[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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by Jagerbomber

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]

Originally Posted by okie

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