Quality Drivers Training Program at Celadon

Discussion in 'Celadon' started by Backwater13, Jan 9, 2013.

  1. Backwater13

    Backwater13 Light Load Member

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    Oct 6, 2011
    Indiana
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    Anyone attended, attending now, or getting ready to attend Quality Drivers at Celadon?

    I started on 1/7/2013 and my student thread is here for some information.
     
    Last edited: Jan 10, 2013
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  3. truckerdan007

    truckerdan007 Light Load Member

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    Aug 26, 2009
    Marion , Indiana
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    I will be starting on the 21st.,I live an hour North of Indy in Marion .I will be checking back in to see how you are doing so I know what to expect ...
     
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  4. Backwater13

    Backwater13 Light Load Member

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    Oct 6, 2011
    Indiana
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    Sounds good, let us know how things go for you. Some guys that came in thought they had to take the Greyhound bus for some reason and did not drive their own vehicles and said later they would have if they had known they could have. Don't know for sure why they thought they could not drive to Indy. Sure is nice being able to run over to Wal-Mart or pick and choose what restaurants. There's alot around here.

    I have not decided if I'm going home for the weekend or not yet. I might just take the $50 weekly stipend and hang on to it for later, rather than burning the money in gas to go home. I'm comfortable here and enjoying it. I passed my CDL permit test today.

    Bring some earbuds with you or headphones so you can use them at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles when taking your permit test. This will accomplish two things. One, it will help dampen the surrounding noise so you can concentrate better and two, it will allow you to have the computer read you the questions and choices if you so desire.

    They give you the CRISTCDL site website and I also use the TruckersReport practice exams last night. I wrote down all the questions I missed, review these and did just fine on the exam.

    You will be at an advantage because you will not have to take the Indiana operators exam. Several students form Floriday and Pennsylvania (out of state) had to take the opertors exam for Indiana and did not pass it, therefore they could not take the General Knowledge, Air Brakes, and the Combination Vehicles part of the CDL permit exam.
     
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  5. truckerdan007

    truckerdan007 Light Load Member

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    Aug 26, 2009
    Marion , Indiana
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    Any updates as your second week comes to an end? I will heading down Sunday afternoon ,can't wait to get started....
     
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  6. Backwater13

    Backwater13 Light Load Member

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    I think you will really like it. I've read some horror stories on here about other companies and thus far nothing that remotely resembles what I've read has happened here at Quality Drivers (Celadon). The trainers are not monsters, the hotel is not a bed bug infested dump and the students have all been eager, attentive and easy to get along with. I've not been hit with any hidden fees or expenses. If something pops up I will report it, but nothing so far.

    You can literally take a Greyhound bus here that Celadon will pay for and your hotel is paid for along with all meals paid for each day during the week and you can use your $50 gift card each week to get you through the weekend because there are plenty of restaurants in walking distance. They will also pay each time you take the test for the CDL Permit even if you fail three times. The DOT exam is paid by Celadon as well. The training I've been getting is well worth the commitment to drive for them for 120K miles for the first year. I do not feel in anyway that I'm being set up for some kind of warped failure, but just the opposite. The neighborhood here is nice. I've made many friends already and my roommate and I are discussing possible teaming later on down the road. It's pretty cool because although he has not driven for ten years, he has experience and has shared alot of solid information with me about trucking.

    I arrived at the classroom at 8 am on Monday. We were then driven over to the range to begin our backing instruction and driving skills practice. We also got to work on some pre trip, coupling, unhooking and hooking throughout the week. We were shown the importance of securely hooking and always checking to make sure the kingpin is secured and in the locked position along with other pre trip skills.

    There were a couple of students that continued to take the CDL permit this week, and didn't get passed until Friday. Yesterday, they had just begun to do some backing skills on the range so be sure to pass your CDL Permit by Thursday or Friday of the first week to avoid delays in getting your backing skills down during the second week and five hours of driving time logged.

    On Monday morning, I got in the truck and went through the 4 point break test which at that time was unfamiliar and the trainer walked me through the motions and what I needed to say and when. Each morning I went through my 4 point break test and by Friday I had it memorized. Each driver gets one hour drive time per day. After on the road practicing upshifting, downshifting, accelerating, turning, lane changes, hazard awareness, school zones, railroad tracks etc, we headed back to the range and then went for lunch.

    After lunch, we began working on straight line backing on Monday and Tuesday. The latter half of range practice we began Offset backing on Tuesday, and then on Wednesday we reinforced the straight line backing, offset and began the parallel parking. We worked all three of these over the course of the week. The range instructor will go over reference points and pivot points and will have you execute each movement, check your position, then have you execute the next movement. We learned to do the movements in steps.

    This weekend I will be studying my pre trip inspection and will be going over it this upcoming week while looking at the pre trip practice tractor/trailer that is on the range/lot. There is a tractor/trailer just like the one you will use when you take your CDL test and the truck will be the same as well for the driving part. The trainers take us along an anticipated route that is the same as the test for the CDL from the BMV in Indy.

