Comments By Grandpa Clark

Finished Up With Driver Trainer, and On To Maverick HQ in North Little Rock for Final Evaluation

I am writing tonight from the student dorms at Maverick HQ in North Little Rock AR. I finished up my 14-working days with my driver trainer William on this past Wednesday morning. We were under a load and were redirected to the Maverick terminal at Laurinburg, NC as the truck was due for service. This provided a logical separation point and I obtained a rental car to get me from the terminal to my personal vehicle which was parked 6-hrs away at William's residence. The alternative was to ride out the week with my trainer and return to his house on Friday evening. Since I have only been home for 36-hrs in the past 3 weeks, it seemed logical that since my training period was complete, I would try to get home for a couple of days before departing for my final evaluation in Arkansas. It was bittersweet leaving William's truck. I couldn't have asked for a better trainer and I am so thankful for all the time and effort he expended on my behalf.

Maverick provided a rental vehicle and asked me to be in North Little Rock by Sunday evening and here I am. Tomorrow, everyone is off for Labor Day, so I'm not sure why we had to report on Sunday evening, but no matter, I'm glad to have the 13-hr drive behind me. I left Lynchburg, VA at 4:00 a.m. and arrived at Maverick HQ at about 4:30 p.m.

My final thoughts on the driver trainer portion of this process are as follows:

#1: 14-days seems about right to me. Of course, there is so much that I have yet to learn, I feel I could have stayed with William for 3-months and I'd still have questions. I understand that the purpose of the driver trainer portion of the process is to ensure the new driver operates the vehicle as safely as possible, and understands the basics of truck operations, loading, securing, unloading, time management, and trip planning. I stress that what we are looking for here is strictly the basics, in other words, the bare necessities required in order to safely get the truck and cargo from A to B without an incident. Maverick provides a 24-hr Securement Hotline that allows any driver to call for securement advice at any time. After 14-days, both William and I agreed that it was time to push me out of the nest and that I was ready to embark solo where the real learning will take place.

#2: Maverick has been 100% truthful and professional in their dealings with me, from the very first phone call, until this moment. There have been several times when they have done small things that seem unusual for a large corporate entity. For example, on my trip from Lynchburg, VA to Little Rock, AR, they told me to feel free to stop and get a hotel if I got tired. It is only a 13-hr drive, well within what I consider reasonable for a one-day trip, but they left it up to me to decide if I wanted to split it into 2-days or do it in one. They said they would reimburse up to $100/night for a hotel room. I thought that was generous.

#3: There is a sense of camaraderie that surprised me among the Maverick drivers. Several times, an experienced driver has come alongside and answered a question, or suggested an alternative way of doing something, not as a know-it-all, but rather just to be helpful. The mechanics, the other drivers, and the support staff at the terminals all have made me feel very welcome. There does not appear to be any sort of hazing culture that was very common in law enforcement when experienced officers were dealing with rookies. Perhaps the fact that I'm 57 years old has something to do with it, but most of the experienced drivers I have met have been most helpful and pleasant.

#4: It seems hard to believe that in just 9-weeks, I have gone from never having set foot in a tractor-trailer to operating one through the mountains of West Virginia, in the pouring rain and bumper-to-bumper traffic. Do I feel ready for solo operations? Well, let me put it this way. When I was working on my pilot's license, I noticed that the instructor made the decision as to when I was ready to solo the airplane. I promise you that when the instructor got out and told me to take off alone, every fiber of my being screamed that I wasn't ready. And yet, the experience of my instructor dictated otherwise, and he was right. The solo, while not pretty, went off without a hitch. Three rather hard and awkward (but safe) landings later, and I had newfound confidence that I could fly the airplane alone. Was I proficient? No! Was I skilled, smooth, and experienced? No! But I could safely take off and land without putting myself or anyone else in danger. I feel the same way tonight. Am I proficient as a flatbedder? No! Am I skilled, smooth, and experienced? No! But, I do believe I can safely operate the truck and secure freight without putting myself or others in danger, and I know where I can go for answers when I get stuck. Am I nervous? Absolutely, but in a good kind of way. I want to leverage that nervous energy to enhance my focus and concentration on the multitude of tasks that one day (hopefully) will become second nature to me.

