Crete Carrier/ Walmart Dedicated

I am set to start my new career with Crete on there Walmart regional dedicated account. I saw a Crete truck today at the local Walmart dock and the driver was sitting in his truck so I figured what the hell why not go say hi and see how he likes the Walmart route. Turns out that was a mistake. I very nicely introduced my self and told him I am starting in a couple weeks with Crete. He told me I was talking to the wrong guy. He said nothing but horrible things about the hole Walmart gig and said he already told dispatch to get him home so he could turn in his truck cause he is not delivering another load. He said he had been sitting for 4 hours waiting to get unloaded. Does any one else on here have any experience with the Walmart account. My recruiter says I will get about 2600 miles a week on this account. Does that seem right. Should I be worried. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

I have filled in on a Walmart dedicated for Prime in Lewiston. Mind you I only did it twice when they couldn't find me loads out of Maine. Being an OTR driver I didn't mind the change of scenery for a moment. Now mind you my loads were all in the metro Boston area so that part wasn't too fun but I didn't think the Walmart gig was half bad. Every store I went to were great about unloading me promptly. Now Walmart distribution is another story. I can see having long waits.

I am going to be loading at distribution center and delivering to stores.

Jodi, waiting comes with the territory in this job. It is one of the top complaints I hear from drivers out here. Learning how to work those wait times into your schedule as your required break times, and/or just how to deal with them is vital to success in this career. That grumpy old driver you spoke with spoke ill of a company that thousands of drivers are very happy with. He's sitting there in his driver seat stewing like a chicken in a crock-pot. He could have gotten out and taken a little walk to settle his blood pressure, he could have gone inside the store and stocked up on his supplies. He could have done a thousand different things, but he chose to let it eat away at him.

He is his own worst problem, and will never be a contented truck driver. I can't tell you a thing about Wal-Mart dedicated, but I do recognize a soured old grump when I come across one.

All trucking jobs have wait times involved, but there are ways to turn what most people consider as negatives into something that makes your job more satisfying and profitable. I've seen idiots just burn up their clock at receivers just to try and make a point to their driver manager , when they could have planned ahead and gotten a break in there so that they can go ahead and roll.

Jodi, I have been running Walmart Dedicated exclusively for over 3 years. Never, never have I waited more than 90 minutes to be unloaded at a store. The stores have a service level agreement with the DC to get us in and out of the store in 45 minutes. Many times it's faster. Most of the time I have 4-5 stops on my trailer that must be delivered same day. Long wait times are an exception, not the norm.

Thanks G-Town for your reply. How many miles do you average a week on Walmart.

Jodi asked:

Thanks G-Town for your reply. How many miles do you average a week on Walmart.

I average 2000 miles in a 6 day work week. My sixth day is usually a shorter run due to available hours on the 70 hour on-duty click.

Your mileage will vary due to how the territory is organized, number of stores, and also, as a new driver they (hopefully) will give you shorter runs until you have proven your ability to handle the work. Walmart is something that requires a good bit of time to learn all the nuances that enable success.

Happy to answer additional questions for you.