Dedicated
Topic 18584 | Page 1
move to Phoenix, or Salt Lake City
It doesn't SNOW in Phoenix. Although, YOU may MELT in the summer!!
move to Phoenix, or Salt Lake City
It doesn't SNOW in Phoenix. Although, YOU may MELT in the summer!!
Yeah haha. Interested in running from Phoenix to Long Beach doing the ports with Swift or Knight.
I think you heard it from me as well...but that's okay, "seeing" is truly believing.
What's up with living within a 50 mile radius of the Walmart DC? Very few of us (<20) at 7030 live within a 50 mile radius of the DC. Are you sure that's a limiting factor? Doesn't sound right. Your DM might be blocking you.
If you really want to try running Wally Loads on a FT basis, I'd call the Swift terminal manager at the DC Monday morning to get the scoop. If you don't know their name and have their direct number I'll get it for you.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.
I think you heard it from me as well...but that's okay, "seeing" is truly believing.
What's up with living within a 50 mile radius of the Walmart DC? Very few of us (<20) at 7030 live within a 50 mile radius of the DC. Are you sure that's a limiting factor? Doesn't sound right. Your DM might be blocking you.
If you really want to try running Wally Loads on a FT basis, I'd call the Swift terminal manager at the DC Monday morning to get the scoop. If you don't know their name and have their direct number I'll get it for you.
It is a Los Lunas thing, I never asked my dm about it either, but this was mentioned when we were in orientation as well as by my buddy who is on the acct. I will ask them for sure though, you never know, I could be an exception. They run it more like regional so I couldn't see getting the day off being that hard to get me home. I live 210 miles from the dc though.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
Regional:
Regional Route
Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.
Maybe if you suggest to them your intent on moving closer, might swing the scale in your favor. If LL is like us, they are starving for quality drivers who want to work and run and learn the account. Starving...
To reiterate, we have guys living 200 miles away... They route them on a Walmart run that gets them to within 50 miles from home. After making their final delivery they deadhead home and park many times at a nearby Walmart. Remember these DCs cover huge areas, you may actually live within their territory. That's the key. If you really want this...go for it. I think you got the chops for it...just don't rush...😉
Good luck, let me know if you need any help.
Deadhead:
To drive with an empty trailer. After delivering your load you will deadhead to a shipper to pick up your next load.
FWIW, Mr Glad, I have some WM dedicated experience - 3 weeks worth!
I was driving around the country OTR , minding my own business. I got an interesting dispatch to go to the WMDC in Moberly, MO. Went to the Swift office at the truck service building.
I was asked to run reefer deliveries out of that DC. Out and back each day, 2-3 stops, two days off. Park there every night. (Right next door was a WM store, shopping wasn't a problem.) Very nice gig! Stay there as long as I wanted. Area stretched from St. Louis to Cedar Rapids IA, I can't remember the rest.
"What about going home to Memphis?" I asked. "We'll get you a dispatch home and then back here," the FM replied.
My point is, like G-Town says, WM will take care of you.
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.
Fm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
Maybe if you suggest to them your intent on moving closer, might swing the scale in your favor. If LL is like us, they are starving for quality drivers who want to work and run and learn the account. Starving...
To reiterate, we have guys living 200 miles away... They route them on a Walmart run that gets them to within 50 miles from home. After making their final delivery they deadhead home and park many times at a nearby Walmart. Remember these DCs cover huge areas, you may actually live within their territory. That's the key. If you really want this...go for it. I think you got the chops for it...just don't rush...😉
Good luck, let me know if you need any help.
Maybe so, but the fleet did downsize recently. It doesn't hurt to ask however. The only tough thing about having to move is having to pay rent and getting a car, nice thing about my current situation is that I do not have to worry about either.
Ill definitely take my time haha, have learned many valuable lessons because of that.
FWIW, Mr Glad, I have some WM dedicated experience - 3 weeks worth!
I was driving around the country OTR , minding my own business. I got an interesting dispatch to go to the WMDC in Moberly, MO. Went to the Swift office at the truck service building.
I was asked to run reefer deliveries out of that DC. Out and back each day, 2-3 stops, two days off. Park there every night. (Right next door was a WM store, shopping wasn't a problem.) Very nice gig! Stay there as long as I wanted. Area stretched from St. Louis to Cedar Rapids IA, I can't remember the rest.
"What about going home to Memphis?" I asked. "We'll get you a dispatch home and then back here," the FM replied.
My point is, like G-Town says, WM will take care of you.
Yeah I am hoping I can make something out of it, I do enjoy otr, but I miss some things of living as a regular person. Ill definitely inquire about it some when I turn in my stuff tomorrow. They should have space if they were able to get an OTR guy a run and also I saw a DSW driver running reefer out of there. DSW is a company leased onto Swift out of Tuscon, AZ.
If anything, it doesn't hurt to ask.
Deadhead:
To drive with an empty trailer. After delivering your load you will deadhead to a shipper to pick up your next load.
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.
Fm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
Another approach is to see if they'll let you run it temporarily "to keep you in the area for a couple weeks." Let them see you work for a week or two, then pitch then the idea you'd like to stay on. Hugely increases your chances of staying on because now they know you and you're already running loads for them. You might not even have to move closer to Los Lunas.
Gotta be clever in this industry--there's always a way if you really want it.
Gladhand, they always downsize after Christmas and New Years...surge gets cut loose, the Dedicated drivers stay on. Once it gets close to summer, it all comes back.
OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
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I am not dedicated, but ran a dedicated walmart load to get home recently and I must say what a smooth process! Go to dc pick it up no problem, hit dock at store, let them know I am there and they unload me. Makes me want to go dedicated walmart, but I do not live within a 50 mile radius of Los Lunas. I now see why you pushed dedicated on me Pianoman haha! Actually may look into it some more when I take the trailer back tomorrow being that today is my last day of hometime. It is a pretty cool deal because they just do New Mexico, El Paso, TX and Trinidad, CO. It is cool to see different places all the time, but the streamlined process of dedicated definitely has me looking at it once again.
So now my plan is to move closer to Los Lunas to do that, move to Phoenix, or Salt Lake City. The opportunies this job has given me have been amazing. Its almost been a year since I walked out on my crappy cashier job and jumped on the greyhound headed to the Swift academy. After many hard weeks of training and going through the school of hard knocks as a solo driver, I am glad I have kept with it. The more you give to this the more it can give back.