U.S Xpress Walmart Dedicated 7+ Months Experience Driving.

What a ride it’s been. 7 months solo experience at U.S Xpress Walmart dedicated Gordonsville, VA! I’ve learned in the trucking industry especially at U.S Xpress it takes true patience and a lot of sleep to overcome the stress you’ll deal with on this account.

The last time I talked about this account I had three months experience. Walmart dedicated is a mixed bag. Sacrifices have gots to be made to make it week to week on the account.

If any drivers who’re new decide to venture over to this account know this. Not many last more than two months. I’ve spoken with countless new hires who I have exchanged numbers with only to see them quit before even three months hits.

Seriously, the account has a very high turnover rate. Honestly nothing was more shocking than a driver I knew named Jeff quit last week. He called me only to complain about his pay was screwed up by the company and how it was to much time being given to the job with little time off.

Time is definitely a factor on Walmart dedicated. You’ll definitely be at 60-70 hours a week and expect to max your 14 hour clock daily. Also expect to add about 8-10 hours more to the drive to work on top of that if you live 40 minutes away from the DC. So normally 12-15 hours days. Six days a week.

I’ve ran consistently for the last five months six days on 34 hour reset off. You’ll blink and be back at work so no home life other than maybe four hours a day when you get home to see your family or girlfriend.

I suspect drivers quit for the following reasons.

Being put on standby. Which means you drive to the DC and wait 4 hours in your car until dispatch gets you a load and you’re paid $25 an hour while you wait. Most times you don’t get a load so you lose money but if you do get a load there is an option to make good money. It’s rare though.

Slip seating. Lots of uncleaned trucks and that is a big deal breaker for a lot of drivers. **** left in trucks and gum on cameras!

Routes that pay under $200 a day for 13-14 hours worth of work. Lowest in the industry and once you do a couple days a week making nothing it cripples your motivation.

I’ve on track for $70,000+ this year. This is without a doubt because of my work ethic. I’ve never made $70,000+ a year before and I’ll likely do better next year but I’ve slaved to get this income. Including the drive to work and back plus adding the drive I max my 70 hour every week. I’m pulling 83-85 hour weeks dedicated to the job.

I’ve come to just take the hours because the money is so good for my first year. I love driving and I actually like the office staff and the drivers on the account. The reason I’ve not quit is because I make decent money and knew I could not afford to quit another trucking job.

So I made this account work. Dispatch gives me a garbage load fine! I’ll do it. Because I know I need my checks to keep being $1300-1600 gross a week. I take any and all loads no matter what. I’m paying my dues.

If it’s a 343 mile backhaul from hell I’ll do it and come back and do another load. You’ve gots to hustle on this account. You’ve gots to maximize your entire 14 hour clock.

Things tend to go wrong weekly on this account. I guess that adds to the stress. More stress than I’ve ever had in my life. Trailers not working the moment you pick them up. Which means instead of a 12 hour day get ready for a 14 hour day.

Reefers malfunctioning on a weekly basis or bi-weekly. Backhauls that have damaged trailers when you arrive to pick them up. The stress is unreal how often this happens.

After a while you just learn to squeeze a stress ball and go with the flow. Any day I come to work now I just assume I’m doing a 16 hour day.

The pay is great for a first year. I’ve paid my car off and I’m on track to have about 20K saved up in the bank by March 2021!

I thank the job for this alone. I’ve recently talked over the last couple of months with veterans on the account with tons of experience. A few are making $1800-2000 gross training on the account. Some actually get two days off a week instead of 1.

It’s Amazing and I think that’s good income. Lots of veterans have told me to become a trainer and get a sleeper. But I have to decline their advice.

I’ve decided on fuel hauling with Pilot after one year experience and I’ll go their to prepare for hourly pay. I think hourly will fix a lot of issues I have with the pay-scale at U.S Xpress. After all there has been so many days I’ve spent countless free hours working for free.

It’s how it seems to go when you’re cents per mile. So hourly pay is the only way I see to fix this.

Maybe I’ll add more but so far there are way to many negatives to even consider to stay on this account longer than one year. If any new drivers come to the account know you will have all these little things to deal with. But if you max your 70 hour you’ll make good first year money and be home daily.

Leeva, that was a VERY informative (and interesting!) post; thank you for sharing, for sure!

My 2 cents, you're kickin' arse . . and it shows~!! Why walk away?!? Have you read Daniel B. 's thread(s) when HE was hauling fuel (Cali doubles) similar to what you speak of ? He departed fine; went on to LTL. Tragedy hit someone close to him. Badly. Sadly. LOOK UP his posts/threads; he's a great author on here.

