Originally Posted by rakusa

Got lucky and have a tri pack on my assigned company 06, T2k. I was told since this is my company truck, I can take the tri pack and install it on my O/O truck when they retire this truck at the end of this year of which I plan to go O/O. Of course I would have to pay the labor to have that done but can any of the vets here verify this? Thx and excited to be on the Central team! It's a good group throughout.
Trained on a W9, 13 speed and gotta have that 13 from now on and the T2k has it. The only thing I don't like about it from the few minutes I check it out in detail (won't get it from detail/maint until tomorrow) is the steering wheel won't angle down to where I like it so if the Prostar angles down like in the W9 then that is the one for me. Also considering a Pete 386/387, whichever has more space between the seats. My trainer tried to cut me loose after week 3 but miscommunication led me to miss drop off in Fontana so ran another lap around the country for another 2 weeks which was a big help to me since we did things not done in the first 3 weeks. Coors loaded us 79,780k on the last run so I had to trip plan fuel to be no more than 30 gals at each weigh station from Elkton, VA to Golden Co. We were ready for each and got the red only once.

On a previous run we ran out of gas scaling the Allegheny mountains just before one climb in the fog, so I consider that lucky we didn't run out on the climb. What say you vets? What do you do if that happens? (I know not run out of gas) We were just pulling out from the shoulder of an on ramp after a leak stop and rolled about 20 ft back onto the shoulder luckily since that was all the momo we had. It was 2am so out go the reflectors. My trainer said the fuel gauge was off on that one. $408 for 20 gals of fuel.


FYI Techiekate completed her training and is running solo now. One failed to pass the upgrade in our class and was sent out for another week to improve his shifting. He returned for the 2nd upgrade test asnd would not shift higher than fourth to not have to shift too much even after the tester told him to shift more. So the tester made him go on the freeway (the only one that had to) so he would have to shift more. There was 4 in the truck (I went the day before) from a different class that I knew and only they were at the reorientation so he didn't pass his second upgrade driving test. Don't know what is next for him. He is a nice guy so hope he gets it together. BOL all and as Hill st Blues used to say, "lets be very safe out there."

Originally Posted by Pismo71

Awesome, thanx for passing on the info on Techiekate. She made it though, proves that you don't have to live on the message board all the time.

Originally Posted by rakusa

Paratroop73,
Like JJ-J said, not much driving before CDL driving test. The second week consists of a half day for each; straight line backing, offset backing and parallel parking and the second half is for rookie road and freeway with a day downtown for one student/truck. I was the one in our group and talk about stress maximus that is it. Then there is mountains and I was in the hot seat for the descent/climbing part on the freeway and luckily didn't stall to a dead stop like some of the others. Central knows that it is not possible for one to be qualified to drive after only 1 week of driving so the 28 days is where the real world training comes.

I heard today they are changing the program very soon to 3 weeks classroom/driving from 2 weeks and from 28 days/4 weeks to 6 weeks out with the trainer. This will be good for student and trainer since the student will get more time and the trainer will get more miles running full on teams for an extra 2 weeks. We were running teams after 2 weeks and he became totally relaxed after the 3rd week letting me pull into truck stops and fueling and pulling out without waking up to supervise/guide. I think the sweet spot for trainees/me was 5 weeks. The loose ends get loosely tied at the end of the 4th week and totally tied in the 5th. At least for me it was. I feel better going solo more now than I would have had I been let loose after the 3 weeks like my trainer originally thought. Even he said I improved 10x at the end of the 4th week. I had a very good trainer beating things into my head and had my minimum 40 backs before the 2 week mark.

At the beginning it's tough to turn on the fly vs. stopping for red and turning on green. Moving and having to set up for the turn, turning, downshifting into the right gear, reading signs watching tandems/front of tractor and 4 wheelers and curbs/fixed objects is overwhelming during the first 2 weeks. You forget about those tandems sometimes during the first two weeks focusing so much on shifting, setting up for the next move and stopping distance feel with a loaded truck. It's scary when on the freeway cruising and seeing traffic stopping with a loaded truck at the beginning. But by the 3rd week the initial things that consumed me at first lessened and then I could focus on tandems, signs/directions etc.. In summation it was all fun from start to finish... except for maybe the first day which is the most stressful with the physical tests. One arm shook lifting the 75 lbs overhead the 3rd time. I wasn't expecting that since none of the other posters from school prior mentioned it. It was probably easy for them.

