Comments By Randy D.

Over the road training,

My flat bedding class mates and I all got hooked up with a trainer for this part. I have texted one regularly and he has gotten home both weekends so far with his trainer who is about an hour from him in the chicago area. All got a sort of local trainer except one person. They said the last class was more the other way around it just depends on what trainers are open the week you get started.

If you can't get home on the weekend and your trainer does go home they do put you in a motel within walking distance of a place to eat.

One class mate was picked up at Little Rock on Thursday, 1 lived local and had a local trainer but not sure when they hooked up. Me and another rode out on the bus friday morning to go home and meet up with our trainers.

My trainer is about an hour from me also and has a dedicated run so he actually gets home each night and weekend. I don't travel back and forth during the week, so I use to truck during the week and come home on weekends.

Our daily run is to Crawfordsville In. get loaded there, and Back to Redbud Il to unload then back to the truck stop for the night. This is 550 miles round trip with a load and unload on a covered wagon. With road construction in many parts of the route it makes for a full day with the driving times. I am driving around half of that, loaded and unloaded. Probably ramp the drive time up as we go along. I have drove all parts of the trip. And backed up at both locations and the truck stop the spread axles are a bit different and getting used to them.

I been told that if someone is along a major route there is not much trouble getting home time, but the new reset 34 hour rule might mess some of that up, with the 7 day thing.

That is where I am at now. Randy

On the weekend pay it looks like it does say that any flat bed driver does get the 800 mile pay thing

Congratulations Randy, that's some great news! Training can be tough, but stick with it and it won't be long until you're out there on your own.

Thanks I am really looking forward to my ongoing training. Everyone I had to deal with in training so far have been great can't complain at all about the instructors I have had.

Brett's earlier question about home time. With the new rule changes July 1st, things might change over time. Glass and flat bed long haul don't get weekends home. The regional drivers do have a thing that they get paid for 800 mile run if they work the weekend. Even if the run was 500 miles they get 800 paid . Again new rules might change things with the reset rule change. If a person lives near a busy lane they should have a good chance of home time

I am on the grey hound heading home. I start on the road training on Monday. My trainer lives about an hour from me. I will do that 3 weeks at least then back for a check and test to go solo.

Maverick has orientation Sunday through getting hired on Thursday. most days are a mix of class room instruction/videos and testing. All test are open book great notes will be important Monday is physicals including drug testing. They do check your body joint movements very well. Also a 3 minute stair step in place with a pulse check after 1 minute. Very large guys did all of the test and passed.

The only thing our class lost some for was doc releases they could not get faxed in. One was back the next week. Just a week behind our training

On Thursday you do get your job offer That is when you tour the company Corp headquarters. My hire date was July 4th so we missed out on this process.

You also start securement training on Thursday if your flat bedding or glass division. TCD has seperate training 1.5 days I think. Securement and tarpaulin training will last till Wednesday of your 2nd week. Some class room videos and scale model demos then hands on with mock loads and then test some more each day. Final test is 50 questions all test require 90% correct and open book good notes will help.

Most of your time here you also have homework mostly with maps and trip planning all manual no gps. Good magnifying glass is helpful along with laminated map and dry erase markers

Some homework is qualcom training also they have several set up and many books of loads to mix that up a bit.

After passing the final test they have a crossing the bridge which explains a lot of how the on the road training works I plucked into a guy an hour away so I have s choice of hotel weekends or hometime some don't luck out with thatso hotel 1/11 in our group

Have to go for now and that's where I am at in training

The hiring here is on Thursdays and load load securement started that day also

Hey that's awesome!!!

Keep us updated on how things go for ya. I think Maverick has the option of getting you home on weekends, don't they?

I have no wifi here and phone does not work verywell. Signed with maverick today will try to update. Sometime

Heading out shortly to Little Rock Arkansas and do orientation for Maverick, hoping all goes well. This Sunday will be first day starting at 7 am. I am a morning person anyway :) Randy

From what I have read, most companies require it, so it will be an issue if you don't have an actual SS card. And it cannot be laminated and must be signed..I would get on that ASAP and get it..

Thanks for the input, I called them and SS office a person can go in and apply for the card which takes around 2 weeks but they will give you a print out at the same time that also works for hiring. So heading to orientation this weekend.. another step closer.. Randy

Hey Randy. I'm really glad our High Road Training Program helped out and congrats on passing the exams!

Their insurance companies require new drivers to have a graduation certificate from an approved trucking school. So I'm concerned that you're going to get your license but will have trouble landing a job. What's your status?

I am heading to orientation next week. I do not have a SS card is that going to be a problem? I have had my current job for over 30 years. I do have a passport birth certificate and other ID items some of which have my SS on it, Including a pilot's license. Thoughts?

Hey congrats!!! Yap, it's a lengthy process so just keep moving forward one step at a time.

thanks Brett, I am still doing your CDL course, I think it is still a good learning tool even though I am done with the CDL testing. And reading through other blogs add's much info also. Thanks for a great sight .. Randy