Return To The Pumpkin Patch (Schneider)
Topic 31859 | Page 1
Congratulations and good luck!
Good luck!
Thank you for the well-wishes!
Started rehire orientation this morning. I'm the only one in the class. Looks like I have a trainer to myself. Lots of time to rebuild the skill set the next four days.
Day 1 was pretty routine. Urine and hair follicle test, paperwork and more paperwork, lots of computer trainings. Tomorrow will be a few administrative items and a road test and yard practice. Like the same for Wednesday and Thursday.
The worst part was trying to get comfortable in the hotel. Bed is so soft I think Im going to sink to the floor.
Stay safe out there.
Dean
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.
LoLoL!
Had to 'laugh,' Dean !!
Men sure dislike the 'comfy/squishy' beds, haha! Just bought my guy his own..FIRM!
Anyway, here ya go: Return to the Patch! (LoLoL!)
George B. and I (and a few others, ie: Davy & his OWN music,) have got SONGS! G'Town, too! ;)
Best to you, man!
~ Anne ~
Day two started out with a bang and ended with headache. So much for an easy "welcome back."
Left the OC at 2 pm for the hotel. An hour later get a frantic call to get a DOT physical before 5pm. What? The company sent me for a physical last week that I had to pay for. $121 and a three-hour round trip. Same company that the Gary OC uses for physicals - Concentra. Apparently I was supposed to take a physical yesterday, but I already had one. Ordered by the big HQ in Green Bay no less. "A rehire has to pay for their own physical." Left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. Why would an OC deny a physical ordered by the HQ? Lord only knows.
I seriously thought about going home. Holy mackerel! Two DOT physicals from the same company in 6 days and I'm out five hours of my time and $120. Needless to say I bombed the blood pressure test the the first time. Half-hour later and I was back to normal. I might not get my skill test completed tomorrow since the OC won't clear me until the state of IL gets the newest med certificate entered.
I called Green Bay asking for my $120 back. A VP is going to call me tomorrow after they talk to the OC.
- Dean (trying NOT to get my blood boiling again)
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.
DAC:
Drive-A-Check Report
A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).
It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.
Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.
Sounds like, "Too many cooks...".
Sounds like the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing. I would keep bugging them to get my second physical paid for by them
Laura
Days 3 and 4 went by pretty fast, even after the DOT Physical fiasco. Day 3 was a final backing and road test followed by simulations and a few classes. Day 4 was two final tests, one each on HOS and tablet Workflow.
I guess I was the honor grad since I was the only one in the experienced class. 
I called the Walmart dedicated manager and received some disheartening news. They no longer keep spare tractors onsite so I have to find a ride to Gary, IN (3.75 hours) to get a tractor. My wife can't drive that far and my son is back in Iowa City. No rental cars. I would HATE to make a 7.5 hour round trip every week to commute, and there's no way I'm going to leave my car in Gary IN for months at a time. 
I'm thinking of changing my assignment back to regional to avoid the long trips to work.
- Dean
Regional:
Regional Route
Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.
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.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.New Reply:
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I'm starting the process of rejoining Schneider. Tomorrow I will be off to the Pumpkin Patch in Gary, Indiana, for orientation (re-orientation)?
I'll be joining another driver I attended orientation with in January of 2021. We're going to be the "recaps" (or "retreads") in class from Monday thru Thursday. And then we will both be going back to Walmart Dedicated in Sterling, IL. I decided to take a night position this time. Perhaps the Chicago roads will be less crowded? There's some hope. No commute since I can park at the Walmart in my little town of Macomb. They will give me a run to Galesburg, Peoria, Springfield, or Quincy on my home day.
Starting to pack my things for the four day class. Flashlight, gloves, etc. Good thing is I already have the items I need in a tote so I won't need to search. I knew I would go back so I kept things organized.
I will need to do some classwork, tablet work, and take a driving test after road training. If I don't hit anything, drive well, and make my turns and back into the hole I'll graduate again. That's the abbreviated version. I'm sure I'll be tested on more.
On to the Great Pumpkin patch!
- Dean