U.s. Xpress Enterprises Ripoff Trains people like cattle to drive simi but really puts unskilled on road Chattanooga Tennessee

Jonathan,
Lets set the record steight. Yes the CDL was incorporated in 1992. Pior to this the chauffeurs lic. and the class A were non-commercial lic. .. The Class I, va
lid in the 60's and 70's were commerical lic. [commerical truck drivers lic], The Class I was incorporated into the Commercial Class A.
The commericial class A is valid for non-commercial freight, such as horses, cows. etc. And are still valid. The commercial Class A was for driving commercial vehicles. NOW !!! ..... in order to drive a commercial vehicle, transporting freight, you will need a valid CDL, and the proper endorsements.

Anyone who accepts and agree's to work for any national OTR trucking company, gets what they deserve!!! Pure and simple,when you accept their terms of employment and compansational packages, you have no one to blame but yourself!!! When accepting these meager and pitiful compansation packages, you are contributing to the problem, and not helping in the solution. The solution is to go and work for a regional and or locale trucking and or transpertation company. Christ people, when will you learn that you HOLD THE KEY TO YOUR COMPANSATIONAL SUCCESS, by getting your CDL-A!!!!!!! Once you get that certificate of CDL-A, YOU HAVE WHAT ALL OF THE OVER THE ROAD COMPANIES DON'T HAVE, A CDL-A LICIENCE!!!! THATS WHY THEY NEED YOU TO DRIVE THEIR TRUCKS!!!! THEY NEED YOU, SO WHY DO YOU LET THEM DETERMINE YOUR COMPANSATIONAL EARNINGS??? MY GOD PEOPLE, WAKE UP. WITHOUT YOU THEY CANNOT CONDUCT BUISNESS!!!!!!! IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE PEOPLE!! THINK OF IT THIS WAY-IT'S A CASE OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND, JUST LIKE DIESEL FUEL, WHEN IN SHORT SUPPLY THE PRICE RISES.....HELLOW........ THE CURRENT AMOUNT OF AVAILABLE CDL-A DRIVERS IS LOW, SO YOU SHOULD BE DEMANDING TOP DOLLAR FOR YOUR SERVICES. YOU SET THE PRICE, JUST LIKE OPEC, NOT THE COMPANIES THAT NEED YOU!!!!!!!!!!

So Mike in Redlands CA is a SCAB? He sure got your number in his response! Your attitude is exactly why many people have a very low opinion of the Teamsters. It's an 'us' against 'them' situation for you and quite a few others. Where's your spirit of cooperation? Not everyone is management, and if the majority of workers have your attitude, you know darned well they couldn't run the company! I take that back--they *could* run the company--right into the ground, and then where would your job be?

You remind me of a couple of Teamsters with which I'm acquainted. How many times during the year are you out on 'disability', especially during the season when it's ideal to spend some time at your cottage on the lake, or the kids want to go to Disneyland/Disneyworld? How many times has the union had to protect your job? A conscientious, ambitious worker would never PAY anyone to hang on to their job. Thank God your number is dwindling!

I suggest that you mind your own business. You have no pertinent facts to add to the subject, so you should be silent.

I do not troll these posts in an attept to insult people.

I just respond to BS and ignorance when I see it.

Mike used the term CDL referring to an era when the term CDL did not exist.

It was a simple point of fact.

Steve - Bradenton, Florida, I see you are on another thread accusing someone of blowing smoke or being ignorant of facts. You really need to stop trolling these complaints just to insult people.

S. in Texas

: )

Steve - Bradenton, Florida, I see you are on another thread accusing someone of blowing smoke or being ignorant of facts. You really need to stop trolling these complaints just to insult people.

S. in Texas

: )

Steve - Bradenton, Florida, I see you are on another thread accusing someone of blowing smoke or being ignorant of facts. You really need to stop trolling these complaints just to insult people.

