Hello, Y'all~! 5'year Lurker..finally Saying HIYA W/ A Conundrum.

Sounds like you have a child at home that needs caring for. If he is 16, then during the next 2 years is a great amount of time to study and prepare for school. That's my $0.02.

He will only be 15 in January... he doesn't (as of now) want to drive a rig, but who knows. He has his own 'truck' for when he gets of age; older Ranger, but he works on it, haha.

I'm just out of a rig, atm... and as said prior, a certificate from the CCC will be stale. Just a conundrum. Tom is WAY better where he is, trust me....that other job was falling apart before it finally did. He's safe, and happy, with his job...they just won't take me on. Daycabs now; no need for team. I won't get rusty; can still drive the ole' gal around the 'hood bobtail , I guess. Never liked the 13 anyway; glad it's not an 18.

Thanks for your input, guys. Flats are NOT for us'ns... KUDOS TO O/S for all that. I'll just figure it out, somehow. Kinda craps me that I can drive, confidently, but .. have no papers. Kinda like my AKC pittie. Spent 150 to get his papers...sheesh.

Anne WMPF tends to keep their drivers regional. Our DC delivers to all of NJ, Pa east of Harrisburg, MD, and DE. I’ve occasionally run out of the Johnstown NY DC but always end up back in Pottsville after no more than 2 days.

Anne WMPF tends to keep their drivers regional. Our DC delivers to all of NJ, Pa east of Harrisburg, MD, and DE. I’ve occasionally run out of the Johnstown NY DC but always end up back in Pottsville after no more than 2 days.

Thanks for the info, G Town. Any clues as to how he could pursue and/or peruse the options a bit better? Just fill out the app, or a magic phone number, perhaps? :)

As for me; I'll probably be 'starting over' in a year or so; hopefully won't get rusty within that time.

Always, thanks y'all.

Any clues as to how he could pursue and/or peruse the options a bit better? Just fill out the app, or a magic phone number, perhaps?

Applying to WMPF is the best way to get the ball rolling. I don't recommend calling until after he applies. Try to be patient but persistent, there is a ton of competition for these coveted jobs.

The other thing he can do in tandem is find out if there are any TL Carriers (like Schneider, Swift, Werner, Crete) that serve as the primary, "Dedicated" transportation partners for the DC he wants to be assigned to. It's a fallback, many times serving as a good training ground for future WMPF drivers. Once he has built up a solid year of safe & efficient experience running on the TL Carrier's Dedicated fleet, it's an added advantage when applying for the WMPF job because Walmart will have access to his safety and performance records. If he happens to know the name of the DC (city/town location) I can check to see if that is a DC Swift is contracted with.

Happy to assist further. Good luck to you both!

First outfit I worked for hired me on with a stale CDL (got it while in my former profession, ended up not retiring for a year after gaining the CDLA). they had a 5/2 schedule as well, and it was truly a 34 reset. Including drive time to and from terminal. Current outfit runs regional OTR and local. M-F, five 14 hour days typical. Off all day Saturday and Sunday. Best bet is to ask them specifically on that. If it's a local gig, good chance there's plenty of home pillow time.

An answer to the G-Town question: 5 on/2 off sounds like a regional assignment. But sometimes that "2 off" may be a way to describe a regular 34-hour break then back behind the wheel.

Mr. Crumudgeon replied...

Best bet is to ask them specifically on that. If it's a local gig, good chance there's plenty of home pillow time.

An answer to the G-Town question: 5 on/2 off sounds like a regional assignment. But sometimes that "2 off" may be a way to describe a regular 34-hour break then back behind the wheel.

Perhaps, but I think the best bet is to take in all of the available and truthful information in order to make an informed decision.

Mr. Crumudgeon I have been assigned to a Walmart Grocery DC delivering to North East Regional stores for almost 6 years now, which is why Anne addressed the question to my attention. I answered her question within this thread quite accurately based on my experience with WM (and "thank you" Anne for trusting me to answer that question for you and your husband). Asking a recruiter this same question, might provide a reasonably accurate answer, might not. Once (if) Anne's husband is actually interviewed by WMPF, it's best to pose that question to an operational person; which in all likelihood he will be talking to at some point in the vetting process. An ops person will not sugar coat the answer.

The WM operation is fairly consistent no matter what location a driver is assigned. Meaning if for some reason I was temporarily assigned to another DC, the operational procedures and process is virtually identical. The only difference is geography and the available roads. I have briefly run out of two other DCs during my Walmart assignment. Most of the drivers assigned to the 7030 DC (where I work); both WMPF and Swift are technically considered Regional OTR because they do not return home every day; thus sleeping in their truck at the DC, or a store or at a rest stop (in that order of preference). The goal each day is to return to the DC within the same shift, or get as close as possible. It's a 5.5 to 6 day work week with the 7th day-off serving as the 34 hour reset. The work week is between 60-70 hours. Almost impossible to run the Walmart account on recaps and make top money, so the 34 hour reset is part of our DNA. Swift has about 20 local drivers (like me) at 7030, slip-seating, performing the exact same deliveries and back haul runs, however due to living within a 50 mile radius (or closer) of the DC are considered local and usually return home after each shift. However, local drivers are assigned LW trucks with 48" sleepers. I always have a sleeping bag and pillow in the event I need to sleep at a store or the DC. Worst case I usually get home every 3rd day, but that's me and how I prefer to run.

