Transitioning From Active Duty Military To Reserves, While On The Road In Training

Hi guys. I hope I can get some type of feedback. First off I'm active duty and I'm on Terminal Leave right now. I start my CDL Training with Yuma on 30 Jan and it will be 8 weeks long. After that I plan on joining with Werner and going to orientation with them and then on the road for 6 weeks for training. My question for you guys is my terminal leave ends on 23 March and I joined the reserves and have to report to them no later than 30 days after my ETS date. How will this work if I'm on the road for for six weeks training. I could leave and go report and get back on the road but that means I have to wait for another trainer and probably have to redo everything I did with other trainer. Does anyone know if the Army reserves will let me complete my 6 week training before reporting or if I just call them and explain them the situation. Has anyone dealt with this before. I know I can just call my reserve unit and get answers but I would like some type of feedback from this community if anyone had dealt with this before. I appreciate your help and feedback and thank you guys so much.

Welcome Kurtis. I don't know the answers unfortunately but I expect others will. We have quite a few people that were in the military so I expect they'll be able to shed some light on it when they get up in the morning.

You will have to schedule home time to coincide with drill time. I am not sure how that will work while you are in training. TBH I ask if you have taken a look at Schneider. They are very pro military. They are very used to working with national guardsman as the founders of the company were in the national guard / reserves. As you are just coming out of the military Schneider also has one of the better packages for recently separated Veterans. Schneider offers 1 for 1 years experience for driving MOSs and 1 for 4 for non driving MOSs. It is a good way to quickly bump up your starter pay. They also have the apprenticeship program if you want to use your Post 9/11 to make a little extra money.

I do not know what kinda extras Werner provides for ex military. I never gave them any consideration. Mostly because my buddy had a bad experience, but I digress. There are several very pro military trucking outfits. If you are interested in flatbed Maverick and TMC seemed to be very oriented towards military.

The only reason I bring other companies up as you haven't even been to school for your CDL yet. You will have many recruiters come visit you while in school. There may be companies out there that are a better fit for you. Werner may be the best fit for you. That is your personal choice. I am just saying look at all your options before committing to a company. I do know any company you choose, make sure they are very comfortable with employing and have experience working with national guardsman / reservists. The trucking lifestyle is one where conflicts between the 2 can quickly become a problem if the company you choose doesn't honor your reserve commitments. Remember you also have your AT (Annual Training) for 2 weeks straight a year.

Drive Safe and God Speed.

When I saw the Title to this post, I was really hoping it wasn't a Bruce/ Caitlyn Jenner type of "Transitioning" post! THANK YOU! I really didn't need THAT this morning!!!!

First off - THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE!

Do you have to muster and drill with the reserves RIGHT AWAY? Of just check in?

If you have to report to them within 30 days of EOS - and your training ends the end of March - simply schedule a break between your training and your start at Werner, to go report.

This is not like them Mil. You don't finish school, grab your orders and have to report within 48 hours at your new duty station.

Most trucking companies want to see a "recent grad" within 30 days of completing school. Take a DEEP BREATH. Get yourself a week or two of downtime between school and company orientation (whatever company you end up with), go report and check in with the Reserves, then head out to orientation.

Trucking companies (or any employer for that matter) are required to make accommodations for reservists. The problem down the road might be - if you are out of your assigned truck for too many days - you may have to move out of it. Once you're settled into a truck, and you have all your gear in and arranged the way you like - it's a PITA to move and resettle. I know .mil types have to be used to bugging out and resettling - but I'm sure all of us prefer to have that forced on us as little as possible.

Best of luck - keep us posted on how things work out - so we can relate your experiences to others in similar situations.

Rick

Legislation may say one thing. What happens in practice is an entirely different matter. The whole difference between theory and reality. I would share the joke, but I am sure the moderators would have it deleted before more than a few people take a look.

Ah heck with it. Maybe at least a couple people will get a laugh.

Difference between theory and reality.