S. in Texas

: )

Steve
I know what the differences are in the old licenses and the new CDL. I have to take the test upon renewal of my license along with the 2 endorsements that I currently hold (doubles & Haz Mat), don't understand your fascination with me and my license. I know it is much tougher today than years prior to get a CDL. Reason I first mentioned CDL in my post was most posts here about trucking companies have to do with new hires that maybe don't understand the industry or went into it with big dreams of the open road only to see too fast the reality of it and found out it wasn't what they thought

Jonathon
Scab ??? I have never taken a job with a company to do bargaining unit work while its rank and file have been on strike. And I have never had to drive during a strike within my industry, but I have had to go to a location where the facility
has employees on strike and our union driver
cannot cross the line so I have had to take the equipment through the line to make the delivery.
I have been on the other side and have 12 years and a withdrawal card from the Teamsters. I do not believe as you appear to that employment in a unionized industry is a "them and us" situation between management and union employees. We all have a job to do and it takes an attitude of fairness on everyones part.

I am not real familiar with the ATC strike and all of its merits that you are referring to from a few years back, but I do realize that all stikes happen after negotiations have broken down.I do not believe that just because they cannot agree and one side decides to strike, that it shouldn't be business as usual to the best of its ability to keep things going.

Now, since you have decided that you know all about me, let me say what I know about you.
You sound like a hardline Union person that believes whatever the union wants they should get and the company or organization should give in or shut down until it is given. You sound like a person who under normal circumstances would not have a job without union protection, that you are a worthless employee who rode the work being performed by your fellow brothers and sisters and only had a job because the union had to constantly defend it for you against termination.
You are one of the few bad apples in work force who does not believe in "a fair days work for a fair days pay", you want to do as little as possible and get paid for it, complaining all the way

well it has been a pleasure
hope to hear back soon

Plain and simple. You said it yourself, "I have mostly worked for union carriers. I have had to put it to use during strikes and at other times..."

Nice work if you can get it, stepping on the backs of Union Brothers and Sisters, to further your own career. Thinking nothing of them while you sit in your office, day in and day out.

How do I know you are a scab? Because you look and sound like every management puke that walked through the picket lines during a very famous strike. The 1981 Air Traffic Strike. My Brothers and Sisters were trampled on by the FAA and management, because we tried to get some decent working conditions.

"Hold on Delta 256, I am taking a leak in a coffee can because management won't let me take a break to do it".

The evil of the world is made possible
by nothing but the sanction you give it.

Mike, your missing my point. The CDL is a license that meets a uniform federal standard. A CDL did not exist in 1986, nor did you need to meet the qualifications for the current cdl in 1986.

Various states had different classifications which all alolowed a person to operate a tractor trailer with no formal training or even a road test!

Class A, Class 1, and the chauffeur's license all allowed the operation of a tractor trailer with no road test on the vehicle.

That was the whole purpose of the current CDL standards which was to establish a federal standard. The current CDL is actually a federal drivers license that they allow the states to issue.

The "Class A" license you held in 1986 is of no comparison at all to the Class A CDL today.

Thats my point, and yes you were blowing smoke, or just don't really know the facts.

Mike, your missing my point. The CDL is a license that meets a uniform federal standard. A CDL did not exist in 1986, nor did you need to meet the qualifications for the current cdl in 1986.

Various states had different classifications which all alolowed a person to operate a tractor trailer with no formal training or even a road test!

Class A, Class 1, and the chauffeur's license all allowed the operation of a tractor trailer with no road test on the vehicle.

That was the whole purpose of the current CDL standards which was to establish a federal standard. The current CDL is actually a federal drivers license that they allow the states to issue.

The "Class A" license you held in 1986 is of no comparison at all to the Class A CDL today.

Thats my point, and yes you were blowing smoke, or just don't really know the facts.

Mike, your missing my point. The CDL is a license that meets a uniform federal standard. A CDL did not exist in 1986, nor did you need to meet the qualifications for the current cdl in 1986.

Various states had different classifications which all alolowed a person to operate a tractor trailer with no formal training or even a road test!

Class A, Class 1, and the chauffeur's license all allowed the operation of a tractor trailer with no road test on the vehicle.

