Starting With USX Next week the 24th.

Hello everyone! I figured I'd start a new thread here since I have some time on my hands this morning. I was working for Wel Company up until yesterday but was not getting any miles less than 1k a week. My wife and I are going to team in a month or so after she gets her license. She started school this week and received her permit yesterday! ( Yah for my Honey) Anyways after researching many companies and many posts and Blogs on the internet we have decided to go with USX. In some of the posts I'm a little apprehensive about what we are doing and others I am happy with it. I guess we'll have to take the bull by the horns and do it and see what happens. I have a thread going about my experience with Wel if anyone is interested in that. We live in the suburbs of Chicago and I will attend orientation at the Markham facility. My recruiter Mike was nice and seemed honest? My wife and I like the pay and the miles he said we could get. I will start as a regional driver for them until my wife gets in the truck with me. Then Mike said that I would be my wifes trainer after she comes on board for about 3 or 4 weeks then we would go Team after that. We also have a 40 lbs ####er spaniel named Monty we will be taking with us, he's like our second son a Great dog! As I was driving with Wel I did have a chance to talk with several drivers from USX and they all seemed pretty happy. I have also liked the equipment I have seen it looks mostly newer and I've always had a thing for a Red truck. Lol Well I just realized I have to go get my wife from school for lunch. If anyone has any words of wisdom let us know and I will keep you all posted on our adventure! I hope everyone's having a safe day!

 

Well the adventure begins! I checked in at Laquinta in Tinley park IL. First right off the bat my name is not on the list? The desk clerk checks me in and gives me a sheet of paper with rules for the hotel and USX people. I was told the bus leaves at 6:30 well the paper says 6:15? The clerk tells me that if I'm thinking about leaving this Friday (which I was told by my recruiter I would be) the clerk says plan on staying the weekend? Most of these orientation things last 4-5 days not 3? So does anyone know if this is true? I guess I will find out soon enough. He says they don't have enough trucks to hand out on Friday? So anyways the room is very nice! Nice big 29-30" hd tv in the room fridge micro wave and very clean! So lets see what tomorrow brings. Be safe everyone!!

 

Well first day went pretty well. We were told to be there at 6:30. Well no instructors showed up until around 8. We got busy right away though with some paper work and forms to fill out. Then off all 6 of us went to the Dr. office for drug test and physical. 4 hours later, that place is slow!! 4 hours to do piss tests and physicals for 6 people. Yawn. Back to terminal for lunch and driving test. Pretty good free box lunch thing they have there. I had a cheese burger and chips with a Dr. Pepper and a Chocolate chip cookie! Next 2 at a time they took us for our driving test. Beautiful brand new Peter-built! Nice truck easy to drive test driver was very nice "Rock" was his name. We finished with a few minutes of company policies. I found out what its going to take to bring my dog with. I'm not happy. $500. deposit taken out of my check weekly plus $10 no refundable payment per week as long as your there. Expensive little pooch I have? He's a great dog he's worth it! Well its about time for dinner here going to Buffalo wild wings just across the street from the hotel. Be Safe everyone I'll check in tomorrow!

 

Well here we are day 2 of orientation! I would say a pretty good day. Informative with a little down time due to others in class having to fix paper work and piss testes and such. We learned about CSA, Hours of service, log books, Some company safety, Haz mat, Payroll, Per diem (not forced) Maintenance procedures, and a few other video's and power point presentations. I have been pretty impressed with the course. I have learned alot about the company and the rules and reg's. They have still not given anyone in the class a " Yes you are hired" answer yet. I guess they wait til the last minute? Tomorrow is our last day of orientation and the trainer seems pretty confident that the experienced drivers will be getting their trucks and the students will be getting their trainers assigned. I talked with a student driver from the Monday 10/22 class that is still here in the hotel waiting for his trainer, they are shipping him out to Indiana tomorrow to meet up with him? I learned today that all trucks are less then 4 years old and all are equiped with bunk heaters, no Apu's though. They also allow idling when the temp is below 28% and above 73%. All trucks come with a GPS and they give instructions to all pick up and drop locations. You have to follow their directions from point a-b. Well as I stated in the begining of this thread, I worked for Wel Company for a month and changed to USX. It's like night and day so far! USX orientation is 100% better and makes me feel like this company will be a great fit and make my wife and me some $$$!! I'll try to post more tomorrow, I have to clean out of the hotel so lets see if I have a place to post tomorrow! Be safe everyone!!

 

Well here it is Sunday and I am home and I do not have a truck yet at US Xpress!! Friday day 3 of orientation was really only half a day. We went over E-logs and the on board computer thingy ( not sure of the system name). We learned a bunch of stuff about getting loads and logs and other things. By the time we were done with that it was lunch. Well as 1:00 rolled around we all came back into class and found out that was it for orientation. Now its a sit a wait game. As the hours passed 3 of the 6 of us got there books and found that they were hired and were finding out how and where they were to go. 2 of them were new students and they were going to get together with their trainers the 3rd was a 1st seater and he had to get to N carolina to meet up with his team driver? The 1 student is taking a bus for a day and a half to meet up with his trainer in N Carolina, the other her trainer is coming to Chicago Sunday! So the 3 left myself and 2 others sat and sat and sat. No word what we were waiting for? Finally at 3:30 the instructor came up to me and said they are waiting on my past employers letters to verify that I have worked for them. We will not get these probably till Monday or Tuesday so since you live 1.5 hours away you can go home and wait for a phone call when we have the things we need we will call you back in and finish up everything! ####! So here I sit and wait and not get paid! They have had all my info for over 2 weeks! Why could they have not taken care of this stuff prior to class?? Now I have to wait to hear from them? I'm not even sure if I'm hired yet! They did give me an employee number, what good is it if I'm not hired yet! So The other 2 1 was sent home like me and the other got his instruction at 5:00, meeting a trainer in Indiana. So to wrap up the orientation I thought was actually very informative and they used their time wisely for class! The other crap of getting us into a truck is just a joke! I understand because of the size of the company logistics and paperwork can be a nightmare, but come on when you have all the info you need for a driver weeks before and have a signature to allow them to get everything they need, but they wait til the last day? Grrr. Oh I also found out that the orientation that starts on Monday has 28 new hires! Holy crap 28 people going thru this hole thing that I did with 6? It must be a hell for those folks! Their physicals alone are going to take them all of Monday to get done! Anyways folks sorry to rant, but you can understand my frustration! I hope everyone is having a Safe Enjoyable weekend! Besides not having a truck I am enjoying my weekend with my wife and my Monty Dog!