Anything I Should Be Doing Before I Leave For Orientation With Western Express?

Believe it or not, I've been doing that stuff, Rob. Applied at that link last month, but in retrospect I'm not sure I heard back from anyone... Strange of course, but didn't seem totally suspicious cuz I did get one who contacted me, but maybe that was due to other effort elsewhere like a list I got on. A glitch? Maybe, so thanx, man, will try the link again. In the meantime, had also applied at several other companies and am now checking them out, winnowing down since I can't actually say yes to, show up and train at, more than one at a time.

I did want to add a qualifier to my last reply--- In bumping this back up, of course I do get the wisdom so well expressed by the TT moderators here. My take on what I've learned is basically, 'Don't cry over the milk you have in your coffee cup when you ordered half-n-half, if skim's all that's available for awhile. Do your best to enrich the experience while it's all you got.' BUT, IF you're not even there yet, and you have some breathing room and ability to screen milk delivery companies, and believe in checking out those with reputations both "good" and "bad" because you had reason to believe those reps were suspect, it seems prudent to drill down a little deeper into what's true here and now... If possible. That's all I'm trying to do... ...Onward! ..........

Thats real weird, usually people are getting bombarded within a couple hours. I thought you had done it previously I just wanted to double check. Its actually quite common for someone to spend days/weeks/months coming up with the perfect company for them and their top 3 choices don't extend offers. We even had a member spend months creating spreadsheets just to go with a company they hadn't even considered.

I apologize if it feels like I'm picking on you or making you feel like you're doing something wrong. We have a ton of people that read along and never post or even create accounts. Usually when I post something I try to write it in a way that helps the poster, but also basic enough so somebody joining us for the first time is able to understand as well. I'm quite confident that you will do well wherever you end up if you're able to handle the isolation and time away from home. Commit to whatever company hires you on for a minimum of a year and if you prove to be a safe driver you can very easily switch companies or go local if thats what interests you. The best part of having a clean CDL is there is always jobs out there its just a matter of finding what fits you best.

Wow, it sounds like Western Express is just about the most controversial company out there...which maybe I should NOT be seriously considering?! Anne, thanx for the tip, will next check out Freymiller for sure...yup, 'tis the weekend for me to be posting, fa-la-la-la... (But will be making my "final decision" by around New Year's Day, for sure!) Old School's experience there is admittedly old, and others' seem more cautionary tales than positive reviews... Have they really gone downhill or what?

The hardest thing we labor over here is convincing people to not give much credence to online driver reviews of trucking companies. They really don't tell you anything about the company. When I see a guy go on like this...

SchneidEnglandHunt is a terrible place to work. They wouldn't give me any miles, they don't let their drivers take home time and they screw up your pay on every paycheck. Don't just walk away from these guys, run! They will pay you peanuts while making hundreds of thousands of dollars off your labor. Their whole strategy is to treat you like a slave so that you will quit and then they find some other sucker to take your place behind the wheel.

My first reaction is that it is a testimony to the driver's inability to be effective at the job. It tells me nothing about the company. The company has plenty of successful drivers. Those guys and gals are busy, and they don't bother with writing glowing reviews of the company. Why should they? They realize that their success has way more to do with their ability to make things happen, than it does with the name on their truck. Trucking requires a lot of commitment and dedication. The losers at this game turn their focus to the complain and blame crowd. Misery loves company. Researching newbies love drama. It's just a terrible way to start this career. No matter what you read in these super critical driver reviews, you just can't believe it.

I learned all this when I got started in trucking. I had a great career at Western Express while most of the other drivers there were just looking for a way to get out and on with another company. They wasted all their time and effort looking at "greener pastures." It's a waste of time if you don't know how to fertilize the pasture you are currently in. Trucking is a very independent endeavor. You will have to make it happen if it happens. These trucking companies are not adult babysitting services. They need independent thinkers who are movers and shakers. They need people who can manage things on their own and get things done. The last thing they need is another driver who needs his hand held so that he can get to the receiver on time. There is so much to this career that has nothing to do with maneuvering a truck. That's where people fall short. They don't recognize the things that make for success at this.

