Profile For Ironmonger

This is a review and sort of a partial training blog.

I'll start by saying that I did learn a couple of things that I didn't know while I was there. Knowledge is never a bad thing, even if it's in small amounts. So, I'm not going to rant and rave; this is just my experience. I learned that going into Mexico or Quebec in a truck is a bad idea, and I learned a little about loading a van. Not much else.

I got a WIA grant from my county to attend the school for eight weeks. Cost without funding is $5300 I got all of my endorsements, all paid for by the college. I got a copy of the 'Hazardous Materials Compliance Pocketbook', and the 'Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations Pocketbook', both by J.J. Keller. We also got a shifting diagram for a ten speed, a pre-trip list with very odd wording than what I've learned to expect, and a pre-trip packet with images of different parts of the truck.

First two weeks were in the classroom, two were on the skills pad, and the last four were over the road. Most of the classroom time was spent watching training videos and powerpoints, and we skimmed over logbooks and map-reading. Their trucks are old Schneider vehicles. 2001-2005 Freightliner Centuries, with trailers donated by Great Oaks and Sewell. The two used for straight-line backing and offset were in good condition for their age.

The one we used for the alley dock, however, was something between junk and scrap. The steering wheel was off-center by about 45-degrees, and it would fight us going into first and reverse from a stop. It's not like we had the clutch too far back. The instructor told us that we might have to use that one for our test. I wasn't expecting a new truck, but I expected it to at least be roadworthy. It was also an 8-speed for some reason. Maybe my expectations were too high; no idea.

The instructor, Rodney Abrams, seems to be a pretty knowledgeable guy, but he's meaner than a snake when he's training people on the pad. If you so much as ask him a question, he'll roll his eyes and go on a tangent with an unclear direction, talk over you, or just be plain rude and foul-mouthed. Sometimes, he won't even let you talk. If he doesn't like what you're doing for one reason or another, he'll hop on the truck and interrogate you, and answering those questions is not an option. He talked to most of us like we were stupid. He would often tell us to do things and not really explain how or give us any useful advice. Not my thing, but it might be yours.

Most of the class quit because of his attitude, myself included, and I was already having some health complications at the time. The county ended up sending me to Napier for a March class, and they went back after SSCC for their funding.

I'll do a write-up on Napier and let you all know how it goes.

Hey there! I got the pleasure of going to New York City a few times during my first year (sarcasm).. I still go there or through there quite often. All you can do is plan, plan, plan.... Always look at the directions you have for your customers and break out google maps. Go into google street view and literally follow your whole route through the city on there. Look for tight turns, low clearances or any kind of hazard. While in the city try to always go in super early like 1-2 am. It takes a long time to navigate the city. I had a delivery to Brooklyn last week and it took about 3+ hours just to leave and get back across to Newark. Allow extra time, plenty of it. Go slow and methodical. Be careful with any turns you make and keep your head on a swivel.

Thank you for the advice! When I started my non-trucking-related classes several months ago, I got into the habit of always checking my routes with Google Map's satellite and street views, so I'm very glad to know that it'll be helpful for this.

I just finished Becoming A Truck Driver: The Raw Truth About Truck Driving , and I'm now convinced more than ever to get my CDL. While I take breaks from studying for the tests, I'm studying a map of NYC and watching POV trucking videos on YouTube to prepare myself in case I ever have to go there. I've checked NYCDOT's map of low clearances in the city, and it's... borderline unhelpful. Does anyone know of a better resource to find out where those hazards are hiding?

Thanks, everyone. I really appreciate the warm welcome and the helpful advice. I've done a lot of research into this over the years. Though, the main thing that's bothering me is the potential interview, particularly about my work history. I've never been that great with interviews and not raising red flags. There's supposed to be a way of spinning job hopping into something positive, but I'm not quite sure how to do that.

What were the health reasons? Are the jobs verifiable? Over what time period were the jobs? How old are you? Can you explain and verify all time in between jobs? If Schneider is your first choice, you could ask the recruiter.

I was dealing with severe mental health and digestive issues that put me in the hospital a few times. The jobs are all verifiable and were over the course of three years. I'm 22 as of time of posting, soon to be 23. All time in between jobs was spent on education and medical-related things. I actually have a CLP and a non-restricted medical examiner's certificate.

Good morning. For the past few years, I've been considering becoming a regional truck driver, and I'm leaning towards Schneider's tanker division at the moment. However, I've had 6 jobs, which have all lasted less than a year due to medical reasons. Some even just a few days. However, I spent about half a year getting to the bottom of what was going on with my health and taking care of it, I typically get top marks in school, and I have a perfect driving record. Before I go much further with my plans, I'd like to know if I even stand a chance of landing a trucking job.