My US Xpress Experience!

So you got to go into training w/USX even if you have experience??????

 

Yup. They start everybody out in orientation like they're a rookie. After the physicals and paperwork, they weed out the O/O's and the lease folks and do something different with them.

The training goes something like this: 3-5 days in Tunnel Hill GA for orientation, three weeks (or 150hrs driving time, however long that may take) OTR with a trainer, then come back and get your truck. This is where it gets messy....

After you take delivery of your truck, you are FORCED to run teams for six months. I didn't have an issue with this, seeing as how I was going to run teams with a friend of mine anyway. And BTW, I reiterate, he passed orientation and physicals and is still there. I, however, didn't pass the physical agility test and they sent me home. No second chances, just "Well, that's it. You go home, but you can come back in 30 days and try again." I'll be ######. I've put in 12 applications online in the past 24 hours. If they won't give you more than one chance, that says that they're LOOKING to weed folks out from the get-go. I passed my blood pressure testing, eye tests, and nut check. After that, I attempted the PATs. Didn't get past the duckwalk. No pee test or anything. Just found one little thing I could do quite right and kicked me to the curb. Back to square one, folks.....

I'm looking at TMC and TransAm pretty hard now. CRST has already called me back and I should be hearing back from Swift, Colonial, and Superior Carriers pretty soon. Hoping to, anyway.... Will keep y'all informed. Now I'm mad. I'm gonna go find me a lizard to take it out on....

 

That is crazy you have to go out w/a trainer even if you got experience. When I got on w/JB Hunt after orientation, you have to wait for a truck. Then when you are assigned a truck. They put you on a load and off you go alone in your truck. Im not sure about running teams for 6 months. Never heard anything about that. If I get on w/a company I want to be solo. Sorry to hear you got booted that soon after orientation. That would really make me mad if I went through all that then they kick me to the curb.
Good Luck finding someone better! I drove for TransAm for a year and a half. Great company or it was a great company during 2006 and 2007. Ive heard mixed feeling recently about that company. I would give them a chance though.
If I were gonna go back on the road. I would try Celadon. They offered me a job once but I chose JB instead, what a mistake! I may try Marten, KLLM, Celadon, EPES, or Barnes if I go back on the road.

 

I haven't thought about Celadon. Thanks!! Here's a rundown of who I've applied with since last night: Colonial, KLLM, Swift, TMC, Superior, Boyd Bros., CRST, TransAm, Covenant, Star, Prime, Stevens, and Marten. I've got the bait out. Let's see who bites....

 

The last time I worked for USX I didn't pass the "carry the milk crate full of weights" test. That was just if you wanted a dedicated run (I took the test again about 3 months later and passed). I trained and went to OTR. I signed an agreement that I would work teams for 6 months. My team experience lasted a month. They cut my teamate loose and offered me the truck solo. I drove for 8 months then quit. I explained in a previous post on this thread. I go back for a driver's test, 3 days orientation, of course the piss test and the physical, then I go directly into a solo truck. No retraining. I don't know why you would have to train if you are experienced and I don't know why they would send you on if you can't do the duck walk. I will even receive $1000 bonus for being and experienced driver.

 

I don't understand it either. We were promised $58/day will we were in orientation. I asked about that when they cut me loose after the duckwalk. "Nope," they told me. "You only get that if you COMPLETE orientation." NOW they frickin' tell me.... Good thing they ate the cost of the hotel room. Took everything I could not to tear it apart..... But I stayed reserved. Good thing too, because I'm 6'2" and 285lbs. Do you REALLY wanna **** with me? I'm going Monday to fax in long form physicals to TransAm, TMC, Crete, and Superior. I'll keep y'all informed of the progress on those four.... Shiny side up, drivers.