The evaluation process will take place Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. If all goes well, I'll be assigned my truck and trailer on Thursday and head back East to join the team hauling steel from Nucor near Charleston, S.C. I'll check in with the results of my evaluation later this week.

Onward...

First 3-Days With Trainer- Summary Well, we just wrapped up our 3rd day hauling freight on Maverick's Atlantic Regional Account, where my trainer has worked for the past two years. He joined Maverick after working in the coal mines of Kentucky for 10+years and speaks very highly of his time with Maverick. He is 31-years old, a family man with two young children, and we have been getting along great. He is very calm, very understanding, and keeps apologizing for having to correct someone who is his elder. I just laugh and tell him to imagine I'm some 21-year-old, although, I admit that's a tough thing to imagine!

I started out Monday, leaving my home early, in heavy rain, for the 5-hour drive to his home, which is in the far southwest corner of Virginia. I arrived at his house at 8:00 a.m. and he was just returning from dropping his son off at school. We got the truck loaded and for the first time I had the opportunity to examine my home for the next 3-weeks. I'll admit, that top bunk reminded me of when I was a kid, and the bed looked about the same size. I piled my gear on my bunk and off we went to pick up our first load of lumber, just outside Knoxville, TN. I was able to observe the "magic" of the automatic tarping machine which did 90% of the work in tarping our 40K lbs of lumber. I was impressed! (I was also relieved that he didn't have to see my terrible tarping skills right of the bat.) I struggled with tarping at Maverick's securement training and I must say that it remains an enigma to me to this day. I hope as I progress in my learning, that I'll become more comfortable and proficient.

I spent the first night of my life in a truck stop at Fort Chiswell, VA, and after the very early start leaving my home in Lynchburg, I was exhausted by the time we shut down. I had simply been observing my trainer all day, so I hadn't even done any driving, but I slept soundly and was surprised at the insulation in the sleeper and how quiet it was, despite the army of trucks coming and going all night. We got up at 3:30 a.m. and proceeded to Camp Hill, PA where we dropped the lumber. On Tuesday I drove for 5 hrs. and it was primarily interstate driving with seemingly endless construction zones as we crossed PA on the way to Pittsburgh. We stopped at a PA Turnpike rest area for the night. Most of the restaurants in the rest areas of PA still appear to be closed, despite Covid being in our rear-view mirror. Not sure what's up with that, but perhaps they are having trouble with staffing? We got up at 3 am and headed for Pittsburgh to pick up our second load of the week, about 36K lbs of steel coils (3). We arrived at the shipper at 5 am this morning. By 7 am we were loaded, secured, tarped, and driving through a heavy rain southbound for Anderson, SC. I drove for about 2 hours and we ran out of time just south of Fancy Gap, VA. We are 3 hrs from our destination and plan to leave in about 4 am in hopes of making a 7-8 am delivery window in South Carolina.

Observations thus far: 1. This part of the country is woefully short of both truck parking and trucker services at the parking locations we do have. 2. Is the entire state of Pennsylvania under construction? 3. Sometimes it seems a truck governed at 65 mph is more of a hazard in 70 mph zones than if it were perhaps allowed to run at the posted speed limit. Thankfully, Maverick trucks are equipped with a "PassSmart" system that allows the drivers 1-hr of 70 mph travel in order to pass. Several times in the hills of West Virginia, our truck was crawling uphill at 40-45 mph, while four-wheelers whizzed by at 80 mph+. The disparity in speed is clearly hazardous. I know fuel economy is king to the mega carriers, but it would seem there could be a middle-of-the-road solution somewhere to help mitigate this hazard. 4. A good trainer is a company's best asset. My trainer, despite being young and only having two years of driving under his belt, is positive, patient, and encouraging. When he corrects, he does so with a sense of humor and in a way that does not demean or belittle the one being corrected. I feel very thankful that I will be able to learn from him for the next 3-weeks. Tomorrow by this time, we should have the coils delivered, and our last load onboard. We are on track to get back to his place sometime Friday and I hope to get home by Friday night to sleep in my own bed. No complaints about my bunk in the truck, but let's just say it is not quite the same experience as being at home.

Until my next update...onward!