I know, I know.... the country needs fuel haulers. With ZERO tank experience, IMHO, that's a LEAP of faith~!!

Since you ARE already 'one' with WalMart as it stands, with USX (My hubby drove for them back in the day; so did Brett.. great company, IMHO!)

...have you LOOKED INTO the WMPF gig? Very select, very choice, very elite. They may have interest in you, being on a WalMart gig for as long as you have! The pay is what you are looking for, as well. READ TURTLE'S WMPF diary ~!! Here's a link to ONE of them.. there are a few.

A week in the life of a WMPF driver

Other links are within the above ^^^ ... as well.

Good luck, Leeva.. keep us in the loop, whatever you decide.

Do some research RIGHT HERE...

Maybe @Daniel B. will see I tagged him by name, and offer his two coins, as well as @Turtle~!!

~ Anne ~

I used to love going to that DC. I’d pickup a backhaul out of Cascades in Scranton then motor down. Love that country and the truckstop at Zions Crossroads.

I’ve been missing the road to be honest. Thinking in another year or so...maybe I’ll head back OTR...we’ll see what life brings.

I’d agree with Anne though. I’d stay in the Walmart dedicated. Only because hauling a tank of flammable product really doesn’t appeal to me.

Good luck

I used to love going to that DC. I’d pickup a backhaul out of Cascades in Scranton then motor down. Love that country and the truckstop at Zions Crossroads.

I’ve been missing the road to be honest. Thinking in another year or so...maybe I’ll head back OTR...we’ll see what life brings.

I’d agree with Anne though. I’d stay in the Walmart dedicated. Only because hauling a tank of flammable product really doesn’t appeal to me.

Good luck

Miss YOU being around these TT parts, Tim F. ~!! Stop BY more OFTEN, good sir~!!!

ps: See, Leeva ?? ;) Told ya~!!

Dang Leeva you're doing quite well over there. What is it about fuel hauling that appeals to you? As Anne pointed out we need drivers to do it but I have absolutely no interest in it, too dangerous for not much more money than I'm currently making. If something bad happens on the road whether my fault or not if I'm pulling a reefer I may get bumps/bruises or maybe a broken bone. If I'm pulling a fuel tanker that same accident could result in me and everyone in the area dying in a massive explosion. Truck driving is already a dangerous profession. I don't need to add more hazards to it for very little extra compensation.

I've talked to drivers from a couple different fuel hauling companies in my area and both work 12-14 hours a day and they're stuck on overnights for a couple years until they get enough seniority to go days. If that's how Pilot does it you're still not getting home more frequently which seems to be what you're looking for. Does Pilot hire without previous experience? A driver I used to work with had over 15 years experience doing food service delivery with a clean record and had a heck of heck time finding a fuel company that would hire him without the hazmat/tank experience. you could get on with an LTL company doing P&D you'd make great money and have a more "normal" schedule.

Good luck, let us know how it turns out.

Jammer here😀great job on the hustle making a paying career out of a bad run !! Props too you I myself got into this line of work to haul tankers anything haz mat I’ve worked the oil field all my life roughneck through an through if you do this you gotta take all the safety rules regulations procedures very very seriously in my career I’ve been in 5 oil we’ll blow outs and my entire crew survived each one!!! Because we drilled each and every scenarios that could go wrong signs that things are going wrong and dedication to getting yourself and everyone arround you home alive and well so if you go to delivering fuel you learn all the procedures that have been put in place everything don’t skip or overlook nothing because it’s up to you !!! To make sure that thing doesent go up killing you and potentially everyone in 1/2 mile radius great job and work ethic you have I think you will do great but like rob t and Anne pointed out be 100% sure your ready !!!

Dang Leeva you're doing quite well over there. What is it about fuel hauling that appeals to you? As Anne pointed out we need drivers to do it but I have absolutely no interest in it, too dangerous for not much more money than I'm currently making. If something bad happens on the road whether my fault or not if I'm pulling a reefer I may get bumps/bruises or maybe a broken bone. If I'm pulling a fuel tanker that same accident could result in me and everyone in the area dying in a massive explosion. Truck driving is already a dangerous profession. I don't need to add more hazards to it for very little extra compensation.

I've talked to drivers from a couple different fuel hauling companies in my area and both work 12-14 hours a day and they're stuck on overnights for a couple years until they get enough seniority to go days. If that's how Pilot does it you're still not getting home more frequently which seems to be what you're looking for. Does Pilot hire without previous experience? A driver I used to work with had over 15 years experience doing food service delivery with a clean record and had a heck of heck time finding a fuel company that would hire him without the hazmat/tank experience. you could get on with an LTL company doing P&D you'd make great money and have a more "normal" schedule.

