Driving OTR with US Xpress

Hello Everyone.

I've been posting on TTR for some time now under a thread titled "Beginning the Long Awaited CDL Process". And now that I've been driving for US Xpress for about 10 months, and because most of my posts are about my day as an OTR driver, beginning a thread under US Xpress is long overdue.

I'll do my best to provide an accurate chronicle of the day to day happenings, and hope that it will offer an insight as to what someone can expect if they have an interest in becoming an OTR driver with USX.

If you should have any questions about the company, orientation, or training, I'll do my best to give you accurate information. If I don't know the answer, I can get it, or another USX driver may chime in and offer up the info you're looking for.


In short, I find USX to be a good starter company. I'm a solo OTR driver. My miles per week average from 2700 to 3100. Sometimes less, sometimes a little more. It all depends on the situation. The people are friendly and the equipment is good. They keep me running, and I never sit.

As with any trucking company, your experience with USX will be what you make of it. You'll get out of it what you put into it.



So I'll post in a bit about where I am right now.





Thanks for reading.

-Wedge

 

That's a fact, pattyj.

I don't turn down anything, and always run hard to make sure I deliver early. It's paid off in spades, so far. Having the pre-assigns waiting while I'm still under load is a great thing.

 

Hello There.

Right now I'm in Altoona, IA, in the middle of a 34 hour rest.

This load, that I picked up yesterday in Rolla, MO, delivers to Bloomington, MN. A little over 550 miles. On this run I had a choice of picking up the load and dropping the trailer at a drop yard in the St. Louis area, or delivering to the receiver on Monday.

I've been fighting a low 70 hour clock for the last 3 weeks, so I decided to run the load into Bloomington, and in the process, chose to do a 34 hour reset at my fuel stop. The amount of hours I would have gotten back over the next 3 days would have been 3hrs, 4hrs, and 4hrs respectively. So taking the time to do the reset cleans up the 70.

I'll be finished with my reset by 0500 tomorrow and I may be able to run this load in a day early as it delivers to a DC. This is a drop and hook so delivery appointments can sometimes be more flexible.

I'm scheduled for home time this week, so I'd like to complete this trip and give the planners a little extra time to route me home. I've been out about 5 weeks and my supplies are getting low.


I'm looking forward to a few days off and to some home cooked food.


I'm thinking Lasagna.




Thanks for reading.

-Wedge

 

I agree with you that the driver and his attitude are key to being successful in this industry.

IMO I don't see this company as being as bad as some of the posts I've read. If you have a genuine problem, they will take measures to correct it.

 

Thanks, Vinsanity. I should have started this thread here last summer.

So how's it going, man? Haven't seen you since our coffee break in Tunnel Hill.