Profile For MaddMatt

You make it sound like it was easy (which I'm sure it wasn't!). Looks like I'll be heading to SLC for training and I'm more than a little nervous-- any tips for a green student?

The school there has way too many students so I recommend that when you are in the yard practicing backing, try and get in line first. It may mean you will get an extra turn because you will spend most of the day waiting for your turn, and may only get 2 or 3 chances each day. Other than that study your pre trip, they will let you go out in the yard any time to go over it after hours or before school.

I just finished my 200 hours of training and have the final road, backing and written test Monday. Then I get my truck and head home. 6 weeks and it is all completed! I also will be getting on a dedicated route right away which is jut what I was looking for. More money and home 2 days a week, hopefully it will work out for me.

Passed the road test and completed orentiation last week. Got my mentor and hit the road on Monday, driving a reefer trailer. We drove from Utah to Chicago and now we are back in salt lake city. With a couple of thousand miles under my belt I am getting the hang of it. In 2 or 3 more weeks I will have my own truck!

Got the first two tests passed, just have the road test tomorrow. Looking foreward to getting my CDL!

Right on, I'll be around. I'm I'm the dorms now, hopefully they won't move me to the hotel Monday.

They might have use d both on the same day, I'm no sure. I'm just making sure I'm ready for the pretrip on Monday, the backing should be no problem. My plan is to ace the pretrip and backing and save any points for the road test. Just gotta make sure I stay off the curbs and anything else that is an auto fail. I did hit a curb today on the road so I'm going to be extra cautious about that on the test!

Thanks Chris.

Looks like it will be pre trip test Monday and the rest Tuesday. So far I seem to be picking up with on everything pretty good, even though I spend more time waiting for a turn than I do behind the wheel. I am having a lot of fun and learning a lot.

A few weeks ago I thought I was going to Swift's Millington TN school. Last week my recruiter told me they had a shorter program in Utah, so I went for it . Started yesterday and I should have my CDL by the end of the week, does that sound crazy or what? Its been a clusterf#@k so far but we'll see how it goes.

Got my permit from Utah yesterday, even though my recruiter said my MO permit would be good, and got out on the yard today backing. I'll keep you updated on how it goes, it from what they say I should have my CDL by Friday!?!!??

While I have no experience driving a truck yet I do think that having MC riding experience will give me an advantage once I start driving. Riding has gotten me into good habits of always being aware of what's around, behind and in front of me. I am always scanning my mirrors and looking out for the idiots trying to kill me, knowing where cars are or aren't in case I have to dodge a cager coming into my lane. I have had many close calls on a bike and one time that a car turned in front of me with no time to stop, resulting in about a dozen broken bones and 3 months in a hospital/rehab and 5 months out of work. This experience taught me to read traffic better and never trust that the other drivers are paying attention.

I took my permit test on Monday (all endorsments) and only studied the HRTP, I passed everything except the HAZMAT on the first try. There were some questions on the Missouri test that I had never seen on the HRTP that tripped me up a little but not enough to fail. I got the HAZMAT on the second try!!

The HRTP is an awesome tool to study but I would recomend reading your state's CDL manual over good too!

Well....they will probably REALLY low ball you, since the only reason they grab up outsourced work is to make money off it..and cutting costs is the main way to make fast money...they will smile and EXPECT you to be so desperate that you will take any wage just to keep a paycheck coming in...I've always enjoyed telling those people that I hope they can get someone to replace me who has all the knowledge and work ethic that they don't feel like paying for by offering me a reasonable wage..... Good luck, and be sure and tell us what goes on.

Well we were wrong. They offered me a position at 1/2 a cent more an hour, so I can not get the severance. I did not see that coming. Then we find out how much the health insurance is. I pay about $110 a month for my family with a high deductible plan now and the new company's insurance is $1508 a month for my family. That is almost half of my pay!

So I told them where to stick it and will be done working for them August 1st, should be starting school with Swift August 11th. It's a shame cause I will probably have to use some of my 401K or pension money to get by till I begin earning a paycheck.