Good luck, let us know how it turns out.

Dang Leeva you're doing quite well over there. What is it about fuel hauling that appeals to you? As Anne pointed out we need drivers to do it but I have absolutely no interest in it, too dangerous for not much more money than I'm currently making. If something bad happens on the road whether my fault or not if I'm pulling a reefer I may get bumps/bruises or maybe a broken bone. If I'm pulling a fuel tanker that same accident could result in me and everyone in the area dying in a massive explosion. Truck driving is already a dangerous profession. I don't need to add more hazards to it for very little extra compensation.

I've talked to drivers from a couple different fuel hauling companies in my area and both work 12-14 hours a day and they're stuck on overnights for a couple years until they get enough seniority to go days. If that's how Pilot does it you're still not getting home more frequently which seems to be what you're looking for. Does Pilot hire without previous experience? A driver I used to work with had over 15 years experience doing food service delivery with a clean record and had a heck of heck time finding a fuel company that would hire him without the hazmat/tank experience. you could get on with an LTL company doing P&D you'd make great money and have a more "normal" schedule.

Good luck, let us know how it turns out.

I was interested in fuel hauling because not because of the money.... but because I like that fuel haulers don’t deal with customers. Honestly in my seven months solo I’ve clutched and squeezed my teeth more than I can count dealing with these local Walmart stores.

Employee’s dare I say. Upset me weekly how they can add so much time to my days. Honestly if I could drop & hook at Walmarts I would always work 11-12 hour days. Because of the Walmart unloading I stay around 13-14 hour days more often than not.

So fuel hauling appeals to me for the ability to just show up and leave. Pilot offered me after a year of experience a gig 30 minutes from my apartment working night shift and they train. Making $23.53 an hour with all the overtime I want. Most shifts are 12 hours and if longer I’m hourly so no complaints. So I have them on my radar seriously.

I’ve looking at some good drop & hook gigs as well in my area. LTL looks nice and I’m also looking at them. Whatever gets me to be more proficient and utilize my hours more to not waste time I’ll consider taking. But my next job must be hourly. I’ll never be cents per mile again.

To answer another's question above. I could not work for Walmart’s private fleet because I have come to dislike working for Walmarts. I don’t like dealing with customers at all and I don’t need to. I would like a gig where I do the job and it’s on my performance and my performance alone. Even if that means unloading the truck myself.

Oh oh oh. Sir hauling fuel for pilot will likely be better than hauling it to regular gas stations, but your still going to be dealing with customers. Have you met some of Pilot’s workers?? You will be loading at tank farms. Let me tell you that can be worse sometimes than dealing with shipping clerks. You will be waiting in long lines and then when you get up there, for flamables they will check everything on your trailer. Anything wrong or missing you will get rejected. Lighting in the area they will shutdown immediately. Usually will have you sitting in a shack while they load you. No phones allowed.

My point is your going to be dealing with customers all the time no matter what you haul and subject to long wait times. Just a fact of life.

You sound like your doing real well where you are. I would weigh all the factors before leaving it.

Oh oh oh. Sir hauling fuel for pilot will likely be better than hauling it to regular gas stations, but your still going to be dealing with customers. Have you met some of Pilot’s workers?? You will be loading at tank farms. Let me tell you that can be worse sometimes than dealing with shipping clerks. You will be waiting in long lines and then when you get up there, for flamables they will check everything on your trailer. Anything wrong or missing you will get rejected. Lighting in the area they will shutdown immediately. Usually will have you sitting in a shack while they load you. No phones allowed.

My point is your going to be dealing with customers all the time no matter what you haul and subject to long wait times. Just a fact of life.

You sound like your doing real well where you are. I would weigh all the factors before leaving it.

I’m glad you weighed in on that. I have not done much research on pilot. But that sounds like a headache.

I want to also update while I know I have to speak with customers and deal with them. I’m looking for my next gig to be more performance based off me as much as possible and not by others. If you catch what I mean. It’s hard I know but I’ll be looking and talking with drivers to find the best possible spot.

For the next five months until my year hits I’ll be at U.S Xpress

I wish you luck with that. This is truely a performance based business, however that is not just on one person’s part. It is very much a team effort. Sometimes customers not see it that way. Even if you had your own truck, authority and customer base you still rely on others.

I ran on a private fleet for awhile. I had anywhere from 8-19 stops on a trailer. No matter how well I did my job I still relied on alot of people to do theirs just as well to ensure things went smoothly.

When you think of the amount of people involved in each load, no matter what it is, it is mind boggeling.

I understand your point I share a similiar view regarding performance and earnings. I just hope you don’t have a unrealistic expectation.