Maverick Pre-employment and Orientation Training Summary

It is official! Even though I haven't driven a truck since my DMV test in Roanoke, VA, on July 27, yesterday I passed my final securement practical exam and successfully transitioned to the next phase of my training. Today, we will formally participate in what Maverick calls, "Crossing the Bridge", which is a new driver's welcome to Maverick as well as the introduction to the in-truck, on-the-job portion of the training, where we will join a Driver-Trainer for 3-weeks in his/her truck. (Yes, Maverick does have female drivers who, by all accounts, rock the flatbed world!)

This past week was extremely hot and humid, which only exacerbated the elevated stress we were all feeling as we learned to secure flat steel, linear products, palletized freight, steel coils, slitted steel coils, lumber, shiny bar, and tiered freight. We had written tests on securing each type of freight and seemingly endless evaluations that included specific tests on safety regulations at some of Maverick's most important customers. After the classroom securement presentations, we would move to the training bays where our instructor would demonstrate securing the freight we had just been learning about in the classroom. We would then break down the securements, and start from scratch. Each student was required to successfully complete the securement for each variety of freight. As I mentioned earlier, this is a fascinating "art" that I never dreamed even existed. When you stand back and review your handiwork (hopefully it's correct!) and then proceed to tarp the load, there is a feeling of accomplishment that I have rarely experienced in my previous "pre-Maverick" life. Once we successfully demonstrated the correct securement and tarping techniques, it was back to the classroom to take a written test (actually, testing is completed on a Maverick-provided tablet) on that type of freight.

Our final exam included a written exam (on the tablet) and the securement final, which included the examination of six different stations where six types of freight were secured to the flatbed. Our challenge was to identify each of the mistakes in the securements at that station. The six stations were: sheet steel, slitted eye-to-the-front (shotgun) steel coil, coiled steel (slinkys), shiny bar, palletized freight, and linear steel without blocking (gray bar bundles). Each station would have three or four errors, except for one station that was secured correctly. It seems that each of us struggled the most with the perfect station. It happened to be the palletized freight and most of us spent the entire 6-minutes of the allotted time, trying desperately to figure out where the errors were. Of course, there were no errors at that particular station, so it was a relief that I didn't identify any errors at that location.

After successfully completing our final exam, the Maverick Training Dept. was advised that we had successfully completed this phase of our training. Today we will return home for the weekend, before joining our driver-trainer Sunday or Monday, depending on the trainer's schedule. My trainer called immediately after I completed my final exams and we had a very informative chat during which he introduced himself and gave me some tips for packing for next week. My trainer has been driving for Maverick for 2-years and it sounds like I'm his seventh or eighth trainee. He lives about 5 hrs drive west of my hometown, so the commute will be a bit more than the 2-hrs Maverick was hoping for, but it is only for 3-weeks, so it's no big deal.

Another step has been completed and I plan to continue periodic updates once I join William, my driver-trainer. Thanks again to each of you and to all the TruckingTruth moderators who have been such an encouragement to me on my journey. Onward....

Well, Wednesday, July 27, 2022, at 7:30 a.m. in Roanoke, VA is test time! I've been through a couple of practice sessions on the driving range over the past week and all has gone well with straight backing, offset, and parallel park. Those are the only three backing maneuvers we will be tested on here in VA. I feel ready and am going for one final practice session tomorrow. There will be three of us from our class testing on Wednesday. Based on what I know of my fellow students, these two who are going with me are both well-prepared and ready to test. Our examiner is brand new, so I guess that could be good or bad. Regardless, if we pre-trip and drive the way we have been trained, it shouldn't make any difference. I'll check in Wednesday after the test with an update.

Is Pre-trip as scary as it looks in the manual? 5 pages of bullet point things to check! I can see doing it with a clipboard checklist. I can't see doing it from memory for a test!

Hi Josh, Don't let the pre-trip intimidate you. I am an absolute rookie and when I first saw the hundreds of items that had to be identified and checked, I was in shock. I wondered, "How could anyone possibly remember all of these things?" The good news is that your brain is even more incredible than these trucks, and repetition and practice are the keys. Our instructors in school showed us a full pre-trip, gave us the listed items, and then gave us tons of time to practice, both in-cab and exterior. I noticed that when we were given our pre-trip practice time, about half of the class was just goofing off. They weren't practicing and were using the time to visit, look at their phones, etc. There were about four of us that took every opportunity to practice and we checked each other, one of us playing the examiner while the other did the inspection. When test day came at the DMV, how do you think it went? Four of us aced the pre-trip and of the rest of the class, two failed the pre-trip, and the others squeaked by. If you take this seriously, and repeatedly practice, you will be amazed on test day when you find that these items are all locked in your brain, simply because you have been carefully repeating the process, dozens of times. It does not have to be 100% perfect, as a margin of error allows you to miss a certain number of items and still pass. However, shoot for 100% and you will amaze yourself at all you have learned—my best wishes to you on your journey.

