Introduction and in need of help

[Saturnista]

This is actually my husband's username but he created it for both of us to use. He wanted me to start this thread for him since he currently has no internet access, even though I've never read this forum before.

Anyway, before I get myself off topic, he's been a lurker on here for a couple weeks and is really interested in getting into expediting. He was hired by USA Truck back in January and started CDL training a few weeks later. He will be getting his class A CDL this coming week. In exchange for a 1 year contract with USA, they are supposed to be paying for his schooling. He has already been given the official job offer and everything.

The problem is, USA has overhired. They are now saying it will be more than a month before they can put him in with a trainer and actually start paying him, if they don't just cut him loose and say "we're ending your contract and you now owe us $6k for the training" which is what we're both afraid will probably happen.

Since we'd both be more than happy to be able to get out of the contract with USA (he only went with them because they're hiring and will pay for his training) he's looking at that as a serious option now, especially considering they're basically sticking him on hold until further notice.

Is there anyway for someone to get into expediting with no experience besides just that gained in training? He did a 3 week training class through C1 Truck Driver Training. He'd like to work as a team with someone more experienced that can be a guide, but doesn't have anyone to team drive with. We don't have the credit necessary to finance a truck, though he'd like to go O/O eventually, because he was unemployed for the better part of a year before he decided to go this route.

Where do we start looking? In general ... help!

 

[moose]

Welcome aboard Saturn .

sad story to read indeed .
there is no free puppy .
once they got you , they own you.
what will happened if he stop before completion of the training ?
will he still need to pay ?
it might not be too late , I don't know,
but ,
it was my experience that CDL driving schools will get you a loan for the training , any in you neck of the woods ?
it will get him the chance of working with more safety and business oriented carrier .
where do you live ?
maybe then he can find a more local job ?
Tho'w there was never a driver shortage ,
reports are saying that there are about 7% less trucks on the roads then last year , which make it harder to find a new job in this industry , and more so to a newbee .
as to Expedite , you are better off reading back on this forum , so you understand the risks and rewards for being an Expeditor.
(just click on the search tab and enter key words .)
It was told here to be aware of owners that do not require experience ,
Good luck ,



Moose.

 

[DougTravels]

)With a chaueffers lic (at least in Michigan) he can drive a cargo van, sprinter or a straight truck under 26k gvw. In MI just a written test for that. I wouldn't suggest anyone get in this biz right now. In a month maybe, but right now it is bad for me.

 

[Saturnista]

Thanks for the reply Moose. As I've said, I'm only posting on behalf of my husband. He's done all the reading and only passed on some information to me.

He has already passed everything at the school, and is doing his final CDL test with the state tomorrow. We were not able to get a loan from any schools because of our credit, which is why he went with the company-paid training.

If he were to quit the school, he would owe the entire amount to USA. If he were to break his contract at any point in the next year with USA (which he is allowed to do - AND they are allowed to do with him!), he would owe the entire amount to USA. So basically, from day 1 of training until day 365 of the contract, if he backs out, quits, is fired, layed off, or otherwise stops working for the company, he owes USA $6k.

This is why we're considering trying to get him on with another company while USA puts him on hold. If, by the time USA calls him up and says they're finally ready for him to come to orientation, he has another job lined up, we have a better chance of being able to pay them the $6k and he will be getting paid in the mean time.

Basically, we really can't afford for him to continue not getting paid until further notice and are looking for options. From what we've heard and read about USA, even with being weary of expedite owners who hire new drivers, he'd be be better off, because USA is not a good company to work for. Again, we decided to go with them out of sheer desperation, and he would have no problem with staying with them if we felt he would have steady income, but it's looking more and more like the month-long, or more, down periods are very typical with them and that is something that we just cannot afford any longer.

