My experience with USA truck and some general advice

So are you talking about the built in inverter or a different one?

 

Some people put their own inverters in the trucks. That's against most company rules, unless they install it.

You have to be careful when taking truck in for maintenance. The mechanics will narc on you if they see something in truck that's not supposed to be there. I don't know the policies where you worked.

 

I am just getting started with this company. I hope to at least have $2000 a month take home pay. I also would like to be able to be home for at least 4 days out of the month. I will let you all know how it goes. I have orientation on the 22nd of August.

 

That's about all you will get there...but if it'll do ya, then you'll be great

 

I drove for USA for 2 years and I quit also just a few months ago. I was also a trainer as well. I come through C1 and the whole dumb contract thing. I also made $800-$1500 a week as atrainer until loads started dropping off in miles and time to deliver. I knew the people to talk to and even as a trainer I went from that $800-$1500 a week to back to $500-$800 a week...as a trainer with a student aboard at all times. I did 3 weeks out 3 days home. It wasnt slow season either it was late spring and early summer when for most truckload carriers is their most productive time of year. And now I work for an LTL carrier making $900-$1400 a week, home everyday, off every weekend, holidays off and paid...better health coverage and I am paid every hour I am on duty driving or not. And I love it. There is a shortage of trainers because all the good experienced drivers for USA truck for several reasons. Reasons are being chased out with, lousy management, long wait times at shippers/cons and not getting paid, long waiting for a load without getting paid, (how do you think other truckload carriers are successful the pay their drivers detention and layover, and pass detention time on to the shipper/cons resulting in the truck keep moving...I got bumped at a consignee for a JB hunt to take my spot in line even though he was late for his appt and I was ontime the consignee told me he was in fear of holding JB hunt up cause they charge him ridiculus money for holding them too long in dsetention....as for layover it keeps the FM/dispatcher to do their job and keep you moving with adequate loads and availible hours of service and maximize truck earning potential...if a dispatcher has to pay out layover it is looked by upper management negatively and if a dispatcher pays out too much over a long period of time they get fired.), USA truck reduced their rates and buy cheap freight cause they are a volume carrier...not a quality carrier, they dont have the freight to keep their drivers moving. A truckload carrier has to keep trucks moving to make revenue in turn to make profit. The thing that makes me mad and furious about USA is the fact the gave newbies with less than 1 year experience a .02 cpm raise, and students in training $600 a week for the 1st 90 days. Nothing for the experienced drivers. Great for the incoming student..nothing against you folks. But a student in my truck making my average as a trainer when I wasnt getting miles time to get out for me. I know I am going to get the comments, well you should have communicated better to your FM, you should have went to his supervisor, you should have went to the training dept, or you should have threatended to quit. I did all of that except threaten to quit. I did everything I possibly could to continue with USA truck in a posistive manner. However, I never felt more like a number than I did during that last month. I expressed my concerns and changes were not being made. I think once the gave a 1300 mi run after I shared my concern and went back to 200-300 mi runs with nextday delivery by appt. Even as a trianer 1500-1800 mi per week suck for any driver. I had an awesome FM for 4 months till he went to load planning and I was avg 2800-3500 per week. as a trainer. Other than that I thank USA truck for the experience to get to the LTL carrier I am with today. And thats the only thing I can thank them on. The dispatcher I have now knows my face I see him everyday I come in to work I talk to him everyday he gives me my route. I run my route and go home. Ironic how simplicity is more effective. The FM at USA can hide behind a phone and qualcomm cause they dont know you. Look at the stock quotes and stock news for USA truck they recently had to borrow money from wells fargo and PNC banks on a 5 year revolving credit line to replenish capitol that was lost this year in this years losses...They have to borrow money on credit to settle the loss...Thats like someone going to one of those payday loan centers to borrow money when you dont have any and repay them the next time you get a paycheck. No other major carrier in the industry is doing that. Clif Beckham shifts the blame to the economy, management restructuring, and unmanned tractors. No other carrier in the industry has to borrow money for their losses this year do to the economy....most other carriers revenue has increased or stayrd the same this year...USA truck is the ONLY carrier showing a loss and continue downward. I am sorry but I think the future of USA truck is A) Bankrupt or B) bought out by another carrier. Not a place I would bet my future on a company like that. I apologize to the students I have trained and new students that have been duped to sign that money making contract at C1. I apologize that your going into this company not knowing the details now you know. My advice to students or newbies engaged in the contract fulfill your contract, stay safe(no tix, no accid, no viol), stay your year and get out. Those thinking of going to C1 or driver solutuions. My advice to you is pay the money in full and get your CDL the right way. That way you can chose your carrier and research those carriers before applying. I hope my posting will help someone and their decisions I made mine, and I am happy where i am at now. This an opinion and my experience which will be different than others. Good Luck and always Drive safe.

