What to bring to Orientation

MONEY! Don't depend on them to provide you with food, while there, or transportation home, if they boot you, even if they said they will, CYA!...Other than that, clothes, common sense and whatever they tell you to bring...Many companies will give you a list...

 

$$$ #1.Warm,summer clothes.Family photos.(to remind you why your going through this) Its not an easy life.Phone,Paperwork =ssn # for health ins.All family members. Discharge papers.Birth cert.Last yrs tax reciept.Ph # ,add. for refences.An stuff im forgeting.You going with trainer ? it makes a diff.

 

I just started with Crete. I didn't bring much of anything to orientation because I live close to the terminal. I didn't get much time from finishing up there and leaving with the trainer. They sent a list of things to bring, but its just some basics. I brought a weeks worth of clothes, stuff for showering, laundry bag, two pairs of shoes, work gloves, couple pens, small notepads, small ruler for doing the log (wont need if company has elogs). The trainer called me before he picked me up, so went over a few other things I could bring. Before you get done there maybe ask if your trainer will call you, or get his number so you can. Just bring the things you really need, cause chances are you will be keeping it in your bunk.

 

This pretty much sums it up. Look at the "Packing List for Students" thread.

Congratulations to you and Welcome to trucking.

 

Be sure to bring lots of attitude, and self confidence. I'd also suggest following your previous companies policies, and not even listening to the policies of a new company. If you don't have previous experience just base what rules you are going to follow on some dudes blog. Don't bring cash, just keep asking someone in orientation if they can run you to Wal-Mart, bring your pets and ask if you can get a lift back to the hotel to let your dogs out, don't bring a winter coat if it's cold out, be sure to bring two pairs of flip flops (because you want to be comfortable in class). Yeah, that should pretty much sum it up.

 

Congrats and welcome!

Yup, what Jeffers said: http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...-drivers/16652-packing-list-for-students.html

 

Ask the company you finaly decide on going to what to bring. Most I have heard have a small letter they can fax or email on what you need.

I have been a student, then solo driver, then OTR trainer, then finally where I will forever be, a solo driver). My recommendations:

Never ever go anywhere whithout shower shoes. If you step barefoot on any shower floor you will likely get some bad fungus or bacteria infection on your feet. It is only a matter of time. Some can be extremely brutal, I found this out the hardway myself, after just one time forgetting to toss them in my bag before taking a shower and being to lazy to leave the shower and go back out to the truck.

1) travel as light as possible

2) bring few clothes but ones that are suitable for all weather types from -20 to +120 degrees out. You will be in all types of weather.

3) bring only a few changes of pants, and shirts, but bring a solid week plus amount of boxers and socks. They do need to be changed everyday, take up little space and weight.

4) notepad and extra pens. Do wright down everything that is told to you
you may think you will remember what your teacher tells you, but there
is so much information about everything and distraction/fatigue its really
easy to forget. Nice having a reference as well, perhaps if you train you
you can make a cheat sheet out of your notes and pass it to your
students as well.

5) small sleeping bag and pillow, keep it small and light

6) minimal electronics. Just a cell phone thats all, save your games, plasma TV ets.. at home untill you get your own truck. You dont want the weight, you dont need the distraction.

6.5) All car chargers/adaptors for the electronics you do bring. I have two A/C inverters on my truck and bout a dozen cigarette lighter plugs so I am set up for A/C or car charger whatever, but some truckers may not be, dont take chances always have a means to plug it into a lighter without relying on A/C power.

7) spare pair of glasses/contacts, extra meds if you take any.

8) Small bag for personal hygene products. Shampoo, brush, toothbrush/paste, razor. Really all you need for now. Showers have there own bar soap (like motels). Keep it as less as you can survive during this stage. Just small bag period.

9) Ear plugs, sometimes your partner may play loud music or may be noisy, the truck and reefer are very loud to at first when they are running and you are trying to sleep.. You need your sleep.

10) Immodium AD or other good anti-diareatic, nothing puts the halt to a good run like a bad case of the runs, dam near kill a trucker, runs on the road are very very bad.

11)two pairs of gloves, you never touch anything on the outside of a tractor or trailer without putting on gloves first. You want a small light pair for warm weather and a thick pair for cold weather or long exposure to cooler weather.

12)small light rain gear

Bout all I can think of right now, not to much more if anything else you need. The company you do go to work with might also have special items they want you to have first, so make sure to ask and see if they can email you there list, which will be much better than mine.

You will need lots of other stuff once you get your own truck like tire thumper, tire pressure guage, maps, GPS ets.... but at that time you will already have a good idea of what you personally need, and then you will be able to stop by your home and pick up all your other cloths, electronics ets as well.