IWX

[Bumper]

I decided to go back out OTR and so after looking around at locations being just as important as the company, I chose IWX out of Springfield MO. I have been wanting to move out of Northern Mexico...er...Southern California for some time now and have moved to Kingman Arizona. It is near Lake Havasu and Bullhead City. Eventually I want to retire again but this time in the Ozark Mountains area so IWX was a perfect fit for me.

I went to Kingman two weeks ago and did the usual pre-orientation stuff, pee test, hair test, driving test and fill out more forms. I went home and had to delay starting a week because of my move. I drove to the Kingman Terminal last Saturday was given a tractor and loaded trailer and sent on my way to Springfield.

Orientation is a one day deal, and since I was the only new hire, it really went fast!

IWX is a small company. I think he said they have just under 300 trucks now, but have been as large as 600. They have shower facilities at each terminal, bedrooms at Kingman too. There is a company car available for you to use for those ever popular walmart runs, or in my case a trip to Steak and Shake

They have terminals in Kingman Arizona, Springfield Missouri, Fort Worth Texas and Edinburg Indiana (Indianapolis).

They stress safety alot, like most companies do now. They insist that you drive the speed limit in those states with a lower than 65mph speed limit, i.e. California. And they will pull up your Quallcom once in awhile to see how your doing. The trucks themselves, Freightliner Columbia Heritages, are governed at 68mph.

I was very impressed with the maint shops in Kingman and Springfield. They are clean and seem to be well run. When you arrive at any terminal you are directed to a fuel island and someone cleans your windshield and fills up your truck and reefer for you. You then proceed to an inspection bay were your truck and trailer are given a good lookover. If your dropping the trailer, you give them the bills and go drop it. After you receive your next load assignment you pick up that trailer and then go back through another inspection site for the trailer. Your then given that loads bills, if it is a loaded trailer, and your on your way.

While I was in my orientation my truck was sent to the local CAT repair facility because of a check engine light. Was back within 4 hours and then they repaired a faulty driver window switch and fuel gauge.

By the time I was ready to leave this morning, it was cleaned again and ready to go. Picked up my loaded trailer, went through inspection and I am on my way back to Kingman to drop the trailer in the yard. It doesnt deliver in Reno Nevada until Tuesday. So, I will get to Kingman, drop and get something else to deliver and either me or another Kingman driver will take this one up to Reno. All of the trucks are equipted with CAT motors and 10 speed trans. They have a nice red leather interior and red leather quilting on the interior walls. Most have built in refrigs and all have built in invertors. No more plug ins!! They have an XM radio mount on the dash and you can bring your own sky fi unit or use one of theirs. I think it is 2 bux a week or something, i brought my own. They have company provided CB radios and a mount on the dash if you want to use your own. You have to check into the fuel desk at each terminal on the CB so they provide them.

There are semi local solo drivers in Springfield and Kingman. In Kingman we pickup produce out of Central Calif and drop the trailers in the Kingman yard. A team relay truck has already dropped a dry load of some kind in the yard and that is what we take out to deliver, then pick up produce and start the cycle all over again. The relays take our produce back to Springfield and their locals do the opposite of us. I assume the same thing happens with Fort Worth and Edinburg.

Everyone starts at 40cpm. Every pickup after the first one is an addition 40 dollars. They do not pay detention. They give a half cent a year pay raise every year until you max out at 45cpm.

I wasnt given the insurance speil since I dont use it so I have no idea what the costs are, sorry.

They seem to have a very low turnover rate. I was only the 3d new driver hired into Kingman this year.

In the first 5 days I will have driven 2650 miles and I dont know yet what I will get when I get back to Kingman on Friday. I need to get home and get the rest of my truck stuff soon though, so I might get two days off.

Thats all I can think of...if ya have any questions let me know.

[headborg]

Just pulled out of Springfield, Mo this evening(Wednesday) myself-- after running an all niter into Springfield Wednesday morning-- then doing the 10hour break thing from 7:30am-5:30pm--- now up in Columbia, Mo waiting on relay load( to get a driver home- I suspect). We, should have hooked up-- if you had a hour or so there Wednesday.

Wow... fantastic tread start-- you're an excellent writer- this thread could equally match evertrucker's incredible well written given time & effort.


