What to expect at USA orientation

Discussion in 'USA Truck' started by Thomas0810, Jan 28, 2011.

  1. Thomas0810

    Thomas0810 Road Train Member

    1,105
    207
    Jun 14, 2007
    BlueRidge Texas
    0
    I am a driver that was previously employed for USA.I am now returning to work for them.What is the process at orientation for experienced drivers?Is orientaion paid or unpaid?Thanks in advance
     
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  3. Moose1958

    Moose1958 Road Train Member

    14,726
    31,346
    Dec 17, 2010
    Williesburg, Virignia
    0
    All I can report is my experience. I am a graduate of C1. I did my USA Truck orientation in Ohio. I had to take a drug test and went through 2 1/2 days of paperwork etc etc followed by getting in a USA Truck van and practicing using the Smith System. Then I was picked up by my trainer. In your case I think you do the same as I did with 3 exceptions. I think you will be required to do a new physical followed by a road test, if you have the required experience I don't think you are sent out with a trainer.
     
  4. Moose1958

    Moose1958 Road Train Member

    14,726
    31,346
    Dec 17, 2010
    Williesburg, Virignia
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    I tried to do an edit but could not. I wanted to add they paid me $40 a day while there then $50 a day while with a trainer.
     
  5. Thomas0810

    Thomas0810 Road Train Member

    1,105
    207
    Jun 14, 2007
    BlueRidge Texas
    0
    Cool thanks.Yeah i have 3 years verifiable experience.Worked for them a year and a half previously
     
  6. Girltrucker

    Girltrucker Light Load Member

    108
    31
    Sep 4, 2011
    Newton, MS
    0
    Dont know the answer to your question but did want to say that my SO went through their orientation. He had to sign a bunch of papers, but went over them with a fine tooth comb because he was determined to not sign any kind of contract that would bind him to them for any amount of time. He was already licensed when he started (through an outside drving school). He drove with a trainer for a month (two weeks with the trainer in the second seat, and two weeks team). After he went solo, the company would not route him home, even though the agreement he had made verbally with them was that he would stay out for two weeks and come home for a few days. They just never seemed to have a load coming south, or north, or east....depending on where he was geographically. There was a lot of problems with dispatchers and his FM not being able to communicate with him.....they were so disorganized that it became a huge problem. He was forced to stay out on the road for almost 8 weeks. He was broke, and they kept nickel and diming his check, and he didnt make any money at all, despite the fact that he drove thousands of miles for them, and was only late with a few loads (their fault because of when they dispatched him). He finally gave his two week notice, under load, and was instructed to bring the load to a town close to home where they would arrange a relay. The morning dispatcher who instructed him to pull the load to wait for the relay apparently never bothered to tell the afternoon shift, and we waited for the relay to show up, for hours, while afternoon dispatch tried to figure out what was going on. He was then instructed to take the load to a drop yard in a town he had already been through. We did that and brought the tractor home. They kept calling him asking about a damaged trailer he had picked up in another state (it was a drop and hook and the trailer was side stepping badly)....they had sent him instructions of where to leave the trailer via QC and he followed them exactly. Even though the info was on the QC, they didnt know where it was, and asked him no less than 5 times about it. He was ready to go back out to finish his 2 weeks when he was told to clean out his tractor and leave it at the same drop yard that he had left the load at, and he did that. Friday he called to find out how much his pay was, and they told him that he was in the negative to the tune of more than $400 - this was the charge for orientation that they said he had signed a contract to pay. If he had stayed for 6 months, so they said, they would have waived this charge. The problem for them is that there is no signed contract.....they cannot produce a copy of the contract. They said that they cant find it in his personel file. He was only with the company for 3 months. Certainly there cant be that much to go through in his file. He didnt sign a contract with them or with anyone else. So, the moral of this story is that if you are thinking of going back with USA, beware......they are wolves in sheeps clothing. His story has been repeated to him by other drivers who have been shafted on pay, had incompetent FM's and dispatchers. His trainer, who quit shortly after he trained my SO, said the company tried the same thing with him and others he knows. Id say, dont do it....stay away from this company.
     
