Old Man Leaves Six-Figure Salary To Begin Training As A Trucker- Psychiatric Evaluation Pending

I'm with George on this, good sir!

Wow, that's a LOT going on, but yes; in a good way.

It doesn't surprise me that safety is such a huge focal point; don't remember seeing a flipped Maverick truck in a long while. You, George?

Cool. Sounds like fun, and a bit stressful in a good way. Good luck! God Bless! Hammer down!

Their Saferweb score is awesome, no wonder. ... (Once ya find the right one to look up, LoL !)

Good for YOU, Steve!! Following!

~ Anne & Tom ~

Maverick New-Grad Orientation: Madison, IL - Week 1 Summary With the first week behind me, I wanted to share an update. Since we started on Sunday, our week ended last night at 4:30 pm and I was exhausted. We finished up our classroom work at noon on Wednesday and moved on to the next stage of our training which is securement training. Maverick has a very extensive and lengthy securement training course that covers essentially anything you may need to strap to your flatbed trailer. The temperature and humidity made it a real physical challenge, but as everyone here has told me, flatbed is hard work! After a day and a half of securement training, I find it absolutely fascinating how all of this is designed and the various formulas that are in play based on the weight, the material, and the physical characteristics of the load. Who knew all the work and calculations that driver went through before he covered up his masterpiece with a tarp and pulled it out onto the highway? I'm impressed! We will pick up our securement training on Sunday at 7 am and should be ready to test out by Thursday of next week.

The highlight of this week was receiving a job offer which I gladly accepted. I am assigned to Nucor Steel Dedicated hauling out of Huger, S.C, (near Charleston). Maverick gave me several options, and although this account pays a bit less than some of the others ($0.51 cpm), but I believe it will be a good fit for me. It is guaranteed home weekends which is a big factor for me since we have a small food concession business that we run, primarily on Saturdays. A couple of guys in our class tested out of securement, since they are former Mavericks who have come back after short seasons testing the waters at other companies. They were assigned their trucks yesterday, were dispatched on their first loads and just like that, they're gone.

I am very impressed with the level of detail and the work that has gone into the training program at Maverick. It is very organized, the instructors are seasoned professionals, and the large volume of information is being taught in a very logical and well-structured process. The instructor shows has us watch the Maverick video to see the securement done, then our instructor does it in front of us, and then stands back and watches us do it. We always have our tablets (Maverick issued) available in the training bay if we want to go back and review a video or notes in case we get stuck.

I am very, very impressed and had no idea so much went into chaining and strapping loads. Math is not my strongest subject, but I'm thankful that I'm able to do basic calculations for proper load placement and securement decision-making. (E.g. every chain provides 8K lbs of securement. So, therefore a 40K pound steel coil will require 5 chains.)

I'm having the time of my life and enjoying this so much!!

Good to hear!

Hit submit by accident. Sounds like a good fit. And hard work. Keep us posted.

Hit submit by accident. Sounds like a good fit. And hard work. Keep us posted.

Ditto, good sir !!!!

~ Anne ~

Hi there Paul-

Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm around your age and am starting at Fox Valley Tech at the end of the month. Same deal, an 8-week class that seems thorough and not expensive. Technical training is one thing Wisconsin does really well.

Is there any chance that you might share some of your knowledge about companies? We're in the same general hiring area. A spreadsheet is a really good idea. I'm going to start one. I've started researching companies, but am finding that it's hard to compare apples to apples since the companies don't all share the same data.

Congratulations on hour decision Steve. I've used this site extensively but have never posted until now. I'm now 60 (wow, that sounds old) and I started driving with Paper Transport on 11/7/21 after an 8 week course at Milwaukee area tech college. Best decision I ever made for schooling and driving job. I can't say enough about what a good experience they both have been. At 6 weeks I started applying for jobs and when the responses started rolling in I made up a spread sheet with all of the particulars and made my decision based on MY wants and needs. I think the companies like getting older drivers because of our life experience, work ethic and other intangibles. I work hard, stay between the yellow lines and don't run into anything when I back up. And I don't complain (except if my truck breaks down) and because of the before mentioned I started with a KW with over 500,000 and was given a 2021 Freightliner with 20k 2 months ago. Not bad for a guy with less than 6 months on the job. "Slow is Pro"! And "PTI" goes out of their way to accommodate work schedule changes and such. I could go on Steve, but I will just leave it with this. I thought this out for about 3 years and then took action on it. So far - no regrets. Thanks for reading, Paul

Congratulations on moving through the training, testing, and job process smoothly. Thank you for writing up your experience clearly and thoroughly.

