Driving OTR with US Xpress

USX is a good company but because they are huge you are going to find the rules are not very flexible. With 6000 trucks and about 8000 drivers they cannot make exceptions or it cascades out of control

 

I had been here with my trainer once, so I sort of remembered how to get here. I couldn't leave until this morning, so they put someone else on the load to danville. I told them my 70 was nonexistent, and I only picked up 5 hours today and 4 monday, so I'm getting a (unwanted) reset. If they hadn't screwed me around so much last weekend, I would've gotten better hours back. Now just need a load to va for thursday or wednesday home time.

 

Cracks me up the guy thought you were just tooling around with an empty trailer

 

Wedge,swingover to Jumers,they have truck parking and it's just a few miles from east moline. it's off the I280 just before you hit the river.

 

I took the trainer class for USX with the sole intention of training my partner/girlfriend and no one else. I had our dog on board and they never questioned us about it. If for any reason she were to need to get off the truck, say for a family emergency that might require extra time off, I would be able to take on students during that time if I wanted to with supposedly no pressure from the company. Also, being a "trainer" allows me to do road tests for the company for extra money, if I'm in the right place at the right time.

While Vic will be making extra money as a trainer, I don't think it will be as much as if you guys were running team. As for you, you won't even be in the same neighborhood money-wise running solo versus team.

Even new drivers like yourself make the full team rate after your training period and your first 8 weeks of teaming instead of the tiny cents per mile they are going to start you at as a rookie solo driver. You also won't have to deal with that stupid "sliding pay scale" that all the companies are using to screw the drivers on their longer runs these days, because the team fleet pays the same for all miles.

You could probably increase your personal income by over 20 grand in your first year if you were running team. You guys would also qualify for the team sign on bonus which I think is still $5000 for you guys to split.

So my point is, if you plan on teaming together later, you might as well do it right off the bat as opposed to leaving all that extra money on the table instead of in your pocket.

Another 2 cents worth of advice for anyone going to run as a USX solo driver:

If you live in the hiring area for the Midwest Regional Fleet, try to get in there instead of OTR. I have heard that west of I-35 is nearly nonexistent for solos at USX, and as a Midwest driver, I have been to every state along and east of the I-35 corridor with the exception of LA and FL and I have never been asked to go to NJ, NY or any of New England. I have also been as far west as UT and ID.

I've been told you can refuse to go east of OH on this fleet, although I wouldn't recommend refusing anything.

You can also put in for a 34 hour reset at home every week on this fleet, although in my opinion, that is also not recommended if you want to maximize your income, but the option is there if you need it.

The thing with the Midwest Fleet is when you do score those longer runs for a solo driver, 800-1200 miles, you get paid your same cpm because they don't use the sliding pay scale for that fleet.

Just more food for thought...

 

Hey Jermemyc...everything you said is spot on and yes we are still looking into staying as a team. In fact in the very very beginning of my research a few months back now....I of course called my buddy first to get some initial info and a few weeks later after I told him USX was a company I was looking at....he suggested we run as a team as (like you said) the pay is real good. We also knew that the only way we were going to get to our home town of San Diego, CA was to drive team as well. So it never has left the table (sorta speak) but I want to make sure I don't stand in the way of him wanting to be a trainer and I was thinking it would be nice to be on my own at the start once I build up my confidence. But to be honest with you I think I'm not only throwing away money but also throwing a perfect opportunity to get a team driver I know I can get along with and have the security knowing he is there to give me that extra bit of help I will most likely need as I experience the variety of scenarios over the first year. I am very nervous (naturally) about getting into a brand new industry and doing something I have never done before and knowing my best friend will be right there...just in case...makes me feel that is the better choice to team up with him first and then go solo later after my first year if that is what I want to do. So Jeremy I am definitely on the same page as you and thank you for making me take a step back and reevaluate the great situation I have in front of me to run team for USX. I'm going to ask Vic if we can stay with our original plan and drive team at least for my first year. i will let you know what he says....although he has already told me he wants to do whatever helps me make the transition into this industry...so I'm sure he won't have a problem waiting on be a trainer. Man this guy is a great friend which is why we have known each other for over 30 years now.

I have only heard one concern from Vic thus far.....he doesn't mind staying out for weeks at a time but he likes to take +1 day to weeks out. So another words....out for two weeks off three....out for three weeks off four...ect. I really hope the FM we get will work with us on that, but I know it all comes down to building a relationship with your FM. The problem is that there are some FM that aren't really interested in that or just horrible at their job. I hope as we get closer to starting with USX I will start to ask some friends I've made that work as teams for USX for some FM referrals. The more names I can get the better chance we might be able to get one. Not sure how that all works, but I have heard drivers requesting a different FM if they are not happy with the one they have. I would rather just get some referrals from other teams and just start with one that has proven to be flexible and does their job well. I of course know again that also means you have to do your part as well and that FM's can change on the fly without notice. This is why I am going to wait till just before I start so that any names I can get will be current. He also has some concerns about driving nights but we haven't really gotten down to the details of who is going to drive what times so I'm sure we will be able to work it out. I will probably drive nights to start and then maybe switch at some point in during the first year. I mean I would like to see something other than mostly black and spots of lights most of the time as I travel this beautiful country of ours.

My only concern is sleeping in the truck while its moving. It would appear however that teams generally get brand new trucks...so my hope is they might ride a bit better, but from what I read it seems to come down to brand rather than age of the truck. I also can't hear very well out of my left ear and I sleep on my right side....so any noise will be quite faint to me while sleeping. Would have never thought being partially deaf out of one ear would come in handy. I of course wear a hearing aid which according to some that wear two hearing aids have always past their DOT hearing test. I of course have no clue about living with someone in a truck....but aside of having our disagreements and other issues that will come up even for the best of friends....we are not the type to ever let it interfere with our friendship which we both look at as priceless to us and will always protect that.

Holy crap.....I sure can type a lot.....LOL. I must apologize to Wedge for taking up so much of his topic board....sorry Wedge

The Diceman

 

wedge, does usx use elogs?

 

Yes USX is 100% elogs , they teach paper in case of malfunction though