Ok guys here is my "week one" update!!!!

Sun - arrived at the hallmark inn around 4pm and got my room. rooms are not too bad, you will have a roommate. the hotel (both hallmark inn and gateway inn, only half mile from eachother) are not the best hotels. One night cable was out next night we had no water. cops patrol the parking lot alot for drug dealers... BUT, its truley not that bad of a place. Its a place to sleep and study. Room service cleans your room everyday which is nice. Bring a shower towel. They have a half decent breakfast in the morning with bananas and coffee and little debbie type snacks. There no Hilton but they do work for a place to stay.

Mon - Arrive at C1, which is only about 3 miles from hotels, at 700am. We had a brief introduction from some of our instructors and signed a bunch of paper work dealing with the school, the housing (hotel) and your sponsoring company. Mines Decker, which is owned by PAM.
Then we all left and drove to the clinic for our physicals and are pee (drug) tests. Our class has 24 people so this took along time. We didnt get back to the class room till after 3pm!!! Then we reviewed General Knowledge, Air Brakes, and IN operator test (for people who were out of staters and didnt have an IN driver licence) Then we tested after each review. Passing was 65% or better. Its very important to study all of this stuff BEFORE arriving!!! Left class at 930pm!!! Very very late first day

Tue - Class starts the rest of this week at 12pm (noon) so the students can go to the DMV, called the BMV in IN., during the morning hours to take the required test's to get our CDL permits. So you have Tue through Fri to take and pass the General Knowledge, Air Brakes, Combination, and IN operator if your an out of stater. All tests are free untill your ready to get your CDL permit. In the class room we cover Combination vehicles and Haz-mat then test. *Note* out of staters shouldnt take the Haz-mat endourcment test at the DMV cuz it will not transfer back to home state. you'll have to take Haz-mat when you get back to your home state. Doubles and Triples and Tankers are free to take so take them. If you pass those endorcments will go on your CDL and stay there for life. So take them!

Wed - We go over Log books and eating right.... of course we test after these

Thur - People are starting to complain about too much down time. We as a class need 100+ hrs of classroom time so suck it up and study on your own, review the chapters we already discused and read ahead to the next chapters or even the pre-trip inspection. dont sit there and just complain. much of this school is studying on your own. the instructors will go over the material, but its up to you to put it into memory! so use the "down" time to study not complain. Two people are gone from having things come up in there back ground checks....

Fri - Mapping and Pre-Trip inspection, also 4 point brake check. Lots of info here. but once again the instuctors go over and show us all this material, but its up to you to study on your own. Most students have passed all there tests at the DMV and have there CDL permits, of couse some people do not, the same ones who complain about too much free time, and are never studying. Next week we go to the driving range to start driving, but the ones with out a permit will not be joining us and have to go back to the classroom for more studying time. If they pass they can then join us but they be behind, so its very importnat to study even before getting here. Driver Solutions sends you a study packet, if you dont know ever question and answer by heart before getting here your already behind and its tough to catch up...

Sat - Off, but the high speed students who care are all at the range going over there Pre-Trip inspection. Study Study Study

Thats the week in review.... talk to you next week!!!!!!!!!!!

hey Forklift.. was it Thursday night the cable went out? if so that wasnt anything to do with the Hotels. the cable company here(Comcast) had some issue and the entire city lost service.

So how was the second week?

And do you know-do you get to go home after the third week and how much actual OTR training you will get-from the posts I have seen it looks like it could be as short as 2 weeks and as much as 4.

there is still one in Arkansa hubby went there and other have gone lately good luck to u

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They also have a training facility in Springfield, MO. as that is where I would go since they closed the one down in St. Louis about 6-8 months ago.