Do Drivers Often Have To Ride On Buses?

OMG, this discussion has gone silly at this point. We've got a guy who wants to know if he's going to have to ride a bus. He's a newbie with no experience. Let's face it - he's got about a 98% chance at some point of having to get on a bus!

This talk about "run of the mill" companies is silly. These large carriers are some of the best performing Transportation companies out here. They are publicly traded because they have shown themselves to be some of the most responsible operators in this particularly precarious business. They make smart decisions, one of which is to approach the hiring of new drivers without wasting money unnecessarily. There's no reason to be flying in a bunch of people who may prove to be of little value.

Folks who took bus rides to their companies don't need to find ways to tear up my post in order to justify their decision.

C'mon Dave! Nobody is attempting to "justify their decision." We are teaching newbies how this stuff works, and the fact remains that most all of them are going to be put on a bus. Once a driver is experienced and proven he may get flights and rent cars paid for regularly - that's been my experience.

Any newbie who somehow takes away from this conversation that a company that flies him in to orientation is a "better choice," is being completely misled. The transportation means to orientation has never been one of the criteria we suggest as something critical in your decision making process.

The US military regularly flies new recruits to boot camp understanding that some may fail. Of course the American government is rich enough to gamble your hard-earned tax dollars away for plane tickets that may prove worthless to the nation. Now if the person in the military gets a dishonorable discharge, they may be lucky if they get a Greyhound ticket all the way home which could be from coast to coast. If they wash out in boot camp due to incompetence or failing a PT test, my understanding is they still get a plane ride home on your tax dime.

Going a different route here, I spent thirty hours on a bus to orientation, and didn’t think it was that bad. Definitely not my worst thirty hours since starting driving.

I've been given the option of taking the Dog from my home in Southern California to SLC, which is 14+ hours, or.... I can find my own way to SLC (drive my own car, or fly, train, flap my arms really hard, etc.) and they will reimburse me whatever the grayhound ticket would have cost them.

If you drive your own car, how would you get it back home? I have seen a couple of people mention this but I’m confused.

From what I understand, I will finish orientation, go directly on my training drive, then bring my truck home once I am ready to go solo.

When I was with Roehl while going to school I rode the bus to orientation/School but once I passed they rented me a car to go home and get my license registered (ie hard copy) and take some home time. They also rented me a car to go down and meet my trainer in Gary Indiana (I’m from Northern Michigan). After doing local for a few years I decided to go back OTR and my current company Pride Transport flew me out to Salt Lake City from Northern MI for orientation. I guess it all depends on the company, where you live and how far you are from the terminal.

If you drive your own car, how would you get it back home? I have seen a couple of people mention this but I’m confused.

From what I understand, I will finish orientation, go directly on my training drive, then bring my truck home once I am ready to go solo.

TBH you figure it out after the fact. After training and upgrading you will get a truck and a load heading for home. You could always ride back to the terminal with another driver, then drive your car back home. I have known a few driver that have gotten themselves a little cheap POS and moved it to the terminal. They leave it there for when/if they get stuck at the terminal for a long repair or if they just don’t want the haste of the company vehicles.

If you drive your own car, how would you get it back home? I have seen a couple of people mention this but I’m confused.

From what I understand, I will finish orientation, go directly on my training drive, then bring my truck home once I am ready to go solo.

TBH you figure it out after the fact. After training and upgrading you will get a truck and a load heading for home. You could always ride back to the terminal with another driver, then drive your car back home. I have known a few driver that have gotten themselves a little cheap POS and moved it to the terminal. They leave it there for when/if they get stuck at the terminal for a long repair or if they just don’t want the haste of the company vehicles.

I'll just do the rental car thing then. They said they would reimburse me, but I'm not sure that is fair. It has to be double what a bus ticket would cost. I'm sure they write it off, but write offs still don't equal free money. I'll discuss it more with Jamie when time is closer. Which will be soon, I got my driving schedule from school today, I'll start driving Wednesday at noon, finally.

Hopefully, I pass the test on the 14th, and there is an orientation starting shortly after.

OMG, this discussion has gone silly at this point. We've got a guy who wants to know if he's going to have to ride a bus. He's a newbie with no experience. Let's face it - he's got about a 98% chance at some point of having to get on a bus!

This talk about "run of the mill" companies is silly. These large carriers are some of the best performing Transportation companies out here. They are publicly traded because they have shown themselves to be some of the most responsible operators in this particularly precarious business. They make smart decisions, one of which is to approach the hiring of new drivers without wasting money unnecessarily. There's no reason to be flying in a bunch of people who may prove to be of little value.

Folks who took bus rides to their companies don't need to find ways to tear up my post in order to justify their decision.

C'mon Dave! Nobody is attempting to "justify their decision." We are teaching newbies how this stuff works, and the fact remains that most all of them are going to be put on a bus. Once a driver is experienced and proven he may get flights and rent cars paid for regularly - that's been my experience.

Any newbie who somehow takes away from this conversation that a company that flies him in to orientation is a "better choice," is being completely misled. The transportation means to orientation has never been one of the criteria we suggest as something critical in your decision making process.

Roger that, sorry for taking this too far.

Folks who took bus rides to their companies don't need to find ways to tear up my post in order to justify their decision.

No one tore up your post Dave.

Poor choice of works, I apologize.

If you drive your own car, how would you get it back home? I have seen a couple of people mention this but I’m confused.

From what I understand, I will finish orientation, go directly on my training drive, then bring my truck home once I am ready to go solo.

TBH you figure it out after the fact. After training and upgrading you will get a truck and a load heading for home. You could always ride back to the terminal with another driver, then drive your car back home. I have known a few driver that have gotten themselves a little cheap POS and moved it to the terminal. They leave it there for when/if they get stuck at the terminal for a long repair or if they just don’t want the haste of the company vehicles.

How often do you need to go to the terminal, by the way?