  7. WRIGHTRACING

    WRIGHTRACING Heavy Load Member

    882
    251
    Jan 3, 2011
    Iuka MS/Muscle Shoals AL
    0
    I'm sure after 8 months, he has already been thru all that
     
  8. dewman

    dewman Light Load Member

    62
    10
    May 3, 2010
    Tucson,AZ
    0
    Yes orientation is paid. They run you thru it quickly the main reason your there is waiting on the pee test to come back.
     
  9. dewman

    dewman Light Load Member

    62
    10
    May 3, 2010
    Tucson,AZ
    0
    i left them after home time and before i ran anymiles. I was with them for 3 months and was fed up. between problems with them and at home I was done with OTR. they did not have a paycheck to take from me for the orientation so they sent me a bill for 439.00 all I could do was laugh. They charged me for load locks that they had already charged me for. I finally gathered all my pay stubs showed where they had not paid correctly on a few loads. added it up it was 450.00 that they owed me. made copies sent it certified mail and have never heard another thing about it. HMMMMMM...........
     
  10. Girltrucker

    Girltrucker Light Load Member

    108
    31
    Sep 4, 2011
    Newton, MS
    0
    final pay stub came today....once again, deductions for things that should not have been deducted for. glad to be done with this company. never in my life have I been associated with a company that it cost to work for. I thought the idea of being employed by a company was to MAKE money, not go deeper in the hole.
     
  11. White Dog

    White Dog Road Train Member

    3,161
    3,803
    Feb 11, 2008
    Iowa
    0
    If you have already worked for them.....shouldn't you have some idea of how things go?:biggrin_2552:

    Girltrucker; please read the following, and tell me if you don't lose focus, lose your spot in sentence, or get a splitting head ache due to no spaceing, thank you:

    Dont know the answer to your question but did want to say that my SO went through their orientation. He had to sign a bunch of papers, but went over them with a fine tooth comb because he was determined to not sign any kind of contract that would bind him to them for any amount of time. He was already licensed when he started (through an outside drving school). He drove with a trainer for a month (two weeks with the trainer in the second seat, and two weeks team). After he went solo, the company would not route him home, even though the agreement he had made verbally with them was that he would stay out for two weeks and come home for a few days. They just never seemed to have a load coming south, or north, or east....depending on where he was geographically. There was a lot of problems with dispatchers and his FM not being able to communicate with him.....they were so disorganized that it became a huge problem. He was forced to stay out on the road for almost 8 weeks. He was broke, and they kept nickel and diming his check, and he didnt make any money at all, despite the fact that he drove thousands of miles for them, and was only late with a few loads (their fault because of when they dispatched him). He finally gave his two week notice, under load, and was instructed to bring the load to a town close to home where they would arrange a relay. The morning dispatcher who instructed him to pull the load to wait for the relay apparently never bothered to tell the afternoon shift, and we waited for the relay to show up, for hours, while afternoon dispatch tried to figure out what was going on. He was then instructed to take the load to a drop yard in a town he had already been through. We did that and brought the tractor home. They kept calling him asking about a damaged trailer he had picked up in another state (it was a drop and hook and the trailer was side stepping badly)....they had sent him instructions of where to leave the trailer via QC and he followed them exactly. Even though the info was on the QC, they didnt know where it was, and asked him no less than 5 times about it. He was ready to go back out to finish his 2 weeks when he was told to clean out his tractor and leave it at the same drop yard that he had left the load at, and he did that. Friday he called to find out how much his pay was, and they told him that he was in the negative to the tune of more than $400 - this was the charge for orientation that they said he had signed a contract to pay. If he had stayed for 6 months, so they said, they would have waived this charge. The problem for them is that there is no signed contract.....they cannot produce a copy of the contract. They said that they cant find it in his personel file. He was only with the company for 3 months. Certainly there cant be that much to go through in his file. He didnt sign a contract with them or with anyone else. So, the moral of this story is that if you are thinking of going back with USA, beware......they are wolves in sheeps clothing. His story has been repeated to him by other drivers who have been shafted on pay, had incompetent FM's and dispatchers. His trainer, who quit shortly after he trained my SO, said the company tried the same thing with him and others he knows. Id say, dont do it....stay away from this company.
     
    slim shady Thanks this.
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