FTA-Asheboro NC

Not gonna bs ya, 99% probability that is exactly what u r gonna get. In all the time I have had students I have had one get a manual syraight outta training.

 

Company is getting away from the automatics for the most part; seems they weren't worth the trouble (and I agree). Seems they're working the older tractors out of the fleet but you'll still see the occasional older cornbinder (International 9400i). Most of the rest of the fleet consists of Prostars, Freightliner Cascadias, KW T600's and the occasional Peterbilt (usually only driven by the long-timers).

As far as keeping it clean: USA contracted with some vendors to provide truck washes at some of the terminals starting last year, but they only do it during the Spring and Summer months (I believe). I don't use them myself; the "Streakin' Beacon" (Blue Beacon, a national truck wash chain) actually does a better job than those guys. No, USA does not reimburse you for using them but I keep the receipts and write the washes off on my taxes (Hint: don't bother washing it if you know you're going to run into some precipitation fairly soon - the road spray carries all kind of grime and will make it look as if you didn't even touch it 5 minutes later, basically meaning you just wasted your money). Once every couple of weeks is usually good enough, and I even do it in the Winter: the de-icing chemicals used on the roads can and eventually will corrode the wiring and other metals on your unit over time if you don't keep on top of it (I'd wager that 40% of the trailers and newer trucks in the shop can directly or indirectly trace part of their problems to this phenomenon).

Most of what the previous posters have said is about right; it's a company which could definitely use some improvement, but it's certainly not the nightmare you hear a lot of people claiming it to be.

 

Biggest thing I ran into with getting trucks was cigarette smoke smell. My first 9400i wasn't to bad. My next truck (Prostar) was somewhat smell of smoke but not bad. The last Prostar (kept for 1 night and 1 day) smelled really bad of smoke. Cleaned it enough so I could only smell a faint bit because I knew I was going to quit, but I can't stand that smell.

 

My first truck Prostar #1486 I picked up at W Memphis. It had been reconditioned and detailed. It was almost spotless inside. Nevertheless, it promptly broke down on the first load. Didn't make it but 75 miles south of W. Memphis. Regen was needed every 25 minutes or it would depower the truck. Then on the way back to the terminal (when stopped to perform a regen) I noticed the passenger side tank was leaking diesel in a bad way. It went right back to the shop.

2nd truck is this Kenworth #2152. It had just had services done and hadn't been sent out to be cleaned. A female driver had it who had just been fired. I told them I'd move in anyways simply because I'd been without a truck for 2 weeks. It had ashes everywhere and smelled of body odor, urine, and period blood. I had to argue with the maintenance supervisor at W. Memphis to get my mattress switched out. He didn't want to do it until I got him in the truck and he saw the stains and smelled the aroma.

I keep my truck fairly clean now after having lived in it for 5 months. I don't plan on leaving it trashed when I quit either. Its not anything about saving the company money on detailing, its just a matter of personal pride. I don't understand how some drivers can stand to live the way they do in such filth. I did a load swap at W. Memphis one time with a guy who had one of the new Cascadias. When he rolled up to drop his trailer, he opened his driver door and trash just fell out on the ground. I mean literally just started falling out. He had to get out and chase napkins and receipts. I glanced into his truck and his floorboard was all muddy on the driver side and the rest of the cab had wadded up bags and articles of fast food trash everywhere.

 

I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but trainers should be the last thing you should be concerned with. You are about to start 3 intense weeks of training to get your A CDL. You need 100% of your focus on this part. One step at a time sir.