Home Time Clarification

Discussion in 'US Xpress' started by TranceEternal, Sep 15, 2014.

  1. TranceEternal

    TranceEternal Bobtail Member

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    Sep 15, 2014
    Anytown, US
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    Greetings fellow USX Drivers!

    I am looking for some clarification on the home time policy. My fleet manager doesn't seem to like answering the question that I ask; though, he does answer the question he wants to answer. Before going over his head, I figured I'd reach out to the community on here to see if I can get a straight answer.

    1. I've been told we are limited to taking 5 days of home time without having our truck reassigned (my fleet manager has a real hard on for this rule). Is this true? Is it written anywhere?
    2. Are we allowed to bank home time for use in the future?

    With this new 30 day out bonus, plus being a trainer, I'd want to be able to take all 6 days of home time without the hassle of having the truck reassigned.

    Thanks for any answers you guys can provide and stay safe out there!
     
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  3. White Dog

    White Dog Road Train Member

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    Confused.
    It sounds like a scam to me. You get a bonus to stay out an entire month. And if you stay out a month, you get 6 days off. But if you take more than 5 days off, you have to slip seat?

    What the heck are they trying to pull over there?
     
  4. pattyj

    pattyj Road Train Member

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    Banking your hometime most likely not,have yet to see a company that lets you do that.Companies are always changing the way they do things to bring in the drivers with strings attached which they don't reveal then drivers find out the hard way what exactly their policiies consist of.Nice to see the op is one step ahead and wanting to find this out.Hopefully someone from USX can answer your questions.
     
  5. xlsdraw

    xlsdraw Road Train Member

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    Conway Truckload allows their drivers to bank hometime. They've also been known to let 1 year drivers train as appears to be the case with this OP.
     
  6. pattyj

    pattyj Road Train Member

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    Sioux City,ia
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    They do?Maybe more and more companies are starting to do this but if ppl use their bank time do they have to leave the trk at the terminal?
     
  7. White Dog

    White Dog Road Train Member

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    Got a buddy that drives for Crete. He can bank time...so he goes out for a month and takes an entire week off. He's been with them for a LONG time though, so I don't know if this is normal policy, or a deal he has with them. He DOES leave the truck at his nearest terminal, though so they can PM it or whatever....but he doesn't have to slip seat.
     
  8. xlsdraw

    xlsdraw Road Train Member

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    Winter Haven, Florida
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    Question 1: Yes.

    Question 2: Don't know but the folks on the Conway thread should be able to answer. My trainer at Conway Truckload was a 41 year driver that only went home quarterly. I didn't ask him about the truck. He said he usually took off 2 weeks when he went home.
     
  9. BigBluePeter

    BigBluePeter Heavy Load Member

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    OK Ill tell you what my experience is, but it isn't actually company policy. Keep in mind I live 60 miles from Tunnel Hill so your experience may vary. first there is no "banked" home time. basically use it or loose it. That said with the new policy of staying out a month to get the 3cpm bonus, I don't know for sure but there are going to have to have some leeway in there somewhere. Now for the more than 5 day rule. Well I took a leave of absence for 7 days once, took the truck to tunnel hill to clean it out. I went and talked to Ken (the equipment manager) And he asked me if I was coming back or not. I told him yes and he said I could just leave my stuff on the truck and pick it back up when I got back, which I did with no problem, but I did have to leave it at the terminal.

    If your fleet manager is giving you a hard time have him replaced. there is no reason to run hard for someone that has no respect for what youre doing for him. Since you are a trainer youre probably helping to boost his numbers quite a bit so he can deal or you can get yourself reassigned know what I mean? I get along well with mine, but if there were ever a time I needed to have him replaced Id do it in a heartbeat. There will be resistance to it of course but you can make it stick. They would rather try and find a situation that works for you than loose you all together.

    Hope that helps.
     
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  10. TranceEternal

    TranceEternal Bobtail Member

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    Sep 15, 2014
    Anytown, US
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    Thank you BigBlue, that information is helpful. I've thought about requesting a new fleet manager, but I get decent miles with him and I don't have to interact with him too much. I had such a bad experience with USA Truck and complaining only hurt me with them, so I don't want to do the same with USX. I've started getting a weekly message with my fleet owner's contact information, so I might reach out to him about the home time thing and see if he's a bit more accommodating to a 6th day when earned.

    I tend to be a bit outspoken, so I try to compensate be holding my tongue more often than not. I warn the trainees that I may fuss aloud about something stupid and to ignore it; it's my way of releasing frustration without taking it out on anyone.
     
  11. TruckDuo

    TruckDuo Road Train Member

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    Great question !

    US Xpress policy is you get 1 day off for every week out, up to 4 days at home. Can't bank hometime. Both absolutely sucks !

    Here are some tips to improve your hometime:

    1. Always put the time you want to be at home at midnight to 1am on the day you want to be home. Why ? How many places let you deliver at midnight ? Not many. We've always gotten home because of this a half a day or a FULL day early.

    2. We've always requested 6 days off. If they ask why....we tell them a doctors appointment, wedding, funeral, etc. You get my point.

    Markham is near our home so we always park the truck at the terminal. Never once had to clean out the truck.

    These two things have enabled us to have 6-8 days every time we've taken our hometime.
     
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