Swift Dedicated Wal Mart Position... Any One Know Anything?
Topic 12327 | Page 1
When I finished my mentor training at Swift, my mentor recommended me for his Georgia-Pacific dedicated account. But the office wouldn't let me do that until I had some OTR experience myself. Don't worry about rugs being pulled. Sure, there may be some misunderstandings, but Swift is pretty straight. It took me about 7 months to move from OTR to the GP dedicated account.
BTW, GP goes more or less continuously, but you are planned through your home city on weekends with a 34 hour break. Plus a guaranteed minimum pay. (Somewhere around $735/week, but usually you pull down more than that.)
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
When I finished my mentor training at Swift, my mentor recommended me for his Georgia-Pacific dedicated account. But the office wouldn't let me do that until I had some OTR experience myself. Don't worry about rugs being pulled. Sure, there may be some misunderstandings, but Swift is pretty straight. It took me about 7 months to move from OTR to the GP dedicated account.
thanks for taking the time to reply...so many horror stories its tough to know what to believe.
BTW, GP goes more or less continuously, but you are planned through your home city on weekends with a 34 hour break. Plus a guaranteed minimum pay. (Somewhere around $735/week, but usually you pull down more than that.)
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
I had one student go to Wal-Mart dedicated after upgrading off my truck. Talk to G town that's what he dose. He is one of the mods on here.
Got 7 months OTR experience. Need to be home more often for my family s sanity and mine...lol. So swift is offering 6 days on, home every night, one day off, slip seating. Can I trust them not to try something shady at orientation? I've heard companies try to get you to orientation and then pull the rug out.
Daniel I have been Dedicated WM Grocery for 3 years. Happy to help. What specifically would you like to know?
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
Got 7 months OTR experience. Need to be home more often for my family s sanity and mine...lol. So swift is offering 6 days on, home every night, one day off, slip seating. Can I trust them not to try something shady at orientation? I've heard companies try to get you to orientation and then pull the rug out.
Daniel I have been Dedicated WM Grocery for 3 years. Happy to help. What specifically would you like to know?
The job as I've heard so far consists of slip seating, 6 nights on 1 off, home every night in the Robert, LA area. Job stated drivers make 700 to 1000 a week. I'm set for orientation on the 25th of Jan. up near Dallas for 3 days. Still working on finding out how the job pays...cpm, stop pay, hourly....ect ..e mailed the recruiter today asking for the specifics on that...do I need to get something in writing with them? Also, any idea what to expect from the road test during orientation? How hard is the backing test, and how strict are they...should I double clutch? Any little pointers on these subjects will help....thanks in advance g-town
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
Double Clutch:
To engage and then disengage the clutch twice for every gear change.
When double clutching you will push in the clutch, take the gearshift out of gear, release the clutch, press the clutch in again, shift the gearshift into the next gear, then release the clutch.
This is done on standard transmissions which do not have synchronizers in them, like those found in almost all Class A trucks.
CPM:
Cents Per Mile
Drivers are often paid by the mile and it's given in cents per mile, or cpm.
Daniel F replies:
The job as I've heard so far consists of slip seating, 6 nights on 1 off, home every night in the Robert, LA area. Job stated drivers make 700 to 1000 a week. I'm set for orientation on the 25th of Jan. up near Dallas for 3 days. Still working on finding out how the job pays...cpm, stop pay, hourly....ect ..e mailed the recruiter today asking for the specifics on that...do I need to get something in writing with them? Also, any idea what to expect from the road test during orientation? How hard is the backing test, and how strict are they...should I double clutch? Any little pointers on these subjects will help....thanks in advance g-town
Daniel, The specific numbers are DC specific, but there is CPM pay that is higher than the base Swift rate due to lower weekly mileage. There is stop pay after the first stop (I average 4 stops per day), dispatch pay (I am doubled 1-2 times per week) and extra pay for spotting WM trailers in the event the dock is full. I average about 1900-2000 miles per 6-day week. The weekly pay is about right for a new driver on the account. As you get familiar with the process, the stores, backhaul vendors, and the DC, you will likely earn more. Find out about safety incentive pay, hey may also have that in their comp. plan. Would not hurt to get it in writing from the recruiter, but it still may vary from reality.
