USA Truck/Driver Solutions Contract.

Thomas I now work for a company smaller then USA Truck. I get on average 2600 miles a week. This week I am on pace to get over 3000 (in 8 days). Almost every driver from other companies I have spoke with tells me about the same, with the exception of USA Truck their average is closer to 1800. Sorry Thomas but from my vantage point you simply can't blame the economy for the low miles. In my opinion this problem is Cliff Beckham's come hell or high water attempt to position USA Truck as a short haul carrier. I have it from VERY reliable sources in operations that the load planners are on orders to turn down some freight, this is one reason the company lost some customers this summer. However I am happy you are happy there, I have spoken to several drivers that like you are happy too. Honesty compels to say that yes I suffer from some sour grapes rage at USA Truck, but none of my comments contain hyperbole because of this, all of them are the truth!

 

i am happy that that things have worked out for you Exrayman.Me personally i dont wanna run 3000 miles a week. Eventually if Cliff is the problem then he will be let go when the board of directors sees fit to do so i would think.

 

I don't have a crystal ball to look into, so I can't predict what the future holds for USA Truck. As far as I know USA Truck may outlive the place I work now. There was a post in the USA Truck section I saw this morning while being loaded at Tyson in Olathe Ks. It went something about ignoring the knuckleheads at the terminals. Actually my advice is to listen VERY close to these drivers. The 2 biggest complaints you will hear in the terminals is (A) not enough miles followed closely by (B) can't seem to be able to keep my tractor out of the shop. My last 2 months I spent an average of 2 days a week in a shop somewhere. It was like pulling teeth getting breakdown pay. There was several weeks I brought home under $100 for my pay. I have thought about that time many times since I was let go. I honestly don't know why I seemed to be snake bit like that.

The problem with the above is till you get hired it is not very likely you will have a chance to listen to drivers in the terminals.

On another subject. I was in a Flying J near KC yesterday and had a very pleasant conversation with a fellow Ex USA Truck driver. This guy told me he read in a newspaper article where Celadon was not finished with this, and were reassessing their position. So if Celadon goes forward with any of this in all likelihood it will become hostile. If they were to succeed the drivers will be OK, and so will the current Management team because the ones Celadon don't keep should find a job in short order. The ones that are in danger of losing jobs are people like Karen in upgrade training, Carol in risk management , Tara and Heather in safety and my old FM Clayton Martin. There are about 10 others I had become close to there, and it makes me sad to think they could be the biggest losers in this. I do hope things can get turned around there. I hope they can find a way to slow this driver turnover marrygoround and get back to true profitability soon. I just don't think it will happen while Cliff Beckham is CEO.

 

Thank you, Financially I am much better off. However sitting in lines in these grocery warehouses is tiresome. With USA Truck Walmart was a drop/hook, with my current company it's now anywhere from a 2 to 3 hour wait. This load of chicken I have now is headed to a Walmart in Florida. I have a 8PM appt time and it looks like a long night ahead.

 

guess i have been fortunate in that my trucks i have driven both times that i have worked for them have been dependable.The one i have been in now since February 2011 has not had anything go wrong with it other than a air valve being replaced which the International dealer fixed in two hours. I have put over 90000 miles on it and not gotten stuck at a termianl yet.I dont go totermianls unless i have to.Since July 4th i have been to a terminal once which was just to take my ten and go back to work.I just happen to be fortunate that way

 

USA Orientation is a 4 day affair. The first and second day is Drug screens followed by a ton of paperwork. They will go through Insurance , Company investment plans, Preventable accident policy , warn you about Fuel Theft, Take your photo for company badge, Give you a company Drivers Handbook and a fuel network handbook, they will go over the Quailcom system and the macs, You will go one on one with someone going over all the information you have provided, they will tell you about what to expect as a driver and show you some videos. Depending on class size the third and fourth days are mostly Smith system training where you go out in a van and practice the 5 keys. If all goes well on the fourth day you will get your drug screen results back, get your comdata card and badge then a trainer assignment and you're off for 4 to 6 weeks. You will get paid for those 4 days and will get $50 a day while with trainer. Then if all goes well you will get those magic 175 line 3 (driving) hours and get scheduled for upgrade training at Van Buren. Then if this goes well a tractor assignment and you get a fleet manager and hit the road.

 

So when do you get your PM's done?

 

had one done in May at Van Buren and one done last month at shop in Denton

 

Yes it starts from the hire date on your badge. Best advice is for you to finish your contract. Its a small sacrifice really. Other than that call driver solution for the specifics and maybe a copy of your contract.

 

Cliff Beckham is little more than a short sighted frat boy. He went to work for USA truck strait out of college. Meaning yes...........He has never pulled a load on an 18 wheeler in his life. His education background is accounting which means all he knows about trucking is what is put on a spreadsheet or balance sheet in front of him. He knows very little about the real life of trucking. He sees drivers as line items and the expenses that go with. There are several profitable medium haul companies out there that are comparable size to USA truck. Heartland and Celadon to name a couple. So Cliff can keep using the economy as an excuse for his poor performance if he so pleases but companies can't just lose money forever and stay in businesses. In the 3 years I worked for them they managed a qaurterly profit only once. Never a fiscal profit. They are so deep in debt right now and Cliff will never admit it. Thier revenue has fallen. Maybe they have been able to find some investor money to help fund operations. If Celadon can make it happen with 500 to 600 mil in revs than USA truck can too. It just takes the right management which they don't have. The money will run out and they won't be able to pay thier debt payments and will have to file for chapter 11 unless they can figure out how to come up with a bottom line