Trainer for US Xpress

OK, I've decided what the heck, I'll start my own "vanity thread". Maybe this will give some insight into what the training is like here at USX. I'll do my best to not make this a trainee bashing thread.

I came off on home time on Monday. They already had me matched up with a student out of Irving, TX. I would have preferred one out of Tunnel Hill but that would have meant staying around that area too long. They match up students and trainers before the student actually clears. Mine did clear on Thursday. I had a load going to East Texas to pick him up but they took me off that one to run a hazmat load to Louisiana. Then I had one going to Oklahoma but I couldn't deliver on time because they had me pick it up so late in my day. I picked it up and barely made it to a truck stop for the night because my 14 ran out. That one was repowered, leaving me to wait for another load headed in the right direction. Now I have a load to Laredo, which still doesn't get me to Dallas or even Austin, where he is now because they let him go home to wait on me. His plan is to drive back up to Dallas but I'll probably just pick him up in Austin. I feel bad that he has to wait but at least he gets to wait at home.

 

I actually looked after I saw you asking on another thread. They recently redid the entire website. I couldn't find anything. Your best bet is to just call a recruiter. Ask for Scarlett. I've found her to be pretty good. She even helped me out with something that wasn't her department.

As I recall there aren't any real stringent qualifications. If you didn't recently get out of prison for stealing a truck you should be OK.

 

I was hoping to be in Laredo tonight but I only made it as far as Orange, TX. Turned out they had me drop my first load and go pick up another at the same place. Had to sit and wait a few hours but got an extra 50 bucks out of it. I'll get there tomorrow afternoon and hopefully up towards Dallas soon after. In the middle of all this I had to stop and do a regen...ugh.

 

Ended up dropping my load at the terminal because the receiver was already closed for the day. They got me out right away with a load going to West Branch, IA. I made it up to that new Love's in Natalia. The trailer I picked up at the yard had two bad marker lights and a loose connection. The trailer guy fixed it in about 15 min.

Called my student to inform him that I'm picking him up tomorrow. He informed me he was on his way home from dropping his wife off to a trainer...in Birmingham. Hope he makes it back and gets some sleep.

 

Picked up my student on Wednesday and headed up to W Branch. From there we DH over to Ft Madison, IA then off to Joliet. Had a PP headed to Columbia, SC from there. That cancelled at the last minute and they sent us over to the Walmart DC in Auburn, IN to help run dedicated.

It looks like my student will do OK. Right now he's struggling a little with shifting and backing. New guys always want to punch the clutch to the floor while shifting. That and they like to manhandle the shifter so they end up losing the pattern. As for backing, they always want to randomly adjust the wheel and back too fast. He's getting plenty of backing practice now with 2 runs with 2 stops each yesterday.

This is also the first student I've had in awhile that gets up on his own. It's nice to not have to wake a grown man to get ready for work...LOL

Sitting here at the Walmart DC now because our run won't be ready until 1600. We'll be headed up to a couple stores in the greater Detroit area. Walmart is pretty easy but I would get bored with it fast. Give me the open road any time.

Right now the student has a little over 38 hrs BTW time. 82 more hours to go...

 

Forgot to mention one small glitch. My student is out of Irving. Someone put Tunnel Hill as his terminal by mistake. I called up the DT number I have for new students and left a message. A little while later I got a message over DT saying it was put as TH in the system. No kidding? So I call the training coordinator and tell her it needs changed. She says she'll send an email to whoever does that. It's still not changed so I'll give her a call on Monday.