I'll be starting training at a technical school soon. Now, I'm curious to see what the kids at my school will expect, in terms of vehicles, pay, and working conditions. I look forward to hearing about your experience starting out of the gate as a flat bedder.

Mostly wanted to let you know that the time you're investing in writing up your experience is benefiting some folks.

Maverick New-Grad Orientation: Madison, IL - Week 1 Summary With the first week behind me, I wanted to share an update. Since we started on Sunday, our week ended last night at 4:30 pm and I was exhausted. We finished up our classroom work at noon on Wednesday and moved on to the next stage of our training which is securement training. Maverick has a very extensive and lengthy securement training course that covers essentially anything you may need to strap to your flatbed trailer. The temperature and humidity made it a real physical challenge, but as everyone here has told me, flatbed is hard work! After a day and a half of securement training, I find it absolutely fascinating how all of this is designed and the various formulas that are in play based on the weight, the material, and the physical characteristics of the load. Who knew all the work and calculations that driver went through before he covered up his masterpiece with a tarp and pulled it out onto the highway? I'm impressed! We will pick up our securement training on Sunday at 7 am and should be ready to test out by Thursday of next week.

The highlight of this week was receiving a job offer which I gladly accepted. I am assigned to Nucor Steel Dedicated hauling out of Huger, S.C, (near Charleston). Maverick gave me several options, and although this account pays a bit less than some of the others ($0.51 cpm), but I believe it will be a good fit for me. It is guaranteed home weekends which is a big factor for me since we have a small food concession business that we run, primarily on Saturdays. A couple of guys in our class tested out of securement, since they are former Mavericks who have come back after short seasons testing the waters at other companies. They were assigned their trucks yesterday, were dispatched on their first loads and just like that, they're gone.

I am very impressed with the level of detail and the work that has gone into the training program at Maverick. It is very organized, the instructors are seasoned professionals, and the large volume of information is being taught in a very logical and well-structured process. The instructor shows has us watch the Maverick video to see the securement done, then our instructor does it in front of us, and then stands back and watches us do it. We always have our tablets (Maverick issued) available in the training bay if we want to go back and review a video or notes in case we get stuck.

I am very, very impressed and had no idea so much went into chaining and strapping loads. Math is not my strongest subject, but I'm thankful that I'm able to do basic calculations for proper load placement and securement decision-making. (E.g. every chain provides 8K lbs of securement. So, therefore a 40K pound steel coil will require 5 chains.)

I'm having the time of my life and enjoying this so much!!

Congratulations on moving through the training, testing, and job process smoothly. Thank you for writing up your experience clearly and thoroughly.

I'll be starting training at a technical school soon. Now, I'm curious to see what the kids at my school will expect, in terms of vehicles, pay, and working conditions. I look forward to hearing about your experience starting out of the gate as a flat bedder.

Mostly wanted to let you know that the time you're investing in writing up your experience is benefiting some folks.

Maverick New-Grad Orientation: Madison, IL - Week 1 Summary With the first week behind me, I wanted to share an update. Since we started on Sunday, our week ended last night at 4:30 pm and I was exhausted. We finished up our classroom work at noon on Wednesday and moved on to the next stage of our training which is securement training. Maverick has a very extensive and lengthy securement training course that covers essentially anything you may need to strap to your flatbed trailer. The temperature and humidity made it a real physical challenge, but as everyone here has told me, flatbed is hard work! After a day and a half of securement training, I find it absolutely fascinating how all of this is designed and the various formulas that are in play based on the weight, the material, and the physical characteristics of the load. Who knew all the work and calculations that driver went through before he covered up his masterpiece with a tarp and pulled it out onto the highway? I'm impressed! We will pick up our securement training on Sunday at 7 am and should be ready to test out by Thursday of next week.

The highlight of this week was receiving a job offer which I gladly accepted. I am assigned to Nucor Steel Dedicated hauling out of Huger, S.C, (near Charleston). Maverick gave me several options, and although this account pays a bit less than some of the others ($0.51 cpm), but I believe it will be a good fit for me. It is guaranteed home weekends which is a big factor for me since we have a small food concession business that we run, primarily on Saturdays. A couple of guys in our class tested out of securement, since they are former Mavericks who have come back after short seasons testing the waters at other companies. They were assigned their trucks yesterday, were dispatched on their first loads and just like that, they're gone.

