Arrived Celadon Indy
Topic 7270 | Page 1
I am going on the Greyhound to Celadon in Laredo, Texas and I am really looking forward to starting based on everything that I have heard so far about the company.
Makes me happy to know that the students are looked after and from what I am reading, the facilities seem to be really nice.
Keep us posted and let us know how it goes!
Pepper
First two days were strictly classroom instruction on the cdl manual. Physicals and drug testing also.basic dot physical,nothing special. Taking necessary permit testing and tanker endorsements today and tomorrow. Got conflicting answers on whether I have to retake all my permit tests...will find out this morning from DMV. I had an Indiana cdl permit from CRE and a receipt,but was told they can cancel your permit (CRE). Celadon is buying lots of new equipment,both tractors and trailers. I've heard they are going to be financing trucks,servicing trucks and selling parts for drivers who like to do their own maintenance. They are keeping their trucks three years and then buying new,and selling old trucks to minimize their own maintenance costs.
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.
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.
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.DMV:
Department of Motor Vehicles, Bureau of Motor Vehicles
The state agency that handles everything related to your driver's licences, including testing, issuance, transfers, and revocation.
Nearly the end of week two,been on the backing range twice for 15 minutes max. Too many students,not enough trucks or instructors. Makes me think a lot of people are here strictly for the free meals.
TWIC:
Transportation Worker Identification Credential
Truck drivers who regularly pick up from or deliver to the shipping ports will often be required to carry a TWIC card.
Your TWIC is a tamper-resistant biometric card which acts as both your identification in secure areas, as well as an indicator of you having passed the necessary security clearance. TWIC cards are valid for five years. The issuance of TWIC cards is overseen by the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.
Wow thats not good about the time spent backing. This is my biggest fear with all the company sponsored schools. Not enough time spent doing the things you need to really learn and learn good. I hope things improve for you, hang in there and keep us posted!!
Tater
Secret to backing is watching your tandems ,if you lose your tandems in your passenger mirror,steer toward where you see them(drivers side). This will be the first indication your off course. Counter steer for a second to straighten tractor. Got out on the road for an hour. Any tips on shifting the ten speed in a prostar appreciated. The prostar has better turning radius then my previous training in a cascadia,less shifting than the 8 speed,but the engine (maxxforce) revs slower,as I need to hold the throttle longer to get to 1500 RPM. Still looking for the magic speed and rpm for each gear. Thanks.
Tandems:
Tandem Axles
A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".
Tandem:
Tandem Axles
A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".
Backing that trailer - the boogyman of driver training. XcelerationRules has the right idea for straight backing - turn the wheel towards where you see the tandems. Bending into a set of cones, or between two trailers is more usual and harder to do. For this, two things: 1. The tandems will move back 10 feet before they "get the message" about the turn/adjustment you just made. 2. A hard bend/jackknife will steer the tandems, where a small bend will push them in the direction they are heading. The hard part is in between those positions, and where the art of backing is made.
Suggestion (stupid sounding, but it works!): buy a good toy semi trailer. I bought a cast Ertl at Walmart ($12.00). On your table top, move the tractor part as realistically as you can and watch as you back between two spoon handles.
Hope for the Weary: I speak from experience - the backing thing will get easier. I finished Swift Academy/got my CDL in early January 2015, then went on 6 weeks of road training. Just finished. Backing is now not all that hard to do. Even at a truck stop!
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.
Tandems:
Tandem Axles
A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".
Tandem:
Tandem Axles
A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Got my CDL in 4 weeks,as I was one of the first of my class to pass all the skills test. The instructors here have been very helpful,and even when you screw up,you are treated with respect,when they correct you.I have learned a great deal here in my four weeks,and am looking forward to working here at Celadon . Hopefully I can get some decent miles and pay,as the working conditions have a lot to do with where I choose to work. Don't give up if your having trouble passing the tests,just keep improving.
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.
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.
Backing that trailer - the boogyman of driver training. XcelerationRules has the right idea for straight backing - turn the wheel towards where you see the tandems. Bending into a set of cones, or between two trailers is more usual and harder to do. For this, two things: 1. The tandems will move back 10 feet before they "get the message" about the turn/adjustment you just made. 2. A hard bend/jackknife will steer the tandems, where a small bend will push them in the direction they are heading. The hard part is in between those positions, and where the art of backing is made.
Suggestion (stupid sounding, but it works!): buy a good toy semi trailer. I bought a cast Ertl at Walmart ($12.00). On your table top, move the tractor part as realistically as you can and watch as you back between two spoon handles.
Fantastic idea Errol! I'm heading in for the writtens today, gonna stop by the toy section @ Tractor Supply afterwards!
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.
Tandems:
Tandem Axles
A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".
Tandem:
Tandem Axles
A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.New Reply:
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After 12 hours riding the grey dog,finally arrived at Celedon. This place is a palace compared to my 17 day adventure at CRE. Weekends here are for some relaxation and physical wellbeing. Everyone is super friendly,lunch was very good,and the physical activities keep you from going nuts,trying to digest all the info I'm sure to receive during the week.The trucks outside are mainly international pro stars...pretty nice trucks for trainers. I'm waiting for the wallmart trip to grab some supplies for my dorm room. Nice restrooms and showers on each floor. Some guys I interviewed said this was their 5th week,and that they were ready to take their test. Others were outside practicing their pretrip.The backing range is paved where as cre was gravel and muddy. There is a large awning outback so you can pretrip without getting soaked. I was sick for the week I was outdoors at cre,in the snow and ice. I actually got some sun burn...in freaking february. Looking forward to the paperwork trail tomorrow.I have my permit,but will still most likely spend the first week doing classwork. I'll keep you guys updated.