Ok, I started working for Western Express June 3rd, 2011. The company has had its ups and downs (more downs than ups,) and issues like any other trucking company out there. However, I have stuck with them now for over 10 months hoping things would get better. They have only gotten progressively worse.
If you call a recruiter at Western Express, you will be told about how you can get all the miles you want, about 2500-3000 per week (is what I was told when I called last year)...however, I've only broken 3000 miles in a week only about 4 or 5 times in 10 months!!! The average seems to be about 1200-2000 depending on the way the runs come together.
Now, I'm a hard worker and like to run 3-5 weeks out mostly. When I'm gone I expect to be paid well for the time I'm away from family. Well, the excuses are tremendous here, everything from slow freight to no freight to "Nashville" is being too picky about the freight. It keeps you SITTING. Oh, and your layover? You as a professional driver are only worth $35.00 per day! Now...there IS a quarterly bonus you can earn 1 cent per mile x 3 different types of bonuses. 1st one is averaging 2500 miles a week or more...most drivers can forget that one! The second one is your service bonus, and the third your fuel bonus. Oh...did I forget to mention that the company and its owners are so greedy that they'll try everything under the sun to make sure you don't get those bonuses? Yup! I just found out that since I pulled a groin muscle last quarter (and kept working, didn't go on worker's comp), I was diqualified!!! My family needed that bonus so bad with the crappy loads they've been giving lately.
Also...the CSR and planners don't do their job very well. For example...the load I was needed an appointment reschedule due to the late time of the evening it was picked up. I waited all day...waited...and finally called the customer myself...all in about 2 minutes I had an appointment! Well, CSR didn't like the way I did their job for her so she re-set my appointment for way early in the a.m. I had this load set to t-call in the yard because the appointment was set for Friday at 10 a.m. She changed it for 7 a.m. Thursday! (tomorrow!) Now I have to sit on this crap load and deliver it without being able to head out on my next one!!
Oh...and the company STEALS money from each and every driver to under the weekly "driver services" $2.50 FEE each week. Yes, the company CHARGES you for use of the pre-pass/ez pass and the transflow. Those are COMPANY expenses...not employee expenses. Now if we were contractors that would be one thing, but we are not. Oh...and D.O.T., due to the company's POOR safety rating, has forbidden the use of pre-pass! Yet...we are still charged each and every week!!!
In a nut shell, my family has faced eviction a few times, has had to go to food banks, is always wondering what the next week will bring, has been having marital issues, and has had daddy away for several weeks at a time...but without much to show for it, except on a few occasions where its a decent week.
Ever since the founder or owner passed away, the ones who have taken the reigns have run this company into the ground! They are the most greedy sob's I've ever heard of. Oh, and Don't believe those cool looking recruiting ads you see in the trucking publications...you know "Roll with the Black and the White!" They are holding orientation most weeks, due to the fact the company wants bodies in the trucks, regardless of whether they have the freight or not. That's right...new drivers each week means sharing your miles. Instead of 2500-3000 miles...about 1200-2000 each. LOW pay, regardless of years of experience.
RUN RUN as fast as you can...work for Western Express and your ass will be in the frying pan!!!
NEVER work for WESTERN EXPRESS, INC.!!!!