I am very impressed with the level of detail and the work that has gone into the training program at Maverick. It is very organized, the instructors are seasoned professionals, and the large volume of information is being taught in a very logical and well-structured process. The instructor shows has us watch the Maverick video to see the securement done, then our instructor does it in front of us, and then stands back and watches us do it. We always have our tablets (Maverick issued) available in the training bay if we want to go back and review a video or notes in case we get stuck.

I am very, very impressed and had no idea so much went into chaining and strapping loads. Math is not my strongest subject, but I'm thankful that I'm able to do basic calculations for proper load placement and securement decision-making. (E.g. every chain provides 8K lbs of securement. So, therefore a 40K pound steel coil will require 5 chains.)

I'm having the time of my life and enjoying this so much!!

Thanks, Fernie, and best wishes to you on your endeavor. It seemed at the beginning like there were so many hoops to go through to achieve this dream it was frankly a bit overwhelming. When I look back now, I can't believe how fast it has all flown by.

I resigned on June 17, 2022, and here it is in early August and I'm a driver-in-training, going through securement training in Madison, IL. In just a little over 6-weeks, I've obtained my 2-year medical card, earned my CDL , with Hazmat and Tanker endorsements, obtained my TWIC , received a conditional job offer, went through the week of orientation training a Maverick Transportation, and received a job offer, accepted the offer and am now in securement training. If all goes well, I'll be joining my trainer in just a few short days and be out there learning on-the-job! What an amazingly rewarding adventure this has been already!

I'm thankful that you have found my training diary helpful. I hope to continue this throughout the entire process until I reach the end and am assigned my own truck. That seems like a long way down the road, but knowing how fast all of this has happened, I know it's just around the corner. I am toying with the idea of starting a YouTube Channel to help people of my generation who might be considering this as a viable option for employment into and perhaps throughout retirement. I hope you will keep us posted as you progress on your journey.

Wow, that is fast. I will definitely report on what's happening when things start happening. Right now, I'm enjoying discovering the diversity of jobs out there. I had never heard of a Spotter before.

I would like anyone reading this thread to definitely check with their state's Department of Workforce Development. There are grants out there that will pay your tuition (WIOA, for example), and if you're a displaced worker with a lower income, there are some that will help cover expenses like mileage or lodging if you need to travel for school. If you're interested, get the ball rolling because the money may not be there next year.

Thanks, Fernie, and best wishes to you on your endeavor. It seemed at the beginning like there were so many hoops to go through to achieve this dream it was frankly a bit overwhelming. When I look back now, I can't believe how fast it has all flown by.

I resigned on June 17, 2022, and here it is in early August and I'm a driver-in-training, going through securement training in Madison, IL. In just a little over 6-weeks, I've obtained my 2-year medical card, earned my CDL , with Hazmat and Tanker endorsements, obtained my TWIC , received a conditional job offer, went through the week of orientation training a Maverick Transportation, and received a job offer, accepted the offer and am now in securement training. If all goes well, I'll be joining my trainer in just a few short days and be out there learning on-the-job! What an amazingly rewarding adventure this has been already!

I'm thankful that you have found my training diary helpful. I hope to continue this throughout the entire process until I reach the end and am assigned my own truck. That seems like a long way down the road, but knowing how fast all of this has happened, I know it's just around the corner. I am toying with the idea of starting a YouTube Channel to help people of my generation who might be considering this as a viable option for employment into and perhaps throughout retirement. I hope you will keep us posted as you progress on your journey.

Well, Wednesday, July 27, 2022, at 7:30 a.m. in Roanoke, VA is test time! I've been through a couple of practice sessions on the driving range over the past week and all has gone well with straight backing, offset, and parallel park. Those are the only three backing maneuvers we will be tested on here in VA. I feel ready and am going for one final practice session tomorrow. There will be three of us from our class testing on Wednesday. Based on what I know of my fellow students, these two who are going with me are both well-prepared and ready to test. Our examiner is brand new, so I guess that could be good or bad. Regardless, if we pre-trip and drive the way we have been trained, it shouldn't make any difference. I'll check in Wednesday after the test with an update.

Is Pre-trip as scary as it looks in the manual? 5 pages of bullet point things to check! I can see doing it with a clipboard checklist. I can't see doing it from memory for a test!