Questions about USA Truck training, pay

if you go to dac reports there poby alot of info on usa trucks or search usa trucks

 

After orientation you'll most likely be with a trainer(s) for 3-4 weeks. Could be more, could be less as USA goes by hours or driving and not days/weeks. So if you have a trainer that has a good FM and has good luck on being in the right place at the right time then you'll be done sooner.

The trainers are not supposed to go on hometime while they are with students. Although some are on dedicated runs and are home on weekends and I think that most of the students just stay in the truck but I'm not sure.
In my experience... my first trainer when on hometime (with vacation on top of it) after 1.5 weeks (finished first phase and went to teamdriving by then) and we drove to the Ohio terminal. Dropped me off there as he went home to Michigan and I received another trainer one or two days later. Both my trainers were very good, level headed, and knew what they were doing. I had a great time with my trainers but was glad to get my own truck.

First year at USA I only brought home 30k.

I'm also going to suggest to you what I suggested to others in the past. After your training you will go to the upgrade test. They should give you an option of going home first then go pickup your truck somewhere or go straight to your truck then home. Well... if you pick your truck up first you will have to stay out another 2 weeks and I didn't like that well. I didn't have my gps, cb, or anything... And of course the entire time I was out in the east coast and even had to go ghettoville philly lol.

Wish you the best.

 

I can't speak for anybody but myself on this. In my case I had 2 trainers my first one went home 2 times while I was on his truck. Both times I was put in a hotel near his home. Carol in training gave me a comcheck for the charge both times and I faxed a copy of the receipt back to her. My second trainer was dedicated out of Georgetown Kentucky working out of the Toyota plant there. He went home on the weekend and left me at the microtel Hotel there. USA Truck had an account with them and all I had to do was just check in. I don't know if this is still the case but this hotel gives/gave USA Truck drivers a good rate (under $30) and you can park on the side of the road in front of it. I guess there is room for maybe 5 or 6 full rigs there. The pay thing you will need to get a current driver to weigh in on that.

 

I know how recruiters can be so im sure that it was some smoke and mirrors, but the way it was explained to me was that you are issued your truck assignment and then allowed to go home from that to be able to load your clothes and radios and stuff before your dispatched? False info???

 

I don't think USA Truck has a rule to cover this, I think it depends on what is needed. I know the day I upgraded karen asked my upgrade class if anyone needed to go home. Most of the class had to leave anyway because there were not but a few tractors at Van Buren that day. I had to go home because I still had my Temp Indiana license and needed to get it transferred to Georgia. At the time USA Truck would not issue me a tractor till I did this.

 

Well as a current trainer I can tell u some things have changed. Currently a trainee has to stay out 4-6 weeks, no matter if they have 175 hrs by the third week. You get $350 a week. Which equates, depending on ur circumstance, $290/ week during training.

When it comes to c1, they instruct you enough to pass the state test. No bells and whistles, no xtra. once u get on a truck you will need to retain about 15% of what they taught u. The backing exercises are somewhat helpful. Turning techiniques are good. And logging, get good at doing your logs.

On the 1st & 2nd year, it depends on how u run as drvr. $25000-$30000.

 

If u get a trk str8 outta upgrade, you have to stay out. and it depends on what ld u can get to get home. It took my last student two weeks. when u come out of school and orientation, make sure u only bring about 1 1/2 weeks stuff, not much room in these trucks.

 

Yup... if you get truck straight out of upgrade you will have to stay out. The minimum at USA should still be at two weeks? Unless you are regional of course.. then it would be whatever that region is (a week?).

My FM told me that I had to stay out 2 weeks since I got the truck. Believe me I #####ed a lot about it. Then he tried to get me to go to Colorado from philly and I said no. He agreed to me relaying the load in Ohio so I could go home, then tried to screw me out of three days... which didn't happen lol.

 

what happens at upgrade? What tests, skills, etc? What do you have to do in order to grad to ur own truck?