That was the whole purpose of the current CDL standards which was to establish a federal standard. The current CDL is actually a federal drivers license that they allow the states to issue.

The "Class A" license you held in 1986 is of no comparison at all to the Class A CDL today.

Thats my point, and yes you were blowing smoke, or just don't really know the facts.

Mike, your missing my point. The CDL is a license that meets a uniform federal standard. A CDL did not exist in 1986, nor did you need to meet the qualifications for the current cdl in 1986.

Various states had different classifications which all alolowed a person to operate a tractor trailer with no formal training or even a road test!

Class A, Class 1, and the chauffeur's license all allowed the operation of a tractor trailer with no road test on the vehicle.

That was the whole purpose of the current CDL standards which was to establish a federal standard. The current CDL is actually a federal drivers license that they allow the states to issue.

The "Class A" license you held in 1986 is of no comparison at all to the Class A CDL today.

Thats my point, and yes you were blowing smoke, or just don't really know the facts.

Steve I realize that CDLs have been called other things. In 1986 when I had mine, here in California they were called Class A license. I did not have a chauffer's license as you alluded to. Would have no need for one of those in the trucking industry.

As to maintaining it, I am under all of the guidelines as every other person who has a CDL and must go for renewals and my DOT Physical like everyone else. Just don't have to take the driving tests as long as the license in maintained and I don't let it lapse.

No smoke being blown here

Anything else?

Steve I realize that CDLs have been called other things. In 1986 when I had mine, here in California they were called Class A license. I did not have a chauffer's license as you alluded to. Would have no need for one of those in the trucking industry.

As to maintaining it, I am under all of the guidelines as every other person who has a CDL and must go for renewals and my DOT Physical like everyone else. Just don't have to take the driving tests as long as the license in maintained and I don't let it lapse.

No smoke being blown here

Anything else?

Steve I realize that CDLs have been called other things. In 1986 when I had mine, here in California they were called Class A license. I did not have a chauffer's license as you alluded to. Would have no need for one of those in the trucking industry.

As to maintaining it, I am under all of the guidelines as every other person who has a CDL and must go for renewals and my DOT Physical like everyone else. Just don't have to take the driving tests as long as the license in maintained and I don't let it lapse.

No smoke being blown here

Anything else?

Mike,

I have also been a commercial driver for the better part of the last 24 years, on all types of vehicles.

You stated that you got your CDL in 1986. Well, this is impossible since the CDL was not created until 1992, and implemented in 1993 and made mandatory.

AND, if you were currently in a truck driving job for at least 1 year when the new rules took effect the license you were using was grandfathered into a CDL. You never had to even take the written test or road test.

That fact is that most of the people grandfathered could not pass the CDL test.

I let my CDL expire and had to take the entire written and road test in 2002.

What you had in 1986 was most likely a chauffeurs license which only required a minimal written test to upgrade from your operators license.

So who is really blowing smoke here?

in your own words you are cheat and a lier so why chould we beleave anything you have to say, but let me point out some things you said.

you are like so meney people you just can't do math. your 100% would be 200% to the rest of us that can do math.

you said:That means that they hire new drivers in January, and by June almost all of them are gone. So, they hire more drivers. But, by December all of those new hires are gone too

100% turn over would be hire 100 people and then 100 quit in a year then that would be a 100% turn over. if you hire 100 in Jan. and 100 quit in June and you hire 100 more and thy quit by December that would be a 200% turn over so please go back to school and take MATH.

you said: First, they expect you to run illegal. Truck drivers are governed by federal laws that tell you how long to drive. You are required to have a certain amount of sleep.

again you do not know what you are talking about, i have never been asked to run illegal NEVER, US XPRESS will suspended a driver if thy find out he is running illegal. you also don't know what you are talking about in that their is NO LAW that tells a driver how long thy can drive. FMCSA can not make a LAW thy can make rules but not laws and no one has made a rule or law saying how long you must sleep... only how long you have to be off duty. befor you say something you should know
what you are talking about.

you said:A new driver can expect to make around $35,000 a year. Good money, right? Wrong! You work more than 80 hours each week to get that pay.