By the Way Thomas you mentioned fudging your logs and getting rest as you need it...and I am sure thats why you get great miles because when I was solo for USA that was the only way I got great miles also was cheating my logs. My question to you is...Should you have to cheat your logs and jeopardize your safety and the safety of others for the extra money OR should your carrier maximize your hours of service and provide you the loads to maximize your trucks earning potential so its more money in your pocket as well as thiers? Because where I am at now I make $900-$1400 a week about what I was making as a trainer, and I do not have to cheat my logs one bit and I work 60-70 hrs a week and I am always loaded and I am paid for every hour and mile and I have every weekend off not just for 34hr restart but for 48. I think a driver that has to cheat his log for earning a respectable income shouldnt have to. I understand why you do it...I did it, but the thing is you shouldnt have to. You should get your proper rest.

 

About a week ago I had a chance to speak with a USA Truck trainer along with her student. She could be you with all her comments. What struck me though is something she said as she got into her truck. She sighed and said what do you do? I was left with the impression she was not happy however she never said anything about quitting. She said she felt sorry for her student as this student was trapped in the year thing. I have a serious fear of what will replace these trainers as they get fed up and quit. If this starts becoming a serious problem just watch as those CSA scores go up. Not sure what the future holds but last time I looked the stock price was $3.64. This is not good but honestly I have no idea why it's so low.

 

If, God forbid, USA Truck does have increased financial difficulties, what company, in your opinion, would buy or take over USA Truck?

 

I think Celadon has spent their take over capitol already. I have a serious doubt they would go into debt now. I was actually thinking about this the other day. If I were a betting man I would think either US Xpress, Crete, Werner or maybe Schneider. My guess if pressed would be either Warner or US Xpress because these carriers have a large amount of Walmart Dedicated accounts and could use the drivers. However lets hope things can get turned around, but this low stock price makes USA Truck low hanging fruit and somebody's going to snatch it soon.

 

exrayman4000, The problem is that Celadon showed thier interest in buying up USA Truck around OCT of 2011. Becauses they saw USA Truck Faultering then. but Clif Beckham and the board of directors refused the offer and refused to comment to the stockholders and analysts about the deal. Not sure if it was ego or Mr. Beckham thought he could turn it around. but at that point Oct of 2011 we had already showed a loss for 3 consecutive QTRs. and now YTD USA truck has reported a loss for 5 Qtrs in a row. Sure sign of a company at risk of bankruptcy. Celadon made a power move and bought approx I think it was 29% of USA stock to show thier interest in USA Truck. usually, a competitor company doesnt invest in that much into its competitor unless, they are planning to merge or buyout the company. Celadon then saw that USA truck was not going to make a deal. They lost interest in USA truck and sold their shares back. So USA Truck had an opportunity but refused to even listen to Celadons deal, or to even comment about it. No other Carrier has an interest in USA Truck...the only one WAS Celadon. I keep track of USA truck and the stock reports to know what is going on with the company...cause they cannot bend the truth to stockholders and financial analysists...and the quarterly financial reports tell you the numbers of the final balance sheet.

And to your other reply exrayman4000, who will replace these trainers. Answer is nobody. Unfortunately, USA truck is in the business of enticing new recruits for the driver solutions program. Why do think its better now for a new student with the $600 a week salary for training and the .02 cpm increase new drivers got for their 1st year. Here is the answer, If USA truck keeps that new driver for the enire year of their contract they will sav

 

Celadon bought 6% of the stock, at the time worth about $6 million. Then several months later sold it. Since that time they have bought another trucking company. I could be wrong, but I just don't see Celadon being a player now. If things do go bad bankruptcy is always an option I guess. What would happen would depend of the type filed. I still contend that USA Truck is low hanging fruit that will get took over at some point. I think the drivers will make out OK, but most of the other employees will in all likely hood lose their jobs. I will have this outlook till I see the stock price get back to at least $8 a share. USA Truck stock is severely under valued at this point. They have no war chest to survive a rate war with the other carriers, and are carrying massive debt. Not a good position to be in in an economy that is sputtering like ours is now.