Edit: Another reply snuck in while I was typing. How bad is it right now in expediting? Would we be looking at similar delays and down time? We're really open to anything but he is pretty stuck on getting into expediting. I'm not real sure why, but, it's what he wants to do. He'd love to contract with FedEx custom critical (he worked at the FedEx world hub for 6 years and really liked the company) but would be open to other companies also, if he can find a fleet owner willing to hire him. With a CDL he will have a lot of options and I keep telling him that he needs to look around a lot. If he can drive a Sprinter or straight truck, he would probably be happy with that too, but he is definitely going to have his class A CDL this week also.

 

[DougTravels]

For me it's bad right now, If I didn't have some money socked away I'd be done by now. The last 3 months have been brutal for me.

 

[cheri1122]

Saturnista: my advice, for what it's worth, would be for him to read the classified ads here, looking for a driver needing a codriver. With any luck, he can find one willing to mentor him, once he has the CDL, (assuming the carrier will permit a new driver) and he can begin learning while earning. There's a few of us who jumped into this without a lot of knowledge, and we've survived, so it can be done. Codriving with a relative stranger can be good, or it can be pure hell - but knowing it's temporary helps a lot, on those days when murder seems an appropriate course of action.....
It's a tough spot to be in, and I hope it works out for you.
PS If the school just 'cuts him loose', aren't they violating the terms of the agreement, ie: the promised job? And if so, why would you still have to pay them?

 

[cheri1122]

That contract really bites! It's not reasonable to penalize him if USA can't provide the work, which is what they've given themselves the right to do, looks like.

 

[Saturnista]

Cheri - the school will only release him if he does not pass after X number of tries. He is not in danger of that happening, though. He can quit at any time he wants but he will be on the hook for the tuition if he does that. It is the company itself that can release him at any time and yes they make the contract that way for a reason. If he is cut before he starts getting paid, it will be by the company. You don't go to the school until you've been given a conditional offer of employment (the condition being that you pass) and at the time that you start, they're paying for your training and you have an obligation to them. It's a pretty crappy arrangement but we really had no choice.

I never even noticed the classified link, haha. I will definitely go browsing around on there to see what I can find for him.

 

[ATeam]

It is difficult to discuss contract language without seeing the contract. Whether the contract is too lopsided to be enforceable is a question. The company's duty to perform is a question. The reasonableness of the hiring delay is a question. The company's duty to mitigate is a question.

USA Truck is a large company. OOIDA would likely be familiar with any issues like this that may have surfaced in the past. While money is tight, it may nevertheless be wise to join OOIDA and seek their assistance. They have good people there who are good at helping members understand their rights and obligations under trucking industry contracts of different sorts.

 

[Saturnista]

Ateam - it is something we will definitely look into. I have not personally seen the contract with the company. We have not considered that the contract may not be legally binding under certain circumstances and were planning on just sucking it up and following their rules for leaving the company. Even if the hiring delay were considered reasonable, it is not something we are really financially able to handle at this time. I searched on OOIDA's site and did not come up with any information on USA, and we are not able to join at this time due to the cost - we wiped out our savings to pay bills over the past few months and a continued lack of income has left us with literally no money.

From what I have been reading all over the 'net and what we have been hearing from people in OTR training right now, this is something that is very typical of USA. They send you through CDL training, send you home for a few weeks, then send you off to orientation, then send you home until they can find you a trainer - which can be anywhere from a week to two months. It doesn't end there either - many people report long delays between dispatches throughout their entire one year contract.

Right now, what he is being told by the training center is that USA has told them they are not taking anyone for orientation right now because there is a backlog of new drivers waiting for OTR trainers. Those already at orientation are looking at a 1-2 month wait at home after orientation, and those not there yet (such as my husband) are not being given an orientation date for at least a month while they try to catch up.

I'm hoping I'm making sense to everyone. I'm not up on the 'lingo' and am getting everything third party through my husband. One thing I do know for sure is that this has been a mess ever since day 1. From the recruiter screwing up his school assignment (they booked him a hotel at one school and a class at another one!) to not getting enough training time due to a horrible student-to-instructor ratio at the school, to week-long wait lists to be able to take the state test, to not being able to get straight answers out of his hiring company... this is what he wants to do and what we need financially, but there are times I wonder if it was a mistake to even try.

