New To Industry Just Sent Home From First Job.

Topic 6065 | Page 1

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Joshua W.'s Comment
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Hello everyone, I'm brand new to truck driving having just graduated from a 3 week truck driving school two weeks ago. I just went to Boyd trucking in Alabama and was let go on day two with no explanation as to why. My best guess is that I did a terrible job shifting in the truck, since all my background and such is squeaky clean. At the school after day one I was able to shift the Volvo pretty well, but there trucks are set up so different and the guy was telling me to hit the gas as I was letting off the clutch, which isn't the way I learned, I just bounced around a lot and wound up killing it. Anyways I'm not really sure where to go from here, and was wondering if anyone had any advise as to what company would take on a new driver who isn't able to shift that well. I learn fast, but I do need a little time to get the hang of it. I've only been in a truck to shift now about 5 or 6 times including my terrible experience at Boyd. I appreciate any advise anyone is willing to give me.

ButtonUp's Comment
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Try another company, let them know you want to start as a new graduate. It would seem the major companies would snatch you up!

Richard D.'s Comment
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Try a small mom and pop local company. Tell them youre a recent grgraduate with no experience and want an honest job. Theyll help you out more than likely.

Youll be im an old junky truck probably but its good to learn in.

Story of my life right now. I love my old truck even though everyone mocks it. I can control amd shift it plenty fine.

Brett Aquila's Comment
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Welcome aboard Joshua!

I wouldn't sweat it for a moment. Just start contacting the companies that have Company-Sponsored Training and take the next opportunity that comes your way. There will be more. It's very common to go to these programs and find students that had made attempts at other programs. No big deal. Just keep on moving forward, that's all.

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.

Company-sponsored Training:

A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.

The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.

If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.

Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.

Cleft_Asunder's Comment
member avatar

Hello everyone, I'm brand new to truck driving having just graduated from a 3 week truck driving school two weeks ago. I just went to Boyd trucking in Alabama and was let go on day two with no explanation as to why. My best guess is that I did a terrible job shifting in the truck, since all my background and such is squeaky clean. At the school after day one I was able to shift the Volvo pretty well, but there trucks are set up so different and the guy was telling me to hit the gas as I was letting off the clutch, which isn't the way I learned, I just bounced around a lot and wound up killing it. Anyways I'm not really sure where to go from here, and was wondering if anyone had any advise as to what company would take on a new driver who isn't able to shift that well. I learn fast, but I do need a little time to get the hang of it. I've only been in a truck to shift now about 5 or 6 times including my terrible experience at Boyd. I appreciate any advise anyone is willing to give me.

I had exactly the same problem. I learned on kenworths which were governed at 2000 rpm, and they were able to run at good efficiency and torque up to 2000. I had about 500rpm difference in between gears and the tac, when upshifting, gave me a lot of time to go to the next gear. In fact, I didn't even have to touch the gas peddle while in neutral to stabbalize RPM, instead I just clutch, shift to neutral, clutch to next gear. But when I went to my company, May trucking, I did a crappy job shifting and I was lucky not to get sent home. Their cummins engines are set up for 1500 max with a 300 rpm difference between gears. In order to upshift properly, you have to tap the gas to stabalize that tac needle or you will grind since the rpms fall so fast. Clutch, go into neutral, tap gas, clutch into next gear. I shift up within the 1100 to 1400 range btw.

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