you can only work 80hr a week if you are running illegal as we all know you can only work 70hr a week and i was working longer weeks than that working for SONY as a supervisor. and this year i will make over $45,000. i will have worked for USX for 2 years in April. and if you are so smart then please tell us all what job will start out someone just out of school at 35k a year

you said: the worst part is the way the companies treat you. Like trash.

i have found that you get treated the way you treat others..?

you said:They want you to quit. That way, they can bring in a new driver to work cheaper.

almost to dumb to respond to but some time you should check out the insurance for a new driver and one that has 1 year OTR.

you said:I got tired of always being dead tired and filthy dirty.

i don't know why, i get 10hr off every day i get a shower every day or two (up to me) and 7-8 hours in bed EVERDAY.

you said:They force the drivers to run much longer than they're allowed. That's one reason why innocent motorists get killed by trucks. In most cases, when a truck and a car collide, it was because of something the car driver did.

first this in itself if you read it is dumb but the part you missed was acorning to AAA 80% of the time when truck's and a car's collide it is the car's fault. so car's are killing truck drivers more than we are killing them.

you said:But, in some cases the truck driver simply drifts off to sleep and either kills himself or others on the road with him.

FMCSA study's show that only 4% are do to a sleepy driver and the study doesn't break down truck drivers and car drivers. and by the way did you know that 98% of all headon"s are the fault of the car driver.

you said:The government and various safety groups have tried one thing after another to get these trucking companies to run legal.

various safety groups...?? think befor you type.
safety groups are not trying anything if thy were thy would be trying to teach car driver how to drive around BIG trucks. companies like USX are not running illegal it is you that was.

you said:It keeps you out on the road and away from your family for weeks at a time.

you know that going in so don't whine about it now

you said:They'll fill the person's head so full of dreams that some of them will actually spend thousands of dollars to go to trucking school.

strange i went to the best school in my state and it was $940.

you said: My school was free. Or rather, I never paid for it. But the cost would have been around $6,000. Even if you do the same as I did, the debt will still end up on your credit reports. I actually enjoy filling my report up with as many unpaid accounts as I can find.

you also said:Another thing; I have plenty of money, so I knew I could quit anytime.

i need to find you and get you to give me a loan so i can not pay it back and be a lier and cheat like you. if one were to look at what you have said why would someone trust a word you said.

you said;"I'm a complete idiot.What else can you say about a driver who pushes an 80,000 pound semi through 4 inches of new snow at 68 miles per hour?"

yes YOU are


you said:Sometimes the shipper loads it on schedule. Then, you actually stand a reasonable chance of making your delivery on schedule. But, other times, the shipper takes 6 hours to load your truck. Now, you're late and struggling to make up for lost time.

if you are loaded late then the load is late, you don't have to make up the time.

you said:By the way, semis average 50 miles an hour, not 70 like cars do. Do the math.

maybe you should have spent less time at the truckstop's i run legal all the time and i run from NY. to CA. and my load average speed (Fedex air) is 50mph. i never speed and my truck will only go 65 and i still run 620-650 a day. thats 11hr driving and i do that with fuel stops in less that 12hr.

you said:I know this sounds bad. Maybe you figure I've got a grudge against someone in trucking.

that is just what it sound's like, you broke the law, thy found out and now you are mad at them..?

you said:Well, according to this clown, no union job will even consider hiring you for 3 to 5 years. So, forget all about the 80 grand that he's talking about.

and just when was the last time you tryed to get into a union shop right out of school..? will not happen in trucking or any union shop.

you said:Don't get me wrong. It's not all bad. If they would pay the 80 grand this guy talks about and actually let you get 8 hours of sleep like the law says, I'd probably still be doing it.

no law saids you have to have 8hr sleep. if you had not been out breaking the law that is ware you would be about now.

you said: Remember, you'll be paying thousands of dollars to get the special license and learn how to drive the trucks. Be absolutely sure that it's something that you plan to stick with until you can make all that money back.