    The driver trainer will grade your performance on a variety of skills throughout your driving and you will review your performance either after you are done for the day or the beginning of the following day so you can work on areas that need improvement. Downshifting smoothly was the hardest part for me along with making sure I flipped the switch while in fifth gear in preparation for the sixth (higher) gears. Be sure to make sure you have that switch in the right position going from 5th to 6th gear on the upshift and coming back from 6th to 5th on the downshift LOL.:biggrin_25523:

    I've not driven a tractor trailer before and was nervous as hell the first day but I drove around Indy and was glad I did. If you are not able to upshift or downshift, the trainer will work with you on the range bobtailing, working on upshifting and downshifting in preparation to drive around Indy.

    By the end of the week I got a good handle on the 4 Point Brake Test and the backing skills, paying special attention to the number of points I did or did not accrue along with the number of times I got out and looked along with the number of times I pulled forward to get in the box on the parallel. Be sure to reference your CDL Manual for the specifics in preparation for the exam.

    The trainers at Quality Drivers (about six of them) have well over a hundred years of combined experienced driving. They are all very experienced, professional, respectful and easy to get along with. It can be intimidating at first, but as the week progresses, you will start to know each other better and they are very helpful at pointing out areas you need to work on to be able to pass the CDL exam which we could start testing late next week, or early the following week. You are allowed to take the CDL exam three times as I understand it. There are still some students from previous classes on the range and driving that have not passed yet and they are working on passing.

    Be sure to get your $50 stipend card on Friday at 5 PM from Quality Drivers manager Scott.

    I drove here so today my roommate and I will be washing my truck, going to the laundry mat, hitting some thrift stores around Indy and then taking in a matinee. We took in a movie last Saturday (Taken 2) and the cost was only $1.50. We might be going over to the pub this evening by the Waffle House and playing some pool for some R & R. We will be taking a cab. I called and the cost was $3.25 for pickup and $2.00 a mile thereafter.

    Stay safe and keep it between the lines drivers. Backwater13 out.
     
  7. truckerdan007

    truckerdan007 Light Load Member

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    Aug 26, 2009
    Marion , Indiana
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    Thanks for the update , it sounds like this school is a great alternative to the other company training schools . I should be getting there around 6:30-7:00 tomorrow night ,maybe I will see you there... I shouldn't have to much of a problem passing my permit test , I have had the permit 2 times before and because of family troubles at the time I never got around to actually getting my cdl. Both times I passed on my first try , so hopefully I can manage that again .

    Has very many people been booted from class? I know from a lot of other schools , they bring in 30-40 people and maybe a third of those make it to the end.

    Good luck to you , hope to see you their ....
     
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  8. Backwater13

    Backwater13 Light Load Member

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    Oct 6, 2011
    Indiana
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    I don't think anyone got booted but the first day was pretty busy. There was one guy that believe it or not showed up without prescription glasses and knew he was not going to pass the eye exam. He went home. I think they tried to help him get some glasses but to the best of my knowledge he did not have the money to buy a pair of glasses.

    We have just under twenty students in our class. Several of them have their CDL already, but have not driven in several years. The CDL holders do not have to practice any of the three backing skills that permit holders like myself are working on to in order to pass the state test. CDL holders are taken in much harder areas during their driving around Indy. When at the range, they work on the 90 degree backing between two trailers. They have to drive 10 hours and back in at a 90 degree in under 15 minutes. Some days they get one hour behind the wheel, somedays they get two hours in one day behind the wheel. The also are taken out during a night time driving session. Once they get the 10 hours in with the trainers they will be going over to orientation and from that point will be assigned a trainer for the 6 weeks period.

    One of the CDL holders told me that he has already been told that he is getting a 2013 International Prostar. We have been told that Celadon only supplies their fleet with tractors that are 2 years old or newer but we shall see. I'm sure that their are drivers for Celadon that are driving tractors older than two years, I think but not certain. Maybe a Celadon company driver could weigh in on this. I think the trailers are four years old or newer. From the looks of the trucks that are parked here in the La Quinta parking lot they all look practically brand new. I don't believe that the trucks are are equipped with either APU's or inverters. I'm seeing more and more MaxxForce's as well.

    When you get in on Sunday, shoot me a PM here and I'll be in touch.

    You could probably call LaQuinta right now to find out what room you are booked for and if you will have a roommate. The phone number is 317-897-2300 at LaQuinta. Some students are in the Ramada Inn but I think they are going to start putting all the students in the LaQuinta from now on as far as I know.
     
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  9. Backwater13

    Backwater13 Light Load Member

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    Oct 6, 2011
    Indiana
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    Did you make it in TruckerDan?
     
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  10. bigdiesel712003

    bigdiesel712003 Bobtail Member

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    Mar 21, 2013
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    I am getting ready to start at Quality Drivers at Celadon I would like some feed back about them and how they train. Thanks God Bless
     
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  11. Flex

    Flex Bobtail Member

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    Jan 29, 2014
    New Bern, NC
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    Thanks again to everyone for your detailed input. I am very pleased that I had turned down the other 3 offers and chose Quality/ Celedon. Now I am extremely excited to get there on th 10th of February, 2014
     
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