Hmm, great to hear they start everyone out at .40cpm-- they must have changed that- increased their pay since I last spoke with one of their recruiters... was .36 then. Sounds like great equipment. Do they require it -left on yard when you take your time off?


Their inspection process-- seems even more restrictive/severe than Heartland's--- by keeping possession of the Bills until you pull the trailer through the bay. Are those inspection bays open 24-7?

Checking in with fuel department via-- CB? hmmm, what's with that? Do they allow you to buy fuel at truckstops? Do they have designated fuel stops? Or is it all terminal fueling? Large fuel tanks?


You'll be running the Ok Turnpike a lot I'd guess- Kingman to Springfield---

Pike Pass? EZ Pass? How about your paperwork-- do you turn in bills by hand at terminal or Transflo? or Trip pac?

[Bumper]

Yes, they have Pike Pass. But for now, I will be driving around CA, NV and AZ. They pretty much use teams to bring the product between the terminals and then the locals deliver it. So I anticipate being home on weekends alot and maybe a night during the week. Time will tell.

Yes they require you to leave your truck in the terminal on your time off. He was going to check to see if I could leave mine in a secure lot in CA if the trailer was mt or had a non hazmat load, but I moved to Kingman so it is a non issue now.

They have two indoor fuel bays at Springfield and when you call on the CB they tell you which one to either enter for wait in line for. And yes the shop and bays are open 24/7.

They would rather have you stick around for 10 minutes during an inspection than have you leave with a tredless tire and have to have it fixed on the road...

Trucks have 300 gallon fuel capacity and they use Flying J for the most part. With that much fuel your pretty much able to get back to your home terminal. Picking up a trailer at a shipper with low reefer fuel is more when you will need to buy it.

All paperwork is turned in by hand at any of the terminals. Loads have to be turned in by Tuesday, 10am to get paid on Friday.

I got to talk to the shop guys installing the Tri Pak in my next truck and they were willing to show it all to me and the setup inside.

Well I am ready to leave Amarillo, its raining so I hope traffic isnt too bad..

[headborg]

They would rather have you stick around for 10 minutes during an inspection than have you leave with a tredless tire and have to have it fixed on the road... Laughing

ROFLMAO---

yes, nice that they observe such DOT regulations--- as long as you're not having to wait in that inspection line for ....like .....hours. Then tell them what needs to be fixed....then wait for 7 hours while they fix next to ....nothing.

BTW, my tredless tire is still holding up-- and I haven't been inspected...yet.

And maybe, it will get me back home......again.[/quote]

[Bumper]

I came back and took two days off so I could go home and do some more packing and pick up my dog and some other trucking stuff I had left behind. Im back in Kingman and will pick up a loaded trailer in the morning and deliver it to DHE in Los Angeles at 1600. Then off to Central CA for a produce pickup and return to Kingman. Id much rather deliver in Lost Angeles on Sunday than Monday....

So I ended up with 1350 for last week and have another 1350 for this week plus whatever I deliver tomorrow and bring back here on Monday.

[headborg]

Hey Man, where are you? Stop fussing with that Dog and post us the 'scoop' on how IWX is going.

Ok, I've now completed my shameless bump to the top- of a friends thread. It's up to him now.

[Bumper]

Im sitting in the Kingman Terminal as I type this. Dropped a trailer this afternoon and have the night off. Leave for Reno tomorrow for a Friday morning delivery.

I ended up with 7250 miles for my first month. It wasnt a complete month, and this is regional only. I only drive in CA, NV and AZ. So I am not getting the real long trips.

This month I have 2608 and things appear to be slow. But I like the company and have no complaints. It is not a go go go company though. Your going to have some down time. I have had quite a few deadhead runs from Los Angeles to Salinas. Fortunatly deadhead miles are paid the same as loaded so I haven lost out there.

After I return from the Reno trip I am taking two days off to move some stuff into my new place in Lake Havasu. My cousin has a home there and offered it to me since they live in Chicago and havent had any offers on their house there. Free rent works for me

[TruckerChris]

Congrats Bumper! Seems like you have found a nice home at IWX. They're trucks are easy to spot so when I'm rolling through the west I'll keep an eye out for you... What's with the CAT motors? I didn't know freightliner spec'd them recently? Is it an older truck? Oh, and wheres the photos???

Chris