that part is right and i will say that again that is right. but that is you should do any time you go to school to learn a new job. but you are like most people you didn't think it out first. you just got up one day and said i'm going to be a truck driver. and didn't think it over first and when it didn't turn out the way you wanted it to it is the worlds fault.

you said:Meanwhile, you'll be fighting to keep yourself awake on interstate 80 through Wyoming until 3 in the morning.

looking at the time's on your posting 9/21/2005 11:28:47 PM and 10/4/2005 1:16:56 AM you seem to like to stay up late anyway so what is the big deal.

befor you sit and rant and rave about something YOU SAY you like to do you need to sit down and take a good look at what in your life and made you so bitter at everything.

to all the rest of you US Xpress is a good place to work, is it the best..? no some are better and alot are not as good. thy are a good fit for me and my wife and we are happy with them, we get good miles and WE will make about $90,000 this year. we get home when we want to.

but like any job YOU should check out all the places you are thinking about going to, stop by the truckstop's and TALK to drivers and see how thy like who thy are working for and then check around again, you should know as much about the place as you can befor you start.

oh by the way Paul why did you check Consumer Suggestion instead of Ex-Employee like you say you are...??

Driver

Here's the thing, people. If you're already in a truck and happy there, by all means keep it up. I couldn't care less if some company has you out running all night long so that you'll make their morning appointment.

If you like that life, then you stick with it.

My comments aren't meant to convince you to quit. I come here to warn new people who are thinking about learning to drive tractor-trailer trucks and taking a long-haul job.

You see, those people will call the companies and listen to all the lies about great pay and an exciting new career. They'll fill the person's head so full of dreams that some of them will actually spend thousands of dollars to go to trucking school.

That's right, the training costs money. Big money. My school was free. Or rather, I never paid for it. But the cost would have been around $6,000. Even if you do the same as I did, the debt will still end up on your credit reports. I actually enjoy filling my report up with as many unpaid accounts as I can find. But, most people want and need their credit. They don't need a collection agency calling them either.

So, that's the first problem with truck driving. You have to pay big bucks for the training. You either pay cash out of your pocket now, or else promise to make monthly payments if they finance you.

And, after you get that training, what is waiting for you?

Well, according to this clown, no union job will even consider hiring you for 3 to 5 years. So, forget all about the 80 grand that he's talking about.

Instead, you'll start the same place I did. Over the road, long-haul trucking. You'll receive around 30 cents for each mile you drive. You'll be in a truck, away from your family and your home for weeks at a time. For around $8 an hour. Sound great?

And, since the only companies that actually run legal are wal-mart and fed-ex, you'll end up doing the exact same thing I did. Driving all day and late into the night, trying to make the appointments the company gives you.

That will be your life. Up early each morning to make your delivery, and then drive to the next pickup. After you're loaded, you'll need to drive another 500 miles to make your delivery the following morning. By the way, semis average 50 miles an hour, not 70 like cars do. Do the math.

Your whole life will be that truck and the loads the company puts on it. You're looking at 13 and 14 hour days. Seven days a week. Do the math there. It comes out to 100 hours for $800. Does that sound like a bargain?

Does that sound like something that you'll want to do for the next 3 to 5 years? Dead tired and filthy dirty every day? It sounds more like a prison sentence to me. Hell, the back of the truck is probably even smaller than the jail cell the inmates get.

But, that's where you'll be spending your next 3 to 5 years.

Yeah, it's easy for this fool to come here and tell you to hang on and then something worthwhile will be waiting for you many years down the road. After all, he goes home every night. He gets to cuddle up next to a wife or girlfriend. Meanwhile, you'll be fighting to keep yourself awake on interstate 80 through Wyoming until 3 in the morning.

Trust me, it's no picnic. I actually enjoyed working with the little trucks. So, I wanted to be there. Another thing; I have plenty of money, so I knew I could quit anytime. Most people don't have that luxury. They are stuck in that d**n truck because they have no other way out. They end up living from paycheck to paycheck.

