Third Quarter Results Released

I did not have any O/O's on my board so I have no idea how they are doing. My board was OTR and Regional.

 

I was not trying to sing David Hartline's praise's here. I was just saying he was not the one that has screwed USA Truck in such a knot, that was Cliff Beckham. Actually I have not really spoke to anybody at USA Truck past or now that has anything good to say about him.

 

This is a magnitude of awful decisions by a lackluster management team that cannot admit its own faults. But I agree with you that at the end of the day it's the CEO's fault.

 

Not trying to pick a fight here with any USA Truck trainers, but nothing good can come from this! Not everybody is cut out to be a truck driver and even less are trainer material. I have lost count of the times I have helped a new driver driving alone with backing. Most have horrible backing skills and when asked who taught them that crap the reply is always (my trainer or trainers). I am not a superbacker my any means, but I can get a 53 footer into a door or a space in a truckstop. I know this is not the right place for this, but last monday in Hackenstown NJ I had to help a driver from my own company get into a door. You name the typical mistake and he most likely made it. But what scared me the most was his fixating, I still believe if I had not been there he would have hit the tractor beside him while looking behind him not noticing his steers were turned into that tractor.

If USA Truck drops their trainer standards any further they might as well get used to horrible CSA scores, and at some point a FMCSA intervention.

 

Haha! I've had to help a TRAINER help a student back up! That's the outcome when you let people with less than a year OTR train students.

 

When I was with them they had a certain criteria with logging and safety (pretty industry standard stuff). But I also heard trainers say they sometimes forced drivers into training that met those criteria that never expressed interest in being trainers. Plus the whole teaching thing is a skill. Just because you are a good solo driver doesn't mean you will be a good trainer.

 

The whole company would be comical if there wasn't thesad fact that every decision the chiefs make affect so many people. When Ifirst heard about this consultant months ago my first thought was they couldhave grilled me for less than an hour and I could've told them that short mileswere running drivers away. I'm now convinced that Beckam is deliberately sabotagingthis company, and I really don't think the shareholders give a hoot or they'dknow that clown has to go and he should’ve been gone a long time ago.

I, too, at one time thought USA should’ve merged with Celadon. Now, however,having worked for Celadon I can see that would have been worse for USA drivers,financially. In my experience with Celadon as an OTR driver...average miles perweek are 2100. Pay scale is much less; Celadon starts you out at .31 per milefor 3 years or less experience. It seems as though 80% of what Celadon gives adriver are relays, constant relays. If you can live with 2 showers per weekthen you'll love Celadon, because that's all you're going to get if you onlyneed fuel twice a week, as they use fuel optimization-YOU CAN ONLY FUEL WHENTHEY TELL YOU TO, and that is typically when you get to about 3/8 and if you'reaveraging 2100 miles a week that equates to fueling twice a week. Two showersweekly. And forget about showering at their "terminals." Greensborois horrible, the shower isn't even accessible. Carlisle has two showers out inthe open, no privacy whatsoever. Same with Indianapolis. And don't even get me started on what it costs to work there. "Costs," you say? Lets see, on the first day of orientation I was in debt to this company for all of the forced items....passport, lock, ezpass/prepass, cufflock, and so much more. They're run lean, no doubt, but they are definitely geared even less for the driver to make money than USA is...and I never thought that I'd say that. With all of the crap that I dealt with at USA, and working for a company that has such superior equipment and communications (qualcomm, elogs), right now USA looks very rosy. But #### I get a good chuckle everytime I remember Beckham making the statement that TMC software for qualcomm was "state of the art." Please, what a joke USAs qualcomms are.

I'll eventually come back to USA, I started with that company, I feel at home there...especially now that I've experienced another company. I guess it's a love/hate...but I love it, and I spose if they sink then I'll go down with the ship.

By my own calculations based on three years of settlement sheets...and I've tried to find any way that I could to show that I made more at Celadon, I just couldnt come to that conclusion. Best case is that I was losing $200 a week...every single week versus what I made at USA.

I'm coming home, Cliff. Please be gone.

 

TMW (Dispatch Software) has it's pros and cons. I would say the biggest down side would be the ability to do my job quickly. TMW requires you to point and click for every thing you do. The old system was from the early 80's and everything was done using the keyboard. I also felt that the GPS movement was very delayed and would lag. The pro of TMW is it looks nice and makes reports simple to process.

I would suggest seeking employment with a company that has compassion for its employees. A lot can change in one year and I would not suggest USAK to anyone. Even students!

 

I too have wanted to return, but over the last few months I have come to terms with the simple fact the USA Truck I remember is in my opinion history. Cliff Beckham and his minions have destroyed it. I totally agree with your assessment of Celadon, and it jives with my many conversations with current and past drivers. Your comments about USA Truck also jive with most conversations I've had with drivers of late. People sometimes forget what a pain in the butt changing jobs is. New carrier, new system, sometimes new customers, new physical etc etc, and the whole time you are not running. Even if it's a paid orientation you still make more money rolling then you do sitting in a classroom. So most plan to stick it out and will make changes if needed later on.

Man I salute you on your decision to return, as I have said many times in these forums the company needs all the good safe drivers they can get right now. With that said however I hope you have thought this through. I'm almost 100% sure USA Truck will be acquired by another company soon. With their stock in the tank, an idiot for a CEO plus all that (still growing) debt. I don't see much of an option for them. I would hate to see you make that change only to see yourself driving for a company like Celadon again.