The Great Wide Hope !!!

[okie]

I was innocently taking 2 days off last week (scheduled family vacation), luckily during the snow and ice. I come back and their are Great Wide trucks :twisted: everywhere at the Walmart DC. It seems several of the Crete Walmart boys refused to run on the ice so Walmart brought in Great Wide. This happened last year as well, except that Crete WM dedicated brought in Crete Nationals to step up. Well they showed up and plopped right down beside the Dedicated boys and said, yep we agree it is unsafe 8) . So I guess Walmart smartened up and brought in G. Wide, so they are all over the DC talking on the radio about, taking over the DC, they need to get some realty info. I have heard we have alot of fair weather drivers on the fleet. I am not going to put my 6 months experience 2 cents worth on the matter, I did run the night before and thought it was ok out, not the greatest but passable. So it should be interesting the next week or so.

[homealone3]

Great Wide has many, many drivers in the Walmart DC where my husband works. My hubby works for another company that has many drivers quit often so they have to give even more loads over to Great Wide.
I guess you're right. Ta-ta-ta-daaaaaaaaa!!! Great Wide to save the day!

[Uturn2001]

In a way that is pretty pathetic. Wal Mart does not push its own drivers to run when the roads are bad. Guess it makes a difference to them who owns the trucks and so long as it is not them then who cares.

[BIG JEEP on 44's]

In a way that is pretty pathetic. Wal Mart does not push its own drivers to run when the roads are bad. Guess it makes a difference to them who owns the trucks and so long as it is not them then who cares.

Yes ,but many drivers call it quits just ,because it's snowing ,and not because it really commands it .

Then again, these greatwide drivers would probably run if hell opened up and flooded the streets with lava because between the low rates Wal-Mart is cutting and the peice Great Wide is pulling off the top, they gotta run and run and run whenever they can to get them truck payments in the mail. Just a guess from what i have heard about running Wal-Mart through greatwide.

[BIG JEEP on 44's]

Then again, these greatwide drivers would probably run if hell opened up and flooded the streets with lava because between the low rates Wal-Mart is cutting and the peice Great Wide is pulling off the top, they gotta run and run and run whenever they can to get them truck payments in the mail. Just a guess from what i have heard about running Wal-Mart through greatwide.

Oh GreatWide is an O/O lease purchase company ,and the drivers are pulling for peanuts...well probably more like peanut shells after the company that they are leased to takes their cut . Then yes it don't surprise me that they would run in weather that common sense dictates otherwise ,as a driver that will buy a truck ,and try to make money pulling for 90 cents a mile has no common sense .

[okie]

In a way that is pretty pathetic. Wal Mart does not push its own drivers to run when the roads are bad. Guess it makes a difference to them who owns the trucks and so long as it is not them then who cares.

That was part of the issue last year as well, The head of the Walmart was fit to be tied that the Crete would not run on the weather. But look out the side door of our terminal and every Walmart truck from that DC was parked. I was kinda wanting to get a little snow drive time in before the ice, since they just send us newbies out. But I did ok, just took it slow and very easy. I drove 45 miles one way to my job no matter what the weather for 15 years, when people that lived in the town just down the street would call in. Slow and easy was the key then, as is now.
One of the Great Wide guys was saying on the radio that Great Wide is owned by WalMart, it was the first time I ever heard that.
well you all be safe out there.

[carterbeauford]

One of the Great Wide guys was saying on the radio that Great Wide is owned by WalMart, it was the first time I ever heard that.

Walmart is a major client of Greatwide. Greatwide is owned by an investment group out of Bahrain, IIRC.

We recently severed ties with their Dallas Mavis division, not an organization I want much to do with.

When we were leased to Dallas Mavis, I had drivers and truck wash employees tell me they owned my company. I don't take much stock in anything I hear on the road insofar as who owns who.

