Questions About Western Express.

Hello. I'm a new to this forum and trucking industry as well. I work for Western Express for over a month now and have some questions:

1. I had to sign a contract for 6 months. I got my CDL from a private trucking school and have paid for that out of my pocket, and still had to sign the contract. Anyways, the contract says that WE shall provide me a 240 hrs training, including ELD, maneuvers and whatnot. I had only 70-75 hours with my trainer and he didn't show me literally anything. While I'm driving he's sleeping or playing with phone. Now I'm a solo driver on my own without any knowledge and each time I call their training department, they can't help me at all. Does that mean the company breached the contract and I'm not required anymore to work 6 months or pay $2500?

2. Probably most of their trucks and trailers are garbage. This is my 3rd truck in the last couple of weeks and almost every trailer I get has issues. I have reported recenetly about a trailer I got and they refused to fix it. I've been told to take the trailer either to a shop or a terminal. I have told my DM several times that the trailer is not safe, and it's against the law, but they don't care and want me to take it. They said if I don't want to take the trailer than who knows when the next load will be available and when they will be able to send me home. So far it's almost a month I'm being on the road (although I spend more time in shops) and I'm assuming they do this on purpose to make me use unsafe equipment. Can you give me some advices how to handle it? What else to expect and in what cases their actions considered legal or illegal?

Thanks.

Welcome Luke, I’m sorry to hear your having issues, BUT welcome to trucking. Things happen.

First of all your post makes several general statements and your conclusion. Hard to give you any good advise on that. Ask specific questions and we can give you much better advise.

Trailers at all companies that get passed around alot are bound to have issues. What you need to determine before you hook up to it is if it is safe or unsafe to operate. Once you hook to it, it is on you. There are always calculated risks we take everyday to get the job done. Always document any deficiencies you find along with photo’s.

Ensure your communiction goes over your ELD. Those are generally seen by several different folks and it documents the concerns.

I haven’t seen your contract so I have no idea how to advise there. Training comes in several different forms, not always in person. Video training is very big at some companies.

I find it odd as a brand new driver you would spend only 3 days with a road trainer. That seems pretty short.

New drivers don’t usually get the best equipment out of the gate. They expect new drivers to have issues, while hoping they don’t. Overall the equipment I see from WE seems decent.

Old School worked there early in his career, hopefully he will come along with some specific info for you.

As a new driver your still figuring everything out. Alot of it will be you figuring it out, not expecting someone in the office to figure it out for you. All of us have been where you are. Come ask specific questions and we will help you all we can. Take a deep breath, it will get better.

Hello Luke,

Getting out of the contract is probably not an option. The company knows what not to do to void a contract plus they have a legal dept, in part to enforce contracts. The struggle wouldn’t be worth it for you.

Try to endure to the end of the contract, then re-evaluate your options. So how can you make it better? PJ told you to use this forum to get guidance and advice. That would be number one.

Number two, do you have any experienced driver who you can contact by phone when you need advice on the road? Someone here might volunteer to help you as a sort of mentor. Just ask and see what happens.

Most of us know how scary it is to be cast upon the restless sea of trucking all alone. Endure the initial stages and it gets better for most drivers. Just the fact that you are seeking assistance is a sign of strength and bodes well for you. Hang in there and let’s see how we can help you through your beginner issues.

What is wrong with this "illegal" trailer they keep telling you to use? I don't see Western Express forcing a driver to take a illegal trailer

Thanks everyone for help. I do not have have anyone I can call. They're not forcing me yet, but still they want me to take the trailer. It has bad tires and needs inspection.

So the trailer needs tires and a DOT inspection. They told you to take it to a shop or terminal. Why didnt u take it to a shop? How far was the shop? TA/Petros and other shops are available. I take trailers to shops all the time. It is sorta part of our job. The average time it takes for a trailer to get back to a terminal at my company is 6 months.

Companies are not going to tow a trailer that can move.

When I went through training, the company told me to ensure 4/32nds of an inch tread depth for all tires. That was the company policy. DOT requires only 2/32nds inch for drive tires and trailer tires.

My point in this is that your school might have given you bad info. Check your green book, and measure with a tread depth gauge.

For the inspection. What makes you think it needs one? The plastic case on the head board should have its most recent inspection (good for one year as far as I’ve always seen) and registration (non-expiring). Is the inspection in here past its date? If so, someone has to deadhead it back to the yard. Just get with your DM to make sure they pay you for it.

What I did at TransAm (80% drop & hook) is pull out my phone and record my pre-trip any time I picked up a new trailer, and the one time I got a new truck. If there’s any significant issue, not only could I send that to my manager, but I also have documentation that I didn’t cause the issue. Thankfully I was one of my DM’s top performers (his words not mine) and never had any issues with damage discrepancies. It sounds like you’re not in WE’s best graces at this time, so maybe you should do the same

Quick side note / addendum to recording pre-trip inspections. Showing a DOT cop a recording (he only watched the first 5 seconds and looked at the time stamp) got me out of a ticket for a popped tire at a weight station when I was quite new, since it showed at least a modicum of responsibility