Congratulations on moving through the training, testing, and job process smoothly. Thank you for writing up your experience clearly and thoroughly.

I'll be starting training at a technical school soon. Now, I'm curious to see what the kids at my school will expect, in terms of vehicles, pay, and working conditions. I look forward to hearing about your experience starting out of the gate as a flat bedder.

Mostly wanted to let you know that the time you're investing in writing up your experience is benefiting some folks.

Maverick New-Grad Orientation: Madison, IL - Week 1 Summary With the first week behind me, I wanted to share an update. Since we started on Sunday, our week ended last night at 4:30 pm and I was exhausted. We finished up our classroom work at noon on Wednesday and moved on to the next stage of our training which is securement training. Maverick has a very extensive and lengthy securement training course that covers essentially anything you may need to strap to your flatbed trailer. The temperature and humidity made it a real physical challenge, but as everyone here has told me, flatbed is hard work! After a day and a half of securement training, I find it absolutely fascinating how all of this is designed and the various formulas that are in play based on the weight, the material, and the physical characteristics of the load. Who knew all the work and calculations that driver went through before he covered up his masterpiece with a tarp and pulled it out onto the highway? I'm impressed! We will pick up our securement training on Sunday at 7 am and should be ready to test out by Thursday of next week.

The highlight of this week was receiving a job offer which I gladly accepted. I am assigned to Nucor Steel Dedicated hauling out of Huger, S.C, (near Charleston). Maverick gave me several options, and although this account pays a bit less than some of the others ($0.51 cpm), but I believe it will be a good fit for me. It is guaranteed home weekends which is a big factor for me since we have a small food concession business that we run, primarily on Saturdays. A couple of guys in our class tested out of securement, since they are former Mavericks who have come back after short seasons testing the waters at other companies. They were assigned their trucks yesterday, were dispatched on their first loads and just like that, they're gone.

I am very impressed with the level of detail and the work that has gone into the training program at Maverick. It is very organized, the instructors are seasoned professionals, and the large volume of information is being taught in a very logical and well-structured process. The instructor shows has us watch the Maverick video to see the securement done, then our instructor does it in front of us, and then stands back and watches us do it. We always have our tablets (Maverick issued) available in the training bay if we want to go back and review a video or notes in case we get stuck.

I am very, very impressed and had no idea so much went into chaining and strapping loads. Math is not my strongest subject, but I'm thankful that I'm able to do basic calculations for proper load placement and securement decision-making. (E.g. every chain provides 8K lbs of securement. So, therefore a 40K pound steel coil will require 5 chains.)

I'm having the time of my life and enjoying this so much!!

Thanks, Fernie, and best wishes to you on your endeavor. It seemed at the beginning like there were so many hoops to go through to achieve this dream it was frankly a bit overwhelming. When I look back now, I can't believe how fast it has all flown by.

I resigned on June 17, 2022, and here it is in early August and I'm a driver-in-training, going through securement training in Madison, IL. In just a little over 6-weeks, I've obtained my 2-year medical card, earned my CDL, with Hazmat and Tanker endorsements, obtained my TWIC, received a conditional job offer, went through the week of orientation training a Maverick Transportation, and received a job offer, accepted the offer and am now in securement training. If all goes well, I'll be joining my trainer in just a few short days and be out there learning on-the-job! What an amazingly rewarding adventure this has been already!

I'm thankful that you have found my training diary helpful. I hope to continue this throughout the entire process until I reach the end and am assigned my own truck. That seems like a long way down the road, but knowing how fast all of this has happened, I know it's just around the corner. I am toying with the idea of starting a YouTube Channel to help people of my generation who might be considering this as a viable option for employment into and perhaps throughout retirement. I hope you will keep us posted as you progress on your journey.

