Profile For Appalachained

Any updates?

Reruns are okay every now and then. I’ll stay tuned.

Great thread. I’m hooked.

Thanks for the update and good luck.

This thread had been very informative. I think it rivals the Wine Taster Roehl diary especially for the specific concerns I have and had. Thank you for taking the time to do it amid the whirlwind that is CDL school. I look forward to reading the new diary.

Heck Yeah! Congratulations Bill.

Appalachained - Sorry for the delayed posting, I know I left ya hanging. This diary is becoming like a soap opera. Stay tuned next time for.... The Roller-Coaster of CDL training...

No problem. I’m just glad you take the time to participate here. Thank You. Also, you got this!

Awesome! Congrats. Still keep us dated from time to time.

Oh, and I forgot to mention, thanks for the kind words Appalachained. I really appreciate the encouragement. I'm glad your're enjoying my ramblings.

No problem and thank you for the link to your other thread. It was very helpful too. It and Brett addressed the bigger fear that I’m having. It’s almost eerie how similar our situations are. About the only difference is you’re in (were in) retail and I’m in a service industry. I too am tired of herding (34-38) cats. It’s getting hard to find employees and the ones you have get the attitude that they know you need them. I’m thinking about work even when I’m home etc... I even have a Mustang GT lol. So yeah, I’m hanging on every update.

This thread is so far one the most informative especially about concerns that are most pertinent to me. Thanks and keep em coming. I am curious what ends up happening to the guys that are lagging behind too. Who know that might be me.

Thanks for the update. I like how Roehl still trains on manual transmissions. That might be the deciding factor for me when I make my choice. Also the fact that they’re still getting miles. I have a friend who chose Swift almost a year ago. She only got 1400 miles last week. I know it could be because she’s not one of the better drivers, but I don’t think so as she was getting around 3,000 for a while.

Your reasons here are on really unstable ground. Miles per week will vary for all rookies. That has nothing to do with the name on the truck's doors. It makes no sense for you to bring up Swift like you do, as if the one rookie driver you know there is a proper representation of the overall operations of a company with more than 20,000 drivers. Think about that for a minute. It sounds kind of silly don't you think?

The driver is almost always the determining factor in how many miles they run. Unfortunately it takes a few years to grasp the concepts of how you manage things so that you are getting preferential treatment. Neither you nor your friend have the experience to make that happen, but you're happy to make your own presumptions and make a decision based on one bad week that a rookie driver told you about.

I get it how you newbies get all uptight about manual transmissions. But again, it's really a trifle. At this point your focus needs to be learning to handle a rig in a safe and productive manner. That's a tall order that has nothing to do with the type transmission you train on. You need to get licensed, and trained enough to go solo, and then you've got a lot of learning ahead of you for the next full year.

I think Roehl is a great choice to start your career. I also know that Swift is a great choice. Your comparison based on hearsay from a rookie driver is really not a good way to form your opinions or base your decisions. I certainly wouldn't base my decision on the transmission either. It's a really minor concern at this point.

Here's the three things you want to base your decision on...

1) Type of freight you want to haul.

2) Area of the country you want to run.

3) Home time options.

If you can get those three things to line up the way you want, you're going to be on solid ground.

You extracted a lot out of the little I said. I said I realize there could be different reasons for her recent mileage drop. I have nothing bad to say about Swift. My friend actually talks highly of Swift and her training. Swift is on my short list, always has been.

Point taken about the desire to train on a manual though. It would be one less thing to worry about. Home time is of no concern to me. Where I will be running isn’t that important. I would like to avoid the NorthEast if at all possible as a rookie. I think I want to flat bed. I like the physical aspect of it, but still have more researching and thinking to do. I realize by now that regardless of who I pick the first year is going to be tough, IF I make it through school.

This is a do or die thing for me as I will be leaving a steady, much higher paying job that I’m fortunate to have, but I can’t possibly retire doing for a whole new job and lifestyle that hopefully I can retire doing. This is why I have been on the High Road for a while now. I have read tons of threads full of useful information including many post of yours. I could have passed the permit test a year ago thanks to this place. I am not taking it lightly.

She only got 1400 miles last week. I know it could be because she’s not one of the better drivers, but I don’t think so as she was getting around 3,000 for a while.

did she take hometime? Sit in a "dead zone" waiting on a load? Not get paperwork submitted in time? Late apts? I highly doubt if shes constantly turning 3000 miles they're intentionally going to cut those miles in half. Slow weeks can happen at ANY carrier.

I think your last sentence covers it. That’s probably the reason with her.

Thanks for the update. I like how Roehl still trains on manual transmissions. That might be the deciding factor for me when I make my choice. Also the fact that they’re still getting miles. I have a friend who chose Swift almost a year ago. She only got 1400 miles last week. I know it could be because she’s not one of the better drivers, but I don’t think so as she was getting around 3,000 for a while.

Thanks for the words of encouragement Cowboy. I was beginning to wonder if anyone is reading this. Either way its helpful to me to spend a few minutes to think about and write down the days events.

I’m reading every word and checking everyday for an update. Lol

I have researched quite a bit. I’ve made major life changes in preparation for trucking school. Most of my questions have been answered in this forum. I can pass all sections of the permit test with flying colors. I can handle the life style I’m almost certain. I’m a pretty smart guy at least I would like to think so. The one thing that terrifies me is the fear of failure. The one thing I can’t be sure of is if I can learn to back a truck. I’ve read that some of the smarter people otherwise just can’t get it. It never clicks for them. Anyway my question is what is the success rate in trucking schools. I realize a lot of people drop out for assorted reasons, but I’d like to hear some real numbers on how many people actually fail because they can’t pass the CDL test because of backing and how many chances different trucking companies will give you before they give up on you.

Sounds like you’re off to a good start. Good deal.

Good luck and keep us updated!

Congratulations. That is totally brag worthy.

Thank you for this thread sir. I will be following closely as this is the company and school location I have picked to hopefully attend in the spring. Good luck.