Typical daily run is 12+ hours on-duty, about 7-8 hours of driving. The more store stops on the dispatched load (up to 6 includes a vendor back haul), the more time spent on-duty because the unloading process must be attended to by the driver. Although it's no-touch, it's the drivers responsibility to ensure each store receives only their pallets and/or not any designated for another store. Even more-so for consolidated reefer loads with three-zone temperature control; possible to have 5 stores intermixed within a 26 pallet load, each store having the potential for a pallet positioned in each of the different temperature zones (we carry a trailer load map for each dispatch). A miss-delivery of any kind, requires a return to the store to re-deliver the correct pallet and possibly pick-up one that was left there. Attentiveness during unloading is really important.

Here is a link to a typical day that I documented a couple of years back:

A Day in the Life of a Walmart Dedicated Driver

I reiterate my suggestion to Anne, have your husband apply, then call, but at the same time explore other options to get into the DC.

Mr. Curmudgeon, thank you for your reply. So much has changed. G Town, thank you as well; that's pretty much what i was looking for.

I've still got some MORE of the hubby's conundrums. @G Town, you are probably driving atm ... maybe Brett can answer this. (I think hubby needs a new company, imho.... I get the HOS to a point, but.. here's this: Maybe @Rob T knows? It's a 'local' thing: )

Two nights (well, days ago... he drives 2nd shift) His 'night' dispatch wanted him to bring the rig back to the yard; it was 45 minutes away, and he only had 33 minutes on his 14; so he brought it home, and I was advising him about coercion etc. rules; he never heard back about that, thank goodness. Last night, he knew he'd be tight even GETTING home with the rig .. (he runs northern Ohio, the yard is south of us.) I told him to get a hotel and get reimbursed..but nope, he drove home. Went almost 30 over his 14, even though he had two live unloads yesterday, his drive time was only like 7.5 hours.... so because they won't give him PC (even though he was unladen / empty trailer) and they won't do the 16 exempt (once every 7 days, right?) he switched his QC to 100 mile air radius. WELL YESTERDAY, yeah he was. Day before, nope. He got home in time, though.

CAN YOU JUST RANDOMLY do the 100 air mile radius or does it have to be an every day thing?!?!?! Really.. I have no clue. TBH I get the HOS and the QC a bit better than he does, but we ran paper when we ran asphalt, so we are both learning.. and I'm at a loss..

ANY body..... clues??? And yes, @ G Town.. I'm definitely looking at the means to the mode you suggested. Thank you, sir.

Thank you ALL.

Anne’s new conundrum

CAN YOU JUST RANDOMLY do the 100 air mile radius or does it have to be an every day thing?!?!?! Really.. I have no clue. TBH I get the HOS and the QC a bit better than he does, but we ran paper when we ran asphalt, so we are both learning.. and I'm at a loss..

You are actually asking about exceptions to the rule.

As long as his company has proper supporting documentation, can produce said documentation when requested and he was not more than 100 miles away from the terminal, then the answer is yes.

I suggest he invest time understanding the “100 mile radius rule”. Visit the FMCSA’s website for specific guidance.

Anne’s new conundrum

CAN YOU JUST RANDOMLY do the 100 air mile radius or does it have to be an every day thing?!?!?! Really.. I have no clue. TBH I get the HOS and the QC a bit better than he does, but we ran paper when we ran asphalt, so we are both learning.. and I'm at a loss..

You are actually asking about exceptions to the rule.

As long as his company has proper supporting documentation, can produce said documentation when requested and he was not more than 100 miles away from the terminal, then the answer is yes.

I suggest he invest time understanding the “100 mile radius rule”. Visit the FMCSA’s website for specific guidance.

G Town, I thank you for the reply... SS 'don't know how to do the connotation 395 plus plus.. I really can't make sense of it. When he left today, his QC said he was still on that status. He asked if he should change it; I don't know. He doesn't know. He shouldn't be pushed this hard. Yes, today he is within the radius. Other days, he is not. Can you just pull the 'hundred' here and there? I'm sorry I don't know much; just a bit more than he does.

No wonder people don't drive local, tbh. I'm still at a loss. He's been looking into WMPF and even going OTR for you guys or somebody...it's HIS CDL on the line. It's been a few long days (nights) lately. Ever since they made that 'mayochup' ... they are killing him. I'm kinda the secretary but I don't know what I don't know. I read that for hour(s) and still don't get it.

Can you randomly pull a '100' but the day before, you weren't? What I see, is no. I'm so smart, I'm stupid....atm. At a loss.

Thanks, G. Maybe I'll just go OTR and let him do the housework. I just don't know.

Anne

Went almost 30 over his 14, even though he had two live unloads yesterday, his drive time was only like 7.5 hours.... so because they won't give him PC (even though he was unladen / empty trailer) and they won't do the 16 exempt (once every 7 days, right?) he switched his QC to 100 mile air radius.

I havent personally dealt with the air mile exception but when i was doing warehouse work one of our drivers told me he needed to punch a time clock and couldn't drive after 12 hours because they couldn't track how much of his time was spent driving. This was 8 years ago so im unsure if that is still how it works.

Regarding the 16 hour rule. The basics of it is you must end your day at the same location as you started for 5 consecutive work days. You can only use this once per 7 days unless you've achieved a 34 hour reset. I dont believe he'd have trouble with the DOT due to going over hours like he did because its legal (assuming the criteria above was met for 16) but he'd likely be written up for breaking company policy. Im not sure who he drives for but a call to safety/logs department would probably be best so he can know for sure what proper procedure is. Ultimately its his responsibility to protect his license and operate legally regardless of what dispatch tells him.