U.S XPRESS Dirty Lies and Tricks

Despite the negative connotations, not every lease is bad. There are companies, not many, but some, that actually do the lease at a reasonable rate and help the drivers on his way to ownership of the truck. It depends on how the lease is structured if it is a reasonable deal, or if it is a scam. Many companies practice it as a scam, and try to push their varianble operating costs onto someone who is least able to afford it.

Some companies, use their financial ability to purchase vehicles and pass that on to their drivrs. A lot of it depends on how the driver is treated, and how the driver is dispatched. in rough general terms, if a company sets a brand new rookine driver up with a 100,000 dollar vehicle, they are not setting him up to do well in the long run. the successful leases are usually set up with about a 4 year old truck, similar to what you would buy if you were buying used. They will usually have some form of a maint agreement that covers some of the costs of upkeep, and they will have a definite end of the lease in sight and agreement on what the provisions are to end the lease or buy out the truck at a cost reflective of the trucks age and miles at that point. At the end of the lease, the driver becomes the complete legl owner of the truck, not merely turning it in for another lease truck to continue the cycle, though that can be one of the options.

And again, much of this will be based on how the company treats and dispatches the drivers. if they are treating you like an indentured servant, with no choices but to run constantly, then it i probably a scam. if they are treating you like an independent businessman who merel has close links with them, then you may be alright.

Unfortunately, the good leases are not as common as the scam ones, and that has hurt the overall image of leasing in general. It's become a swear word in the industry because of the way companies have abused it, but there still are ways to work a lease and get started with minimal financial backing.

 

Yes, Pardel, I have driven over the road and am preparing to go back over the road soon. In fact I drove for Swift. I would go back to them if there weren't some new policies I have a problem with. I was usually treated fairly. There were some problems but I have had problems at other non-trucking companies as well. Having been out there I also know some of the problems I had with Swift were caused by a stinking attitude I had for awhile. When I realized I had a part in the problems I was facing, I chose to change my attitude, and amazingly, my job environment improved.

However, Pardel, I have also worked in a prison and have two sons who still work in a prison. Most of the inmates I talked to all had the same story, "It is someone else's fault that I am in here." I even heard someone try to blame their life of crime on how their mother diapered them as a baby. People today do not want to take responsibility for their actions or their part of the problem. A lot of the problem on this site is that the drivers almost always want to blame everything on the company. We never hear how they continually smarted off to terminal employees and DM's. Or how they cried about every little thing that wasn't the way they thought it should be.

Bottom line is that the value of the information is greatly degraded by the environment in which it is found. No industry is a perfect industry and there are no perfect trucking companies. Everyone of them have issues. If people would take a day or two after the incident and take a few deep breaths and then come on here and post a reasonable, detailed (telling both sides of the story), and calm account of the situation, this site would do what its developers intended it to do. Unfortunately, this site is being ruined by the same kind of idle complaints that can be heard at any truck stop dining area across this nation.

 

Oh come on now. We may have folks that shade their sides of the story a bit, but I don't think that we are being "ruined". it's an issue here, and it's an issue anywhere where you allow people freedom of commentary. We do the best we can to control it, without stifling discussion. I as well as other mods, have often issued "24 hour challenges" where we tell someone to either support their story with more detail and facts, or it will be deleted. Sometimes they back up the story, sometimes we hit the delete button.

We do the best we can, but not everyone is a great source of info. You have to pick and choose a bit.

 

Thanks Burkey...that is probably the most honest thing I have heard on here LOL .I came here to try to get info on this industry.It's all new to me.a year and a half ago my hubby was an electrician.Now...he's a trucker.Go figure LOL.Yeah everytime I say lease to someone here they tell me to tell him to get out and run for the door.He is with stevens out of Dallas.it hasn't been the most ideal situation especially the training.he left home making $600 a week and was making $300 during the first 8 weeks.He got into the lease program to make more money.I dunno we'll see what happens at the end of two years.

 

I do understand what your saying. My husband was a police officer for over 20 years. He often complained of that same thing. Who knows some of your prisoners could well have been put there by him.

What I am saying is just because someone doesn't know how to word something (like me for instance,lol), or proper grammar and spelling, doesn't mean they are not telling the truth.

Also what is true in one persons mind is not neccesarily true in someone elses mind, it is a matter of prespective. As for Swift, I have never driven for Swift, I drive a straight truck OTR Expedite. I have however read the 1000's of complaints on ripoffreport about them. I don't remember how I got that particular one (Swift). I think it was a link from somewhere on this site. All of the drivers seem to be having the same complaints. This is not the first one I have read about not hiring a driver after having them come to orientation.

I personally would like to know the reason given for not hiring this couple after bringing them to orientation. I think that would help anwser a lot of questions.

Jerryl please don't think I am picking on your post. I am not trying to do that, I am just trying to make a point. You have your opinion and I have mine that is what is wonderful about this forum, we can both give our different opinions and a lot of times bring them together for a solution or anwser.

 

it could very well be that once they got to the orientation, and the folks got a chance to meet ths couple, something in the back of their heads set off an alarm. Not everyone fits in with a company, and sometimes you find out that you made a mistake and need to drop back from them. If the posts here are an indication, I would have questions about them. Sometimes the hiring people have to go on their gut instinct just like we do when evaluating them.

If so, the listed reason for not hiring them may be very general and non specific, while the real reason may well be that they just weren't right to hire.

 

That was very well put Burky. An explanation that is understandable. I would say you are probably right.

 

I agree, this site does have an entertainment value.

But, I disagree with your evaulation of the numbers of posters vs "real" problems.

I speak with many drivers on a daily basis. Many of whom are not aware of this site, and many who are. But care not to post. They never interact online for the most part.

I have a test for you. This week ask EVERY driver you meet, if they are aware of this site. I doubt you will get 10 responses that are.

A simple look at someones post count says a lot. However, looking at the responses to that post is equally important. Have you noticed that within some companies "bad" comments, there are always 1 or 2 "attack dogs" willing to refute the comments within short notice. Calling the poster a liar, lazy, cry baby, or just plain PO'd they couldn't handle working for such a great company seems a bit one sided also.

 

All that has been said has already been posted on this forum.. Not to put you down but perhaps a little research "BEFORE" you choose a company would be better..

 

In most industries, "Orientation" is held after an employee has been hired. In trucking, it is part of the interview and application process. Perhaps this different use of the word has led many to think they have been hired when they haven't been...but if so, they need to do their research more thoroughly.