US Xpress 3 month review - trucking is not for everybody!

Stetson · Feb 12, 2009

Hometime, I enjoyed your post. Your hubby sounds a guy that will do well
where ever or what ever does. As for you Hometime, have you ever thought about taking up writing? I'm sure if you have, its already on one of your #### list. I'm married to list maker too.
Good luck to you and hubby and thanks for the entertaining post.

Stetson
(It best to not have two list makers in the same house, who could afford the paper needed for all those list?) So I just wing it!

IROCUBabe · Feb 13, 2009

Haha you sound like me and my hubby only in reverse

Tragic Magic · Feb 13, 2009

Hometime said: ↑

The purpose of this post is twofold. First I know there are a lot of students, wannabees and newbies out there scouring the pages of this forum attempting to learn what they can about the various companies and hoping to find information from current drivers. And second there are a lot of students, wannabees and newbies out there planning to make this major change in not only their career but also their personal life and they are uncertain about whether this is the right job for them. So if you can bear with me hear, I want to offer some insight into both the company and the job.

First, the main question my hubby and I both get asked over and over is why did you change to a truck driving job at 47 years of age? Well the answer to that is very simple..economics, meaning the savings were running out and we had bills to pay.

After 22 years in the same line of work my hubby got the shocking news last December that he was losing his job along with about 300 other people. Over the next six months we got the second dose of shocking news having to learn that mid forties is OLD in much of the workforce. So me being me did what I always do and set out to do some research. I jumped on the net and searched for careers with the highest shortage of workers. Number one was nursing. Ok so that wasnt happening. Number two was professional truck driving. Now we were getting somewhere.

I discussed it with my hubby and him being him liked the idea. There was a driving school within thirty minutes of our house. He called them up, said they were extremely nice and helfpul and gave him all the wonderful details. And so off he went to get himself a CDL. Now at this point it is important for me to say that during that time I had never been on this forum or any trucking forum for that matter. We didnt know about companies that paid for training and we didnt know squat about trucking in general. We had never heard the term bottom feeder nor did we know enough to know that there might be such a thing.

So how did he end up choosing US Xpress? Very simple. Recruiters from three or four companies came to the school. He brought home all the glossy brochures and shiny handouts and we spread them out all over the kitchen table to sort out who paid more, who had the better looking benefit package, life insurance, disability etc., ..no different than we have always done for any job he was offered. And out of this group of companies (all unknown to us as bottom feeders) US Xpress looked to have the best to offer. So he made his choice.

But before I go into the details of the last three months with US Xpress, I have to take a moment to give you a little insight into my personality and into his personality because that is where we get into the Trucking is not everybody part of this post.

Me Im anal with a capital A. I cross Ts and dot Is. Im usually described as a mover and a shaker. I make things happen. Im organized to the hilt, the sticky note queen and have list to go with my other list. I cant be late even when I try. LOL I cant tolerate disorganization and dont understand people who do. My glass if usually half empty simply because there is always more to accomplish. And to me.time is money.

Hubby He is the most laid back, easy going, never met a stranger type of guy in the world. He would give you the shirt off his back, doesnt get in a hurry for much of anything but somehow always manages to be on time. Stress is not in his vocabulary and he will never die from it. Whatever you cant solve today youll figure out tomorrow. Life is an adventure. The world is his oyster. And his glass is always half full and sometimes completely full simply because he is alive.

So off he went to orientation at US Xpress. It lasted two and a half days during which they fed him lunch and put him up in a hotel. Ive read post on here saying negative things about the food and the accommodations but to him the food was hot and free and the bed was clean and comfortable.

By Wednesday of that same week he was home again waiting on a trainer. Two weeks later he was STILL waiting on a trainer.
Me
Him Relax honey it just gives me time to finish up all the things around here I need to get done for you before I am gone.

Finally gets a call to hook up with a trainer and takes a nine hour bus ride in the middle of the night two states away to hook up with the guy.
Me NINE HOURS!!!
Him WHOO HOO! Im on my way.

Gets the trainer from HELL. You can read my tolerating trainers thread for more details on that.
Me-
Him Baby it was tough but Im tougher. I figure once I dealt with that I can take whatever they throw my way.

