if you want be home and be company driver ready mix cement is good option also and it pays equal to class a I kind of wish I went that route now Usaly pays 28 to 39 an hour.

At least by me that’s going indeed hire rate.

Pick job that suits what you want if you want be home then find job pays well doing that and so forth.

Anther good job starting if want to be home daily is work in g for Sysco foods they pay by hour or by millage and percentage of load which ever pays better

And they will take new people Schinder is anther good company if I want learn tanker and there company hire tanker drivers with it need hazmat like moving chocolate around or milk like we have in Wisconsin jobs for that.

Plenty of things pick from that don’t require OTR

So I've finally obtained my CLP, I'll be starting school very soon and I want to know what jobs hire locally fresh out of school. I don't want to do any otr

So I am just curies get other people views on this question that popped up in my head.

Companies having new drivers or people who have not been on road for while go through a training program when these program to me seem more like team driving then training ?

Example

How program works you would be consider normal orientation, then they teach you just one or two days of like load securement Or anything, then they send you out with a trainer but all trainer does at these company’s training a sleep while the trainee is driving and working then when trainee clock is up the trainer takes over and drives and works.

The company has team driving like this moving loads day and night so g twice as much shipping then a solo person could do.

Both trainee and trainer get same cents per mile during program but the trainees pay just gets sucked up by the traineer

Should this practice really be consider training ?