Comments By Eric S.

Appreciate that and I will do that. And your right failure breeds negativity and it spreads

Eric S heard...

I’m not hearing a lot of good things about xpress

Eric... it’s BS. Not believe a word of it. With very few exceptions what you hear, more like read on the Internet is written by trucking failures or wanna-be’s. The prevailing attitude is most often “blame the company for their failure.” More often than not...the responsibility for failure lies right at the feet of the finger pointing former driver.

I’ve been with Swift for 7 years...they are the darling of all the Internet trucking haters. Not a word of it is true... all BS. I’m well taken care of, have always been treated fairly and professionally. No regrets...started with them, God willing I’ll retire from them.

My advice...wipe your memory clean from any distraction caused my the naysayers. It’s not healthy to latch onto any of it... Go into their orientation with a positive mind and seek out the million milers that come and go through the terminal.

Good luck! Be positive. Be safe.

Peace.

Most definitely. I’m not hearing a lot of good things about xpress but I’m looking at it as a stepping stone and maybe,fingers crossed, I’ll actually be one of the few who has a great experience working with them.

Thats great news Eric. Keep your eye on the prize and stick it out atleast 1 year. If you can do that and put more time since your last incident you'll have many more options available if you feel Western Express isn't a good fit for you.

Please keep us updated how things turn out.

Western express is putting me on a bus tomorrow to go to orientation. I was told as long as there not DOT accidents they can work with them. I’m beyond relived that my persistence is paying off 🙏.

The contract was for my schooling which with England it works like this. If I stay with them for a year then I don’t need to pay them back for my tuition. They terminated my lease with them when they put me down as disqualified to drive with them. I was told I could go somewhere else but the first place I applied(CFI). Won’t take me because these incidents were handled in house but England is reporting it on driver fax

Western Express? Dutch Maid? Kinda all I've got, atm. When you say terminated your 'lease' with them.. were you an L/P driver?

~ Anne ~

Arguing about England is something we can do on another post because that’s not what I initially started this for. But I will say this. The amount of leeway you have in situations depends entirely on who your dm is and How much you are or aren’t cool with your higher ups. You may agree or disagree but it is what it is. Move on,learn,grow and improve

Hi all, I am a new member to the forum. I am in complete agreement with Old School. I was a Independent Contractor and Driver Trainer with England. If all is as Eric S. stated, England simply "cut their losses."

Here's the real kicker...

I'd be willing to bet if he had taken the prudent path of being an employee (company driver) they would have had him come to Salt Lake City for some additional training and kept him on as an employee. If he showed a willingness to accept his responsibility and learn from the incidents, I think he'd have a shot at remaining a company driver. As a lease operator, he isn't going to get that type consideration. They cut their losses and decided to move on.

No problem lol all of the side comedy put me in a better mood to find another job. I’ve been honest on my applications since the one I put in with CFI. More info on that I won’t be able to work for them for awhile because England told me that I didn’t need to put the accidents down on my application for new jobs because they were small incidents. Well lesson learned on that well just say lol. But I’ve had a few hit backs mostly from places like western express,covenant transportation,swift,knight etc. I’ve just been taking the honest route as I was advised to do and told the whole truth without my personal feelings being involved and I’ve had it rewarded with some open ears in return so fingers are crossed.

With how quick Daniel was to provide sources for his argument on the thread regarding the new political landscape affecting oil i figured he'd have given me a source to backup his argument. This guy reminds me of Professor X that did the Roehl diary. Seems to have it all figured out but in the end is absolutely clueless. Read what you're signing your name to and you'd completely understand what you're agreeing to.

Eric have you used this link to Apply For Truck Driving Jobs? Fill out one application and it'll be sent to numerous companies saving you. I'm sorry this thread got derailed but please keep us updated on where you're able to get another opportunity.

Yes I have moved on from it for the most part. To myself I still feel drivers should have more protection and understanding from employers in this situation. However I know it’s my job to check all of my surroundings nobody is diving the truck but me. I talked with a recruiter at us xpress and told her I would not have a problem going out with a trainer for the time they put forth to me. Nor would I have a problem with teaming for 6 months although I really don’t want to team if I’m being honest there are probably going to be situations going forward we’re teaming would actually help me more then hinder me. Whatever comes I’ll put forth to whoever I go with next that I’m willing to learn more and accept my fault to these situations no matter my personal feelings. I’m just a young rookie who needs some help out here and I appreciate all of the advice I’ve been given so far.

