Comments By Scott D

Werner came into school today and advised that they have a team program where they will train a husband/wife team together. Sending in application in the morning. Will advise more when we have it.

Old School you are right. As long as you are on the bp meds the best you can get is a one year card. If you get the bp below 140/90 AND off the meds you can go back to two year cards.

I'd be proactive and send it to them anyway - don't wait for the call back. Show them you want to work for them and that you did your due diligence to prove that to them. If I was the employer I'd be happy that a potential employee was that persistent to do what I asked and was taking the initiative to show me that they were so serious. Also, by sending the info, it puts your name/file back on top of the pile for now.

I have not looked into Swift as I had heard that they did not train teams together. However I have not spoken directly to anyone from the office so I should call to verify. Plus they have a terminal in Columbus I believe. Thanks Errol

Well it is week three. Finally in the trucks. It seems like a long time getting here but it's only been two weeks since we started. For pre-trip, my brain gets locked up and I get tired of my own voice lol. I hate to admit it, but once inside the trucks, I'm intimidated. Standing outside the trucks I can't wait to get in and get going. But once inside it's another story. The size, the power, the lack of vision. However, it's a huge thrill and I just have to concentrate. Each time I'm in the truck for a maneuver I fell a little better, dare I say a little more comfortable. I know, I know, don't get comfortable, you'll get complacent. Well I don't think that's possible at this point when my eyes are bigger than their sockets and my frontal cortex feels like it's going to explode out of my forehead lol.

A big shout out to my wife Maggie. She is so far outside her comfort zone that she is not happy about it. But guess what? She channels that discomfort into determination. She is a much better straight-line backer than half of the others in our class. And she takes the initiative to jump up in the truck and get the practice. Our class mates "lovingly" tease me, saying that she is better at this than I am. I just smile and say "I'm not surprised" while thinking yeah, she's better than you, too lol.

So far I have to say that I am happy with our choice to go to private school at Napier. The instructors all have different personalities which make training with each different one a unique situation. But they all have the desire to see us succeed and all try to make that happen in their own way.

So tired. So nervous. Keep plowing ahead. Will update more later.

Scott and Maggie

Hey Rev, My wife and I are in CDL school right now, looking for companies to train us together. Covenant for sure, probably Schneider, even though I haven't spoken with them directly yet. Also still looking and inquiring with every recruiter that comes through the door. It's funny, we hear that the companies that do teams really like to get husband and wife teams, but so many say they do not train together. I would think if they really wanted to attract them, companies would have a training program for them. Maybe I'm just spittin' in the wind... I'll let you know if I hear of any others if you'll do the same.

An excellent read. Best of luck to you. Looking forward to more.

Way to go!

Hey Pastor,

Just to add some info for your search. My wife and I are currently attending Napier truck driving school in Hamilton (just NW of Cincinnati). There are recruiters at the school every day from different companies - many I had not heard of in my research prior to going to school. So far a lot of these companies are "local" and by that I mean within 100 miles or so of here. They are hiring graduates of the school and a lot of the companies are touting that you get home on the weekends, and sometimes additionally more than that. I guess my point is that there are a lot of companies out there that might fit what you are looking for and be in your "area." However I would not have known about them unless I had attended this school. Look into local schools (private, community colleges, etc.) and see what their "job placement" arena is like - do they get a lot of recruiters through the school, what are their connections with trucking companies like, etc. If you would like to know about some of the companies we have heard presentations from, let me know. Also, remember that the recruiter's job is to get a body in a seat so you will need to do more specific research with a company that sounds like it might fit you from the first look. I hope this helped. Go Buckeyes! lol

Ok, it's Monday and we're back to school. TMC came in today for their presentation. Sounded nice, but no teams so that's out for us. We did more review for the learner's permit today. Also started on hours of service. Very rudimentary start, but you gotta start somewhere, right?

Oh yeah, Saturday was test day for the permits for those who wanted to try earlier than official test day (Tuesday). So the BMV opened at 8:00 am. We got there at 8:30. The waiting room was jam packed but no one was in the testing line. A quick check revealed the reason - the testing computers were down - all across the state. Well, we decided to wait. About 9:30 the announcement was made that they would go forward with paper tests. Uhhh....ok, that's a wrinkle. However we were unfazed so we stepped up. You see, the computer tests allow you to skip questions if you want, and they let you know if your answer is correct or not. Also, since it is a pass/fail, once you answer enough questions correctly, the test is over and you can move on to the next test. It also shows how many you have correct, how many you can get wrong for a fail, and how many wrong you have. If you run out of questions and still haven't passed (or failed) you cycle back to the ones you skipped and then you must answer them (no more skips). Now for the paper test. You get the test questions and an answer sheet. No instant feedback so you have no idea where you stand. Like the old days lol. Finish the test, hand it in and wait for the results. Halfway through the testing, the computers came back up so we got to finish the testing on the computer. Three on paper, three on the computer. The computer tests sure seemed easier to do.

In the end we both got our learner's permits (GK, AB, and Combinations) and all three other endorsements - doubles/triples, tankers, and HAZMAT. Woohoo! One more hurdle cleared. There was an extreme sense of relief for both of us let me tell ya. We celebrated with about a two hour nap. Then went to Edgewater dragstrip for some ear-shattering blowing off of some steam.

Today we went after class to get our fingerprints done and our background checks started for our HAZMAT clearance. Tomorrow we get the day off since we already have passed all of our tests.

Our current instructor, Coffee, appears to really want the students to do well, but he does call it like he sees it. So, those that need to study more are told just that. Those that need to focus are told just that. It's told in an encouraging but straight-forward way.

More to come I'm sure. Until then, be safe and don't get complacent.

Scott and Maggie