Another thing you'll want to consider. The job is dangerous. I never felt unsafe. That's because I'm a complete idiot. What else can you say about a driver who pushes an 80,000 pound semi through 4 inches of new snow at 68 miles per hour? One skid going around a curve in the road and the thing can jack-knife and get away from you. If it rolls over, you can kiss it all goodbye. Crushed. Smashed behind the wheel. Maybe the fuel will catch on fire when you crash. That way, you'll burn to death, assuming the crash itself hasn't killed you.

I knew all that. But, I still drove the things anyway. I got lucky. I managed not to kill myself or anyone else on the road. Care to gamble with your life like that? Hell, you'll get better odds in Vegas.

Chances are you won't get killed if you're careful. The odds are that you will end up like so many others before you. They tried the job and got sick and tired of the way the companies treated them. They get sick and tired of driving from one problem to another.

You see, each load works that way. Sometimes the shipper loads it on schedule. Then, you actually stand a reasonable chance of making your delivery on schedule. But, other times, the shipper takes 6 hours to load your truck. Now, you're late and struggling to make up for lost time.

That's exactly why you end up driving at top speed through a heavy rain until the wee hours of the morning.

I'll tell you. I'm so glad to be out of those d**n trucks. There are some good things that I miss. But, when I sit down and look at all the good and all the bad, I can honestly say that I made the right decision by walking away.

One last thing. Most companies will cheat you. I knew that going into the deal. So, I cheated them first. Somebody's going to lose when a tractor-trailer truck is rolling. My objective was having it not be me.

There is only one company that I worked for that didn't cheat me. KLLM out of Jackson, Mississippi. All the rest will pay you as little as they can get away with.

I know this sounds bad. Maybe you figure I've got a grudge against someone in trucking. So, do this. There is a site called newbie driver. All one word. There is another site called diary of a swift driver. Use google. There are probably another dozen people who have started web sites that tell you of their experiences in the trucking industry. Check em all out.

You see, I got no problem if you want to be a driver. Just as long as you don't believe some phony company and their promises of a great job. If you know going into the job that it sucks and you take it anyway, then you'll only have yourself to blame if it doesn't turn out like you thought it would.

Don't get me wrong. It's not all bad. If they would pay the 80 grand this guy talks about and actually let you get 8 hours of sleep like the law says, I'd probably still be doing it.

Of course, they don't and they won't. So, that's why I said the hell with it.

Read all the comments on the internet. All the sites, not just here. Then, make your own decision based on everything you have seen and read. Remember, you'll be paying thousands of dollars to get the special license and learn how to drive the trucks. Be absolutely sure that it's something that you plan to stick with until you can make all that money back.

Stop trying to offer your "expert" opinion on the trucking industry. By your own posts, you have stated that your career consisted of 12 different jobs in 2 years, hardly enough time to be an expert on any company, let alone the industry. The fact that you now state you were a thief and cheating the companies you worked for
even speaks more of your charactor.
I have been in the industry for more than 20 years, even thouogh it has all been in management, I did get my CDL in 1986 and have continued to maintain it as it is a plus to have one in this industry.I have mostly worked for union carriers. I have had to put it to use during strikes and at other times in the last 20 years, so I may not have racked up a million miles, but I do have the experience of 20 years with only 4 different companies and I am currently in charge of a linehaul division for a major carrier.
Now it is a given that union companies run their operation different that most of the large truckload companies or independants, but DOT rules are DOT rules. These have changed drastically in the last 2 years and you are wrong to say that a company cannot get in trouble for the actions of it's drivers. Ever heard of the BIT INSPECTION ? It is a state audit of trucking companies that is held randomly every 2 years, any descrepancies in a drivers logs result in fines to the company. If the authorities discover that too many drivers from any one company are running illegal, that company's operating authority is in jeopardy.
I usually laugh at your posts regarding your slant on the industry, but the fact that you steal and cheat to make your ends meet was more than I cared to hear and had to comment.