Another thing everyone is taught in truck driving school is that we drivers are responsible for making sure the six (6) spaces around our truck are clear and free of obstructions. That applies no matter if we are going forward or backward. What are those spaces?

• Front
• Rear
• Left Side
• Right Side
• Below Us (underneath the truck)
• Above Us (overhanging objects)

Eric defends himself with this comment...

I cannot see an arm above my tractor while backing up because my attention is on my backing and not the person who’s only job it is all day is to lower and raise an arm.

Again. it seems reasonable to the uninitiated. We carry a lot of responsibility out here driving these rigs. They are 70+ feet long, they bend in the middle, and they can be very destructive when mishandled. I just would not have backed through a gate. Eric is a new driver and it is understandable how he could get himself into a mess like this. Here is the kicker. He already had a serious backing mistake.

I backed into a pole that cut power to a plant.

There is no way to calculate what that cost. I had a driver working for me that backed into a power pole, knocking it down. It knocked out power to some traffic lights. Emergency personnel had to direct traffic, and power company trucks had to show up with multiple crews to get it fixed. The bill sent to me was close to 40,000 dollars. You can add on to this one the cost to the plant for the down time and loss of production due to the loss of electricity. It was a costly mistake. His employer took it easy on him and gave him a second chance. They provided him with some additional training, and though he hasn't told us, they probably made it clear that he was now in a probationary period. That just means he needs to avoid any type of accidents during the probation period. Otherwise it will likely mean termination. This is all standard procedure with rookies. Maybe the rookies don't always understand the severity of the situation, but it is still pretty much standard stuff. That is why we advise like we do. We tell people all the time, "Don't hit anything!" We tell people to G.O.A.L. (Get Out And Look) We end up helping people all the time who have gone through this type scenario find new employment.

The most critical thing is that you take responsibility for the error. Beyond that you have got to learn from the experience. There is no way anybody will hire you if you blame your problem on the security guard. You have got to shoot straight with anybody you are talking to. They want to hear that you know you made a stupid mistake. Backing through a gate is not a smart move. Accept that and learn from it. Be prepared to tell them what you have learned. That is what they want to hear. If you don't learn from these experiences you will seriously limit your opportunities. That is what we want to get across. It is critical information that will help you find another trucking job.

That's what is frustrating when Daniel tries to tell people that they should be able to find a work around on these contracts. It is terrible advice. These rookies just want a job. It does no good to tell them to fight their employer who just terminated them. What they need is to accept their responsibility and to move forward by learning from their mistakes. That is the golden formula for developing ourselves into professional drivers. Professional drivers can keep and find new jobs when needed, but they don't do that by being combative and stubborn. They do it by learning from their mistakes. We've all learned some hard lessons out here. That is the way we get better at this.

Playing the blame game never pays off.

Also in response to the cost. The claims department told me it was $5,500 dollars excactly.

Another thing everyone is taught in truck driving school is that we drivers are responsible for making sure the six (6) spaces around our truck are clear and free of obstructions. That applies no matter if we are going forward or backward. What are those spaces?

• Front
• Rear
• Left Side
• Right Side
• Below Us (underneath the truck)
• Above Us (overhanging objects)

Eric defends himself with this comment...

I cannot see an arm above my tractor while backing up because my attention is on my backing and not the person who’s only job it is all day is to lower and raise an arm.

Again. it seems reasonable to the uninitiated. We carry a lot of responsibility out here driving these rigs. They are 70+ feet long, they bend in the middle, and they can be very destructive when mishandled. I just would not have backed through a gate. Eric is a new driver and it is understandable how he could get himself into a mess like this. Here is the kicker. He already had a serious backing mistake.

I backed into a pole that cut power to a plant.

