Watkins and Shephard
 

I was recently looking into Watkins and Shephard and the recruiter told me that after I go to their school and orientation they just throw you the keys and you get your first load. I like everything I have heard about this company. But is this a good idea? Any input would be appreciated.

I worked for Watkins Shepard for 9 months. I thought they were a great company. I left only to go to Nursing school in North Carolina.

First, I want to clarify something. If you search the long Watkins Shepard post by Samuel (Clint) and my posts .. you will see they just do not throw you the keys. If you go through the school the will put you through the paces. I believe the key is not just doing 275 hours like Werner (heck you end up doing 275 of the same 1 hour holding the steering wheel) but doing intensive situations like real world backing over and over again.

BTW) What school or company has tractors and trailers available during the weekend and all night to practice?

I found the 10 day orientation much more intense than the 4 weeks I did with a trainer, and I learned more.

BIG Pluses:

Hub Miles. You submit paperwork for every load and are paid for your routed miles.

Small company atmosphere -- you know everyone and everyone will know you.

Miles -- W&S will keep you moving. You determine how hard you want to drive. I averaged just over 2500 miles per week including a couple of short weeks -- my choice. If I wanted to 3100 I could run that hard.

Minus:

No Transflo -- you drop off settlements at terminals or mail them.

IT is horrible -- so no accessing statements on line or doing benefits.

Home time -- if you are not in a traffic lane. W&S has two things that make Home time difficult if you do not live at a main terminal. Regional dispatch so there is no coordination like there is with Driver Managers. The regional dispatcher's job is to keep you moving not to get you home.

Just to say many companies that use DM's make the DM bonus contingent on a % of home time. If a DM does not get a majority of drivers home .. they do not get the bonus. W&S does not even have a home time macro.

No dedicated Weekend/off hours dispatch (there is an emergency dispatch but that is to handle emergencies) with the exception of Santa Fe Springs. You really need to be aggressive in making sure you are set up for the weekend. The phone is your Friend.

Cell Phone. -- You will be using your cell phone to call customers / shippers. Especially for directions. The directions database is horrible.

Please search Watkins Shepard and Crackaces and you will see lots of posts ...

So you're done with driving?

Looks like you moved to NC and are putting down some new roots....good luck!!

I met 2 young guys in GA at a Flying hook and they loved it. They said they got paid 250/day...rain or shine. The lived out of Montana and worshipped computer games, so hometime wasn't an issue for them :wink:

I left W&S in December. No real complaints. I put the what I felt are negatives because if some of the negatives are important to you .. well you should seek a different company. For example, if immediate settlements are important because of cash flow issues .. then a company that uses Transflo or Trip Pak (like May or Gordon) might be a better choice. If getting your statements online is important -- then CFI might be a better choice. If regularly scheduled home time is important and you do not live near one of the main terminals like Santa Fe Springs Ca or Missioula Mt.... you might seek a different company. If you prefer a DM rather than regional dispatch .. well you get the picture. However, if pay, small company atmosphere, keeping moving, no interference from HQ, no need to ride with a trainer is important .. W&S is a great company to start and what is more important survive 6 months with ..

I thought .31 on the hub 2500 average with a few 3100 mile weeks was a reasonable wage -- given the parameters in the industry :wink:

Now that I established that I had no discontent .. A little hijack of the thread of why I left.

I have a background of serving 10 years in the medical field as a medic/Paramedic. I certified in ATLS and ACLS, and taught ACLS to paramedics. I took a fork in the road that led me to computers (Systems Architect) and then another fork into truck driving. Much like the need for truck drivers in the US .. there is a need for Nurse Anesthetist. There are only 26,000 CNRA's in the United States right now. So .. I took the plunge. One really good point is that after I invest 2 years getting a MSN (for adult students who have a non-medical BS degree) and 2 years getting a CNRA .. it will be very difficult to outsource "Gas Passing" to India or Pakistan, or hire low cost labor. I start this summer .. wish me luck.

Just a little clarification for guys like Cold Frosty Mug ... It is my belief that you have to do what is Fulfilling, Meaningful, Right, and Feasible for you. What is amazing to me is that just 4 unique proteins combine in an mathematically almost endless ways in a DNA molecule. It makes us all unique. What is meaningful or fulfilling to you -- I might find repulsive. For some of us .. it is not all about the money or getting paid for every time I do something. I value different things -- It makes us unique and life interesting.

I really enjoyed W&S and OTR work. I understand not a lot of people like OTR work and there are other truck driving jobs like local work that have features that better fit certain value systems. There are lots of Nurses but Not a lot of Nurses like the CRNA job. It pays great, great home time, great benefits, only requires 2 more years of education after a BSN but it is extremely stressful to have someones life on the edge while someone else is slicing and dicing. So .. only 26,000 BSN's have decided to take the plunge for a "better job." Relating this to truck driving ... I find Local Jobs and dealing with urban traffic to be boring and not very fulfilling, much less desirable than home-time and making an hourly wage. I found OTR and changing scenery, yes -- camping out, finding new places, planning, and being alone most of the time much more fulfilling.

