Walmart Journey - Onboarding

I just finished with onboarding for Walmart private fleet in Dover De. I thought I’d share some of my experiences for the week and the hiring process with hopes it might help someone looking to try going for Walmart. I gave up a good job to go after this, it was a risk, but I’m glad I did. I’m still brand new, but from what I’ve learned from onboarding I gave up a good job for a life long career.

4/15/22

I have been noticing the ads from Walmart talking about the new pay. I can’t help but think about going for it. I’ll never make that where I’m at now. Besides, I’ve been thinking about going to Walmart for a couple years. Everything I’ve read about them is good and the drivers really seem to like it there. In fact, I was scheduled for onboarding last year. However, my present company offered a very good raise to stay. So I stayed. But not this time. I went ahead and filled out the application. I was determined to go through with it this time. At least try, even if I don’t make it. If I don’t I’ll always ask myself “what if”?

Oddly enough about 30 minutes later I was getting a call from Walmart. The recruiter called and asked when I could do an interview. How about now? So within an hour I filled an application, did a phone interview, and had an onboarding date. I never expected that, but I started getting excited. And a little nervous. I’ve been at my job for ten years and I knew it would be hard to put in my notice.

4/22/22

After procrastinating a week, I put in my notice. I still had two weeks before onboarding so it has to be now. I’ve heard some say not to quit your job until after onboarding and you know you have the job, but this company has been good to me and I didn’t want to leave them high and dry. They weren’t happy, and they offered more money. I told them this time I wasn’t entertaining any offers. I was determined to give myself every chance at this Walmart career. I had a couple of snags the next couple of weeks. First, my background reports came back unable to verify because my company wouldn’t talk to them. I thought that to be very unprofessional of my hr manager. They must have eventually communicated because Walmart continued the process. Second is they had to have a copy of a crash report from 2016. It was an unpreventable where a pole fell on my truck on the highway. If I didn’t get the report then I couldn’t come to onboarding. I was a little stressed because I wasn’t sure they kept reports that old but I was able to get it from the dmv. A couple days later I had my verification for onboarding on the 9th. Now that I have confirmation I can stop stressing about getting in, and start stressing about passing onboarding. I stress a lot. I’ve been doing the same thing so long I’ve gotten too comfortable. That’s all about to change.

5/8/22

Today’s the day to head to Delaware for onboarding. I have to say I don’t remember being this nervous for a job before. Something just seems different about this place, the way they do things. They are paying mileage for me to drive to the event. It’s about a 3 1/2 hour drive to Dover from where I live and can’t check in until 3. So I’m up early watching the clock and fighting my nerves. I start my journey there, and my journey to my new career. I arrived about 330 and I was one of the first to arrive. There was a couple of Walmart trucks in the parking lot. I was starting to move from nervous to excited again, but tomorrow morning the nerves would come back.

First day of onboarding. And yes I’m very nervous. But I suck it up and do what I have to do. I’m here for the best job I’ve had and nothing is going to stop me from giving my best for it. Onboarding is at Dover mall. Not the DC in Smyrna like I thought. They have the course set up in the lot, and a classroom set up in an empty store. I got my first look at the backup exercise and it’s pretty tight. I went inside and went to the seat with my name. There were 17 of us. All pretty good guys. There were lots of cdt,s. All good guys. Every one of them. They truly want you to succeed here, and will help you with anything you are struggling with. But you still have to get it done. They had a folder with paperwork inside. We spent the first half the day with an hr representative. We did drug tests, filled out forms, entered our license and medical card info. Around mid day that was done and we were released for lunch and told to be back around 1. Save our meal receipts. They will reimburse you for any meals you buy.

After lunch we thought we’d get to get in the trucks. Nope. Not today. Today they will show us what they want done. They showed us how to set up for the back and how to get it in. They showed us how they want the pre trip done. Tomorrow we would start. I kind of liked it this way. Tomorrow I already know what they expect.