 

I'm beginning to wonder if i made the right decision to go with USX. I got my license in july from a CDL school and went straight to USX because they were one of the better companies or so I thought. I called the recruiter and got set up for orientation.BUT.. I didnt have my hard copy of my license so they cancelled it. I should'a re thought my decision right there, it just went down hill from there.. it took 6 weeks to get my hard copy. and another2 weeks for oreintation. By this time its the end of Aug. so they bus me from California to Dallas, Tx for orientation. Mined you there is a terminal in Colton, CA. this will come into play later. So I get there pass all my tests and do the orientation get hired finally Sept 2.. They tell me they dont have a trainer right now so their sending me home and have a trainer pick me up in Colton,Ca. So off on the bus i go..After playing phone tag with a trainer and the finishing dept. they get me to colton and a trainer. He I had no problem with. He asked about my license and medical so i show him and he says we can't go. ou have a Ca license and now a Texas medical card. He asked me why so i told them about bussing me to Dallas and he says why not here to Colton. I told I had no idea. so we call safety and they say he's right and off i get pulled of the truck. my coordinator say leave your stuff on the truck and we will send you by bus to the truck when he has his 34 hour restart next week. I said ok no problem 1 less thing on the bus. So I went and did another physical and 6 hour wait at the dmv just to get legal again. That was 10/01/10. I have yet to get to my truck as of yet. My stuff is somewhere in the southeast and here I sit at home playing phone tag with my coordinator. Please tell me it gets better. And by the way my friends i still talk with that i went through school with are all driving orientation, and training and they went with swift.

 

I hate badmouthing companies and throwing folks under the bus, so I'll say it like this..... USX is not a bad company. I just don't understand why they're so doggone strict about some things and wishy-washy as crap on others. I got home this past Tuesday from the Tunnel Hill GA terminal. I started putting in applications on Tuesday night. By Wednesday evening, I'd submitted 14 applications, and, as of right now, only one of them has been turned down. Why, I don't know, because I have experience, no accidents, one ticket, and HazMat. So, my record only has one little blemish....Big frickin' deal. I'm praying every night that I get picked up by either TMC, Crete, or Superior Carriers. I've got friends at all three companies that I went through refreshers with, and I feel like those places are the best fit for me. Call Swift. See what they can do for you. They're not a bad company, as a whole, but they do have a few drivers who can drive the heck out of a truck....As long as they're going forward. Be straight up, tell the recruiter what you want and what you expect. Just be tactful about it. It'll get you places, in the long run. Take care, ChampLady. I hope everything works out for you.

 

Catfish, I'm in Houston, out of school 2 weeks with CDL-A in hand, let me know how you are doing. I was thinking of USX, but I WILL NOT drive teams. Their recruiter came to our college and gave us the pre-packaged robo-spin, like most of them. Of the recruiters that came to the school, the only one that impressed all of us was Swift and it wasn't because of anything in particular, we felt that the recruiter was being more real with us, didn't hesitate under our intense questioning and didn't act like they were in a hurry to get out. We have one, possible 2 from the class that are going to Swift. We're new, we have to start someplace.

I won't be forced to sign anything just to keep a job or get a job, I busted my ##### to get this far, so why should I cave?

 

Hey Tex..... USX is one of the few companies that will make you team right out of the gate. I was impressed with them while we were in school for refreshers. Ol' boy came to talk to us, but once we actually got there, standing on USX proper, that impression went away, QUICK fashion. We got the same robo-spin you're talking about from Colonial.....Stay away from them too. They're out of Knoxville TN, and wouldn't hire me because I didn't have my HazMat ON my license. I'd passed the test and sent away for the TSA check, but I just didn't have the endorsement yet. Swift's a good company. If you know how to back a truck, then you're already ahead of the game with Swift. LOL. I've got the bait out, trying to hook TMC, Crete, and Superior. Let's see who bites first...... Have you tried Stevens? I don't know about their reputation, but I see a balls-load of their trucks around here. They're out of Dallas, I think....

If you want my number, send me a PM. I'll be glad to chat over the phone with you about USX. I have no qualms about dropping some inside info on them....