Starting With Wil-Trans
Topic 24669 | Page 1
Hello
My son started with WIL-TRANS 3 weeks ago. So far he has been doing great. He got there on a Sunday and left the following Friday with a trainer. Make sure you use the links on here to get studying and the pre trip and permit testing.
Best of Luck Chris
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
Wil-Trans:
Darrel Wilson bought his first tractor in 1980 at age 20, but, being too young to meet OTR age requirements, he leased the truck out and hired a driver.
Through growth and acquisition, Wil-Trans now employs over 200 drivers, and has a long-standing partnership with Prime, Inc. to haul their refrigerated freight. The family of businesses also includes Jim Palmer Trucking and O & S Trucking.
. Make sure you use the links on here to get studying and the pre trip and permit testing.
High Road CDL Training Program
- Truck Driver's Career Guide
- Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
- High Road CDL Training Program
- CDL Practice Tests
- Getting Started With The DOT Physical
- DOT Blood Pressure Requirements
- DOT Drug and Alcohol Policies & Testing
- DOT Eye & Vision Exam Requirements
- DOT Hearing Requirements
- DOT Physical - Driver Exemptions
- Hair Follicle vs. Urinalysis Drug Testing: Breakdown By Company
- Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) Guidelines & Advice
- Sleep Apnea , Truck Drivers, & BMI Calculator
- Trucker's Wiki: Items To Bring To CDL School, Training, and OTR
- Forum Topics Tagged "Items To Bring To CDL School"
- Forum Topics Tagged "Items To Bring On The Road"
Becoming A Truck Driver: The Raw Truth About Truck Driving
- Pre-Trip Inspection Study Guide
- Daniel's Pre-Trip Inspection
- Pre-Trip Inspection Checklist
- Pre-Trip Inspection Practice Questions
Pre-trip Inspection:
A pre-trip inspection is a thorough inspection of the truck completed before driving for the first time each day.
Federal and state laws require that drivers inspect their vehicles. Federal and state inspectors also may inspect your vehicles. If they judge a vehicle to be unsafe, they will put it “out of service” until it is repaired.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
Hypertension:
Abnormally high blood pressure.
Sleep Apnea:
A physical disorder in which you have pauses in your breathing, or take shallow breaths, during sleep. These pauses can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Normal breathing will usually resume, sometimes with a loud choking sound or snort.
In obstructive sleep apnea, your airways become blocked or collapse during sleep, causing the pauses and shallow breathing.
It is a chronic condition that will require ongoing management. It affects about 18 million people in the U.S.
BMI:
Body mass index (BMI)
BMI is a formula that uses weight and height to estimate body fat. For most people, BMI provides a reasonable estimate of body fat. The BMI's biggest weakness is that it doesn't consider individual factors such as bone or muscle mass. BMI may:
- Underestimate body fat for older adults or other people with low muscle mass
- Overestimate body fat for people who are very muscular and physically fit
It's quite common, especially for men, to fall into the "overweight" category if you happen to be stronger than average. If you're pretty strong but in good shape then pay no attention.
Gary P has consensus from friends and family...
Everyone agrees that my personality and characteristics make me perfect for OTR.
Gary, first off, welcome to the forum and thanks for joining in the discussions.
The above statement is an interesting one. Not sure who these folks are, or their affiliation with you, but I bet they have no experience driving a truck over the road. Even if pressed for an answer, it's not something an experienced OTR driver would say. There are too many variables to consider when entering this career to make an accurate value judgement relevant to success. It’s all but impossible. The real question is "what makes you think your personality traits will enable success?" It's far more important what you think, what you believe to be true than what others think. This may help you understand what I mean and why you need to trust your own judgement first and foremost: Do You Have the Right Temperament For This Job?
All that said...their support and encouragement is really good, and something you'll need.
Through first-hand experience I can tell you what works though, things that can greatly increase your chances for success...
- Positive Attitude
- Emotionally Grounded
- Ability to "Laser Focus" without Distraction
- Dogged Determination
- Coachability
- Patience as a Practice (with yourself and others)
- Humility
First things first though…school, or more importantly your life as a student. Take a look at this blog article I wrote on the subject: The EGO Becomes the Downfall of CDL Students .
This is a life style, not just a job. Learning how-to drive "the beast" is like nothing you have ever experienced. Likely nothing you have done or accomplished in your past life can adequately prepare you for it. The learning curve is steep and very unforgiving (as you can see from Raptor’s recent post you replied to). Coping and adjusting to the lifestyle is in-of-itself, perhaps the greatest challenge to overcome.
Eyes wide open and good luck! We are here to help you.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
Over The Road:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
Gary P.
Please keep us updated on your progress to see if were right about your temperament being right for trucking.
I am also considering a career change to OTR trucking. So far the experiences of new drivers seem to be most helpful, because you get the play by play of someone who facing new challenges.
Rob
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
Hey! I'm a recent wil-trans graduate. Their program is really quite good. The small class size is great and those 40k miles out on the road with a trainer were incredibly valuable. My trainer was fantastic and I heard several other students say the same about theirs.
Study hard! Since the classes are so small you WILL be noticed if you don't pass. Use the tools that they send you and study, study, study.
Other than that just listen to everyone around you. They really want to set you up to succeed and they are going to give you the tools to do that.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.Wil-Trans:
Darrel Wilson bought his first tractor in 1980 at age 20, but, being too young to meet OTR age requirements, he leased the truck out and hired a driver.
Through growth and acquisition, Wil-Trans now employs over 200 drivers, and has a long-standing partnership with Prime, Inc. to haul their refrigerated freight. The family of businesses also includes Jim Palmer Trucking and O & S Trucking.
I really appreciate the feedback and tips. Believe me, I'm absorbing every word. I am approaching this very seriously. This is a big investment for my family and I. I'm excited about being a part of the truck driving family. Thanks again y'all!
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Howdy y'all. I'm a 43 year old married guy venturing into the trucking world. My wife and I did a ton of research and a ton of discussing before we reached the decision that trucking is the right career change for me. I actually have an engineering degree and a business management degree, but that's not what has made me happy. Everyone agrees that my personality and characteristics make me perfect for OTR. So anyway, I was accepted to train with and drive for Wil-Trans / Jim Palmer. I start March 4th. The research I did tells me that this is a great company to be with. What are y'all thoughts? Do y'all agree that this is a good family to be with? I've read nearly every article and forum post here at Trucking Truth, but am reaching out for any additional tips or advice. I welcome all feedback. A week and a half and the adventure starts! 43 years old and I feel like a kid!
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
Wil-Trans:
Darrel Wilson bought his first tractor in 1980 at age 20, but, being too young to meet OTR age requirements, he leased the truck out and hired a driver.
Through growth and acquisition, Wil-Trans now employs over 200 drivers, and has a long-standing partnership with Prime, Inc. to haul their refrigerated freight. The family of businesses also includes Jim Palmer Trucking and O & S Trucking.