Having Trouble Making Up My Mind...

I'll chime in here as a driver that upgraded, got a LW, and went straight to the Walmart dedicated NE regional route. I can say without a doubt it was extremely difficult. But I will also say this: People had been telling me it can take upwards to 6 months to really feel comfortable backing, driving, etc. Not with that route. In about a month I went from being terrified of backing into any space at all to not being bothered in the slightest. It really does force you to become a better driver much faster. Some people can't handle that kind of pressure. I actually thrived in it. I got almost burnt out pretty quickly though because I was doing anywhere from 3 to 5 stores every night without a break for home time. It's a grueling schedule because you can't do your own trip planning to set up your schedule. The shorter the run, the less control you have over it. I went almost 2 months without a break at all, and my FM decided to pull me out and have me run the regular NE regional route so that I could get more home time. (I'm home for my 10 hour break at least twice a week now.) But if you live in Waterville it shouldn't be too much of an issue for you to get home much more often, possibly even every night. You can park your personal vehicle on the distribution center grounds so after you're done with your load you can just hop in your car and drive home. You just need to show your Prime ID at the gate and they wave you in no problem.

I thought it was an excellent experience, and I'm always happy when I get sent back up to Maine. I loved it so much I actually discussed with my husband the prospect of buying a place up there so I could be "local". At some point in the future I might get back on that route. Not sure yet. I'm debating becoming a trainer.

But congratulations on going with Wil-Trans! The pull Prime trailers a lot so you'll see a bunch of us at some point I'm sure.

Regional:

Regional Route

Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.

Fm:

Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager

The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.

TWIC:

Transportation Worker Identification Credential

Truck drivers who regularly pick up from or deliver to the shipping ports will often be required to carry a TWIC card.

Your TWIC is a tamper-resistant biometric card which acts as both your identification in secure areas, as well as an indicator of you having passed the necessary security clearance. TWIC cards are valid for five years. The issuance of TWIC cards is overseen by the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.

Wil-Trans:

Darrel Wilson bought his first tractor in 1980 at age 20, but, being too young to meet OTR age requirements, he leased the truck out and hired a driver.

Through growth and acquisition, Wil-Trans now employs over 200 drivers, and has a long-standing partnership with Prime, Inc. to haul their refrigerated freight. The family of businesses also includes Jim Palmer Trucking and O & S Trucking.

I'll chime in here as a driver that upgraded, got a LW, and went straight to the Walmart dedicated NE regional route. I can say without a doubt it was extremely difficult. But I will also say this: People had been telling me it can take upwards to 6 months to really feel comfortable backing, driving, etc. Not with that route. In about a month I went from being terrified of backing into any space at all to not being bothered in the slightest. It really does force you to become a better driver much faster. Some people can't handle that kind of pressure. I actually thrived in it. I got almost burnt out pretty quickly though because I was doing anywhere from 3 to 5 stores every night without a break for home time. It's a grueling schedule because you can't do your own trip planning to set up your schedule. The shorter the run, the less control you have over it. I went almost 2 months without a break at all, and my FM decided to pull me out and have me run the regular NE regional route so that I could get more home time. (I'm home for my 10 hour break at least twice a week now.) But if you live in Waterville it shouldn't be too much of an issue for you to get home much more often, possibly even every night. You can park your personal vehicle on the distribution center grounds so after you're done with your load you can just hop in your car and drive home. You just need to show your Prime ID at the gate and they wave you in no problem.

I thought it was an excellent experience, and I'm always happy when I get sent back up to Maine. I loved it so much I actually discussed with my husband the prospect of buying a place up there so I could be "local". At some point in the future I might get back on that route. Not sure yet. I'm debating becoming a trainer.

But congratulations on going with Wil-Trans! The pull Prime trailers a lot so you'll see a bunch of us at some point I'm sure.

I was wondering how the Wally Gig worked out for you. You must have done well...definitely right about the backing; sink or swim on that account.

Good post.

Regional:

Regional Route

Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.

Fm:

Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager

The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.

TWIC:

Transportation Worker Identification Credential

Truck drivers who regularly pick up from or deliver to the shipping ports will often be required to carry a TWIC card.

Your TWIC is a tamper-resistant biometric card which acts as both your identification in secure areas, as well as an indicator of you having passed the necessary security clearance. TWIC cards are valid for five years. The issuance of TWIC cards is overseen by the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.

Wil-Trans:

Darrel Wilson bought his first tractor in 1980 at age 20, but, being too young to meet OTR age requirements, he leased the truck out and hired a driver.

Through growth and acquisition, Wil-Trans now employs over 200 drivers, and has a long-standing partnership with Prime, Inc. to haul their refrigerated freight. The family of businesses also includes Jim Palmer Trucking and O & S Trucking.

Thanks! Yeah, I did pretty well, I think. The in-house Prime FM stationed in Lewiston was trying to get me to join his board, but I love my FM so that's not happening. Hahahaha! It's in the back of my mind that if I ever leave Prime (which won't be any time soon whatsoever, as I love the company) I might apply to be a Walmart company driver. We'll see.

Bill wrote:

Thank you everyone for your input. You don't know how much it is appreciated. Well, I have decided on Wil-Trans and start orientation and training next Monday 3/6 in Springfield, MO. The reason I decided on them is because they wanted to speak with my wife to make sure she was ok with my being gone for 2-3 months while training. The gal she talked to gave my wife her direct number in case she needs anything while I'm gone. My recruiter has bent over backwards for me and at this moment I couldn't be more pleased. I know my wife is happy with them and that's 3/4 of the battle right there! :) As a going away gift the church I am the associate pastor for bought my plane ticket so I wouldn't have to spend 49 hrs on a bus. So, the new adventure begins soon. I would be lying if I said I wasn't excited and a tad nervous. I can speak in front of hundreds of people and not bat an eyelash, but this, this is something else. I feel like a big kid!

Good for you Bill! Best of luck.

Wil-Trans:

Darrel Wilson bought his first tractor in 1980 at age 20, but, being too young to meet OTR age requirements, he leased the truck out and hired a driver.

Through growth and acquisition, Wil-Trans now employs over 200 drivers, and has a long-standing partnership with Prime, Inc. to haul their refrigerated freight. The family of businesses also includes Jim Palmer Trucking and O & S Trucking.