USA Truck Inc. in 2012

I ran across another USA Truck driver in the Chicago area. She was very angry and a bit upset because according to her she was lied to concerning her tractor assignment. She told me she was in the process of trying to get her old job at swift back. I never fully understood what her main problem was because she was in a new freightliner and said it was a runner. Monday I ran into a Pam driver at the Pilot in Bowman SC who was en route to a terminal to clean out his truck because he was getting co-driver, he like me refuses to run teams. I asked what his plans were and he said he was on a prehire to start orientation with USA Truck in Atlanta. So I guess the driver merry go round keeps turning!

 

I am thinking after my vacation in July i will be leaving for Heartland.Been patient with this regional thing for going on a year now.Miles are rarely above 1800 a week.Talked to 3 Heartland drivers in the last week and they had nothing but good things to say about them.Their pay is a lot better as arethe miles.They get a full two days off each week plus run 2200-2800 miles a week.Currently sitting in Jackson Tennessee at a Knights Inn motel.Truck was towed down here yesterday.Of course breakdown will not get you a room for more than one day at a time so at 11am this morning i had to put todays room charge on my card because breakdown had not authorized the room for today prior to check out time of 11am this morning.Its a joke that they expect you to sit in the lobby of the motel all day while they decide what they are going to do with you

 

Thomas it really pisses me off to read what you just posted, not you but what you are going through. I am currently on home time and Tuesday night I noticed my company has started doubling up drivers in the hotel they use in Atlanta. Not orientation mind you, but drivers with broke down trucks. I find this disrespectful because most of the time these drivers are tired and the last thing they need is a pita roommate. When I drove for USA Truck my AC went out in truck 1600 in NC in April 2011, breakdown actually told me there was nothing they could do AND did not tell me I qualified for a hotel that night. Thomas if you do go with Heartland I do wish you lots of luck because I know you are a runner and not someone who complains about stuff, actually you are the type of driver USA needs. It's a dang shame you are being driven to quit like this.

 

thanks man.I have worked here a total of 33 months to date combined both times i have worked here.I normally just go with the flow but a man can only live off of 400-500 a week for so long and i been doing it since July last year.I will have given it a year this coming July and at this point the regional deal is what it is.I dont feel like its the drivers responsibility to have to call the dealership to check on the status of the truck nor my responsibility to call breakdown to get my room authorized each day.They sent me here this should all be handled by them or at least communicate what i need to do.I like to work.When i am out 5-6 days a week i want to work and work hard and then go home

 

They never tried that delay tactic for approving rooms on me. I broke down in upstate NY and they would give me a number for comchek everyday (for 2-3 days) before 11:00. Usually gave it to me as soon as I called in the morning. On the weekend a family member came up (500+ miles) to pick me up and I drove home. Was going to quit then but decided it was better to finish out my year.

 

unfortunately they do not do the comchecks any more they usa some kind of corporate deal for cheaper hotel rates.The new idea they are tossing around now is to send me to Flowood Mississippi to pick up a truck 300 miles away then come back up here to get all my belongings out of mine at the dealership lol

 

They tried that in Fort Smith one time. I just paid the extra money for the single.

 

Well I'm gonna stick it out here. My C1 contract expires in about three more weeks. I have an awesome FM and I get constantly high miles. In fact, I'm on my fourth week without a restart. Just no time to do it. When I first started I took one every week.

 

the latest and greatest is the clutch is out on the tranny.Usa is not going to have it fixed instead is going to have it towed to West Memphis and put out of service.Supposedly they will be trying to get me to West Memphis as well to get assigned to a different truck

 

Stay away from the mega bottom feeders. All you hear are the same horror stories about every one of them.