Is Western Express A Good Place For A Rookie?

Ok I know, I've heard the horror stories about Western Express, I realize there are better companies out there but I need my chance to get some seat time and learn this business one way or another. After being sent home from orientation at May for failing the backing course i closed alot of doors. Werner, Knight, Prime, Schneider etc want nothing to do with me anymore lol as I probably wont be able to pass there test at orientation before I'm seated with a trainer. What are you're thoughts on this, am I making the right move by going to them? I spent alot of time and money to get my Class A and don't really want to let it go to waste, I also looked in to driving straight trucks or something but those jobs are hard to come by without experience and going back to school really isn't an option.

You answered your own question: "I need a chance to get some seat time and learn."

Did you hear that WE was such a terrible place to be given a chance at on this website?

Where else have you applied?

You answered your own question: "I need a chance to get some seat time and learn."

Did you hear that WE was such a terrible place to be given a chance at on this website?

Where else have you applied?

Yep, ... and to add to the above, our infamous Old School got HIS start there at WE ... and became one of THE top tier flatbed drivers at Knight, on a coveted, dedicated account for Hydro (Heedro) and prior to that, SAPA. << Those places take the best, and he BECAME the best, via WE flatbed.

I always wish you well, Zach. Still following you~!

~ Anne ~

What are you're thoughts on this, am I making the right move by going to them?

Any of the large carriers present a great opportunity as long as you are committed to being successful through hard work and determination.

Ok I know, I've heard the horror stories about Western Express, I realize there are better companies out there but I need my chance to get some seat time and learn this business one way or another. After being sent home from orientation at May for failing the backing course i closed alot of doors. Werner, Knight, Prime, Schneider etc want nothing to do with me anymore lol as I probably wont be able to pass there test at orientation before I'm seated with a trainer. What are you're thoughts on this, am I making the right move by going to them? I spent alot of time and money to get my Class A and don't really want to let it go to waste, I also looked in to driving straight trucks or something but those jobs are hard to come by without experience and going back to school really isn't an option.

I might have read your story before but what’s going on with the backing?

You know no matter how bad you’re at backing if you use G.O.A.L you can slowly back up a little. Jump out and look. Back up slowly again and jump out and look again.

I did this over 20 times to pass my upgrade test. The instructor said she has not seen any one jump out the truck that much in a long time. We had 40 minutes to do a 90 and 45. Did both in 25 minutes.

Believe it or not I still use the back up a little and jump out and look often. Some spots are tight and moving slow helps me to assure I don’t hit anything. I let drivers know this might take a while as I’m not confident to back in without G.O.A.L.

But I always do this when I have a trailer or tractor on my blind side

Ok I know, I've heard the horror stories about Western Express, I realize there are better companies out there but I need my chance to get some seat time and learn this business one way or another.

Zach, I recently wrote an article titled, "Winners Don't Take Advice From Losers." You may be surprised that the experiences you've shared in our forum inspired that piece of work. I have followed you with great interest. I find similarities in your experience and mine.

Let me talk straight with you. I'll always be honest with you. I had a tough go of it when I was getting started. You already know how troubling it is when someone sends you home from their orientation. Not only is it terribly disappointing, but it messes with your chances at other opportunities. Boy do I know about that - I got sent home from three different orientations! Guess who finally gave me a start? Western Express!

I was just like you. I was leery of the company. In fact I was actually scared to death. I had read all the horror stories because that's all there was to read. I found ZERO positive reviews on them. Yet here they were giving me an opportunity. That's something nobody else was willing to do. In my opinion, that makes them a great company!

I attribute my success in this industry to the way I started my career. I learned a lot by starting at Western Express. The main thing I learned was just how absolutely bonkers it is to take advice from losers. A professional football player would never go ask the members of a team that had never even made it to a play-off game, "How do you win the Super Bowl?" Those guys don't have the answers. The places you are reading those horrifying reviews are the places that losers gather to lick their wounds. They play the blame game. It pacifies their wounded egos. They are the true losers. It's not the companies they failed at.

Western Express gave me an opportunity. I gave them results. That's just how it works in trucking. The biggest thing I learned while at Western Express was that I was responsible for my own achievements. I didn't look to my dispatcher , my load planners, or anybody else over there in Nashville to make me successful. I always figured out ways to help them keep me booked up with loads. It was my initiative that set the standards I worked by. I made it easy for them to keep me moving by my Qualcomm communications and stellar record of doing exactly what I said I would. It's not easy making a good start at this, but it can be done. Focus on yourself and your efforts at developing into a professional. Forget about the name on your truck. It means nothing. You are the driver. You're not just driving a truck. You are driving your career. You will determine how and where it goes. Make something happen. Western Express just extended an olive branch to you. They know you will either screw it up or stand tall and take charge of your future. They are giving you a huge chance to determine your own fate.

Make it happen Zach. Man up and make it happen. I know you can.

Wow, what a key and revealing comment from Old School. Not that I'm surprised, but it sounds like many of us here have been sitting a bit on the edge of our proverbial "pews" ;-), praying he'd make it back to writing/posting his perceptive experience-based trucking gospel shortly; If not actual driving, with the latter being far less important to the industry than the service he's providing here. This post gives me added inspiration, the start of a tear-to-the eye even, that I myself need to get past my own new particular "last hurdle" here. Thanx, man!

As I suggested in your other thread - you also might want to consider just going in somewhere as a PLAIN OLD ROOKIE.

It's obvious you were not taught the requisite skills, well enough to pass an orientation driving test. Even if it means getting a CLP again and starting from scratch.

Yeah - I get it - you spent time & $$ getting your CDL. But if it can't get you across the STARTING LINE - then you won't get NEAR THE FINISH LINE.

That being said - despite WE being considered a "2nd chance company" - many drivers have gotten their start there - including some of our longstanding members here.

At this point - GET IN WHERE YOU CAN GET IN - if you want to being a career in this industry.

Best of luck to you - PLEASE KEEP US POSTED ON YOUR PROGRESS...

Rick

Absolutely jump on board with Western Express. Worst case scenario you don't like it you can find somewhere else after a year when you're backing like a pro. Best case scenario you decide you make a career there and eventually have your name on a plaque as a million mile safe driver!

You may also consider Veriha out of Wisconsin if W.E. doesn't work out. We had a member here that went through a ton of setbacks getting started in this career and was given a chance for them. Ultimately after a few weeks training they didnt keep him because they felt his backing wasn't good enough but they still gave him a bit of time to get it done. You know what you gotta do, you just need time to recognize the amount of space needed to get it in.

I agree at this point any company willing to give you a shot is a great company. Get in there and learn, learn, learn. You can do this, just going to take you a bit of time. Be careful and productive. Failure is not an option Sir!!!