Profile For Lucky Life

Dart, Have you personally spoken to your FTM this week? Maybe that person would be willing to share what your 3rd Mentor had to say about your skills and safety concerns. I am with everyone else on this, it just doesn't add up. I trained many employees over the years running my business, I always expected some rough patches and loss of revenue but if they showed promise it was at least a 6 month process.

Glad to hear this is working out well for you, figured AFW would be a great place to work. Best part are all the other opportunities they offer, good luck on a long career with Mr. Jabs and Co.

Good call, anytime I can stay on the Interstate seems to be the safest route when out West.

My guess it was Palmer, very attractive company to work for but it appears they like to Hand Pick their Students. They are a bit on the smaller size and yes I am hoping to get on with them but not really putting much stock in them as they get tons of applications and class sizes are usually less than 8 to 10, sometimes as few as 1 to 3.

Go to search bar, top left of page. Enter Knight and you will find tons of information.

Wow that a lot of bucks for a Sleep study, I am at 160lbs and have a 17 1/4 inch neck, 6 foot and turning 54 this month, sounds brutal. I can tell ya I was at 200 and spent 2 months just walking 2 miles day and lost 35 in 1 month.

You'll be waiting *A LOT* pulling reefer. I've had 14 hour waits at Walmart, 18 hour waits at Americold (all over the country), and these are wait times sitting on the dock door with a red light. This was also the norm, not something that happened occasionally. If I could do it all over again, I never would have pulled reefer.

So how in the World do you make any money sitting for 14 or more hours?

Thanks Brett, I agree with Old School that this is Timeless Information. Not just for Trucking but any career you choose to enter!

Perfect timing for me about the Training aspect, it is what it is and make the best of it !!!

YES, if they report it to your DAC, it will be considered a failure.

Stick a fork in your career, its next to impossible to renter after something like that. No company will trust you...

G-Town, this is what I really appreciate about you the most, Honest and Direct answers, no BS and no Sugar Coating. Reminds me of Dragnet, "Just the Facts, Ma'am"

Best bet is to call them and just ask, taking that fake sample off of you and asking you to leave if that is really what happened is definitely not the norm. My best guess would be Refusal to take the Test would be reported, but I am not a DOT Examiner.

Put in Return to Duty Process up top in the search box and there you will find all the painful answers you are looking for. If you really loved your career you should know better!

Not sounding like a good situation, sorry to hear about your story. I have not been able to get my head around how some of the Private Schools operate, Nights only, 12 weeks of Weekend only and some just no consistency at all. On the other hand, Company Sponsored Training Programs seem to operated on two different methods. Some have you do Classroom and driving skills for like 3 weeks then off to get your CDL, others have you do Classroom then drive 10K miles with a Trainer then go get your CDL. Me personally would much rather get that 10K mile of practice prior to getting a CDL, I just don't believe that someone with absolutely no driving experience can obtain all the Driving Skills to confidently test for a CDL A licence.

It has been said that it takes 10,000 Hours to become an Expert or Professional at any given task or Profession, which is basically working a 40 hour week for 5 years. I just don't understand the rush to get the actual Licence, you may be able to Pass with just a few weeks and a dozen or so practice attempts and Backing Skills or Driving but should you really be holding a CDL Licence?

Folks help me out here if I am just way off course here, but I truly believe you should be with a Trainer running Solo with said Trainer Coaching you on the skills you need to acquire your CDL. I just think you need more hours behind the wheel and definitely a Trained Professional Driver to evaluate your Skills and abilities prior to obtaining a CDL. Like I said you my hold a CDL but you may not deserve to be on The Road just because you do.

Congrats Dart

I can't help with the driving , but I can a bit with AFW. Jake has built an amazing company, I think I bought my first couch back in 83 from them and was a loyal customer for 30 years until I moved to TX. They have had steady growth and profits for decades, great customers service in all departments and I watched their Fleet grow to more than 135 Semi's, 275 53' Trailers and well over 125 Local delivery trucks. Not bad for a Private Company, not bad at all!

I adhere to 3 principles in life. 1. Never let anything get you down 2. You can handle anything 3. Treat others the way that you want to be treated. Can anyone give any good advice for starting out a new career once I'm out of training?

Hey Ray, your own advise is a really good start. Good Luck Man

Wow Werner N, 3 pages of posts in 3 hours. Hey Brett that's got to be a record. Sounds like this Dude has no idea how to manage his HOS, may be Burnt Out, Depressed-probably, possibly lazy but definitely came to the wrong site with this post. I completely understand hitting that Brick Wall, I had a bad habit of working 10 to 12 hours days 7 days a week for weeks on end, my Wife would finally stepped in and say STOP! So I did for like a few days and then I would grind out another 4 to 6 week run until I looked and felt like road kill. It took a while to learn Time Management, I could do it with our employees and my Wife but I was a Workaholic, still am and that's why I am considering a career in Trucking. DOT has rules and it's all about following rules.

Ok, let's get this thread started again. I am in the mood for some funny pictures...

Linden, got to say a Young Man of your age you just made my day, Dude you are a funny Guy. Thanks for bringing a bit of humor to a really bad Tuesday.

Despite this, I am VERY fortunate and am being given a 2nd chance to take the test. Not everyone that goes through the program is afforded the opportunity to take the test again (using comoany assets, that is. I could always rent a truck to take it again if need be, but that's another discussion) if they don't pass the 1st time.

Am I just being too sensitive but given only 1 chance to pass seems a bit harsh when the Company has spent so much time and money to put you in a seat and make them some money. Help me understand Folks !

The Tip that sticks in my mind if you are governed to around 62 MPH is plane on 50 to 55 miles per hour, what will cover Fuel Stops, quick stop to get a little walkabout time and your 30. At least that is what I have gotten out of the forums.

Use the Search at the top left, not really any Lesson Plans but good stuff about Trip Planning. This is where you will learn by others mistakes and that improved their Trip Planning Skills.