Some students are in the hotel from the start due to large classes nowdays and they think they are lucky but the first week is beneficial to be at the VIP Lounge since you get to hang with your classmates. study and share what you learned or need to learn and clarify the confusing parts. There is a lot of info in one week for the permit tests. Anyway someone said you get 2 tries on the upgrade test but who knows what's true until it happens.

Originally Posted by ChromeDome

For the guy that ran out of fuel.
An easy way to get going down the road again is to have a siphen hose with you, and take 20 gal from the reffer. I know this is not the best way for an owner op, but I would rather be honest and pay the company for 20 gal of fuel from the reefer than pay for a road call.
Make sure you mark it down if you do this though. It is illigal if you do not mark it. Because Reefer fuel is untaxed as off road fuel. So if you use it in your truck tanks you are actually breaking tax laws.
Will you get cought? Probibly not. But who needs the hassle of worrying about it.
I also kept a pair of 20' jumper cables with me. If a reefer will not start due to dead battery I could jump it, or if you really screw up and your truck battery is low you can go the other way and jump the truck (if it is not too low).

As for Marten. Well, they may have gone down hill some. I am guessing allot of that was based on there shorter run set up they have been trying. With the intermodal, dedicated and regional runs. I did notice they had put in a sliding scale for short runs recently. So that short runs pay more. And there starting rate is .36 a mile.
They have APU's. They still have all there bonuses. And looking at there numbers they are still making a good profit.
Maybe they have gone down hill some, but the question is, are they better than Central right now?
That is a personel question that people would have to ask.
I would not go back to Central right now. Even if it was directly to my old route on Kraft.
The paperless logs, lack of forward thinking, and shafting of the people that make them money are enough reasons.

Originally Posted by rakusa

Paratroop73,
Like JJ-J said, not much driving before CDL driving test. The second week consists of a half day for each; straight line backing, offset backing and parallel parking and the second half is for rookie road and freeway with a day downtown for one student/truck. I was the one in our group and talk about stress maximus that is it. Then there is mountains and I was in the hot seat for the descent/climbing part on the freeway and luckily didn't stall to a dead stop like some of the others. Central knows that it is not possible for one to be qualified to drive after only 1 week of driving so the 28 days is where the real world training comes.

I heard today they are changing the program very soon to 3 weeks classroom/driving from 2 weeks and from 28 days/4 weeks to 6 weeks out with the trainer. This will be good for student and trainer since the student will get more time and the trainer will get more miles running full on teams for an extra 2 weeks. We were running teams after 2 weeks and he became totally relaxed after the 3rd week letting me pull into truck stops and fueling and pulling out without waking up to supervise/guide. I think the sweet spot for trainees/me was 5 weeks. The loose ends get loosely tied at the end of the 4th week and totally tied in the 5th. At least for me it was. I feel better going solo more now than I would have had I been let loose after the 3 weeks like my trainer originally thought. Even he said I improved 10x at the end of the 4th week. I had a very good trainer beating things into my head and had my minimum 40 backs before the 2 week mark.

At the beginning it's tough to turn on the fly vs. stopping for red and turning on green. Moving and having to set up for the turn, turning, downshifting into the right gear, reading signs watching tandems/front of tractor and 4 wheelers and curbs/fixed objects is overwhelming during the first 2 weeks. You forget about those tandems sometimes during the first two weeks focusing so much on shifting, setting up for the next move and stopping distance feel with a loaded truck. It's scary when on the freeway cruising and seeing traffic stopping with a loaded truck at the beginning. But by the 3rd week the initial things that consumed me at first lessened and then I could focus on tandems, signs/directions etc.. In summation it was all fun from start to finish... except for maybe the first day which is the most stressful with the physical tests. One arm shook lifting the 75 lbs overhead the 3rd time. I wasn't expecting that since none of the other posters from school prior mentioned it. It was probably easy for them.

Some students are in the hotel from the start due to large classes nowdays and they think they are lucky but the first week is beneficial to be at the VIP Lounge since you get to hang with your classmates. study and share what you learned or need to learn and clarify the confusing parts. There is a lot of info in one week for the permit tests. Anyway someone said you get 2 tries on the upgrade test but who knows what's true until it happens.

Originally Posted by elyga73

Hi,I wondering abuot trucking,I live in MA and nearest school in NY,Medina.
Someone had experience in this place?

Originally Posted by paratroop73

Jess,
Do you know the whereabouts of Fozzybear and his Stevens thread?
I enjoyed following his training. Last I heard he had a "incident".???
I checked backwards and don't seem to be able to even find his thread

Originally Posted by jess-juju

There is no longer a school in NY, Schools are in California and West Valley City UT