USX drivers...how's your day??

MattP I do hope that everything works out for you too. I thought maybe you were training with SheepDog, but it sounds like you did get a good trainer too. It sounds like you are enjoying it too.

 

i was going to go with sheep dog but I'm a B#tch cant quit smoking just yet lol

 

This is a valid concern. That doesn't look real good on the record (ask me how I know?), but then again..... what was he supposed to do?

 

ALWAYS look in the trailer, if possible !!!!

Empty or loaded !!!!!!!!!

 

While Craig does make a good point here, it is also worth noting that HD's sour experience with his first company as a truck driver, is not particularly unusual. My own experience with USX was not much different. A few of the recent posters here seem to be experiencing some challenges as well. All, or at least most of these issues are just part of what comes with the job, especially when we're talking about a first job with one of the mega-carriers like USX, Swift, Werner, et al. Thankfully, however, there are smaller carriers out there who understand this and will in fact give a new guy another shot. And in some cases without having to spend additional time with another trainer as well.

HD, if employment as an OTR truck driver is what you really want to do, I would suggest you give Watkins Shepard a call. After my first go around with USX I explained my experience to them and they indicated that it was not unusual for them to hear the same from other new drivers who had started out with one of the big 'starter companies.' W/S operates in all 48 states and Canada and is headquartered in Missoula, MT. They do a 10 day orientation in one of two places; Missoula, MT or Conover, NC - that's right, Conover...only 100 mi or so east on I-40 from where you live in Waynesville.

Of course, there are pros and cons to being a truck driver with any company. USX is not all negative nor does any company exist that will be able to satisfy a driver with even the most adaptable temperment imaginable. USX has several things that speak well for them: nice newer equipment; decent pay - especially for teams; high tech in cab communication (at least the Driver Tech looks like it's capable of some high tech wizardry); ......hmmmmm, nice showers at the Colton terminal. Some of the negatives, as are to be expected from a trucking company with 7000 plus drivers, have already been pointed out. In my own experience with the two companys, I would say that the strenghts of one are the weaknesses of the other and vice versa. Where USX has newer equipment (but still prone to occassional breakdowns), W/S usually buys their tractors from other companys with 350k to 500k already on the odometer. My first trip with them I had to get towed three times. But, they excell far above USX in terms of keeping in contact with the driver and actually addressing problematic situations with a sincere sense of urgency. On my first load with them, they secured a day cab for me and I delivered my trailer on time. I rarely ever had a trip with W/S that was under 1000 mi. They do a lot of LTL work with furniture and carpet, and while some of the stops are challenging to get into, the extra stop pay can occassionally equal or exceed the mileage pay. The shop personnel were extraordinarily helpful, whether in person or on the phone, in helping the driver to address any problems with the equipment.

Concerning the idea of having to redo the time with a trainer, here is what W/S has to say to those accepted into their ten day orientation: "It is imperative the students understand that upon completing their orientation they will be assigned a truck and dispatched as a solo driver. They will not have a "driver trainer" with them in the truck. For that reason, it is important that the student does a reality check and personally assesses their emotional ability to handle things on their own. It is a fact that some student graduates should be with a driver trainer. However, it should be stressed to those students that believe they have the ability to go out on their own after having completed the 10-day orientation, that Watkins Shepard Trucking will have them prepared for over the road trucking such that they can go out on their own and be Safe, Successful and Productive."

I did my10-day orientation in Missoula and can honestly say that it was far more informative and useful than the four weeks of CDL school and the three weeks of driver-trainer mentoring with USX combined. They cover things like chaining, how to adjust your slack adjusters, trip planning, air brake systems, HOS and HM in much more detail than most newbies are likely to get elsewhere. Almost daily there are written, verbal and road tests from the instructor and the Safety Dept to evaluate the 3 to 8 candidates in a class. And towards the end of orientation they expose the drivers to something that probably runs counter to common trucker wisdom: shifting gears while both descending and ascending mountain grades. Heading down a 6-8% grade with 40k plus in the box while being told to accelerate to 65 mph and then begin going down through the gears until the truck is almost at a crawl is something most drivers will likely (thankfully) never be in a position to have to do. But knowing how to deal with such a situation could, at some point, be a life saver.

The W/S forum on TTR is quite active. One young fellow in particular, American Trucker (also from your 'neck of the woods'), has a number of You-Tube videos that you may find interesting. He just recently completed his first year with W/S and posted his first year earnings, mileage, etc. Whichever direction you choose to go from here, all the best wishes to you. One can always "turn a minus into a plus," "make lemonade out of a sack of lemons," yada, yada. But it just could be that this latest twist in the road might be one of the best things that could have happened to you.

 

Quitting is a lot better than being let go. Termination on your DAC will definitely put a career on hold.

 

Poobah - thank you for the reply. I have thought about Watkins Shepard and I have met American Trucker that works for them too. Right now I am not sure what I will do. I may look at some small companies, but will most likely stay away from the larger ones too. I am sure USX will burn me on my DAC, but they can do what ever they want to. This was never about the money they were taking from me, it was more about them just doing it in general and the fact that they could not even pick up the phone to talk to me about it.

 

what they will hit you for (dac) "unauthorized use of equitment" would be my guess

btw sorry it happened

 

I think that is what it says on my settlement sheet, but the thing is I have the BOL with the trailer number and the live that says "loaded by" too.

Thank you Flood