Dan
Chicago,#2UPDATE EX-employee responds
Mon, April 08, 2013
Considering all the complaints against US Xpress, I'm surprised you didn't know this is the way they are. Understand well, they mass hire drivers and you are only good in their books when you make no waves. To them, drivers are a dime a dozen, and there is always another rookie driver to drive the truck. I seen their automatic trucks and it's nothing I would want to drive. Automatic trucks are good for rookie drivers with little driving experience. Keep in mind of the payroll deduction agreement you signed with US Xpress. Allow me to list the agreement and maybe you should be happy to have gotten away.
Unauthorized miles on the truck, driver charge of 1.00 per mile.
Violation of company fuel policy, charge to driver $25.
Abandonment of truck, charge to driver $500 if mot brought back to terminal.
Lock keys in truck, charge to driver $75.
Tow truck bill if you slide off road. Charge to driver $350 MINIMUM.
Truck clean up fee, charge to driver $250
Truck impoundment fee, charge to driver $350 MINIMUM.
Over weight fines, charge to driver $175 MINIMUM.
Parking/traffic citation, charge to driver $150 to $500 minimum pending review.
Like I was saying, be very glad you got away. It's the new inexperienced drivers that didn't get away that worries me.
Lawman78
United States of America#3UPDATE EX-employee responds
Fri, December 14, 2012
Are you freaking kidding me? You're whining about not getting an autoshift because you cant drive a 10 speed stick. Maybe that means you need to find another job because you are obviously not very good at trucking. I am a former employee of USX and I found it to be a very good company.
I put myself through trucking school in the middle of Wisconsin in the freaking winter and learned to drive a 10 speed even though I had never driven one in my life. And for you to claim that you have a disability because you can't drive a stick, not because of a disability, but a lack if learning???? That is what is wrong with this country. Learn the following phrase, you will need to use ot in youre future career "Would you like fries with that?"
Older than Dirt
Kingsport,#4General Comment
Thu, November 29, 2012
I am wondering why the guy went to truck school in the 1st place and second i would not have hired him at all when he explained how he torn up clutches and such. Trucking is driving and shifting gears not driving a huge car with an automatic and 45000 lbs of freight behind you. US Xpress didnt train you but you want to blame them because you got cheated by a truck school and not being able to shift a truck isnt a disability, its called not being a truck driver. Some companies have auto's but most dont. So i would go back to the school and tell them to retrain me or im going to sue you. Aand the guy who said they dont count militiary is full of it if you were trained to be a semi truck driver your state would count it but if you were trained in vehicles that were not semi's then no they dont count it. Ive been driving a Truck since dec 83 and every place i have worked always has some different style and if you cant drive a standard 10 speed wow what would you do with a 6/4 tranny. This is trucking and you need to learn it or go back to something you are good at.
Marty
Stillwater,#5General Comment
Fri, September 21, 2012
I understand your problem with a stick,but it doesn't change the fact that they are not going away.I wouldn't say most but I would say a lot of people drive them so well that you would think they are automatic,if you didn't see their hand move. So your stuck either learning or trying to get on with people that have automatics.
Good luck.
David
Orlando,#6Author of original report
Fri, September 21, 2012
I know autos are more expensive than sticks. However, I have always had too many problems driving stick shifts. Almost literally, every time I get behind the wheel of a stick shift, I either break the clutch or the Transmission!
I have attempted to learn to drive them several times. But it is not worth it any more. After you attempt and fail at something like this 10 times or more and you have to pay out a bunch of money to fix your own car, you just have to say, "to hell with it! It just wasn't meant to be, God does not want me to drive stick shifts obviously."
It is just a waste of time to shift through all those gears anyways. Why waste time and energy shifting, when you can get an automatic transmission and just press the gas and go! No wasting time trying to get coordinated and timing right, etc, having to release the gas, hit the clutch, shift, release clutch and hit the gas over and over again all day long, that would suck!
These days, the Automatic Transmission vehicles get just as good of gas mileage as stick shifts, some of them even get better mileage than sticks.
BTW, you're from Stillwater. What state? I used to live in a town called "Stillwater, Minnesota". Right next to the border of WI and only about, Ten miles away from the a prison for really hardened criminals!
MartyMarsh
Stillwater,#7General Comment
Tue, September 11, 2012
What your not getting is it is the companies with the automatics that are more of a problem than most.When US Express started using them and training with them,that wasn't for you,that was so that once they trained a new driver they couldn't go for another truck driving job because everyone was using sticks.The other companies caught on and followed what they where doing,also I don't know about now but an automatic use to cost a lot more than a stick,that is another reason not everyone uses them.
But in the end the stick is here to stay,and your only limiting yourself by not learning how to drive them.
This is just friendly advise,this business is ugly to begin with and you have thrown another problem in the mix for yourself.Good luck and God Bless.
