whats it like training with a trainer at usx

Watkins puts you through a pretty intensive training program for 10 long days at one of two terminals, one is in Missoula MT and the other is in the Carolinas. The people I know who have been through it said it was pretty tough The nice thing about Missoula is you are certainy going to learn how to drive in the mountains.

 

The other is Conover NC and they too get plenty of mountain driving. Black Mountain and the Asheville areas. As well as road trips to NJ up I77 to I81 and across Pa. They also teach them how to downshift going down a mountain in case your in too high of a gear.

 

All of that is a far cry from not being with a trainer...LOL

 

What, the whole 120 hours your with a trainer now! Lol

 

I had asked my FM, repeatedly, to get me more miles. My TC tried to get me more miles. It was so bad at one time that I was in the process of switching to Swift Enterprises (a company under USX). I had cleaned my truck out and was waiting to turn it in when I got pulled into a 3-way conversation with the head of training, another top guy, and the one who turned out to be my new dispatcher/FM...............Here is the breakdown of my first 7 month running solo and then 7 months as a trainer (this is just milage, pay, and perdiem.....I had graduated 5 students in that time, 4 of who were still running and they were my teams).

2010....(7 months) 54560 miles, $10491 milage pay, $5469 per diem
2011....(7 months) 50954 miles, $8063 milage pay, $7867 per diem

My students earned me $1750 in upgrade and $906 in milage.

 

Geez, those miles are terrible, both of your 7 month periods are low. Less than 8k miles a month, I don't blame you one bit. As a trainer your miles went down, that's ridiculous.

Just curious, how much time off did you have each month on average?

Thanks for that Musicgal, hope things are going better at your new job.

 

RoadCall, I was so tired yesterday I forgot to say that the milage pay was my gross...so by the time they took out taxes and insurance, you can see I wasn't making a whole lot.......even with the extra $20 a day for my student. I would be out 3-4 weeks with a student and I basically stayed out 24 days taking 4 days off at home. There was only about 2 weeks total where I ran by myself and the truck was in the shop(s) for maybe 2 weeks.

I'm L/O with this new company and for March and April I did about 16000 miles and cleared approximately $4000......For May I'm sitting at just about 2600 miles for the first week.

 

You can't make any money staying out only 24 days. That and not running team at all hurt you.

Back in November I ran into the guy who trained my orientation roomate. He was complaining that he was only getting short runs. He was another one that didn't run team at all.

 

News flash!!! 24 days out and 4 days home isn't the problem. Nor is running solo if the company gave a rats ### about its solo drivers. This isn't a problem for the majority of carriers it is a problem with USX! I see you have been driving 2 years, how many company's have you worked for before USX? Obviously you don't know any better or you wouldn't make such remarks. When I worked at USX I ran 3000 a week consistently, except for Jan - March. I ran solo and when I had a student we ran as a solo too. I had no problems making money for my first 20 months at USX. I also went home once a month like Musicgal, wasn't a problem for me to make money.

The problems began when USX decided they were going to make solos nothing more than a support system for teams. Even then, there is no reason a solo driver shouldn't be given at least 2500 miles a week. If a company is going to ask an individual to live in a truck away from home then they have a responsibility to help that person earn a decent living and this BS about going home after ONLY 24 days is absolute garbage. On top of everything else a trainer can't train unless they have the miles. It's not rocket science.

USX used to be THE company. As far as the large carriers went USX was one of the best. There was a reason for that, they treated everyone as a valuable asset, not just teams!

 

At the 120 hour requirement there really isnt any point in teaming anymore. You have to do 75 hours behind the wheel observing your student which only leaves 45 hours to run before he finishes. If you are already on a run at the time you pass the 75 he could have as many as 90 hours before you can upgrade to team. thats 3 days running. No real point to bothering IMHO.

I Run super single with my students and still make decent money. My pay generally ranges between 800-1200 sometimes more sometimes less (If im in the shop)

I stay out anywhere between 2 weeks and 2 months depending on what I want to do with my next hometime. Generally though I like to pick up a student and just stay out til he upgrades and then go home.