Talking With A Trucking Company Recruiter

Hey Old School, I found a place called Las Vegas Pet Sitting. Until you mentioned it I didn’t even know that such a service existed. I can have the pet sitter come every other day and it’s only about $18 a visit. This is a tremendous load off my mind. I couldn’t live with myself if I had to put my cat in a shelter or even worse. Thanks so much for your help!

I’m headed to a drug testing lab tomorrow to get urine and hair follicle tests. I should be ready to start orientation in no time.

It’s amazing how problems appear but there always seems to be a solution if you can find it. Just making to this point I’ve had lots of problems to solve. I’ve had a lot of help though here and elsewhere.

Hey Old School, I found a place called Las Vegas Pet Sitting. Until you mentioned it I didn’t even know that such a service existed.

I didn't either! I wonder if they'll work with cows, chickens, and turkeys. I mean, a few buckets of grain and water each day and they're pretty much set.

Finally, my plan for a trip to the Bahamas is coming together!!!

Hey Old School, I found a place called Las Vegas Pet Sitting. Until you mentioned it I didn’t even know that such a service existed.

I didn't either! I wonder if they'll work with cows, chickens, and turkeys. I mean, a few buckets of grain and water each day and they're pretty much set.

Finally, my plan for a trip to the Bahamas is coming together!!!

I think she mentioned wallaby, rhino, and diamondback gorilla

Bahamas, that’s sweet. I’ll be sweating it out at Schneider’s trucking facility :). Seriously, I’m looking forward to it.

Hey fellas, I got a question:

Schneider needs drugs tests and a DOT physical before I attend orientation. The drug tests are self-explanatory, but I was wondering if the DOT physical I had at trucking school this past June has me covered? It was only about 4 months ago. Thanks.

Jeff, they will want one thats within the last 30 days....its standard.

Jeff, they will want one thats within the last 30 days....its standard.

Damn, ok, will do. Thanks for the heads up. That would have been a bummer if I found out when I got to Fontana. Thanks again.

Fellas, I’ve been thinking. I’m not a fatalist or anything, and I fully expect to make it through orientation at Schneider, but you have to think ahead also. Anything can happen, you just never know. What I was wondering is if I don’t make it through at Schneider that doesn’t mean it’s the end of the road for me? I mean I could always try another company, right? Also, I was wondering if failing an orientation is recorded on your record, or do you have a clean start at every company you apply to?

It seems that having the knowledge that it’s not the end of the world if you don’t succeed at a particular company is a nice little trump card to have in your back pocket to take some of the pressure off. Does this make any sense, and is it a good way to approach this? Thanks.

Jeff, this job, and trying to break into this job, both require a thick skin. You can't take anything personal and you have to persevere to see it through. I consider myself a fine truck driver and yet I got rejected at three different orientations. Sometimes somebody who may have never even seen the inside of a truck cab, or even have the slightest grasp of what it takes to be a great driver will be the person who caused you to get rejected. I had a contracted physical therapist at TMC who rejected me based on a very vague reason with no real explanation, and when I asked the management people to let me prove to them that he was wrong they simply stated that he had the final word.

So, the answer to your query is that you can certainly go elsewhere and get a job. Nothing will be reflected on any kind of record unless you fail the drug testing portion of the orientation. If you fail that then you are getting yourself into some deep water that is hard to get out of.

One more thing - if you go to another potential employer you will almost always have to have another physical. Any time you change employers in this industry a new physical is required even if your other one is current.

Jeff, this job, and trying to break into this job, both require a thick skin. You can't take anything personal and you have to persevere to see it through. I consider myself a fine truck driver and yet I got rejected at three different orientations. Sometimes somebody who may have never even seen the inside of a truck cab, or even have the slightest grasp of what it takes to be a great driver will be the person who caused you to get rejected. I had a contracted physical therapist at TMC who rejected me based on a very vague reason with no real explanation, and when I asked the management people to let me prove to them that he was wrong they simply stated that he had the final word.

So, the answer to your query is that you can certainly go elsewhere and get a job. Nothing will be reflected on any kind of record unless you fail the drug testing portion of the orientation. If you fail that then you are getting yourself into some deep water that is hard to get out of.

One more thing - if you go to another potential employer you will almost always have to have another physical. Any time you change employers in this industry a new physical is required even if your other one is current.

Thanks for the heads up about physicals, and just a big thanks in general. Wow, you certainly persevered. Congrats to you sir! I have no doubt that you are a great truck driver.

I’ve pretty much breezed through everything so far but you never know what the future will bring. I’ve compared this trucking career pursuit to running a gauntlet. There’s danger around every curve :). It seems, though, that I am on the right track as far as taking nothing for granted.

I know about the drug thing. I used to smoke pot last time over 5 years ago but I’ve been completely clean since, so no worries there, unless a false positive is something else to worry about.

Lastly, I was wondering if you ever had any experience with Schneider and their orientation? It seems pretty challenging with a lot of potential "gotchas". Even though I’m confident in my abilities I’m still very concerned about surviving Schneider’s orientation. Any insight or advice you could share about Schneider would be greatly appreciated.

And thanks as always for your generous help. You’ve been great to me.

Just wondering, will Schneider care if I have a long ponytail? My hair always looks neat and clean, slicked back. The "business in the front, party in the back" look LOL. Except I don’t really party much anymore :-).