Stay Away!

USX runs whatever truck they give you really. They have Freightliners, Volvos, Kenworth(less), Peterbuilt (Peterbuffer). Its just the luck of the draw when you get there really. The Freightliner is generally what everyone gets, solos only get the KW, and the Pete. Volvo's, or so they claim, are only for teams. But many solos do end up with them. Thats what I had for the last 6 of the 7 years I drove with them.

Personally, The freightliners are the OK truck. Not a bunch of space, but ok. Lots of wind noise from no insulation, lots of penetrating cold from no insulation either. But, they are easier to get worked on cause you really cant go more than 50 miles without seeing another freightliner dealer. It just takes them a week to get it into the shop.

The Volvo has the best ride, best storage, best visability, and the safest truck out on the road, bar none. The cummins motor is fairly easy to get worked on, pretty much any dealer can work on them. If its a Volvo motor, it has to go to a volvo dealer. Frankly, there isnt a lot of them out there. When at the volvo dealer, as long as they have the parts needed, it normally doesnt take long. Not alot of drivers have been turned to Volvo trucks. The controls are set up better, more like a car, but this makes it so the driver has less distractions going down the road.

The Pete, and KW, are both about the same truck really. No space, no comfort, and not a great ride, but not a bad one. Just mediocre. Speakers are right by your head, so if you are jamming out to some tunes going down the road, you will be deaf by the time you get there. The Cat motors are ALWAYS breaking down. Not really the engines fault, but they bought a 625 cat. and turned it down to 375. So the turbos are not working right, and other issues.

All of them have Automatics, best thing since sliced bread. Just make sure your trainer teaches you about the H or Hold button. This will be a life saver in the winter monhs. Also, remember to get the max use of jake brakes, use the L button. You get one more gear of jakes, and it puts the engine into a higher RPM for more effective jakes.

 

Good question. It would probly be Interstate trucking. And I will even explain why...

Firstly, I have talked to there drivers, coast to coast. Talked to them on the radio, talked to them at the fuel pump, talked to them in the retaurant. Out of every driver I talked to, I only ever found 1 common complaint. They turned the trucks down. Well, they are a ATA company, so thats only a matter of time.

They have automatic, Volvo, trucks for solos, decent pay, many diferent devisions (type of trailer) to choose from, a training program (I want to pass on my knoledge the best I can), diferent regional devisions, or OTR, a terminal at the state I am moving to at the end of the year (denver). And If I ever want to take a stab at it, a O/O program.

They also dont do alot of rail, their trailers arent designed for the rail is the reason I heard. Their trucks look decent if you like the green (at least it isnt white (Swift/JBHunt reference).

I am sure I could think of other reasons. But their drivers, only ever having one common complaint, is what sold me. It was a combination of, the dispatchers, low pay, breakdown, or whatever else. They only complain about speed of the trucks. If thats their only complaint, thats one I can live with.

 

What I do know about Arnold is limited. Firstly, they are a USX company, and you are actually pulling USX trailers, with Arnold badging on them. Also, most of the trucks are the same, USX trucks, with Arnold decals. The rest is what I have learned talking to the drivers that come into my current job. Most love the way Arnold is, but USX is slowly, but surely, changing how things operate. Taking loads from Arnold drivers, and putting them on a USX truck, only for the USX truck to get refused because they arent allowed into the facility (happened at my job last week). So the load gets put back on a Arnold truck, but now its late, because they had to find a Arnold driver to come get the load. The O/O I talked to last week said he is quiting at the end of the month. He can read the writing on the wall, and doesnt want anything to do with a USX company. I think (my opinion here) that USX bought Arnold and the other comps because their drivers, or dispatchers, or both, had performed so badly, that the lost alot of high dollar accounts. So for them to get it back, they sneak in the back door with another company that hasnt been "rejected".