watkins and shepard or interstate dist

[MARINEDAD]

I'm about ready to be a graduat I'm 53 single and have a dog. These 2 companies hav called me and I guess pre hired me. What I've seen both are good companies. What say you???

[Skywalker]

While I have never driven for either of them, I can't say that I have ever heard anything particularly negative about either of them. I spoken with their drivers, they seemed happy.

I can remember some years ago, I talked with an Interstate Distributors Recruiter...but they didn't hire out of FL. But I do believe they have even have a terminal in the South now, and there trucks are seen in FL. The only thing I have ever heard about Watkins-Shepard is that they keep their trucks longer than most companies.

I think you would be safe with either company.

[MARINEDAD]

Thank you Skywalker

[coalregion]

There's a fellow that sometimes posts on here by the name of glasman2. He just started with Interstate about 4 or 5 months ago. Maybe you could PM him and ask him about Interstate and what he thinks of them so far. :wink:

[Karnajj]

Having never driven for them I can say this: Both of them have pretty crappy pay scales. You can definitely do better.

[MARINEDAD]

Karnajj, I agree with you on the crappy pay but being a new driver and wanting to have my dog with me I'm limited on where to go. What stinks is I have 20 yrs exp but have'nt driven for 11 yrs and let my cdl expire. I live in Nor Cal. I appreciate your input. Drive safe.

[nickbtubas]

you might be better off with interstate cause i heard they had a better training program than watkins/sheperd.


make sure you ask both company about the re/training program and what is reguired...

[Brad M]

Watson/Shepard has a 4 week training program of their own which is one of the best. After the training program when you graduate you are assigned your own truck and head out on your route at .28-.29 cpm. They say that you are so well trained in their program that they do not use a driver trainer to go out with you.

Interstate Distributor has a 4 week school at Mesa Community College in New Mexico and upon graduation you start with Interstate as a student driver with a trainer at $400 a week for the first three weeks and then $500 a week up to week 7 and then you go out on your own in one of their trucks.

[Brad M]

Watson/Shepard has a 4 week training program of their own which is one of the best. After the training program when you graduate you are assigned your own truck and head out on your route at .28-.29 cpm. They say that you are so well trained in their program that they do not use a driver trainer to go out with you.

Interstate Distributor has a 4 week school at Mesa Community College in New Mexico and upon graduation you start with Interstate as a student driver with a trainer at $400 a week for the first three weeks and then $500 a week up to week 7 and then you go out on your own in one of their trucks.

Also, I forgot to mention that if you are a student from another school tha t Watson/Shepard has a 10 day orientation school and then you are out with your truck solo.

[MARINEDAD]

Thanks for your input. I think it's a coin flip on which company to go with. What I read is that their both OK companies with low pay. I tried with Crete pay is better I sent in an app with no reply :?: I will probably go with W/S. I like the 10 day orientation/ training. I don't know couped up in a truck with another person for $350.00 a week for 4-6 weeks just not right :shock:

[Karnajj]

Karnajj, I agree with you on the crappy pay but being a new driver and wanting to have my dog with me I'm limited on where to go. What stinks is I have 20 yrs exp but have'nt driven for 11 yrs and let my cdl expire. I live in Nor Cal. I appreciate your input. Drive safe.

Crete will let you have a dog and start you out at .34cpm. After one year it goes up to .41cpm. They are pretty picky about the driving school you go to though.

[greg3564]

Karnajj, I agree with you on the crappy pay but being a new driver and wanting to have my dog with me I'm limited on where to go. What stinks is I have 20 yrs exp but have'nt driven for 11 yrs and let my cdl expire. I live in Nor Cal. I appreciate your input. Drive safe.

Crete will let you have a dog and start you out at .34cpm. After one year it goes up to .41cpm. They are pretty picky about the driving school you go to though.

The school Interstate sends you to is PTDI certified and would get you into Crete.

[Karnajj]

Karnajj, I agree with you on the crappy pay but being a new driver and wanting to have my dog with me I'm limited on where to go. What stinks is I have 20 yrs exp but have'nt driven for 11 yrs and let my cdl expire. I live in Nor Cal. I appreciate your input. Drive safe.

Crete will let you have a dog and start you out at .34cpm. After one year it goes up to .41cpm. They are pretty picky about the driving school you go to though.

The school Interstate sends you to is PTDI certified and would get you into Crete.

