Starting With Wilson Logistics

So a few weeks ago I decided it was time for a career change. I went to Driver Pulse, dropped applications with any company that had a CDL school, and waited. I got calls from several different companies, but after doing my research Wilson seemed to be the best fit for me. After spending over three days in bus stations (thanks Greyhound) I finally got to Springfield about 4 this afternoon more than a day late. Called my recruiter, and 20 minutes a company van is picking me up. Inside is a trainer and all the other guys in my class. The guys that got here yesterday and have been in orientation all day. I’m tired after having something like 40 hours of delays, I’m hungry, and I smell like a goat. I know none of this is the company’s fault. In fact my recruiter was in contact with me every step of the way. She’s getting a nice Christmas card in December. The hotel isn’t bad. I’ve stayed in worse. Decent food close by. Now I’m laying here taking a break from studying to post this. Fun fact, the CEO and founder’s daughter gave me a call a couple of days before I left to see if I needed anything or had any questions. Kinda cool if you ask me. Truth be told, I’m just ready to get to work. If there’s any interest, I’ll keep y’all posted on my progress.

Definitely interested. We love following along in the journey everyone takes to get into this career that so many of us love. It will also help others know what to expect who are planning on going to Wilson. If you have time and it won't get in the way of studying I'd love to read it. Although many people do not comment on diaries they're read by MANY people.

Day two. Kind of a misnomer since I was a day late thanks to greyhound. Up at 6, grab some breakfast in the lobby and off to the training center at 6:45. After some good natured abuse for being late I sign my training contract, get issued a “don’t hit me” vest, (my term not theirs) and a Wilson hat, I hand over the $150 administrative fee and I’m asked if I’m ready to take my permit test. I tell the run it and we’re off to the DMV. I pass the test but I’m not able to purchase my permit because I don’t have my physical. I then get dropped off for that, Doc tells me I’m not dying, but they’re waiting on a fax from my primary care to verify my prescriptions. Back to the training center where I get to work on the simulator for the first time. Very impressive piece of hardware. The gears even grind if you’re not right on. At four we’re taken back to the hotel for the night. All in all a very productive day. Everyone has been very kind and understanding. A solid group of people. Tomorrow I should be able to pick up my med card and permit. We’ll see what the day brings.

Fun fact: Wilson sent me a link to Trucking Truth’s High Road CDL training program. That’s to that I passed, first time go.

Been dark for a couple days, because I’ve been fighting to get my med card. I won’t bore you with the details, but just know that if your doctors prescribes you a controlled substance you could have problems. I won’t sugar coat it. I asked for a closed door meeting with the training manager and asked him not to kick me out of the hotel until Saturday. Thankfully he’s an awesome dude and told me to put all my energy into getting my stuff worked out, and if I had to go home to fix it that he would bump me to the front of the line to get me back. A lot gets said by companies about having a “family feel”. All that’s sounds good, but you don’t know until you get there. I can honestly saw that everyone I’ve met at Wilson from the training manager down to the shuttle driver has been great. I won’t lie. There is one trainer that I don’t care for. I’m not going to name any names, but I don’t agree with his method. That’s the most diplomatic way I can put it. If you set aside all of the frustration with doctors, I’ve enjoyed training and learned a lot. Fun fact. The site of the only recorded cowboy quick draw dual is across the street from the DMV in down town Springfield. Bonus fact. Just down the street from the DMV is a place called Hurt’s Donuts. If you’re ever in town, you own it to yourself to stop in.

Good luck getting everything straight and getting the medical card situation worked out. I have to give you mad props. Instead of complaining and whining you have held your head high and took everything in stride. You have a great attitude and you will go far in this profession. Best of luck and keep us updated.

Let’s start today’s update with some great news. I got my med card and permit today! That’s right kids. There’s one more person in the world that’s allowed to drive an 80k pound death machine. Now the not bad, but could be better news. I’m not heading out for my D seat until Monday. While sitting around smokin and jokin at the terminal today I’m talking with a driver I’d met the day before. Great guy. Army vet like me. Even the same MOS. We hit it off, and it turns out he’s a trainer. Next the we come to is we’re both from Florida. Not real close, be he has to run I10 to get home. I’m not far from I10 myself. Finally he asks me if I’d like to ride with him. Sure. It’ll work out for both of us. I’ll get home when he does, and he’ll grab me on the way back. He goes over to the training manager and asks for me personally. Boss man says sure as long as I can get my permit today. I get it, and it looks like we might catch a load out tonight. Well, here comes the not so great part. We beat feet over corporate country to talk to compliance. Turns out that’s since I got my permit today they can’t get a MVR until Monday. I tell my trainer this and encourage him to grab another guy and get out of town. I don’t want to mess with his money. This man that’s a professional driver, and has only known me for a day and a half says no. He says, “I stuck my neck out to get you, and I’m committed to you.” Come on. Who does that for a fresh faced, wet behind the ears student? He tells me to follow him and we got talk to his fleet manager. He’s ask his manager for a short run that’ll get him back Monday morning to pick me up. Manager makes it happen, and then to top it all off he gives me a ride back to the hotel in his brand new 2020 Peterbilt. Look guys, I’m a realist. Companies can talk all they want about being family, but at the end of the day it’s about making money. Now, that goes both way. Driver are like that too, but after everything I’ve been through in the last week these guys have stood beside me every step of the way. A lot of people would have send me packing, with a “good luck getting home.” After all that I want to go on the record and say this. Wilson Logistics has my loyalty. That means something to me. As for the training, I got to learn offset backing and parallel parking in a real live semi. How cool is that?

The moral of todays story boys and girls is, to move forward you have to go backwards. A whole day of backing. Straight, offset, 90, and parallel. Eight hours of it. They only problem is there was one instructor for 9 or 10 of us. I know it’s Saturday so I’m not worried about it. I guess now would be a good time to talk about my class. I was told by my recruiter that we were going to be the biggest class they’d ever had. There were nine of us. One guy never showed, one guy fail the urinalysis, and one guy ended up not being able to get his permit due to some weird DMV snafu in Texas from ten years ago. Yea, that last one confuses me too. That leaves six of us. A couple of guys headed out with their trainer yesterday, a couple today, and the rest of us tomorrow or Monday. I know there’s a lot of drivers out there that read these to see what the next generation is like, guys that have signed on with a company to see what to expect, but I want to talk to the people that are here thinking about making a career choice or change. I can’t tell you to come to Wilson because different companies work for different people. What I can tell you is that I’m a fan of this company. If you’ve read my other posts you know I’ve had a little bit of an uphill battle with some of my paperwork. These guys have stood by me every step of the way. As for those of you that may not have a spotless record, give them a call. I’ve met some drivers and students that have made mistakes in the past. It doesn’t have to be a full stop no go, and I have seen absolutely zero judgement. For veterans, there is a slew of us, and Wilson is the company that hauls The Wall That Heals replica Vietnam Memorial replica. As I said, different people are looking for different things, but if you’re thinking of making a move I would encourage you to give them a look.

Congrats on your progress thus far. People are reading even though they might not comment.

Yes we are reading on your progress.