Profile For Tyrone T.

@packrat 10/4

What's good packrat, remember I'm greener than the incredible hulk, can you breakdown those specifics a little bit for me brother. Do I ask the recruiter those questions or some company person

Find out as many details as possible about each route, region, and the customers you would be dealing with for each.

As G-Town advised, ask specifics. Things such as:

Deliveries to a store?

Hand unloading or no-touch freight? Drop and hook? Partial unload at each individual stop?

Dedicated route with dedicated stops? Think of a Coca-Cola truck driver making stops at stores all day.

On the regional offer....what states, what freight, and what customers?

Money. Is this paid by the mile, by the route, salary, extra pay for each extra stop?

What's good packrat, remember I'm greener than the incredible hulk, can you breakdown those specifics a little bit for me brother. Do I ask the recruiter those questions or some company person

Find out as many details as possible about each route, region, and the customers you would be dealing with for each.

Not to concerned about home time at this point, no wife, no kid's

Everyone will pretty much tell a rookie to steer clear of dollar tree/dollar general accounts - they are typically a PITA to get to where you unload, most don't have docks, and most a hand unloads.

Much depends on where you are located, what kind of hometime you are looking for. We have a member here (Gary) that's been doing Swift Walmart Dedicated for awhile and loves it.

Rick

Thanks guys... g-town I read your article link, I'm very nervous, have til Mon to decide. I see no one commented on the regional northwest route, is that considered otr, my location is California, each route offer.

Tractor wrote:

I would recommend 6 months OTR before taking on a dedicated account. Lots of close quarters driving on surface streets in congested cities, maneuvering through crowded parking lots to get to some of the docks, and some real tricky backing situations. Many Walmart Neighborhood Markets are in old grocery stores built in the 1970's. Those docks were designed for Day Cabs and 40 foot trailers. It can be very frustrating without good backing/maneuvering skills. Just my $.02

Tractor is right...except I’ve seen rookies make the grade on Walmart. I’ve also seen many fail, as well as experienced drivers who failed. It’s a tough Account. But for the right person? You can thrive.

Ask yourself this question; “how good are my backing skills?” You best love it. On average I back 5-6 times per day, and although 2/3rds of the store docks are fairly easy to get into, the other 1/3rd,... are not.

The other question you’ll want to ask yourself; “Am I willing to hustle?” Meaning delivering for Walmart is a constant churn, very few “easy” days, especially in the beginning. 13+ hour days are common; rarely are they less than 12. At times it’s almost as challenging as P&D, but with a longer trailer.

Some keys for success are; NOT rushing, always have a plan, and thoroughly prepping before you get to the store; using Google Maps Satellite view.

I kept a notebook with tabs on each store I delivered to; recording special or difficult circumstances for a specific location. That book now has over 150 pages of information including sketches of entry, the dock setup and egress from the property. I regularly copy or photograph pages of the more difficult stores for newer drivers delivering to a particular location for the first time. It’s all about planning, reducing surprises and preparation so expectations are set before arriving at the circus.

Walmart will improve your close-quarter driving skills far quicker than running conventional OTR. I promise you that.

Click this link; the blog article highlights how I overcame the challenges of running this account as a rookie driver:

The Freedom of Trucking

Good luck!

Anyone ever worked these areas (California)or accounts, my rookie job offers... Werner- Dedicated- Dollar Tree Cali Swift- Dedicated- Walmart- Cali Knight- Regional Northwest- Cali Input on what might be the better offer, remember this would be my first job since obtaining my CDL Thanks

I did earlier my friend

Fill out one application on this site snd it will be sent to a bunch of carriers.

Apply For Truck Driving Jobs

Recently obtained my cdl, looking for advice as to what companies are good to start out with as an inexperienced driver.