David
Orlando,#8Author of original report
Tue, September 11, 2012
Yes, I did go through the truck driver training in a d**n stick shift. U had to suffer through 3 weeks of that. However, I drove trucks in the Army to, everything in the US Army is automatic! They got sick of replacing clutches and transmissions from people like me driving them. But, civilian companies don't count military experience, so I had to take a civilian class and waste my time, money, gas and GI Bill to take the class again! I dud good in the class except for having to drive a stick shift. They should stop making stick shifts completely now, they are getting obsolete. They need to put them in a history museum next to the horse and buggy! That's where they belong! I went to work for TransAm instead. They are one of the few companies that still have 99% or more automatics. But that company sucks to! Be sure and read my complaint on here about TransAm and how they screwed me over as well!
anonymous
Glendale,#9General Comment
Sun, June 17, 2012
you are accusing a company of violating federal law because they will not supply you with automatic transmission. Try taking that to the ADA and see how far you get. You have to have experience to apply for a job with them or attended a driving school and if you can not use a clutch how did you get through school because i dont know of one school that trains with automatic's so something doesn't make sense here.
MartyMarsh
Stillwater,#10General Comment
Mon, April 09, 2012
That's it in a nut shell, I didn't go in to the details because I didn't know how much you knew, but yes that's it. It just takes a little practice. But in this guys defence, I have seen people that couldn't drive your every day 4 speed stick. It probably has something to do with multitasking, then you throw a stick of gum in the equation and we have big problems.
Ramjet
Somewhere,#11Consumer Comment
Mon, April 09, 2012
This will really date me.
I remember having stick shift cars without synchronizers that we had to do what you said to shift. In the sports car world we call it double clutching. No too hard to learn, it just takes some practice to get the rpm's to match.
MartyMarsh
Stillwater,#12General Comment
Sun, April 08, 2012
Hey buddy your showing your age. But no it is not like driving a car,you have to have the motor and trans moving at the same speed for it to go in gear.I think he just had a bad teacher.
As far as the disability,he wasn't hired yet so anything that is wrong with him they do not have to compensate for,right?
Ramjet
Somewhere,#13Consumer Comment
Sun, April 08, 2012
Actually my first name is Roger. However, my last name is obviously not Ramjet. I just like the old Roger Ramjet cartoons and over the years some people have called me Ramjet.
My wife, my sisters, my daughter, my daughter-in-law and my old sainted mother were fully capable of driving a stick shift car. In fact my wife has a Miata with a standard transmission right now. I've never driven a semi so I don't what problems there might be but it seems like the basic principal must be similar. There have been millions of truck drivers who have mastered it.
It's just hard for me to understand someone not being able to learn to drive a stick, that's why I asked if it's any kind of recognized disability.
MartyMarsh
Stillwater,#14General Comment
Sun, April 08, 2012
Ramjet,is your first name Roger? I have no interest in trying to prove anyone wrong or belittleing them.But he mentioned that he thought he had a disability because he couldn't drive a stick,with that said,do I have a disability because I can't fly a 747,or better yet if I went to school to fly and they wouldn't pass me because I just couldn't get the hang of flying a 747,do I have a disability?It's one thing to reasonably accommodate someone with a disability but it is another thing to expect anyone to spend over 100 grand to do so.He may have a learning diasbility and I'm not suggesting that he is stupid,some people can't do certain things.But I believe that he may have just had a bad teacher,if you don't do more than say,you have to do it this way or that,and make your student understand that the trans and motor have to run at the same speed to work properly,then they are not going to get how it goes from 1st to 2nd.Actually I know he was taught wrong because he said he burnt up a clutch,and I can hear his teacher now,just give it a little throttle as your letting out on the clutch.You do not have to do that to get a truck moving,just let out on the clutch,if it stalls your letting out to fast,very simple.
Another thing that bothers me a little,is if you have a disabilitywhat are you doing behind the wheel of 40 tons.If you have say a learning disability what are you going to do with that 40 tons when you get in an emergency situation?Believe me,you spend more time getting out of nasty situations that other people put you in than one can possibly imagine.
Sorry I got a little long winded here,but if this is something he wants to do I want to help not hurt.
I wish you folks the best and God Bless.
(((ROR redacted))) Marty
CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.
Ramjet
Somewhere,#15Consumer Comment
Sun, April 08, 2012
Have you contacted someone to see if your inability to drive a stick shift is indeed a legal disability?
I don't know how that procedure works and am curious about the procedure.
MartyMarsh
Stillwater,#16General Comment
Sun, April 08, 2012
It would not surprise me at all that they lied to you,all of the big companies are professionals when it comes to lieing.But you really can't expect anyone to buy a truck to fit your needs.Most trucking companies have sticks so if you wheren't happy there you would be out of a job until you could find another one with automatics,and that is if they would hire you.
So did they lie to you,I wouldn't doubt it for a minute,are you expecting to much,yes I'm afraid you are.
The trucking industry is already an ugly ugly business and your throwing another negative in there.
If you want to drive truck bad enough you will learn what ever you need to.Also if you want to do something bad enough,there is no such word as CAN'T.
So after 39 years I would not recommend becoming a truck driver to anyone and if I had to do it over again I would blow my brains out first.That is just a little idea what your in for.
I wish you the best and God Bless.
Marty