[dsldriver]

As a Greatwide contractor, I found this thread rather interesting. Some of the guys from our terminal did go up to Bartlesville, and I can believe that there was the chatter going on like Okie was saying. But Wal-Mart has always considered us as part of their privete fleet. They always call us first when they're short of drivers, or when something like this happens. I've worked out of a dozen different D.C.s, both grocery and G.M. since I've been here. After the storm, everyone goes home and it's business as usual.

Wal-Mart does not own Greatwide, Greatwide is owned by 3 different investment groups, the majority holder is Investcorp of Bahrain.

Greatwide is not a lease-purchase company, only a very small percentage of contractors are in the lease purchase plan. When I started there 5 years ago, there was no lease purchase plan, but it was started so that drivers could come in and lease on with little or no investment.

As far as running on peanuts, I'm taking as much home with 2200 miles a week, home nearly every day, Wed. and Thurs. off, as I was running 3000 miles a week, out 3 weeks at a time with another company. My statement this morning came out to $1.37 per mile.

The company isn't perfect, there are some things that really irritate me, but the good outweighs the bad, and they are really trying to make things better. I've been here 5 years and I don't plan to go anywhere else.

Sorry about getting a little defensive, just wanted to clear some things up.

[homealone3]

Dsldriver, I'm actually glad to hear something positive about a company. My hubby has considered switching over to Greatwide a couple of times. Then he talks to more drivers who have the same problems and frustrations as my husband's present employer. So then my hubby decides to stay where he is figuring it will look worse on his record if he jumps around to different companies and has to deal with the same poop elsewhere.
What percentage of drivers are company drivers and lease operators?
Do you average 2200 miles a week with two days off?

Thanx

[BIG JEEP on 44's]

As far as running on peanuts, I'm taking as much home with 2200 miles a week, home nearly every day, Wed. and Thurs. off, as I was running 3000 miles a week, out 3 weeks at a time with another company. My statement this morning came out to $1.37 per mile.

.

I still think you haul for PEANUTS as a O/O or lease operator , But prove me wrong , And list exactly what you are hauling for per mile ,And all your over head expenses like insurance ,truck payment ,Authority , maintence funds ...and what you are brining home to you not the truck .

[dsldriver]

Homealone3

I agree with your husband, it's not a good idea to jump around. But it doesn't hurt to check around and see what else is out there.

As far as Greatwide goes, it depends what part of the company he was talking to. There are dedicated fleets, over the road fleets, heavy haul, and whatever else. 100% owner operator except for a few shuttle drivers. I get the 2200 miles a week in 5 days because I'm dedicated to a certain group of stores. That's the minimum, sometimes they add a back haul and that pushes my miles up to 2500-2600. Still, about 40% of my miles are empty, and it all pays the same.

Even at the Wal-Mart fleet, it takes a while to get where I am. New contractors start out on a rolling board. Loads are called out twice a day, going down the list of drivers until the loads are covered. You have your choice of loads, if you don't want what's offered, you go to the bottom of the list again. Problem is, it might be 2 days before you come up to pick again. You learn real fast to take whatever load you can. Then you start learning which loads pay best, etc. It takes a while to get used to the system. It's totally different than what most people are used to. But if you're ambitious, you can make good money on the board. Some of the contractors have turned down dedicated packages because they can make more with the board. Some people pick a 200 mile load, 5 times a week, and wonder why they only have 1000 miles.

I hope I've answered your questions!

[dsldriver]

I still think you haul for PEANUTS as a O/O or lease operator , But prove me wrong , And list exactly what you are hauling for per mile ,And all your over head expenses like insurance ,truck payment ,Authority , maintence funds ...and what you are brining home to you not the truck .

I'm not going to prove that you're wrong, you are actuallly pretty much right. Anyone that leases on to most of the major companies out there is pretty much just buying themselves a job.

But on the other side of the coin, that company provides support in the form of finding loads, taking care of road taxes and permits, and a lot of other little things.

A person can get their own authority, and go out, chase down their loads, try and keep up with mountains of paperwork, run empty from Denver Chicago out of their own pocket. Yes, a person can make some really good money in trucking, but a lot of guys lose their butts.

