USXpress Orientation

I worked for USX for 6.5 years and have been warning people about them for months on this board.

When I started working for USX they made me go to school for 4 weeks even though I had had and used my CDL for 7 years before going there but they did not count my intrastate driving only the OTR for KLLM which they said was to far in the past.

I went to orientation in OKC and school in Drumright, OK at the VocTech
My trainer was waiting for me when I got out of orientation and I did a trip to OH and then to Tunnel Hill Ga and was given one of there shifting trucks that they still used and bobtailed to IN to pu a new trl as my first payed run. Back then students were payed 10.5 per mile while in training and .24 after so I was glad that the trainers were able to upgrade when you were ready and not have to go by some hrs system.

The company started to go down hill with the new hrs of service and use of the rails which left the solo with less miles and more work to get them.

No driver who wants to work OTR should work for a company that puts their high mile loads on the rails. They also lost accounts when they were paid mileage rates OTR by the shipper and then put the loads on the rail. Do you know what a load of window parts and siding looks like when it has come off a boxcar with nothing in it to keep it from shifting because the driver that pu the load could care less because hes dropping it off at the rail yard 50 miles away even though he waited 4 hrs for the load?

Take me seriously, If you want a career in trucking USX is not the company to have one at unless you are a team driver or contractor. Solo's get the leftovers at that company after they and the rails get the good stuff.

 

I got a card in the mail from them today telling me they would re hire me after 30 days lol..OK,you will probably still have the same problem...NO trainers...

 

Dont count on it just bein 28 days.I talked to a handful of guys at the medway terminal who were getting ready to upgrade to solo status and they were all out betwen 6-8 weeks.They said they are very strict on the 150 hours the student must have before they upgrade.

 

Well I would go with them but there so strict on the job references.

 

I was there as well I must say the Monday and Tuesday classes got the worst of it due to some ppl out sick. This is understanable but I think they need more help avalible just for this reason. Overall Once wensday came around they got back up to speed for the last class. They really did a good job in my eyes overall. I must say with 70 new hires to go thru in less than 5 days I was impressed. Yes they do need to cut back on orientation class sizes Yes they need more ppl to orientate us. I had no idea they went so far back on you'r background. One guy said they asked him about a ticket he got in 1989! (wow) almost 20 years.

Before I went to oreintation I spent some time on this site to get some kind of insight on what I had to look forward to. One major thing alot of ppl brought up was Quiting their current job in order for USX to look at you for hire. Let me make this all clear for everyone who wants to know. If you don't quit before you arrive they make you call you'r employer in front of them and verbaly quit (no way around that one). I also read about ppl getting sent home and I must say. If you lie to them or forget to tell them something like tickets, warrents, etc you're gonna be out of a job. I'll say I was pretty worried about this even though I have a good work history, mvr etc. They really do want to hire everyone but some ppl think they can pull one over on them. Well thats not gonna happen here. They are pretty good.

I'm not sure how many ppl were sent home but I found out why a few were sent home and they had stuff that they forwarned us about even before I arrived. So KNOW what is in your past otherwise you gotta get yourelf home. That wolud have to suck.

Overall I have to say I was impressed. I'm glad I picked them I had a pretty good time as far as meeting some cool ppl and talking to USX drivers Everyony that I talked to said that they were happy there so now it's my time to decide I hope I get a good trainer. OOOHH i almost forgot.oops This kinda messed me up. they told me to pack to go OTR. So i did. I'm sure they knew they wouldnt have enough trainers for all the students but we all had to pack, Come to think of it I dont know one student that left orientation with a trainer so I have to wait up to two weeks till I get one. Now I have no job and not much money. Word of advice save your self some money and dont be pickey about who you want to train you. Good luck to all of those who are starting now or soon with them.

DRIVE SAFE

 

My son and I attended their orientation last February to do a team thing together.
WHAT A NIGHTMARE!!!
We both have the same first and last name, just different middle initials.
They managed to not only mix our info. They also managed to combine our SS#'s into one and then couldn't understand why they were unable to verify my past work history.
For the record..I have NEVER had a problem like that in the past and I am proud to say 25 years of no tickets or accidents.
Additionally I have the majority of my driving time with major companies like FedEx Freight (East and West), United Van Lines, and Crete Carriers. I can't think of ANY reason why they would have been unable to verify past work experience.
Just my opinion...STAY AWAY!!

 

If you think they were disorganized in orientation, that ain't nothing. Wait till you wait all day for a load and then find out when you get to the shipper that you and 2 other trucks have the same dp. Or you sit all day without a load becuase they sent 10 solo trucks to pu team loads in Huston and tell your team the frt is slow. Or you have low miles for the week and they say just take this 2800 mile run to the rail yard for us and we will reward you with a nice solo 3 stop dollar general load going 400 miles and all 43,000lbs of it is a driver hand unload. I could go on and on about how disorganized they are so count yourself lucky.

USX does not want drivers who have worked for top notch company's in the past. They prefer to hire drivers out of school who don't know any better or worked for even carper company's like Swift-Covenant-CRST- or Werner. The recruiters just get warm bodies to send to orientation so they weed you out once you get there.

 

Jesus, that does sound like a nightmare. Talk about incompetent insiders. They must have been working internships or were given the jobs because of who they knew and not what they knew.

Wait...you quit CRETE to work for USEx?

They do indeed do that. "Send the warm bodies to orientation". This is because the higher-ups at the companies pressure them like a vise to do just that--get as many of the cows, I mean DRIVERS, through the shoots and into the pens so the outfits can suck more of the sugar-titty.