Comments By Maverick (Tom H).

Recruiter left me a message today that everything is good to go. Im excited and stressed at the same time. Excited to finally start a career away from factory grunt work and stressed about leaving my family. It couldnt be better timing though, just came back from vacation in Key West yesterday so at least I got to spend some quality time. Told my boss today that friday would be my last day, he became a bigger ass than normal, so much so that I dont know if I even want to finish the week. I have a lot of studying to do, just wanted to say thank you to everyone on here for helping.

I know how you feel, being excited and stressed, I leave for training on the 22nd to go to swift in Fontana and leaving the family behind, it has been a long time since I was in the Navy and had to leave for deployment, bu I have the same feelings.

Did something change? For the split berth rule you have to have 8 hours ...

Nothing changed. This is my proposal to give drivers more flexibility in their work & drive time. The split berth thing allows a driver that 8+2 split. I just expanded it out to make two "adjustable" break times.

Oh oh oh I got it now that was your suggestion for how the powers to be might change the way things are now .....

One of the great things about OTR driving is you have all that time to work out solutions to the World's problems. Here's something I worked out for the 14+10 hour rule (still the 11 hr driving limit):

Just like current rules, you start your shift. Any time of the day. You now have two kinds of time: 14 hr duty and 10 hr rest. Still nothing new. (Start thinking split berth)

Your 10 hr rest can be one chunk - same as now, or you can split it into two periods. Both periods in one 24 hr period must total at least 10 hr, and the shortest rest break must be no less than 2 hr. Any combination of two rest periods that total 10 hours: 2+8, 5+5, 3 1/2 + 6 1/2 and so on.

You cannot work any single period longer than 12 1/2 hours. (That's 11 hr drive + 1/2 hr break + pre & post trips.) You can still do On Duty work for the remaining 1 1/2 hours.

Your day clock resets after 10 hours, either from one 10 hour chunk, or the second of the two breaks 2 hr being the minimum.

So, how can you jerk this around and game the system?

Did something change? For the split berth rule you have to have 8 hours continuos in the sleeper berth for it to be legal the other 2 hrs can be either sleeper berth or off duty.

I was wondering if some of you could give me some feedback on your experiences with a 3-1 training situation vs a 1-1?

One school I'm looking at offers a 3 wk intensive course (Week 1 - Classroom; Week 2 - On the Road City, Highway, Mountains; Week 3 - In the Yard) which includes 3-1 drive time. I'm still waiting to get more information from the other school but they say that they offer 1-1 training but it's a 3-4 week program (she just emailed me). They're having a job fair and I'll also attend one of their informational seminars on the 16th to find out more.

Thanks in advance :)

Sounds to me like the companies are talking about student to instructor ratio in the trucks when out driving. 3-1 = 3 students with 1 instructor in the truck and 1-1 = 1 student with 1 instructor in the truck.

Hey Brett (and anyone else reading) While I was at the CDL instructor training a few weeks ago...in one of the classes in which all the new PSD's and trainers must go thru (pre trip inspection) the instructor told all the new recruits to go to "truckingtruth.com" and study the pretrip there. So even Prime is well aware that the program this site offers, helps the recruits out. FYI

That's really cool!!

I will be very tempted to reveal my true identity as the creator of that thread and so many more!

Yes indeed! On today's menu you will find The Pre-trip inspection by Daniel B - which we're going to turn into flash cards somewhere down the line.

Prob better to leave it as is Brett with instructions to have people make their own flash cards from it so it will be better remembered by them writing down the information, just a thought

If you do the High Road twice I swear you will change the makeup of your brain. Besides being a horrible test taker, I crammed it in a weekend. My brain about exploded. You do it once, through everything, you will pass your permit test. The DMV gal was impressed. I passed with three endorsements.

Go ahead and tell 'em Brett. My scores on the High Road were horrific.

I guess my brain is changed but in a good way I did the high road training program a year ago then reset my scores and did it again a couple of months ago I was amazed at how much I retained from a year ago.....

Chad, the seats you'll have out on the road should adjust well enough for you to be comfortable. Training trucks are notoriously awful at most schools so don't think anything of it. The trucks at the school I went to had a dinosaur protector over the front grill and the wheels were made of stone.

Come on Brett we all know you are not that old, now maybe a couple of the other moderators might be, but not you

I've had my cdl or a week now, I was with a mentor from swift, but he was terrible. I called swift and they told me to get to a nearby terminal, when I told my mentor he absolutely lost it, threatened to leave me on the highway. I told him swift said they wi fire him and he told me to shut the **** up, he told me to pack my **** and whipped my student handbook at my face, I'll be pressing charges. Now I'm on my way home and I'm not sure where to start at this point, I'm looking for dedicated or regional.

Hey Kazi where did you do your training for swift (please don't say Fontana) lol just curious to know if I may end up with that guy as a mentor. That guy sounds like a real ball of sunshine. Hope all goes ok with your family situation.

Hey Mav, I'm starting in Fontana on the 16th, I'm sure we'll cross paths at some point. See you there.

You are commuting right? I'll be staying in the motel they provide, San Diego is too far to commute. can't wait will be an exciting adventure, see you there as well

Congratulations, Mav! The pressure to pass at Swift can get to you, but just focus one step at a time.

Where are you taking your classes?

I will be taking my classes in Fontana