Ateam - I also wanted to say, my husband admires your truck.

 

[Crazynuff]

Saturnista , your situation is far from unique . It's a very common problem . Many carriers send drivers home from orientation to wait for a truck or trainer . This is widely discussed on trucking forums and it is unfortunate you didn't read those posts before making this commitment . Your husband might try joining OOIDA and asking them to investigate the carriers exploiting new students this way . These carriers hire students not because they are adding to their fleet but because they have drivers quitting all the time . As soon as a driver abandons a truck they have someone that's been sitting at home a few weeks ready to go fill the seat . I'd advise your husband do his best to fulfill his contract . If he doesn't USA will give him a negative DAC report . Have him file for unemployment while waiting for a trainer .

 

[moose]

Saturn,
it will help if you tell us where do you live.

call OOIDA , 1800-444-5791 , ask for membership , and ask if they have an open sponsor membership .
some OOIDA members that doing well , are sponsoring new members that cannot afford the 25$ first year fee.
don't let the name fulled you ,

when your hubby goes to take the test , make sure the testing facility have nothing to do with the carrier or the training school ,(if not ,call ooida on the spot !),
and that the new driver license will be sent to your home address , not to the carrier.

many new CDL holders are starting their career driving more local jobs , where there is no need for that first one year OTR experience .
those are less desired jobs , many times being done as a second source of income (tho'w you still have to log any other time spent to make money...) , or drivers that are forced to be home daily .
in many cases the income is grater then OTR / regional work .
your husband might not get to drive a show truck on his first year in business , but he will be there to take you out to a nice restaurant , (knowing exactly how the food got to that kitchen ...)

also , you need to understand , that once , and if he pulls one load for USA , the company must rapport to the DAC services .
if you think finding a good job as a new CDL holder is though , try doing it with a bad DAC report ...

the good news is that you are not alone ,and not the first , many of us , including me , have being in your shows before ,

the rezone some of the large carriers have driving schools , are not always so they can train new drivers , in many cases it is so they can collect from the Gov. and get a break on Insurance fees...



Moose.

 

[Yesteryear]

Unfortunately there are a lot of carriers doing exactly what USA is doing. They tell a potential driver he/she is hired, send them through the schooling only to tell them at the end they have no available trucks. The driver can either sit at home and wait for the company to eventually call or be slapped with a huge cdl training bill. Is sad these companies treat people so poorly.

For a team driver click on EO's classifieds and check the listings of people that are looking for a team driver, your husband might get lucky and find a compatible driver to work with. If not look on EO front page and click on the Expediter Services link. They are currently hiring (I drove for them for 16 months, are good honest people to drive for) they do have some solo trucks available. Don't know if they might have one empty but doesn't hurt to check.

As for how much we're currently making it is averaging 500.00 to 1000.00 a week as a team. That is really bad for team driving we should be making at least double. I have friends that are solos and they tell me they are averaging 500.00 to 750.00 a week. Just remember if your not in the truck with hubby and he goes into expediting you won't be seeing him for weeks and even months at a time. Staying out right now is the only way he is going to make money.

 

[TeamCaffee]

Another wrinkle I see here is if he does get on as a team driver in Expediting and USA calls him back in a month who ever has hired him is now out a team driver.

Really tough spot to be in right now as I have heard of many of the big truck companies letting experienced drivers go which is almost unheard of.

I sure wish you guys all the luck in the world for a happy ending.

 

[Yesteryear]

Another wrinkle I see here is if he does get on as a team driver in Expediting and USA calls him back in a month who ever has hired him is now out a team driver.

Really tough spot to be in right now as I have heard of many of the big truck companies letting experienced drivers go which is almost unheard of.

I sure wish you guys all the luck in the world for a happy ending.