Finally gets off the truck from the trainer at the Oklahoma City Terminal to do his upgrade. Stays there two and half days during which they put him in a hotel.
Me Im still over the trainer
Him Baby Im in a hotel room all by myself with a shower, a microwave and a fridge. LIFE IS GOOD!

After day three he takes another eight hour bus ride to recover an abandoned truck.
Me EIGHT HOURS!!! Don't they have any freaking trucks on that lot??
Him WHOO HOO baby Im getting my own ride.

Gets there after dark in the middle of night in the middle of nowhere and has to take a cab from the bus stop that he has to pay for to find this abandoned truck at a truck stop.
Me
Him SWEEEEEET! Its all mine!!!!

Next morning in the light of day he discovers truck has been wrecked, passenger side fender completely smashed, headlight busted. Not so sweet, but drivable enough to get to a terminal. Or so I thought until I got the news they had him pick up a load to take to the terminal in the truck with the busted fender and broken headlight.

Me They're gonna make you run a load like that??
Him WHOO HOO baby got my first load.:smt049

He gets his first load delivered and then gets the news that he can bob tail home in the truck with the broken light and the busted fender.

Me- Why dont they let you take the truck and leave it at a terminal to be fixed while you're home?
Him Ive been gone five weeks and Im coming home to see my baby! Can get the truck fixed later.

Comes off home time and you guessed it, he sits at a terminal for three days while they fix the broken truck.

Me
Him WHOO HOO Baby shes looking SWEEEEET!

And since then hes been off and running. He averages about 2500 miles per week. His pay so far has always been right. He has seen Texas stadium, been over the George Washington Bridge, figured out what a lot lizard is and has eaten things you couldnt pay me to put in my mouth. He loves his FM, thinks free showers at the Pilot ROCK and gets home whenever he has asked to. In his words, the coolest job Ive ever had! To this day Ive never told him I discovered he is working for a bottom feeder and that after a year or so he can go elsewhere if he wants. I just wait for his call and listen to the adventure of the day.

So short story made long..LOL.the moral here is that before you worry about what company you are going to go with you better figure out who you are. Are you me? Or are you him? Because the truth is this job is not for everybody. If youre a ME the company probably wont matter because you will want to kill them all. LOL!

And If youre him. Get out there and enjoy the ride!
Click to expand...

How funny. Your husband sounds like a wonderful man! I can relate to his chill attitude. Life is too short to sweat the small stuff! Good luck to you both and my advice to you is to learn to chill too cause honey your gonna have a stroke one day! LOL

Redraven_y2k · Feb 16, 2009

rofl sounds like me and my hubby - home time.

Shock · Feb 21, 2009

Great post!The first six month to a year is tuff,but after that its all gravey baby!
As long as he works hard and do the right thing he will be fine

Hometime · Feb 24, 2009

Shock said: ↑

Great post!The first six month to a year is tuff,but after that its all gravey baby!
As long as he works hard and do the right thing he will be fine
Click to expand...

I sure hope you are right. I started this thread when he hit the three month mark and lately it seems to be popping back up quite a bit. He has now been OTR 8 months and the last three months have been TOUGH financially. I can only hope that miles are going to pick up soon.

Mainspring · Mar 1, 2009

What a great post!

HeavyHaulGirl · Mar 16, 2009

I love this post! It really hit home, since I engender both personalities... just not always at the same time. Besides, arguing with myself helps pass the miles...

little new york · Jun 6, 2009

:smt061 yes Hometime me and my husband was thinking about going to usxpress the only thing that i don't like is that they do trippack for you to get your money. I worked for choctaw express OTR and my husband work for GTI he drives belly dump and live bottom now i also done walmart on the refer divison so that over the road beleive me i do understand. Now my husband wants me and him to go together cause i was the first to go and he did local so i said ok. i will give it a try with him cause i know him we been married for 16 years just had an annversary. You have a wounderful husband and you are a wounderful wife to stick with him I hope every works out for you and him and my God bless you both.

chopper23966 · Sep 5, 2010

After reading your post it put it all into perspective for me. Being a student our newbie as i am it really doesnt matter where i go to work. At first i will go thru the same thing anywhere i go and have to put up with it if i want to keep going .I for one think it will be worth it and so look forward to seeing this country more and the people in it . thanks again

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