To anyone who is interested in the industry, it is a well paying career,union jobs will pay more than non-union. It is definitely not for everyone. You may think it is for you, but sometimes you are just not cut out for the job and no amount of training will fix that. It is also a different way of life driving Over-The-Road, be prepared to spend long periods of time away in the beginning of you career as you are the "newbie" and will be treated as such.
You need experience to get on with a union company as none will hire you out of a school. In the beginning of any job in the industry, you will get the "crap" loads. You have to pay your dues and earn your whiskers in this industry as in any other. Pay is usually lower to a new hire than it is to someone with a little time with the company. Loyalty does have its perks. If you are just out of a school, get on with a company who will hire and train you. Ride it out for 3-5 years and you can pretty much write your own ticket in the industry. Keep clean with the law too. The line drivers with my company run legal and they are home every other day and the drivers who wish to run hard (and legal) can make $80M plus per year. City LTL Pick-up & Delivery is also an option after you have some driving experience, these drivers are home every nite with usually weekends off. Union scale for city drivers is a bit over $20 per hour and due to a shortage some non-union comanies are even paying more than that (Con-Way)if you have the experience.

Just remember, you have to pay your dues with any profession. Entry level means just that, you start on the bottom. Not all companies out there are money making opportunities, especially in the beginning, even a union job starts at 75% of scale and takes you 2 years to reach full scale.

Paul's experience in this industry is outdated and from what I have read is definitely the exception to the rule and not what is happening with a majority of the drivers today. Plus he probably had to run illegal as he was spending too much time hanging around truckstops ripping off the companies he worked for selling their fuel and freight that he had to run illegal to make up time. Probably why he never showered or slept too, he was too busy being a thief.

Please Paul, give it a rest and find something else to be an expert at like Ebay or Paypal which you have an abundance of rebuttals to, but you admittedly never used either one.

Tell me something, why does the trucking industry have more than 100% turnover with its drivers?

That means that they hire new drivers in January, and by June almost all of them are gone. So, they hire more drivers. But, by December all of those new hires are gone too.

Why is that?

I'll tell you.

It's because truck driving isn't a good job, that's why. If it was, people wouldn't leave.

There are a small percentage of drivers who own their own truck and are actually making a good living by driving it. The rest of the drivers are idiots who drive their lives away for chump change. Many of them are simply too stupid to know that. The smart drivers realize the job is bad and either walk away, or else buy a truck and learn how to make good money with it.

It's really just that simple. If you train to be a driver and hire on with one of the large companies, you will not make a good living. I know, because that's exactly what I did. I tried one company after another. They all do the same things.

First, they expect you to run illegal. Truck drivers are governed by federal laws that tell you how long to drive. You are required to have a certain amount of sleep.

But, these fleets never follow the rules. They force the drivers to run much longer than they're allowed. That's one reason why innocent motorists get killed by trucks. In most cases, when a truck and a car collide, it was because of something the car driver did. But, in some cases the truck driver simply drifts off to sleep and either kills himself or others on the road with him.

The government and various safety groups have tried one thing after another to get these trucking companies to run legal. But, they never do. They always find some way around the rules. And, innocent people keep getting killed. Both the truck drivers and the motoring public on the road with them.

Here's one big reason why that happens. If a trucking company forces the driver to run too long, it's the DRIVER who receives the ticket. Never the trucking company. They get all the benefits and share none of the fines. The only way the company loses is if you fall asleep and smash up their truck. But, that doesn't happen often. Most drivers handle it even when they're dead tired.

That's exactly why they run illegal. They make extra money by doing it. And, if they're caught, it's the driver who pays the fine. They don't worry about the drivers one little bit.

I had this exact thing happen to me with the company named here, US Xpress. They sent me a team load, which is illegal for a single driver to run if he has to deliver it according to the team due date. The company knew this, but they did it anyway.

Then, after doing what they TOLD me to do, they turned around and suspended me for doing it. You can't win.

I had no problem leaving these clowns. You get so d**n sick of the bullshit day in and day out. Besides, I was selling my fuel and my freight for extra money. They watch out for that. Many drivers will try to make extra money by selling the company's fuel or the freight they haul. You can only get away with it a short time. But, you can double your pay in that time. It's the only real way to make a decent living.

