Western Express

[madaxeman]

I'll probably get a lot of sarcastic and unhelpful comments for this post...LOL Anyway, I have some questions. Maybe you guys can provide some serious answers to help me.

Can anybody tell me (from first hand experience with this company doing dry van) what I am in for? I have 18 months experience but I have been out of trucking since the economy tanked (last 16 months). Apparently, they are the only company willing to hire me and re-train me on a straight 10 (with my 16 month trucking employment gap). I guess I have to bite the bullet until I drive for a bit again. The cpm pay isn't the best but I was told their drivers don't sit around and they currently average about 2700 miles/week. I'm over by O'Hare airport. They said something about being able to leave my truck at a terminal in Hammond, IN. Also, I am unsure how it works but the lady told me that a lot of the drivers leave their trucks at local Walmarts when they go home. Somehow, they arrange that with the store. I never see trucks parked at Walmart for an extended period though (just overnight). Anybody know anything about that and how that works? Any other useful info you guys can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Jumbo]

I would think you are better off leaving your truck in Hammond. I am not a fan of leaving my truck at a shopping center. I park at our terminal and drive the 1 1/2 home. When I stay at my brothers I drop the trailer at a Freightliner dealer ( I have written permission from the dealership manager) and bobtail to his house. If you park at a Shopping center in the winter you run the chance of snow being plowed up to your truck and then you are screwed. I dont know how others feel but that is my view.

[robertt]

The last company I drove for, a tanker company, I parked my truck at a local Wal-mart supercenter everynight and on the weekends. I parked out back and as far out of the way as possible. There were 2 or 3 other regulars besides myself everyday also. Their were also the weekend regulars also, so on Sat and Sun their might have been 4-7 trucks parked out back at any given time. I see other Wal-marts around OKC here with "regulars". I think they, Wal-mart, have always had a soft spot for truck drivers. I think it came from Sam Walton. I did get on a Werner once because he ran his trailer over a curb and left tracks in the grass. I didn't want him screwing it up for the guy's who were courteous and used the place regularly. I did go in and ask to speak to the manager before I started parking there but the person I was talking to said it wouldn't be a problem. They actually had security 24hrs that kept an eye on the lot and I got to be buddies with the night guy. You shouldn't have a problem.

[madaxeman]

Thanks for the information on Walmart parking! There are 2 Walmarts within 5 miles of here, too. I guess it depends on what load I bring home, where it has to be after the weekend, if someone else is going to make the actual delivery, etc. If I leave my truck in Hammond (60 miles) and there is really bad weather, it might take me hours just to get back to my truck. There is also a guy a couple of blocks from here who has a gravel lot. Maybe I will talk to him after I get my own truck. Last time, I asked the Freightliner dealer. They gave me a dirty look and said NO.

[jonp]

Make sure you ask the WalMart if its ok first. I've started to see a few with "No Truck Parking" signs.
I, personally, would never leave my truck in a shopping mall for the weekend. Your just asking for it.

Western Express: The only driver I've spoken to from that company was the one that took my hood off in a Pilot at 0300.

[madaxeman]

Make sure you ask the WalMart if its ok first. I've started to see a few with "No Truck Parking" signs.
I, personally, would never leave my truck in a shopping mall for the weekend. Your just asking for it.

Western Express: The only driver I've spoken to from that company was the one that took my hood off in a Pilot at 0300.

I will definitely ask first. I don't want to find out that my truck "has disappeared". When I leave my truck, I NEVER leave anything that belongs to me in it...other than my road atlas!

I had a TMC flatbed rip my bumper off when I was parked at the Pilot in Beloit. He was backing into a spot in that back row (where trucks park facing each other). There will always be that small share of drivers who make those careless mistakes. Fortunately, I didn't have or cause any accidents in the first 18 months that I drove.

[jagerbomber3.0]

I pulled flats for a while for Western Express,long stroy short..they were not nearly as bad as people would tell ya. The CPM is a little on the low side but they are not terrible to work for and they do ordinarily keep their van drivers rolling pretty strong...lots and lots and lots of northeast but they turn the wheels on their dry boxes and they take pretty reasonable care of their equipment.

[madaxeman]

I pulled flats for a while for Western Express,long stroy short..they were not nearly as bad as people would tell ya. The CPM is a little on the low side but they are not terrible to work for and they do ordinarily keep their van drivers rolling pretty strong...lots and lots and lots of northeast but they turn the wheels on their dry boxes and they take pretty reasonable care of their equipment.

Thanks, Jagerbomb! As long as they don't send me into NYC every few days I don't mind! I ran a lot of NE (PA, NJ, OH, MD, DE, MA, VA, etc.) with the last company...but I did run other places, too. The lady I spoke with said that they get good miles (average 2700/week)...so it is good to hear confirmation of that from elsewhere.

[Hawkjr]

I pulled flats for a while for Western Express,long stroy short..they were not nearly as bad as people would tell ya. The CPM is a little on the low side but they are not terrible to work for and they do ordinarily keep their van drivers rolling pretty strong...lots and lots and lots of northeast but they turn the wheels on their dry boxes and they take pretty reasonable care of their equipment.

**** you aint never lie on that Northeast thing!! There's was more Western Express Trucks in Maine then Schneider and Heartland combined!!!

[69XKE]

No lie about Western Express in Maine!

I'm taking a 34 here in Auburn, ME (got a load to del in PA Monday), and there are no fewer than five WE trucks parked here. I drive for Schneider and at least here, they've got me outnumbered!

Good luck to you either way...and be safe!