Maybe I'm wrong but my take on his original post was that he was already in school and close to graduation.

[MARINEDAD]

Yes I am in school been in 3 weeks so far. Another 3 to go.What a joke!! My first day of driving was skills. A class of 3 I made it 4. They have been doing skills a week already. I don't think I was ever that bad It was my turn. Now not being in a truck for 11 years I was was a little worried. As soon as I shut the door and released the brakes it was like riding a bike. I pulled up did my parrell park, staight line back and did a alley dock with one pull up :wink: OK then now what do I do for the next 25 days? what happen to the days when you borrowed a friend of a friends truck drove it for a few hours then went to DMV checked your lights and tires for your pre trip drove aruond the block? I know insurance companies!!

[Karnajj]

Thanks for your input. I think it's a coin flip on which company to go with. What I read is that their both OK companies with low pay. I tried with Crete pay is better I sent in an app with no reply :?: I will probably go with W/S. I like the 10 day orientation/ training. I don't know couped up in a truck with another person for $350.00 a week for 4-6 weeks just not right :shock:

Don't give up on Crete until you at least give them a call.

[MARINEDAD]

Thanks Karnajj, I will call them on Monday. The school I am attending now is not ptdi certified but they are a acredited 300 hr school. What about Schaffer? I see their owned by Crete. Refer Pulled those before in early 90's couldn't sleep. But I heard their quieter now.

[RottsATruckin]

They're both good companies (ok all 3) I was just 1 week from going to Crete then chose Watkins/Shepard, and am very happy with them. Once the weather gets a little less blast furnace like I too will bring my dog with me. BTW my truck is a 2005 Volvo, 250K on the clock and last month I logged 12000 miles, sure the pay is a little low but it's my first year, I also see home every 7-10 days. HTH

[MARINEDAD]

Hey there Rottsatruckin, It has been awhile since you've been here. The last I read you were jus starting out with W/S. I've been waiting to hear how things were going. I will be attending their orientation/training on the 29th.

[Hoosier]

Good stuff, I look forward to reading more about Watkins and Shepard and from its drivers/soon to be drivers.

I just graduated from Sage here in Indiana this past Friday. On that day I also got my letter of intent from W&S, which was my first choice.

I called W&S on Monday morning to see about starting orientation. I was told at that point, I must now fill out a long-form application. After that checks out, I will then be sent somewhere locally, to take another DOT physical, drug test, along with a physical fitness test. (I am assuming this physical test is kinda like Schneider and a lot of others are doing now days... Lift some boxes, crouching tests...etc... while heart rate being monitored?) W&S will of course be paying for these tests. If I pass all that, then I should be ready to be scheduled for orientation (?) (Sounds like this may take a while)

As for the conversation on the phone, I was told they have regional and otr. I mentioned I was flexible, but was leaning towards regional after talking with the Terminal Manager from Indy that came and spoke with us at Sage. I was then informed that if I go regional, and freight gets slow, I will need to head out west. Basically the impression I get is they need drivers out West and thats where I will end up. No big deal to me though, I'm not worried about home-time. (I'm single, no kids, debt-free etc....)

Also during my phone conversation, it was mentioned that orientation would be in NJ, or NC. No mention of MT.

So now I sit here waiting on the long-form application to arrive in the mail and thats all I know at this point.

Sorry to ramble, just thought I would kinda share my story through all this as it unfolds. I'm pretty excited about W&S cause my research only finds good things about them.

I will say again I look forward to reading and learning more from those who are headed to W&S or already driving for them. Thanks for sharing.

BOL

[RottsATruckin]

Ya, it's been a while since I've posted, I've been that busy (see last months miles driven!) I'm very happy with my choice and thank God for this website and having the time to do my research, it was literaly a full time job for about a month looking at about one hundred companies. I almost went with Crete, what changed my mind at the final moment was that I see about 10 W/S trucks in my home area per day and would see about 2 Crete trucks per week, this told me I'd have an easier time getting home with W/S
I have a fellow trainee who lives by the IN terminal, he gets about 2800 miles per week and is home most weekends. They've kept me in the Western states and that's just fine with me.
The repeat of your DOT/pee test/agility test were the same for me, no big deal they just want to make sure you're fit for the job, if you get a pier 1 load you'll be glad your in shape (the rare load that you'll have to assist in unloading, BTW the girls are always good looking at pier 1!) Good luck to both of you, if you see truck #1807 say "hi"