People can dismiss me just because my experience at Western Express was seven years ago, but that doesn't even matter. My experience was a universal one. I had success at trucking because I understood that it was analogous to sports. Getting started in trucking is simply an act of trying out for the team. Just because they hired you doesn't mean a thing. You are still in the tryout phase of your career. That's why we stress sticking with that first company for a full year. All you are doing is trying out for the team. You have got to prove what you can do. The idea that the company has to prove something to you is preposterous! They know what they are doing. That is the whole reason they are even able to hire you. They are the experts. You are the rookie. You need to prove yourself and make a viable contribution to the team if you ever expect to make a go at this.

Yeah, I wasn't referring to driver reviews or YouTube...ya'll have warned us away from falling for that propaganda. Thanx always for the reminders, O.S. I for one would never dismiss your experience... You're clearly the kinda guy who could make it anywhere! It's just that if a company HAS been struggling, declining in recent times, sure seems like it COULD be a factor worth knowing about and considering in whether to go there.

Hey yall I'm back. My trainer went home for a bit so I'm at the hotel catching up on some sleep. I'm having fun out here and learning alot the pay isn't anything to write home about but I think that's across the board during trainimg regardless of where you go. Been running my full clock so hopefully I can solo out soon. Also considering asking them to bring me to Nashville in a few months or so for load securement training. I originally wanted to do flat bed but was scared of backing a spread axle trailer but I enjoy being outside and think I would enjoy the work out flatbedding has to offer. Sitting on my ass for 11 hours a day is definitely not the most fun part of the job 😂

You’ll make better money running flat bed than dry van and getting your hands on straps and making delivery will def keep you running hard dry can starting out is hard bro sliding pay scale takes the money out of it for newbies you’ll be getting 26 cents a mile but flat bed will hit you at 30 or 35 cents a mile western takes care of there equipment and you’ll get your road time fer sure anything over 1000 miles is 26 per mile and all your loads will be 1200 starting out in dry van and you’ll wait on dispatch after you drop but I’ve got chaining up down and rolling thru the mountains in extreme weather conditions Down pretty good and I’m thankful flat bed makes good money bro

Hey yall I'm back. My trainer went home for a bit so I'm at the hotel catching up on some sleep. I'm having fun out here and learning alot the pay isn't anything to write home about but I think that's across the board during trainimg regardless of where you go. Been running my full clock so hopefully I can solo out soon. Also considering asking them to bring me to Nashville in a few months or so for load securement training. I originally wanted to do flat bed but was scared of backing a spread axle trailer but I enjoy being outside and think I would enjoy the work out flatbedding has to offer. Sitting on my ass for 11 hours a day is definitely not the most fun part of the job 😂

P.s it’s not roughnecking !!!!

Hey yall I'm back. My trainer went home for a bit so I'm at the hotel catching up on some sleep. I'm having fun out here and learning alot the pay isn't anything to write home about but I think that's across the board during trainimg regardless of where you go. Been running my full clock so hopefully I can solo out soon. Also considering asking them to bring me to Nashville in a few months or so for load securement training. I originally wanted to do flat bed but was scared of backing a spread axle trailer but I enjoy being outside and think I would enjoy the work out flatbedding has to offer. Sitting on my ass for 11 hours a day is definitely not the most fun part of the job 😂

Hey yall I'm back. My trainer went home for a bit so I'm at the hotel catching up on some sleep. I'm having fun out here and learning alot the pay isn't anything to write home about but I think that's across the board during trainimg regardless of where you go. Been running my full clock so hopefully I can solo out soon. Also considering asking them to bring me to Nashville in a few months or so for load securement training. I originally wanted to do flat bed but was scared of backing a spread axle trailer but I enjoy being outside and think I would enjoy the work out flatbedding has to offer. Sitting on my ass for 11 hours a day is definitely not the most fun part of the job 😂

I'm so happy things are still working out for you, Zach~!!!!

Are you back in the trainer's truck yet??

Told ya, Perseverence is Prosperity~!!!

~ Anne ~