Orientation is nothing out of the ordinary; about a 30-45 minute road test and a sight-side, 75 degree alley back (could be 45, or 90, I split the difference). Make sure you GOAL before you execute the backing maneuver. I would ask the examiner if they are ok with floating gears before you actually try it.
I can go into a whole lot more detail...don't have the time at the moment. Try to find out if it's a grocery or general merchandise account. It makes a difference.
Good luck and safe travels.
Floating Gears:
An expression used to describe someone who is shifting gears without using the clutch at all. Drivers are taught to "Double Clutch" or press and release the clutch twice for each gear shift. If you're floating gears it means you're simply shifting without using the clutch at all.
Double Clutch:
To engage and then disengage the clutch twice for every gear change.
When double clutching you will push in the clutch, take the gearshift out of gear, release the clutch, press the clutch in again, shift the gearshift into the next gear, then release the clutch.
This is done on standard transmissions which do not have synchronizers in them, like those found in almost all Class A trucks.
CPM:
Cents Per Mile
Drivers are often paid by the mile and it's given in cents per mile, or cpm.
Daniel F replies:
The job as I've heard so far consists of slip seating, 6 nights on 1 off, home every night in the Robert, LA area. Job stated drivers make 700 to 1000 a week. I'm set for orientation on the 25th of Jan. up near Dallas for 3 days. Still working on finding out how the job pays...cpm, stop pay, hourly....ect ..e mailed the recruiter today asking for the specifics on that...do I need to get something in writing with them? Also, any idea what to expect from the road test during orientation? How hard is the backing test, and how strict are they...should I double clutch? Any little pointers on these subjects will help....thanks in advance g-town
Daniel, The specific numbers are DC specific, but there is CPM pay that is higher than the base Swift rate due to lower weekly mileage. There is stop pay after the first stop (I average 4 stops per day), dispatch pay (I am doubled 1-2 times per week) and extra pay for spotting WM trailers in the event the dock is full. I average about 1900-2000 miles per 6-day week. The weekly pay is about right for a new driver on the account. As you get familiar with the process, the stores, backhaul vendors, and the DC, you will likely earn more. Find out about safety incentive pay, hey may also have that in their comp. plan. Would not hurt to get it in writing from the recruiter, but it still may vary from reality.
Orientation is nothing out of the ordinary; about a 30-45 minute road test and a sight-side, 75 degree alley back (could be 45, or 90, I split the difference). Make sure you GOAL before you execute the backing maneuver. I would ask the examiner if they are ok with floating gears before you actually try it.
I can go into a whole lot more detail...don't have the time at the moment. Try to find out if it's a grocery or general merchandise account. It makes a difference.
Good luck and safe travels.
Thanks again
Floating Gears:
An expression used to describe someone who is shifting gears without using the clutch at all. Drivers are taught to "Double Clutch" or press and release the clutch twice for each gear shift. If you're floating gears it means you're simply shifting without using the clutch at all.
Double Clutch:
To engage and then disengage the clutch twice for every gear change.
When double clutching you will push in the clutch, take the gearshift out of gear, release the clutch, press the clutch in again, shift the gearshift into the next gear, then release the clutch.
This is done on standard transmissions which do not have synchronizers in them, like those found in almost all Class A trucks.
CPM:
Cents Per Mile
Drivers are often paid by the mile and it's given in cents per mile, or cpm.
Is Swift the only company contracted to do dedicated routes for walmart? How does that work? Can you work for another trucking company and still be dedicated to Walmart (or any business). Who decides your pay? The trucking company or the account for who you deliver goods to?
Dedicated Route:
A driver or carrier who transports cargo between regular, prescribed routes. Normally it means a driver will be dedicated to working for one particular customer like Walmart or Home Depot and they will only haul freight for that customer. You'll often hear drivers say something like, "I'm on the Walmart dedicated account."
Rv I know prime and cr England also have Wal-Mart contracts. I would think other company's have contracts as well but I don't know who they are. Also remember just because one company has it now dose not mean they will have it when the contract comes up for renual. I got bumped off a nice fleet when I was new because swift lost the contract.
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Got 7 months OTR experience. Need to be home more often for my family s sanity and mine...lol. So swift is offering 6 days on, home every night, one day off, slip seating. Can I trust them not to try something shady at orientation? I've heard companies try to get you to orientation and then pull the rug out.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.