One day little Johnny walks up to his mom and asks her: "Momma, what's the difference between theory and reality?" His mother tells him to go ask his father in the garage. Little Johnny heads out to the garage and asks his fathe: "Daddy what's the difference between theory and reality?" "His father looks down at little Johnny and asks: "Is your momma home?" Johnny replies: "Yes". His father instructs him to go ask his momma if she would "Sleep with the neighbor for a million dollars?" Johnny protests, but his father tells him to "Do as he told him." Little Johnny heads into the kitchen and asks his mom: "If she would sleep with the neighbor for a million dollars?" At first his mom is hesitant, but eventually agrees she would sleep with the neighbor for a million dollars. Little Johnny goes back out to the garage and informs his father that momma would sleep with the neighbor for a million dollars. His father asks: "Is your sister home?" Johnny replies: "Yes, daddy." His father instructs little Johnny to go ask his sister: "If she would sleep with the neighbor for a million dollars." Johnny replies: "But, daddy." His father responds: "Boy, do as I told you." Little Johnny heads into the house and upstairs to his sister's room. Johnny asks his sister: "Would you sleep with the neighbor for a million dollars?" His sister quickly replies: "Yep, sure would." Little Johnny runs back down stairs and reports to his father: "Daddy, Sis said she would and didn't even hesitate." Johnny's father looks down at him and states: "Boy, there you have it." Johnny confused responds to his father: "Daddy, I don't get it." His father then explains: "In theory, we are sitting on 2 million dollars; in reality, we are with a couple neighbor living *****s!"

Anyways I hope the joke brightens someone's day.

Drive Safe and God Speed.

Luckily I did my remaining 2 years inactive reserve, but I'd suggest calling your gaining unit, and explaining your situation to the PSG. If Uncle Same and the company are both aware of your intentions and your status it tends to make planning much easier. I can't promise that'll itll solve your problem, I can guarantee either way it isn't a waste of time to try; at worst you come off as dedicated, self starting, and professional.

Uncle Sam*

I want to thank all of you guys for your help. I guess I need to wait for school for the recruiters. I just did the pre-hire with Schneider and Werner. They both offer the apprenticeship program and offfer tuition reimbursement and payout of the G.I. Bill. I just wanted to see if there were any other people that has been in this situation. Complete school then have to report to the reserve unit 30 days after ETS date. My biggest concern was should I just finish school then report to my reserve unit and then head to orientation then the 6 week training. Because I don't know if the Reserves will allow me to complete my 6 week training so I can go solo or will they make me come back do my drill or whatever then get back into training. By doing that I risk not getting the same trainer and will more than likely have to get another trainer so now I have to start over and prove all my skills I learned with one trainer with the new one. Just wanted to see if anyone has done this type of process. I appreciate everyone's responses. Seems like Werner and Schneider is the places to go. Any other recommendations would be greatly appreciated as well.

Hello Kurtis, and welcome aboard!

I just wanted to point something out to you that you haven't even considered.

You keep looking at the possibility of having two different trainers as a negative. That isn't necessarily so. In fact there are some companies that make a point of putting new drivers with two different trainers.

It can actually be a very positive experience due to the fact that sometimes you will learn a lot better from one than you did the other depending on your learning style. Also, you may have one trainer who focuses on some things that the other one ignores. I have seen drivers who really struggled with backing all of a sudden have a light bulb go off in their head as to comprehending it just by switching to a different trainer who stated things in a little bit different way - somehow it made things "click."

Here's a true story that I personally witnessed...

When I was in a private truck driving school there was a lady in my class, who had been held over from the previous class who just could not get the concept of double clutching and shifting a big rig. She had been with our trainer for two weeks already when we were starting our first day with him. This school would work with you until you got it as long as you were making an honest effort. First day in the truck with her, she scared me to death. She stalled the truck several times and jerked us around like we were on a carnival ride! After we got back to the yard the trainer talked it over with the owner of the school, let them know he just wasn't getting through to her and thought they should put her with someone else for some help.

There was only one trainer, so what they did was sent her out with just her and the shop mechanic that the school employed to keep up their trucks. They were gone for maybe an hour, and when they got back to the yard she was shifting that thing like an old veteran! What happened between the two of them I will never know, but somehow the way the mechanic was able to express to her the way to do it was just magical for her.

Another thing we tell people all the time is that it benefits a husband and wife team to go out with different trainers because they will both learn some things from a different perspective. When they get back together to team drive, they will often discover that one trainer didn't even touch on some of the things that the other person knew how to do really well. Each trainer had their own strengths and weaknesses. Their is not some standard class that they all graduate from which makes them equal. Often times folks are very unhappy with their trainer - I had a terrible trainer when I first started my initial truck driving job. I think anyone can benefit from having two different trainers. I just wouldn't look at the possibility of switching to a different trainer in midstream in such a negative way.

If you end up with two trainers, take advantage of their different approaches. You could actually benefit from such a situation, and I've got to tell you from the years I have spent in this forum, there are a lot of new drivers who really wish they could get a different trainer than the one they started with.