Life becomes much less interesting when those that know what's best for me tries to impose their value system without a clue themselves.

Now back to OTR and W&S .. I wish you luck Doughboy70 and I hope you find what is fulfilling meaningful, right, and feasible for you.

Thanks for the response crackaces. There was a lot of good info there for me to consider. I am glad that you found something that works for you and I wish you luck. Thanks again for the advice.

W&S sounds good.

What kind of tractors they got?


The trip pak thing doesn't concern me too much, but how often would you see a terminal with this company?

Sorry for another thread hijack....

CA wrote:
Very well said....it brings to mind the book "Darwin's Black Box"....a good read and an eye opener for me!

CA, I have found your posts to be informative and your perspective insightful. I wish you well in your new career. And you're right about the stress in hospital environments...I spent 9 very long weeks last fall with a friend and his wife before she finally succumbed to ARDS (adult respiratory distress syndrome) after being trampled by her horse. I witnessed first hand the daily stress those doctors and especially the nurses go thru....every day they literally have someone's husband, wife, sister, dear friend's life in their hands. It is a huge responsibility and takes a unique person to handle it. CA, I believe you will excel at it.

I wish you well in this new branch in your life.

They still have some old Volvo's around with around 900,000 miles. The tractor numbers are in the 1500's. This are getting fewer everyday. The next oldest tractors are 2003/2004 Freightliner Columbia's. A few of the oldest ones are numbered in the low 1600's do not have insulation. This was a big mess up by a previous executive who did not know that insulation was an option. I drove 1661 for 4 months. This was a solidly maintained well performing truck.

Starting in 2005 W&S ordered Volvo VNL660's / 670's. These ride very nice. The numbering starts with 1700 and continues to 1900's today.

Speaking about equipment .. W&S has excellent maintenance facilities in Missoula MT and Helena. Very driver orientated. Also unlike some companies that will coax you to drive an unsafe tractor to a terminal so to save money -- I took my tractor to the dealer 4 times on the simple request - "I am not sure Dwayne but the tractor is just not acting right -- I am seeing the following symptoms .." and immediately the director of maintenance was getting me to the nearest shop. See my posts.

One other thing in the equipment category. Inverters. W&S not only allows them but will install one for you. (You must buy the inverter) 1500 Watts continuous (3000 peak) is the upper limit. Many companies frown on inverters because they require idling to keep the batteries charged (Hey if you have 1500 watts - you are going to plug stuff in) and inverters can start the truck on fire.

The mechanics also installed my Sirius antenna and my Laptop stand.

As you see why I believe it is a driver friendly company.

Now on dropping off settlements. I saw a terminal about every 3 days. I lived in Phoenix AZ so a typical run went like this:

PHX Value Furniture -- Santa Fe Springs (terminal)
Staples run to Oregon or Washington (End at Kent Terminal)
Empty plastic bottles Fife Wa -- Bozeman Mt
Clay Dillion Mt -- Santa Fe Springs (Terminal)

Do something like this for 6 weeks .. an occasional run into Utah and then La-Z-Boy, Tremonton Ut to Helena Mt. General Mills Flour, Great Falls to either the Bay Area or Santa Fe Springs.

If you get to Missoula you will do a Smurfit Stone paper run to one of the factories in the LA area.

Runs into the Denver Terminal result in Furniture Row store runs into Wyoming, Idaho and Montanna.

I ran the east coast solo twice. A clay run to Dyersberg Tn and back to Denver and a Terminal -- Terminal Furniture run to Ohio. Then we do Kitchen Maid cabinets to Atlanta and then Dalton Ga (Terminal) to Santa Fe Springs.

If you are on the West Coast you should expect to stay on the West Coast with a rare run east and back.

Another comment ... W&S made their mark doing LTL furniture. If you take a multistop load you are going to tailgate carpet and furniture. It was rare toward my last months, but I did do the occasional 24 stop mom&pop furniture stores Utah run tailgating carpet. I just looked at this as penance for the easy terminal -- terminal drop and hooks I did :lol:

Good Luck!

John Deere.... :roll: Chad, you might want to try Utopia trucking out of Nirvana,Calif. They run Pete 379's and Kenworth W900L's with 175 inch sleepers that come equipped with a full wait staff,including chef,maid,a massage therapist,and butler, along with 60"plasma TV, 300 gallon aquarium, barca lounger,and whirlpool tub They pay $14/mile loaded or empty,and require that you run 60 miles a day, always between the hours of noon and 2 PM ,but pay you for 700 miles/day.You ride in the jump seat,as tractors also come equipped with a chauffer. All drop and hook,but you don't do the labor, as the company provides a laborer at the terminal.All meals are provided, and you get a 5 star hotel room each night,while your staff sleeps in the sleeper.Work schedule is 1 day out for every 25 days off,all paid of course........