System Transport Inc (national flatbed), TW Transport (11 western reefer [thus far i have only done the I5 corridor and 2 trips to ID.]) and James J Williams (WA&BC tanker primarily.) are technically all the same company. STI is the parent company and controls the other two as well as a driving school. with any luck i plan on transferring to JJW some time before April. Sense there is almost no info, that i could find, on STI I will be writing down my orientation experience as a simple list. the fact that i spent most of 4 days cooped up in a small room kind of precludes me from doing this like the Prime Inc thread i started over a year ago. (good lord, ive been doing this or almost 2 years. boy how time flies when your not having fun.)
any how, enough of my complaining!
Day 1 Filled out paperwork.
open book test from DOT book.
pee test.
short semi drive test.
sign up for medical and dental.
written drive test.
lots of safety videos.
work physical (there are 3 tests you may take and each pertains to your chosen division. if you desire you may choose to take the flatbed test. as the hardest it qualifys you for all 3 divisions. the hardest part of it is picking up the fully rolled tarp which is suppose to be around 90lbs.)
day 2 pay roll info.
Open Road Driving Plan (this is a legal service you may enroll in).
talk about CSA scores.
Flue cards info.
hazmat test.
pretrip class.
safety trip test.
back health class.
customer specific training class.
poor weather class.
smith system class
day 3 smith system drive.
DEF video.
anti roll system class.
more smith system APU class.
accident class
.
day 4 sign paperwork.
qualcomm class.
meeting pertaining to company division (TWT for me).
They were suppose to be lists!
Explosive, flammable, poisonous or otherwise potentially dangerous cargo. Large amounts of especially hazardous cargo are required to be placarded under HAZMAT regulations
The CSA is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative to improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities that are related to commercial motor vehicle
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.
A refrigerated trailer.
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.
Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.
New! Check out our help videos for a better understanding of our forum features
System Transport Inc (national flatbed), TW Transport (11 western reefer [thus far i have only done the I5 corridor and 2 trips to ID.]) and James J Williams (WA&BC tanker primarily.) are technically all the same company. STI is the parent company and controls the other two as well as a driving school. with any luck i plan on transferring to JJW some time before April. Sense there is almost no info, that i could find, on STI I will be writing down my orientation experience as a simple list. the fact that i spent most of 4 days cooped up in a small room kind of precludes me from doing this like the Prime Inc thread i started over a year ago. (good lord, ive been doing this or almost 2 years. boy how time flies when your not having fun.)
any how, enough of my complaining!
Day 1 Filled out paperwork open book test from DOT book pee test short semi drive test sign up for medical and dental written drive test lots of safety videos work physical (there are 3 tests you may take and each pertains to your chosen division. if you desire you may choose to take the flatbed test. as the hardest it qualifys you for all 3 divisions. the hardest part of it is picking p the fully rolled tarp which is suppose to be around 90lbs.)
day 2 pay roll info Open Road Driving Plan (this is a legal service you may enroll in) talk about CSA scores Flue cards info hazmat test pretrip class safety trip test back health class customer specific training class poor weather class smith system class
day 3 smith system drive DEF video anti roll system class more smith system APU class accident class
day 4 sign paperwork qualcomm class meeting pertaining to company division (TWT for me)
HAZMAT:
Hazardous Materials
Explosive, flammable, poisonous or otherwise potentially dangerous cargo. Large amounts of especially hazardous cargo are required to be placarded under HAZMAT regulations
Qualcomm:
Omnitracs (a.k.a. Qualcomm) is a satellite-based messaging system with built-in GPS capabilities built by Qualcomm. It has a small computer screen and keyboard and is tied into the truck’s computer. It allows trucking companies to track where the driver is at, monitor the truck, and send and receive messages with the driver – similar to email.CSA:
Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)
The CSA is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative to improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities that are related to commercial motor vehicle
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.
Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
APU:
Auxiliary Power Unit
On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.
Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.