There is no way to calculate what that cost. I had a driver working for me that backed into a power pole, knocking it down. It knocked out power to some traffic lights. Emergency personnel had to direct traffic, and power company trucks had to show up with multiple crews to get it fixed. The bill sent to me was close to 40,000 dollars. You can add on to this one the cost to the plant for the down time and loss of production due to the loss of electricity. It was a costly mistake. His employer took it easy on him and gave him a second chance. They provided him with some additional training, and though he hasn't told us, they probably made it clear that he was now in a probationary period. That just means he needs to avoid any type of accidents during the probation period. Otherwise it will likely mean termination. This is all standard procedure with rookies. Maybe the rookies don't always understand the severity of the situation, but it is still pretty much standard stuff. That is why we advise like we do. We tell people all the time, "Don't hit anything!" We tell people to G.O.A.L. (Get Out And Look) We end up helping people all the time who have gone through this type scenario find new employment.

The most critical thing is that you take responsibility for the error. Beyond that you have got to learn from the experience. There is no way anybody will hire you if you blame your problem on the security guard. You have got to shoot straight with anybody you are talking to. They want to hear that you know you made a stupid mistake. Backing through a gate is not a smart move. Accept that and learn from it. Be prepared to tell them what you have learned. That is what they want to hear. If you don't learn from these experiences you will seriously limit your opportunities. That is what we want to get across. It is critical information that will help you find another trucking job.

That's what is frustrating when Daniel tries to tell people that they should be able to find a work around on these contracts. It is terrible advice. These rookies just want a job. It does no good to tell them to fight their employer who just terminated them. What they need is to accept their responsibility and to move forward by learning from their mistakes. That is the golden formula for developing ourselves into professional drivers. Professional drivers can keep and find new jobs when needed, but they don't do that by being combative and stubborn. They do it by learning from their mistakes. We've all learned some hard lessons out here. That is the way we get better at this.

Playing the blame game never pays off.

Do you think I have a chance on getting hired anywhere else?. Doesn’t have to be particularly a mega carrier

Hey Daniel -

The ink is not even dry on my contract with Wilson and I have to chime in and say you’re incorrect.

The “one year” stipulation so often referenced on this site states that my CDL training is FREE so long as I honor a year of employment with the company. It is NOT an employment contract guaranteeing me a safe position if I show up in “good faith.” It does not protect me from termination if I violate company policy by backing into things, and if I do those things within my first year and end up terminated, I owe either the full $3750 for the training or a pro-rated amount based on when it happened.

You seem to be conflating an employment contract with a contract for services provided free of charge upon completion of a commitment term. We are not talking about an employment contract.

The $70 weekly clause at Prime is identical to mine here at Wilson. The training IS free SO LONG AS you complete a year of employment. If you do anything to get yourself fired within your first year, whether it’s back into something, curse out your fleet manager, or refuse to flush the toilet in the driver lounge, you owe the balance of the training.

Good faith does not apply because these are not employment contracts. They are a contract for services rendered. Make sense?

I see. Well there isn’t much of anything I can do now going forward but to own up to it and be honest and accept more training it seems.I still think it’s wrong and the gate keeper wasn’t ordered around he was asked not to do something and did it anyways. It follows the same concept of telling someone not to blindly walk behind your truck as your eventually going to take your eyes off one side of it but they do it anyways. There has to be some protection for drivers in these types of situations. Not everything can always be attributed to driver fault.

My contract specifically said that either party had the right to terminate employment yet my debt would remain. It went further to set a weekly $70 amount to be withdrawn from future employers and paid directly to prime. Keep in mind..."failure to comply with company policy" can get you fired every time. And that m policy could be "dont back at a gate... GOAL everytime" etc. "Don't order gate keepers around"

Lawyers.com answers a 1099 question with an explanation about employee contract specifics.

These are deadly machines. Public safety will supercede our rights...look at covid.

BTW...CRE and other mega carriers such as Prime are self insured and determine eligibility. Has nothing to do with insurance companies.

Your right about documenting it when it happened. And to the fence all that happened to it was scratched paint. It was one of those red and white pole arms you see at private places and company yards.

Keep in mind I didn’t BACK into it. It was lowered across my tractor top as I was backing up and the worst that it got was some scratched paint. No damage to the truck at all.

Ah, that is different, very different. I assumed it wasn't moving. What may have got you on this was not documenting the incident fully when it happened, with pictures. Assuming it was understood instead of assuring it was understood.

You said no damage to the truck, but what about the fence that was lowered onto the truck?

I believe you are telling the truth with what happened here, but proving it is another matter...