USXPRESS ORIENTATION TUNNELL HILL GEORGIA

I assume tommorrow I get my job with USxpress, but will let you know if I dont. I will also explain why my three day orientation went over the weekend.

Arrived at Tunnel Hill Tuesday for Wednesday start of orientation and checked in to Baymont Motel which is nearby and where orienting drivers stay. Now having been in it for 5 nights I would rate it about average and in need of some maintenance. I paid the $17.50 a night extra fee and had a private room. The morning continental breakfast was also average, but all in all it was about what you would expect for a motel that must run about 100 drivers through each week.

Our class started on Weds and consisted mostly of doing, a reapplication, the physical test, the DOT medical exam, the urinalysis and a road test.

1. The re-application was pretty much a rehash of what you had already provided. 2. The physical test was actually much harder than I had expected and I would recommend anyone who expects to sign on, (find a description of physical test) get into the gym about 3 times a week and workout carrying 50 -70 lbs around for 100 or so feet and squating low as in under your truck, doing a duck walk. I would also recommend 30 minutes on a treadmill three times a week to get your cardio conditioned as a moderate to large spike in HR with the weight carry will fail you. If you do not work out prior to coming as I hadnt, your body may be overwhelmed when subjected to three trips up and down the hall with significant weights. 3. The medical exam: well the reason I am held over was that I had had a bout of melanoma this year that required a couple of surgeries and becuase of the fact that the tissue taken out the last surgery was negative and I also am annoyed that I have to share private medical info, and pshycologically I was walking forward as if I never had melanoma AND THE LAST DOT PHYSICAL DIDNT REQUIRE ME TO DROP MY DRAWERS, I never listed the surgery. Well I get in there with the nurse and doctor and they ask me to drop my drawers, the nurse did the cough manuever, and then asked about the large surgical incision on my groin and leg where they took all the lymph nodes out of my leg looking for cancer. I guess I could have lied and told them it was years old, but I didnt, told them it was this year, and shut down the medical exam. I was told I needed a release from the doctor who did the surgery. That release didnt get here until late Friday so I couldnt get the doctor to finish the physical and was held over the weekend on their dime.

Someone speculated that the dropping the drawers wasnt so much for check but check for drug testing cheating and evidently someone did have urine taped to their leg. I was just annoyed at my having to share deeply personal information but in hindsight I should have just acknowleged it with the first DOT physical at school.

The urine drug test was just that and so be aware that you go from exposing your genitals to the drug testing line and so cheating looks pretty difficult.

The road test was in an automatic and quite easy. They pretty much just want to see if you can move it safely. For anyone saying that usxpress is going back to manual tranys, I think you got it backward. I think we were told the new trucks were all automatics.

The rest of the week was going back and forth to the orientation office as they dealt with one issue or another in their list of things they have to rule you out or in. Some people get ruled out early, and some dont get ruled out till the last day. Usxpress seems to do very little formally as far as that goes until you are actually here for orientation. Most terminators seemed to feel that Usxpress had been informed of their negatives in the recruiting process. I think it is set up so most all the risk is on you and not usxpress in the application process and that people, with a conviction, or self employment, or surgery, or physical limitations, or tickets, or DUI , have to really consider whether its works subjecting themselves to the heavy scrutinizing that occurs after you arrive. My guess is that 25 - 40% of people who showed up to orientation did not make it.

The gals in the orientation office seemed respectful in all my interactions and always were apologetic for delays or dissapointments. They have a tough job for that company and I never saw them treating people disrespectfully.

The instructors all seemed to be pretty good people who all had significant experience in the industry and were pretty respectful and fair in their interactions with us.

There were classes on e/logs, map reading and inspections, but mostly this felt as if it was really about getting you hired or not.

While it will be another day before I know for sure whether I have a job, I feel tonight that Usxpress really puts you through the ringer physically and mentally and most of thats done after you quit your other job and not before you get to orientation which seems slanted in their direction. But honestly, you get on board, and you look to be working for a company that cares about its drivers, about safety, and has pretty sweet equipment.

I may or may not even have a job, but my opinion wouldnt be all that different if I dont. They have a right to employ who they want and some of us with issues really have no one else to blame for them but ourselves mostly.

They did seem fair and treated everyone equally as far as I could tell.

David