Good morning and WOW, that's good to know. Being in the Army for 21 years I really know about safety. Safety is preached every day. This trucking in the civilian world might be a new monster but I am ready for the challenge. I'm going to school through Kansas works program. It cost me nothing. Besides I'm a veteran and many states take care of their veterans. I never thought about living in Kansas but I must say, it has grown on me. I like it. I'll read everything a try to weed out the mess from the good through the post on this site and other site. One thing I have noticed, many recruiters get on these sites and talk up their companies. All I know is that I do not want to commit to a Hugh obligation in the lease program. It might be a good thing but just what if I do not like trucking after two months. Then I am stuck with that truck and paying for it. It seems to me that the trucking industry is good but it is a dog eat dog world.
Wow. So much misinformation about US Xpress. My wife and I have been here for almost 2 years. We can answer your questions. 1. Your from Kansas ? You'll be going to the Markham, IL terminal for orientation. Here is the link to how pay at US Xpress would be for you. Its similar to Crete, Prime, etc. http://www.usxjobs.com/landing/new-pay/ 2. The company never EVER brings up lease. They have one but you have to seek it out. 3. The trucks don't have APUs but the company allows the truck to idle when its below 28 degrees and above 70 degrees. We have bunk heaters that work really well when the temp is between those two degrees. What we love about USX is that when the temp is above 70 degrees unlike many other companies....they never say anything about how much we are idling. 4. Yes, the company allows pets. Its a very pet friendly company. They also allow you to have a rider. 5. The company does make you team depending on where you live for 8 weeks. Hope this helped from real US Xpress employees lol
That is not similar to Prime and Crete, I'm reading there from your link .32-.33 Prime for example STARTS at either .38 or .43 depending on what kinda truck you want to drive .10 CPM is a lot http://www.primeinc.com/paid-apprenticeship-cdl-training
Not to be nitpicky or anything but its sorta apples and oranges here. USX is dry van and prime is everything but dry van. Things that should be paying more anyway. not 10 cpm more but 3-4 cmp IMHO so the gap is slightly smaller than it implies.
Freightwhipper, go re-read that link you posted for Prime. Sure you get 38-43 CPM but AFTER 40,000 miles and you have to stay at Prime for a year in order to pay off them getting you your CDL. That's no way to start off as many people on here can attest the first company you go with is not always the right fit for you and you don't want to be in a situation where you owe them money. Besides this driver stated he wanted to go with a company that isn't all about their lease purchase program. 40,000 miles is roughly 4 months, at USX you would be getting 34 CPM which is a 4 CPM difference from Prime and best of all you have no obligation to stay. Once a driver has a year experience he will be making 40 CPM and if he stays out longer than 3 weeks then he gets a 3 CPM bonus. And when it comes to Crete.....who wants to be micromanaged and diagnosed with Sleep Apnea ?
Crete? can you say 62 MPH on a good day. It would drive me crazy to be the guy that everyone passes, and that's Crete..... and Prime... and sometimes Schieder although it looks like they turned up some of their trucks recently.
Since your first year will be filled with learning and lots of frustration while you do, I highly recommend Prime as a large starter company. If you want a smaller, all-reefer company, consider a lesser-known company called WEL Companies in DePere, Wisconsin, near Green Bay. Both higher new grads, are true 48-state operators, and both have great trainers. You can stay a year - and should plan on that, no matter which company you choose - and at the end, either move on to something more to your liking (assuming you stay a year; many new drivers don't, even military vets) or stay to build some seniority. The pay will suck wherever you go, so do not go into it for the money. You want to be trained and will be well trained at both Prime and WEL.
The pay does not suck everywhere you go and most importantly what kind of advise is don't go into it for the money ? 1. If you can avoid it, you should never rely on a trucking company to obtain your CDL. Its not worth having to stick it out for a year if your miserable and going broke. 2. Don't be afraid to switch your first year. Many people choose a company and figure out its not what they thought it would be. Trucking companies know this. If you switch companies within your first year no one will fault you for it. 3. Don't put too much emphasis on training. What you should be concerned about is what will you be making once you get out on your own. For example many husband and wife teams choose Watkins & Shepard because they will train them together but then once they start they realize they aren't getting the miles and the pay. They end up going broke and switching to a different company. Training promises are the smoke and mirrors of trucking. The end goal of any job is to make money. That should always be in the forefront of your mind. Remember, how you make money is not just how their paying per mile