Well, if USA is going to let him sit for week, months, or possibly always it is better to go with someone else. In this case the driver might consider taking a small loan to pay the cdl training off. He could then just make small monthly payments for say 2 to 5 years and drive for whomever he pleases. If USA does eventually call him for employment he might want to take into consideration (1) how they treated him in regards to letting him sit (2) how much are USA drivers making in comparision to what he is making in his current position (3) Does he want to go with a company that over-hires and with the possiblity of being let go on a whim.
Also consider, when sent to the cdl training the driver went on the contingency that he had a position as a driver, the driver would not have gone to the cdl training and incurred the debt if the carrier had not promised him a driving position. Has the driver signed a contract? If yes, what is in the contract as far as cdl training responsiblity if the carrier fails to follow through on their end? Who knows, maybe there maybe some legal loop he can fall back on. Might pay to check with an attorney.

 

[ATeam]

As a long-time OOIDA supporter and lifetime member, I am embarrassed to admit that I did not know about sponsored memberships until moose mentioned them. Saturnista, a sponsored membership is now waiting for you at OOIDA. Please check your private messages for contact information.

People have sometimes talked about OOIDA as not worth joining. There are 160,000 members who disagree. Diane and I support OOIDA partly because of what OOIDA does for us but more because of what OOIDA does for drivers in need of help and useful information. This thread is a perfect illustration.

Seeing the need, Diane and I have purchased four sponsored memberships, one for Saturnista and three to be used as OOIDA office people see fit. We encourage others to support OOIDA and their fellow drivers in this fashion. The contribution is a "two-for-one." New membership dollars support both OOIDA and the drivers who can make good use of OOIDA's resources and support.

 

[VBobby]

Saturnista -
I went to a company school as well. Don’t listen to all of the people putting down USA Truck. He had a plan when he went to their training and it was not a bad plan considering the circumstances. He has already invested a lot of time into his training and is about to get the cdl class a that he set out to get. That is one goal accomplished. Well done.

For that to be worth the while he needs to add one year of otr experience to it. This should be his next goal. USA truck and all the others are using their training program as a revenue source. Not only do they get people on the hook with a contract but they get some government cash for each student who gets their cdl class a. Still, they did offer an opportunity and it still stands. If he has been unemployed for as long as he has then why not do something part time like pizza delivery or something until he gets called in?
I suggest that he lives up to his side of the contract and drive for USA Truck for at least one year. Being a company driver is like being an indentured servant. He should just do his time and live up to his side of the contract. Don’t complain and be the best driver he can be. Take the year to make some money, use their equipment to perfect his driving skills and during that time develop his plan for the next five years.
If he has been unemployed, has bad credit and now skips out on his contractual commitment, it will send all the wrong signals to anyone that he may be asking to sign him on.

Bob

 

[charlee]

At this point although it sounds harsh, he could choose to intentionally fail the driving test 3x to be released from the school "debt". This "company store" syndrome that the large carriers have is ridiculous. He only needs a class b to drive a straight truck and can get hired with no experience. He needs a class a to drive a tractor, but with Panther at least he needs a minimum of 6 months verifiable OTR experience to even get into a tractor. Getting a class b is very easy and no need for a school to make it happen. The other hurdles are finding a good person to run team with. I would choose to come out of this without any debt obligation if anyway possible.



-charlee

 

[pjjjjj]

Interesting points of view from you guys!

I just wondered.. that obligation to work for USA for one year, does that year period begin as soon as the cdl is obtained, or as soon as the student gets his first load, and is it a calendar year, or what they deem to be a year's worth of driving time?

That was very generous of you ATeam, especially during these slower times when more may not feel able to come up with that extra $25.

 

[pelicn]

Cheri - the school will only release him if he does not pass after X number of tries.

This doesn't sound right. If he doesn't pass, that isn't USA's fault, so why would USA release him without making him pay for the cost of the school?

If it is right, I think I'd do as Charlee suggested, if he never plans on driving a tractor trailer.

Have you considered "teaming" with your husband?