[Hawkjr]

You didn't have to worry about fuel. All Wal Marts have one fuel island where you fueled your truck and trailer before you dropped, or you could fuel your trailer before you pulled it out (if it had a backhaul on it and it was down on fuel). Problem was when you went to a different DC. If it was a Schneider run DC, no problem, use the fuel pumps. But if it was run by Werner or someone (like the one in Tomah, WI where we had a lot of backhauls going in) we had to top off the trailer at a Pilot before we got there.

Yes is something decent about the account but i know are our DC in the morning when drivers are coming back from Meat and Produce you'll have trucks four or five deep lined up at one pump..

You had some nice places to sleep. Some cities wouldn't allow a truck to park at the Wal Mart, but not many in my area. With a Wal-Mart trailer, you could park at any Wal-Mart or Sam's Club for your 10 hour break. Most of these were close enough to somewhere you could get a bite to eat to walk to. That was handy. Of course you knew the closest WM parking lot for every backhaul. Other than that you were running a lot of 2 lane roads with small truck stops where you could always find a spot to camp out for the night.

Yes this is one of the best things about the account.. No wondering off trying to find a spot at a truck stop 2 A.M. in the morning... I've found some damn good food and restaurants in and around wal marts.. especially in the North Carolina area!! There's only one Wal Mart i knew off on our Account the wouldn't let us park there and i still don't understand until this day because of how big the lot is!!

1. Trailer maintenance wasn't very good. Wal Mart was buying new trailers, but they didn't get very many new reefers. Most of the tires were questionable as to their road worthiness. This being said, I never had to have a service truck come to put a new tire on a trailer. Most of them we would catch flat when we hooked up the the trailer.

Don't get me started!!! Fortunately half of our reefer trailers are newer units within the past two months and they starting to send them crappy trailer up north... hopefully for demolition.. One trailer dogged tracked so bad going down the road i was in disbelief... One had a hole patched up as big as a Mack Grill..

Some of the backhauls were great, most were run-of-the-mill, some sucked big time. I hated going into some of those cold storage places in Chicago or Indianapolis to get a load. A lot of time you'd spend all day waiting in a dock at one of those places. I don't remember if we got any detention pay for that or not. Probably not. I really liked picking up watermelons in Poseyville, IN. You'd just park on the side of the farm road and take your break. I liked places you could take a break

Our's aren't that bad.. We got a few places like Unilever in Baltimore, MD, ISE America Egg Farm in Maryland, and Some places that some Essay's run in North Carolina.. I personally love the backhaul run out of Palmyra PA from General Mills... Get Deadhead 265 miles North to pick up a load and deliver it 208 miles... good stuff..

Like i said it could be a great place to work at but with Schneider Penny Pinching it will never be... But as long as i have a vaild driver ID for them.. i'm going to try to get them wheels moving!!

[Syncrosonix]

localorange is a good source of info on the pumpkin carrier. he and i are real life friends, believe it or not. he drives the gaycab around the so-cal area.

[marcel27208]

Sni..they arent doing anything with the owner operators..only thing is(for awhile now) they havent been adding anyone onto choice program....

company drivers..NO PAY RAISES THIS YEAR FOR ANYONE!!!! and the 401k contribution have been held off until december 09.

[Tatertot]

Schneider is a good company. There are several things I don't like about their management, but they are a very stable company, well run financially. They have a wide selection of stone cold ******s in their offices, just like everywhere else though. And yes, you need Hazmat for them. Don't believe otherwise. I was there 10+ years. You also have to go to one of their OC's and take a written hazmat test every few years.

As for Walmart, like most of SNI's dedicated accounts, it doesn't pay very well, but it's steady work and you know exactly when you'll get home. I remember when I was an O/O there, and they sent a fleet message from Bedford PA asking for help. So I called in, and the acct manager offered something like 26 cents a mile, and a lil extra for detention, etc. I told him I wasn't a company driver, and no thanks anyway.

[Hawkjr]

you can make money on the wal mart account... you going to have to run more than 5 days a week and run your full 11 and 14 and you need to be at an decent DC... That DC at Bedford Sucks!! I HATE IT!!... people who don't run and take one load don't make any money and they be the same ones *****'n in the lounge.. there's also incentives so its just not mileage pay.. you can make up to $75 dollars extra off of one trip...

[seal3k]

Well seems like, compared to all the junk places out there, werner, swift etc.... schnide doesn't seem half bad place to start out at. Ill take 31 cpm anyday over 25 or 26. Home time be dammned

[Phreddo]

I personally pulled for Schneider out of WI for just under 2 years, about 14 months of that was dedicated local salary.

I think SNI is a good place to start out, I think they are a strong, stable company. I would have no hesitation recommending them. However, I think they are on the lower end of the pay scale, and you pretty much have to live by their rules. I met some happy drivers, and some cranky drivers. I think that many unhappy drivers create their own problems. Trucking isn't for everyone.

I think SNI works best if you don't mind being on their schedule. If you want a home life, look elsewhere. I basically got my experience and did my time, and when something better came up, I put in my 2 weeks and moved on. Personally, if I could have made better money, I'd still be there.

I take some level of comfort knowing that if I ever found myself in a real bind, I would be welcome back there.

So, if you're in a bind, I'd say go for it. If you can afford it, I'd say wait for something better suited to you.

[jonp]

Been on the SNI dedicated Wal-Mart in Henderson, NC for about 3 months. Work 5/2 and I'll be around 47,500 or so this year. not a bad job at all. They don't mess with you much and if you need a day off it's not a hassle at all. not many complaints. Some of the slip-seat trucks are a little dirty but I've cleaned 2 in the last 2 weeks and they paid me for it. Asked me to take out a new driver yesterday and show him the run, paperwork etc and they paid me mentor pay + $25. Called me on my day off last week because they needed help and offered me my regular pay plus $75 to work.

[Phreddo]

Originally Posted by jonp

Been on the SNI dedicated Wal-Mart in Henderson, NC for about 3 months. Work 5/2 and I'll be around 47,500 or so this year. not a bad job at all. They don't mess with you much and if you need a day off it's not a hassle at all. not many complaints. Some of the slip-seat trucks are a little dirty but I've cleaned 2 in the last 2 weeks and they paid me for it. Asked me to take out a new driver yesterday and show him the run, paperwork etc and they paid me mentor pay + $25. Called me on my day off last week because they needed help and offered me my regular pay plus $75 to work.

"Great job training your replacement! Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out."

[jonp]

lol. They have hired a bunch of new drivers for this account because there are at least 5 new Supercenters opening up in the area this summer.

I'll keep my eyes open, though.