Western Express OTR Home Time & Other Questions

Greetings,

If all goes as planned, I'm set to head to Richmond, VA in 2 weeks for orientation and training.

I've decided to go with Western Express for a number of reasons but might change companies down the road if they don't meet certain basic criteria.

First, I have a dog. The recruiter informed me they no longer have a pet policy. My immediate reaction to this was that they don't allow pets. She reassured me the company's policy is they allow pets to travel with a driver after training but currently there is no longer a pet deposit required as well as no breed or weight restrictions. I thought this sounded too good to be true so I had her email me written text from the company's website clarifying the matter.

My second concern is regarding home time. I've read a number of driver reviews and threads that say this is not one of the company's strong points. The recruiter did say that I can expect to be out for about 10 days but can stay out as long as I want. Resets DO count towards home time. It's also advisable to request home time no less than one week in advance which seems pretty standard for the industry. I anticipate having to request home time multiple weeks in advance and for earlier that I plan to actually arrive at whatever destination I will take my days off.

I mentioned I have a house in Puerto Rico that I need to check up on every so often which would require a few days.. ideally a week if possible. She said if I arranged it with my fleet manager ahead of time, taking a few extra days if is often not a problem. This part I did not get in writing as I'm expecting it to come down to the luck of the draw. She also said Western Express does have a terminal in Jacksonville, FL where I'd be able to jump on a quick flight to PR.

The last concern involves where I'll be driving when I do solo OTR. I would like to drive more out west. My grandmother, who's in her 90s lives in Fort Worth, TX. I would like to see her at least once while she's still on this earth. I also have family in California I'd like to see. I'm considering relocating to that state or possibly Arizona.

However, since my official residence is in Virginia, the recruiter said I would be pretty much limited to running east of the Mississippi. I understand most freight runs on this side of the country.. especially in the Northeast so it doesn't surprise me, but consistent runs out west would make me a lot happier.

If there are any Western Express drivers out there who'd be willing to offer some input, that would be a great help....

There are lots of companies that can get you all of your points above. Why settle on Western Express, out of curiosity?

The main reason, and I know a lot of veterans will tell me is a bad reason, is this:

Western Express will have me out with a trainer, on my own truck, and back at my parents' house in considerably less time than pretty much any other company.

I know less training time = going solo without knowing the ropes = more opportunities to screw up and then have to figure it out without help.

I frankly don't like the idea, BUT, it comes down to the dog. My parents want me and my dog out ASAP, I have no place to keep her, no money to have her boarded, and nobody to take care of her except my folks who've agreed, begrudgingly, to a few weeks max. I've weighed my options extensively but it appears there's no easy solution.

Once I get the training taken care of and drive for Western Express for a while.. which might work out, switching to a company that could better accommodate my needs would be then on the table.. but for now that's not an option.

Other carriers have short times as well. My otr training was 2 weeks. After 3 weeks of school and 1 week of Top Gun training. After training we did 30000 solo miles with office support. Essentially you were solo and in your own truck After 2 weeks.

Having gone through such a short training period, it's very intimidating, you won't feel ready, and there is so much to learn. It's not to say that it can't be done, but this industry is difficult to get a successful start in. Most do not make it.

The future of your career isn't something you really want to gamble on by going with the least amount of training. This is a lifestyle that will take everything you have and some qualities you don't know you have yet just to survive your first year. It's much more difficult than I think you realize to make it into and remain a successful driver.

In light of that, the motivation for decisions and actions should be "Is this decision going to give me the best possible chance of success?" Not how can I shortcut this.

So first it was the hair follicle testing problem. Now it's to go with a company that has a short training period and allows pets, too? You're easy for a recruiter.

Yes, a lot of veterans may think this is another poor thought/research decision. Some must learn things on their own despite solid advice and guidance.

Not sure why you're here.

Just out of curiosity, what will your starting pay be according to the recruiter?

I understand completely. I'm definitely not one who believes in shortcuts or cutting corners. Unfortunately in this case, I don't have a lot of options.

For this very reason, I wanted to go with Prime, who would have me team with a trainer for 3 months. My folks said there was no way they'd look after my dog for that long. As luck would have it, the recruiter I talked to at Prime told me they weren't hiring new drivers at this time..

As I stated earlier, my house is on an island 1000 miles from the closest truck terminal even though officially I'm a Virginia resident. This is just one of many logistical challenges I'm going to have in this job that don't involve driving a truck.

I'm just in a very unusual and urgent situation with not much leeway, so I have no choice but to make do with whatever options I have. However, In the last decade I've had to do a lot of improvising and rise to the occasion in a crisis.

Aside from having a Class A CDL , I have no experience in trucking. I don't expect learning to be easy, I don't expect to make a lot of money in my first year, and I understand I might not make it.

However, I've seen a good bit in my 49 years and if I didn't think trucking was a good fit, I wouldn't have entertained the idea to begin with. I've worked some pretty grim and dangerous jobs that demanded doing the impossible. I've worked in transportation and have done jobs that required driving all over a state or region. I drove a taxi in San Juan during the aftermath of one of the worst natural disaster the place had seen in a century. I honestly didn't think I'd survive it. I've done foreclosure property maintenance which was just as bad in certain ways. I did census work. All of these jobs required a lot of traveling, extreme attention to detail, meticulous record keeping, navigation skills, no shortage of hazards and hidden dangers, and they were all physically exhausting with long hours and little sleep aforded.

With that said, I will find out what I'm made of in due time I suppose. Like I said, I'd much rather be on a truck with a trainer for longer than 2 weeks but that isn't an option.. neither is going back to Puerto Rico.

I'm sure I'll be on here asking for a lot of advice in the coming months but for right now, I'd just like to know more about Western Express...

Jamal for starters, I suggest reading this diary written several years ago by one of our most successful drivers and respected Moderator:

Old School’s Western Express Diary

Use the search bar in upper left hand corner to find other Western Express related topics and threads.

Good luck.

And this too:

Day in the Life of a Western Express Flatbedder

You are going to have to put forth a great amount of effort and concentration to be a driver.

If I were you, I would put that same amount of effort into finding a temporary home for your dog while you get your feet on the ground. Don’t get me wrong, I love dogs, but you will be much better off not having a pet to deal with while you are training.

Does Western Express allow their trainees to take dogs? And how will your trainer react?