After all the dust is clear, I make about 50 cents a mile, I have more freedom than a company driver, and most of the crap I hate to deal with is taken care of by Greatwide.

I'd rather have a secure 50 cents a mile than go through risk and hassle to make 70 or 80, maybe a buck.

Just the way I see it, others may not agree.

[BIG JEEP on 44's]

I still think you haul for PEANUTS as a O/O or lease operator , But prove me wrong , And list exactly what you are hauling for per mile ,And all your over head expenses like insurance ,truck payment ,Authority , maintence funds ...and what you are brining home to you not the truck .

I'm not going to prove that you're wrong, you are actuallly pretty much right. Anyone that leases on to most of the major companies out there is pretty much just buying themselves a job.

But on the other side of the coin, that company provides support in the form of finding loads, taking care of road taxes and permits, and a lot of other little things.

A person can get their own authority, and go out, chase down their loads, try and keep up with mountains of paperwork, run empty from Denver Chicago out of their own pocket. Yes, a person can make some really good money in trucking, but a lot of guys lose their butts.

After all the dust is clear, I make about 50 cents a mile, I have more freedom than a company driver, and most of the crap I hate to deal with is taken care of by Greatwide.

I'd rather have a secure 50 cents a mile than go through risk and hassle to make 70 or 80, maybe a buck.

Just the way I see it, others may not agree.

So you clear 50 cents a mile after all your payments ...that's not bad what I see most guys at the big companies clearing is more like 25-30 cents and taking home about 650-700 gross from 2700 miles ...what is your truck payment like ...If I could get with a good company that would allow me to make .50 cents to the driver I would be driving a nice 387 or T-2000 of my own .

[homealone3]

That's more than my hubby makes! He works side by side with Greatwide drivers delivering to Wal-marts and he doesn't get 2 days a week off!
He's company driver and the lease operators get the lion's share and the pick of the litter when it comes to loads.
He wants to get 2 yrs experience driving before he looks around for a better company. 6 more months and hopefully he will get on with a better company.
Wish us luck!

[dsldriver]

BigJeep on 44s

My truck payment is $1400 a month. I'd rather have it around $1000. But it'll be paid off a year from now. I don't see how a person can make it with some of the truck payments that are being charged out there.

To do well, you have to really watch expenses, especially fuel. Being home nearly every night saves me a fortune on fuel, since I'm not idling. My MPG averages 7.5, because I'm not idling, and because I run a lot of empty miles.

You take a truck payment that's $1000 more than mine, plus a 5 mpg fuel average, you'll end up back down to making the same or less than a company driver.

I'd like a T-2000 or a 387 myself, but doing what I do, my IHC 9900I with the short sleeper is more practical. Some of those Wal-Mart stores have a lot of crap out back!

[BIG JEEP on 44's]

BigJeep on 44s

My truck payment is $1400 a month. I'd rather have it around $1000. But it'll be paid off a year from now. I don't see how a person can make it with some of the truck payments that are being charged out there.

To do well, you have to really watch expenses, especially fuel. Being home nearly every night saves me a fortune on fuel, since I'm not idling. My MPG averages 7.5, because I'm not idling, and because I run a lot of empty miles.

You take a truck payment that's $1000 more than mine, plus a 5 mpg fuel average, you'll end up back down to making the same or less than a company driver.

I'd like a T-2000 or a 387 myself, but doing what I do, my IHC 9900I with the short sleeper is more practical. Some of those Wal-Mart stores have a lot of crap out back!

Being home near nightly sure would off set your operating costs .

[okie]

I appreciate your coming on and sharing with us DSLdriver. I thank you for all your comments, its good to hear both sides. You are right I do not see as many GW's as I did last week. But by far the truest statment you made was

Some of those Wal-Mart stores have a lot of crap out back!

Well I take that back, I would replace "some of those", all are bad some worse than others. Thanks again

[dsldriver]

No problem, Okie!

I was with Crete for three years before I moved to CRL/Greatwide. I'd still be there, but I needed to stay closer to home due to my wife's medical conditions. If I ever went back over the road, that's the first place I'd apply.