The company had no idea that I was cheating them. They suspended me because I followed their instructions. I know, because I spoke with a manager in their safety department. They suspended me for hauling the team load that they sent me.

This is the exact thing they do day in and day out to many of their drivers. After all, the drivers are the one's who face the fines or license suspension. The trucking company only loses when something happens to one of their trucks.

A new driver can expect to make around $35,000 a year. Good money, right? Wrong! You work more than 80 hours each week to get that pay. It's like working more than two jobs. Divide that pay in half. You have two jobs that each pay $17,000 a year.

Hell, you could work two jobs at home for $8 an hour each and end up with MORE money in your pocket and be able to come home and sleep in your own bed each night. So, by comparison, the $35,000 you make in trucking is certainly no bargain.

The ONLY reason that I stuck with it as long as I did was because I was cheating the companies. I was able to double my pay by doing that. Plus, I actually enjoyed driving the trucks. But, I quit because it still was no bargain, even with all the money I was cheating them out of. So, you can imagine how the normal driver feels.

Plus, there are a ton of other problems with the trucking job that you'd have to see to understand for yourself.

No matter how you look at it, the job is simply bad. They don't pay much. They demand that you break the law. It's dangerous. It keeps you out on the road and away from your family for weeks at a time.

I could go on and on.

And, here's the thing. I LIKED to drive. I enjoyed working with the little trucks. And, I STILL walked away because of the low pay and aggravation from the companies. So, can you imagine how someone who just takes the job because it's the only one willing to hire them will feel?

I'll be honest with you. I wouldn't recommend truck driving to anyone, except as an absolute last resort. If no other company will hire you, they give it a try until you can find something else better.

But, don't say that you haven't been warned.

So, for every driver who quits they get a tax deduction? What CB channel did you hear this one on?

Oh yes, did you also hear JB and Schneider and the State of Ohio are conspiring to keep fuel prices high?

Did you also hear how the big companies are putting video machines in truck stops? Oh yes, take a close look at them and you'll see a very small hole in the side of the cabinet. The big trucking companies have conspired to have a special gas come thru the hole so that all owner operators who throw their money away in them get very tired and can't drive...that way the big companies get their freight.

Many Americans might be tempted to take a trucking job because, right now, the jobs are easy to get. They hire you right over the phone, and provide training and instruction to learn to drive.

What you will typically find is exactly what happened to this woman. They rush you through training, and then send you out in a truck with an experienced driver for a few weeks to actually learn the daily requirements of the job.

In most cases, you will find yourself alone with a 70 foot truck and few real skills as to how to control it or maneuver it in close quarters. And, close quarters is exactly what you can expect. Ever try to fit a semi through a toll plaza? It's tight. It's the same with the truck stops. The easy pull-through spots fill up first. Late at night, all that's left are the bad spots and the ones that are too tight to get into. It's hard for a beginner.

Even after you learn to handle the truck, it's still no picnic. The hours are long. You work around the loads. You're always tired. And, this company, idiot xpress will expect you to run illegal. Everybody does that, so it's no big deal. But, if you were to ever hit someone and injure them seriously, you could go to jail for running illegal.

There's a lot of risk in trucking. What they don't tell you is that quite a few drivers get killed doing it. Crushed. Smashed. There's no easy death when a semi gets away from you.

The money isn't really worth it. You take home $700 to $1000 a week. But, you put in 100 hours or more to get that. No bargain, on a per-hour basis.

Plus, the worst part is the way the companies treat you. Like trash. They want you to quit. That way, they can bring in a new driver to work cheaper. Plus, they got a tax scam going on. Every driver who quits gives them a deduction.

I'll be honest. I love to drive. And, I was pretty good with the trucks. But, I got tired of always being dead tired and filthy dirty. Plus, the low wages and idiots from the company. Bad deal.

I have been out of a truck for well over a year now. I really don't miss a thing about it.

If you have no other alternatives, give it a shot. But, don't be surprised if you can't see yourself making a career out of it. Most people give it a try, then quit after a while. Only a handful actually stay in the trucks and delivering freight year in and year out. Those people are the ones who actually deliver everything we have.