5/10/22

Today’s the day we get to get in the trucks. The cdt’s came in and start calling names and taking people out to do one of the three assessments. Backing, pre trip, and road test. First up for me, backing. I have to say, this one I worried about the most. It’s been awhile since I’ve backed a 53 foot trailer, and the scenario was pretty tight. I was wondering if they are going to test us in manuel or automatic. I’ve heard people say both before coming here. They are automatics. At least they are this week in this place. I remembered how they showed us to set up for this the day before. I simply did it that way and I ended up with a perfect set up. Now I just had to start turning at the right time and hit the hole. I stopped and got out to look a few times. It really does pay to. Once I got it in it was just a matter of straightening the cab. I backed it in and stopped about a quarter inch from the cones. The cdt said if it was a rodeo people would have cheered. Lol I just got lucky. Any closer and I would’ve failed.

Next I did my road test. A simple trip down the highway. No problem. I got called for my speed a couple times but other than that it went well.

Finally I did my pre trip last. We didn’t name every part, but it’s a pretty thorough pre trip. You have to do it in 30 minutes. There’s enough time, but I get frazzled a little and jumped around to much in my order. I got everything, in about 28 minutes. I’ll try to do a little better tomorrow.

We lost one driver that day. He hit a sign on his road trip. I really felt bad for him. Hopefully he’ll come back in the future and try again.

Hi Brandon Thanks for your insightful posts, I am new to this world but eager to learn more, I admire your dedication and bravery to just stand up and go for it. Keep up the good work and best of luck to you. Try not to hit a sign. :)

Thanks best of luck to you too.

Hi Brandon Thanks for your insightful posts, I am new to this world but eager to learn more, I admire your dedication and bravery to just stand up and go for it. Keep up the good work and best of luck to you. Try not to hit a sign. :)

5/11/22

Wednesday was practice day. We pretty much did the same as Tuesday. First up for me today was driving on the road. Today we went the country route. Narrow roads, tight corners, and Amish buggies. Yes Amish buggies. I ended up behind two of them on my trip. I wasn’t sure if they wanted us to try and pass them, especially since the roads were so narrow, but when I got a passing lane I went ahead and passed. The cdt didn’t say anything. A mile later I got behind another one so it didn’t do much good lol. Everything went good on the trip however and I felt pretty good about it. Next I did my pre trip. It went good, I remembered every step and did it in better time today. Backing also went well today. I got it in fine and faster than yesterday. At the end of today they let us stay over and practice backing and pre trip if we felt we needed it. Tomorrow is testing day so this was a chance to work on anything we needed. I felt pretty good about how I was doing so I didn’t stay. It was good they gave us this opportunity. They really want you to succeed here.

5/12/22

Today is test day. No more practice. This is what they have been preparing us for all week. Now the nerves have returned. I keep telling myself I’ve done good all week. Why be worried now? But yet, what if today is the day I screw up? What if today is the day I hit a trailer backing up? Or hit a curb on the road trip? Or forget something on the pre trip? The devil has a way of whispering in your ear and trying to rob you of your confidence. But I wasn’t listening to any of that today. First up today, road trip. City route. Really not that bad. Just watch out for the idiots on the road and show your courteous to other drivers. It went well. One down, two to go. Next, pre trip. I got real frazzled with this one. I know every step by heart, I just don’t like racing a clock. I did however get everything and have a few minutes to spare. One more test. Now the backing. No problems with this one either. This also has a time limit as well but for some reason I remain very calm on backing. I just always get out and look and make sure I’m going in right. I get it in no problem. I feel pretty good. I know I did well. We had one driver retake the test Friday, but in the end all 16 passed. It was a good feeling when we heard those words “welcome to Walmart “. I’m looking forward to going to orientation on Monday and beginning my career here. I plan on it being my last.

Wishing you the BEST, good sir.

~ Anne & Tom ~