Maverick New-Grad Orientation: Madison, IL - Week 1 Summary With the first week behind me, I wanted to share an update. Since we started on Sunday, our week ended last night at 4:30 pm and I was exhausted. We finished up our classroom work at noon on Wednesday and moved on to the next stage of our training which is securement training. Maverick has a very extensive and lengthy securement training course that covers essentially anything you may need to strap to your flatbed trailer. The temperature and humidity made it a real physical challenge, but as everyone here has told me, flatbed is hard work! After a day and a half of securement training, I find it absolutely fascinating how all of this is designed and the various formulas that are in play based on the weight, the material, and the physical characteristics of the load. Who knew all the work and calculations that driver went through before he covered up his masterpiece with a tarp and pulled it out onto the highway? I'm impressed! We will pick up our securement training on Sunday at 7 am and should be ready to test out by Thursday of next week.

The highlight of this week was receiving a job offer which I gladly accepted. I am assigned to Nucor Steel Dedicated hauling out of Huger, S.C, (near Charleston). Maverick gave me several options, and although this account pays a bit less than some of the others ($0.51 cpm), but I believe it will be a good fit for me. It is guaranteed home weekends which is a big factor for me since we have a small food concession business that we run, primarily on Saturdays. A couple of guys in our class tested out of securement, since they are former Mavericks who have come back after short seasons testing the waters at other companies. They were assigned their trucks yesterday, were dispatched on their first loads and just like that, they're gone.

I am very impressed with the level of detail and the work that has gone into the training program at Maverick. It is very organized, the instructors are seasoned professionals, and the large volume of information is being taught in a very logical and well-structured process. The instructor shows has us watch the Maverick video to see the securement done, then our instructor does it in front of us, and then stands back and watches us do it. We always have our tablets (Maverick issued) available in the training bay if we want to go back and review a video or notes in case we get stuck.

I am very, very impressed and had no idea so much went into chaining and strapping loads. Math is not my strongest subject, but I'm thankful that I'm able to do basic calculations for proper load placement and securement decision-making. (E.g. every chain provides 8K lbs of securement. So, therefore a 40K pound steel coil will require 5 chains.)

I'm having the time of my life and enjoying this so much!!

Maverick New-Grad Orientation: Madison, IL - Day 1/2 At 6:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 31, our class of four met in the lobby of the Fairfield Inn for our first ride to the terminal. We are only the second group to come to Madison, as Maverick traditionally trains at their corporate HQ in North Little Rock, AR. This new training location can take a maximum of 8 students at a time, and we have two instructors. One instructor is taking us through our classroom exercises, while the other instructor is in charge of securement training.

Of the four students in my class, one is a returning Maverick driver. The previous class (the first in Madison) also has a driver that is returning to Maverick. I asked my classmate why he was returning to Maverick and he said that he had left to drive locally in the coalfields of WV and after 3-months, he found that the grass definitely wasn't greener. He seems very thankful to be back at Maverick and told me that I had made an excellent choice in picking Maverick to start my career. One of my other classmates has already driven for: Western Express, J.B. Hunt, and Jordan. I asked him why he was coming to Maverick and he said that Maverick's equipment (including the EPU/APU and refrigerator) was a factor in him coming. Both he and the other returning Maverick in our class are attempting to "test out", which means that after week one of orientation this week, they will be tested on their securement skills and if they pass, they will be issued a truck and be gone. If they are both successful that will just leave me and my roommate.

Sunday-7 a.m. we entered the classroom and were issued a Samsung tablet which contains all of the forms, videos, releases etc. that we will be working through. We were also issued a copy of the regulations and a 2022 Rand McNally Motor Carrier Road Atlas. We started filling out the endless stack of forms and releases and were served lunch (provided by Maverick). After lunch we had a tour of the facilities here in Madison. The terminal seems to have everything a driver would need, including a spacious lounge, fitness area, four or five shower rooms, free laundry facilities and a snack area with free coffee and vending machines. There is an outdoor patio with grills and a table. We received a tour of the shop area, were shown the truck wash facility and received instructions on the do's and don't's of life around a Maverick terminal. The remainder of the afternoon we viewed several videos and took tests after each video. You are required to score at least 90% on each test or you have to re-take it. The tests are open-book and not difficult. Class dismissed at 4:20 p.m.

