My experience with USA truck and some general advice

Like all training companies USA Truck demands that you drag a flat and they "do not" let you log waiting time, loading time, unloading time, repair or service time anywhere but on your sleeper berth or off duty time. Except for the required 15 min on duty. I found the breakdown department will threaten drivers with air leaks and flats to continue onward to the next terminal stop. Which never happens because the dispatch will schedual a drop and hook at the next shippers. I would tape a big red sign on the trailers to inform the next driver of the breakdown problems. I even photographed qual com messages asking me to steal a landing gear crank off another trailer in a shippers yard. They train their drivers to drop trailers with flats; then the next driver can fix them. The original tractor issued me has a blown left front wheel hub and a leaking airbag; it was issued good to go from the terminal. I refused to drive it and watched four idiot (want to be mechanics) use a forklift to fix an airbag. They train mechanics too. The upper management thinks an air dryer is what you dry your hands on at truck stops. Like most training companies even the CEO is in training. If you like to run hard and break all the rules or get training to break all the rules, USA truck will push you 3500 miles a week and never question how you did that with a tractor that only runs 62mph.

 

some of that is true, some is exagerated and some is only what what you will let them talk you into LOL.
WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU LOG IT ANY OTHER PLACE? IT ONLY BENEFITS YOU TO LOG ANYTHING MORE THAN 15 TO BUMP THE DOCK OR DROP/HOOK. UNLESS YOU HAD TO ASSIST UNLOADING (WHICH I WONT DO PERIOD)

"they" dont train you to drop trailers with flats. some trainers (maybe) and lots of drivers (DEFINATELY!) WILL DO IT BECAUSE 1. THEY ARE TOO LAZY TO STOP TO FIX IT. OR 2. (MOST LIKELY!) KNOW THAT IT WILL TAKE BREAKDOWN NO LESS THAN 2 HOURS TO APPROVE IT AND THE WORK TO BE COMPLETED
I DEFINATELY HATE DEALING WITH BREAKDOWNS OR PMS! NO DOUBT ABOUT IT, IT IS A PAIN!
YOU ARE GIVING MOST OF THEM TOO MUCH CREDIT BY CALLING THEM MECHANICS. LOL

I MYSELF RUN AROUND 5AM TO 5PM AND GET (UNTIL THIS LAST MONTH THANKS TO BREAKDOWN/SERVICE ISSUES) AROUND 3000 MILES A WEEK

 

true that i usually just send breakdown a msg on the qualcomm and tell them which ta or petro i am going to.i take the time to get tires,lights fixed on trailers really agravating picking up a trailer with stuff wrong because the previous driver leaves it for the next person

 

If a trainee would sit and real read the fmc they will find that usa and other companies make u break dot regs. all the time but when it caomes to the logs u have to be very quick to out fox the fox and as far as the driver that started training at 9 mo. usa should not have any trainers under 5 yrs exp. as to what i feel but i dont run this company or work where i can make a differnce to the company as a driver for usa i have found many problems like all big companies have so we can all fuss all we want but the big boss dont want to hear us and as far as fms well u can get a new one u can fire the one u have and get a new one break down is just that break down not road side asstance be cause they r not that i fthis company was run by a driver or ex driver it would be a hole lot different now dont get me wrong there r go things happening in the company but i feel the drivers nee more info to changes the company has a drive addvirsery broad but i dont here of any changes in the company so those of u in the office need to talk more to the drivers and let us know what is happening there. Now lets talk new trucks ok the new truck should be given to drivers with the most time in the company i my self now of two that that have more time in the company then most others and still drive the old truck and need new trucks. when u give trainees new trucks ur looking for a high lose in trucks and may be life but this can happen when a exp. drive thinks he can drive more then he should and dosent stop his truck to get his rest. I was in the office and seen what the fm's going thourgh every morning the at work the hopla that the cust. is frist and they r there for the coustmer to make sure the coustmer get there load on time. well let me tell u office folk some thing the drive is the one u have to watch and help them if the truck need service then get it if the drive has home time get them home the communacation between drives and fm and others in the company has made this company go down hill my group manager asked me why did we have a big turn over on drives well one we r a training company and that is one thing but when u tell and driver that the company only has 2 to 300 mile runs and the driver has been out there for some time and now there r longer runs that can be gotten but others dont want to do the foot work to get them. the company will always lose the trainees because they r here for one thing TRAINING then they leave and go to another company and when u have drives that r being treated badly talking with trainees and telling stories of how bad their fm's r and how this company has treated them u will lose exp. and trainees to other companies that offer more money and a better place to work



ok i have said my fill and there mite be more later

 

I'd hate to see your logbooks...

 

Claiming the company can not force you to break the FMCSR is true, but they can make personal bets on how long it will be till you crash and burn, in the office, if you refuse to do what they demand. A license to kill is not a joke, over 5000 drivers die every year because the trucking industry is unregulated.

 

Yes, they can make your life a pit of ________ but where did you get that number? 5000 killed every year?

 

I would also like to know where 5000 came from?

 

Me too, seems like that number would be kinda low??

 

I don't think its that high..........I would like to see proof...