Western Star Trucks

I worked at the Kelowna truck plant from February 1995 to June 2000 at which time I left for my current career with the Federal Government. I worked both on the assembly line (cab line) and in the Warehouse as a material handler (union) and inventory controller (management). The work was fast paced and my shifts went by very quickly. It was stressful at times, however, I enjoyed the work, loved the culture and made numerous friendships along the way. The pay was also significant. For a guy in his twenties, this was a great job to have. I learned much in the way of interacting with people, learning to operate machinery and being a team player. Management was a bit dodgy and greasy and there was a fair bit of shenanigans and drama that occurred over the years. Regardless, twenty-one years later I still have many fond memories of Western Star Trucks and of the people who worked there.    

I like working there very much a typical work day was fun and yet very strenuous I had to be on top of my game because you never new when you were going to get thrown a curve ball,like just when you thought you were done they wanted you to do a rush job on a last minute sale.My co-worker was a great guy he was there a lot longer than me and taught me some things i didn't know. Also i would like to mention that i had contact with a bunch of great and friendly guys who were the backbone of the company ,the mechanics .For me the hardest part of the job is i will no longer be working there and the best day was when i got hired,and the most enjoyable part was just being there around all the great people that work there .

You will start picking parts. You will train on the forklifts. If you go to management, they will not come to you, you may be cross trained in other areas. Don't forget to ask for a raise, they won't just give them regardless of how hard you work. 

I learned working here under the current manager it's all about kissing butt and back stabbing your coworkers to get ahead and be favored by the manager. So if you're into that you will be welcome. If not, do yourself a solid and don't apply. 

This was the hardest challenge working on a configuration software plat form that put your head into the game....approx 700 individual screens on the computer...can be 25 deep in one section of the screen and several layers deep on 3 other sections....very intense.

At the end it took 30 of us to build a truck off the production line with .01 per cent error....with 17 to 20 trucks a day with multiple configurations...amazing. Head of Caterpillar was at the lead...he said we had an 80 per cent chance of failure....nope.

Very redundant  and convoluted procedures for the most simple tasks. micromanaged by two managers, one who probably couldn’t manager his way out of a wet paper bag. 

No real training. Shown basic functions of computer program used for 80% of the job, and basic rundown of everyday procedures. Large stock Warehouse is crammed and make it difficult to access about 90% of warehouse without having to empty about 30 skids to get anything on the back rows.

This place pays well. However your success there will be based entirely on which of the 4 or 5 clicks you join there. The buddy system is extremely prevalent here so choose wisely. Management will tell you one thing then deny any knowledge of said conversation. Take the good money you can get here it pays well but unless you have the right friends or went to school with management don’t plan on being there long. 

This was a start up dealership. Along with the usual start up struggles, the days were very long to insure the necessary things were put in place to made the dealership, just that...a dealership. The crew I hired were good men (and women). I feel the most enjoyable part of this job is to see what the dealership has become long sense my going elsewhere.

You work to hard for the money they pay you all there staff is over worked and under paid say we are all family if you treat your family like dirt I’m glad I’m not in your work family any more all I can say is stay away from western Star Trucks where your co workers record you when you talk with them so they can stab you in the back on your way out the door 

They essentially have a boys club and if your not in it they send you out the door they write you up without cause just to keep the pressure on you they force you to work for free if you make a mistake and they don't respect anything you do you could work a double and they would still say you didn't work enough and be disappointed in you 

Building class 8 trucks. I learned so much there. How to be a team player. How improve my mechanical skills. Even learned to kit parts for the plant. Learned to drive three types of forklifts. Receiving and stocking.

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