Any Current West Side Transport Drivers?

Hello, I’m looking into moving to Westside, from what I’ve heard from a recruiter, it sounds pretty good, but I also know that recruiters sometimes are not always going to be straight with you. Just wondering if the miles and pay are there?

Susan D. Is a driver/trainer for them. She's a moderator here on the TT.

I spent a month in training and a month solo there in August 2017, I liked them but a opportunity to run linehaul opened up so I left. Everyone in the company seems really nice and helpful

BUMP so I hope Susan sees this.

Somehow I'd missed this. Yes, absolutely the miles and the money are there. Prove yourself to be a reliable get-it-done kind of driver and you'll be kept so busy you'll be begging for a break lol.

They really have been very very good to me. I'm the only trainer who came to West Side as a brand new driver straight out of CDL school.

In fact, when I was checking out the company while in school, they were THE ONLY company who willingly answered a list of almost 50 questions.. IN WRITING. That and their commitment to safety and their CSA score is what "sold" me on the company. It's my first and only driving job... I came and have stayed. 3 years and counting.

Our recruiting staff are wonderful people as is everyone in Cedar Rapids. I've never felt lied to or misled. Everything I was promised and then some, has happened.

If you have any questions, just let me know.

Thank you for the response everyone! Susan, I was told they give you a Commdata card to pay for tolls, how does that work? Are you Otr or on the regional lane? Can you talk about the guaranteed weekly pay? I’ve heard you sometimes have broker loads, how does that work? How’s westside’s equipment? I’m currently with one of the bigger carriers and sadly the miles are not there. I’ve brought it to their attention, and they’ve changed my schedule around, but I have a feeling things are not going to change.

We use our comdata card for fuel, scales, and misc. truck supplies (when fueling) and any cash advances you may choose to take.

Our tolls are handled with this:.

They keep up with maintenance quite well, but we do have some lemons in our fleet, due to driver neglect, unfortunately. They are wonderful in dealing with breakdown issues and if a spinner (loaner) truck is available, they'll keep you rolling, otherwise you'll get breakdown pay. If you end up with a truck that has recurring problems, they'll gladly find and issue you another truck.

I've got a 2019 freightliner Cascadia. In my opinion, our best and most reliable trucks are the 2016 freighliners. They're my favorite anyway. We have Volvo's, international prostars, and freightliners. All sleeper trucks are double bunk.

I'm currently classified as Midwest regional , but I don't often run in the Midwest. I've also been network fleet which is home every other weekend. Whatever you choose, they'll automatically route you home when it's time and if you want to stay out longer, let them know ahead of time so the load planners can keep you busy.

Broker loads.. yes, we sometimes do those. Especially if you run in non typical areas like I do, they'll use broker loads to get you back in our freight lanes, or to get you somewhere special you request to be for home time that we don't normally run. Broker loads aren't an indication of a lack of freight.. it's a money thing. We'll broker out some of our cheaper freight and haul other companies loads if it pays more. We do have our own in house brokerage, as well as CH Robinson, Echo Global Logistics, etc. I've hauled Schneider loads, ABF loads, all sorts of things.

Pay commitment.. it depends on whether you're network fleet or regional. It also depends on how long you've been with West Side. Basically you can't have any lates, can't refuse any loads, no excessive breaks (manage your clock well) and must be "available" to drive at least 5 days a week for regional or 7 days for network fleet.

I'm very surprised you say the miles aren't there with a mega carrier, but it could be a relationship issue, time management problem, or could just be a seasonal fluctuation. But I've heard that before from drivers I've trained who started with different megas, and at least the ones I know of are happy and doing well at West Side.

The awesome thing about West Side is, if you ever have a problem and simply discuss it like a reasonable adult , they'll bend over backwards to resolve any problem.

Thank you for the info, is it really gaurenteed weekends off on the regional account? I did hear that you can have 2-3 days off if your OTR , is that true?