Monday- 7a.m. Today is the day we get our DOT Physicals and drug tests (hair and urine). We were advised not to eat breakfast or drink coffee before coming to class. We did a few videos and a couple of quick tests before 9am, at which time we departed to the medical center about 15-mins from the terminal. The hair sample was taken from my right armpit and I feel slightly unbalanced now! I asked if he needed the left armpit, but he said, no, the right was sufficient. Other students surrendered beard hair, but the armpit was the logical choice for me. The DOT Physical which followed was my third in 3-months. I got one on my own when I was considering going to company-sponsored CDL school. Then I had to get one before my Ancora CDL class at Central Virginia Community College, and now a third. Virginia's DMV is going to think I have a special attraction to DOT Physicals at this rate! All went well and we returned to the terminal by noon.

After lunch, we started the physical abilities tests which are conducted by a Physical Therapist contracted to perform this portion of the testing. As I was going through the extensive stretching, bending, resisting, and pushing motions, it occurred to me that this level of physical examination is much more than I experienced during my two trips through the police academy, once in Canada and another in Virginia. There were simple exercises including lifting, moving, stair-stepping, balancing, climbing on trailers, pulling your body up and walking on a simulated flatbed load, opening the hood of the tractor, lowering it, getting into and out of the cab, etc. It was all explained very clearly and it was all relatively simple, provided one is in at least average to low-average physical condition.

After the physical tests, we returned to the classroom for more videos, some basic route-planning exercises, and a couple more tests. Our class wrapped up at 4:45 p.m. and that was the end of Day 2.

There seems to be a very significant amount of training around managing fatigue, understanding the dangers of sleep-deprived drivers, and a very clear focus on being aware of the potential for human trafficking in the trucking industry. My classmate who attended the North Little Rock (NLR) training center on his last orientation said that we are fortunate to be here in Madison. He said that the classes in NLR are large (15-20 students per class) and that because of the size of the classes, the atmosphere is much less relaxed and there is much more waiting in line. I am thankful to be here and am enjoying every minute of the training. Who knows, maybe after this I'll start shaving my armpits regularly (doubtful).

Feel free to ask any questions. I don't know much, but I'll be happy to answer if I can. On to day 3!!!

Maverick Student Orientation-Madison, IL Terminal After all the stress and excitement around getting my CDL just three days ago, I'm writing this from the Fairfield Inn, located in Collinsville, IL. Maverick's Madison Terminal is just a few miles away and my roommate and I have just settled in.

It was an early start as I departed Lynchburg's airport on a 5:10 a.m. flight to Charlotte, where I easily made my connection for the flight to St. Louis. I was advised there was another prospective Maverick on the flight, and I played the "Who could it be?" game in the gate area. I saw several possible candidates, but upon my arrival at the Maverick shuttle in St. Louis, my teammate was not someone I had noticed on the flight. He is a NC native and I have enjoyed getting to know him. We got checked into the hotel early and had a welcome packet from Maverick waiting for us. I thought it was interesting that since we are sharing a room, Maverick dictated who got which bed. My packet says "bed by door". I thought that was unusual but then imagined that putting two complete strangers together opens up the possibility of disagreements over just about anything, including who gets which bed. I don't see my rommie and I having any issues getting along for the next 12-days. The packet has basic information on what to bring to our first day (SSN, bank info for direct deposit, CDL, identification (passport/birth certificate, etc., and medical/prescription information), and a pamphlet on Sleep Apnea. We will have breakfast at the hotel, and be served lunch at the Maverick terminal. The shuttle will pick us up at 6:30 a.m. so I envision an early night tonight.

It's been quite the whirlwind of activity since leaving the white-collar cubicles of corporate America just 6-weeks ago. Somehow I sense that the whirlwind is going to continue, and possibly even escalate in intensity over the coming days/weeks. I'm very thankful and more excited than I've been in many years.

That is fantastic!!! Congratulations!

Thanks G-Town. I appreciate your advice and encouragement. On to the next step!

Congrats from us also!!

Safe travels, Steve. Will be waiting to hear more!!!

~ Anne & Tom ~

Thanks Anne. I really appreciate all the encouragement and great advice. I'll keep you posted here as my journey continues.