My time with Schneider

I kept a journal from my time here with SNI .Some of it was GOOD,some of it was bad.Its gonna take some time to put my journal to computer,but I do hope this helps anyone getting into driving as a newbie,and that some of you don't make the mistakes I made.I will update as time permits,as Im starting a new job.

 

I recieved a phone call back from my recruiter,shortly after applying online 10/2010.
She stated schneider currently had a new account servicing home depot in the braselton
area.i was offered a dedicated driving job on this account.after my back ground check,
i was offered a job as yard dog driver as well,which i accepted.
I was really excited,and the recruiter told me i needed to get to a med center that day
to complete my physical,and be in atl.the following sat. Morning.this all sounded swell,
but i was still employed,and was pushed,and told i needed to be in atl.to get this job.
I reluctantly informed my current employer that,that friday would be my last day,and was
taking a job with schneider.he was pretty pissed,as he should have been,and i burned a
bridge with this company.i later found out it wasnt necessary,recruiter just wanted to seal
her deal.i arrive to get my physical on a friday afternoon,and contact my recruiter,and let
her know all went well.she then proceeds to tell me im going to charlotte,that night,and
not atl.,and i have to be there by 7am.
So i rush home pretty stressed out,and start packing.no goodbye time for the wife,or son
and start driving my car,with my gas money.i arrive in charlotte around 11:30 fri night.
The motel has a security guard walking around,armed.always a good sign.i go to the front desk
tell the guy my name,and ask for "my" room.he doesnt see my name on the list,but thats common
hands me my card,and tells me where the room is,and theres a guy already in it.im new to
this,and try explaining to him im not sleeping in a room with some schnook i dont even know.
Its not an option,unless i wanna spend another 20.00 each night.so,me and my ruger,and luggage
head to meet my new room mate.luckily,he's a real nice guy,but the motel grounds are pretty
sketchy.lots of activity,and cops arresting people that friday night.
Sat.morning meets me with a delicious(not really) continental breakfast,and a look see at all
the drivers im gonna be in class with.most rode the grey dog in from last night,and were very tired.
I was really glad i drove my car. Apuh-assuhmanuh-meanapepper was our delightful shuttle driver
from the motel to the charlotte oc.the mornings were very cold,so as to save on gas apuh
spent no time warming up the van,and we all froze on the first ride over.2 trips had to be made
daily.i arrive at the oc for the first time,and things have moved so fast,and im starting to have
second thoughts.my gut is telling me this is not for me.i grab my cell phone,and call my old
boss.i tell him this doesent look like a fit to me.he pretty much tells me t-s,and rightly so.
Im feeling pretty stressed out,and trapped like a kindergarten kid on his first day away from
momma.
　
　

 

We settle inside at the cafeteria tables,and wait for our instructor to arrive.he shows us to
our class room,and we all get seated.instructor scott does what he does,and gives us details
on the do's and dont's.we have lot's of info to go over in the next coming week,and it all seems
pretty overwhelming at first.were served lunch daily from the cafeteria by a unhappy little
lady,but who could blame her?lots of stuff to sign,and cbt's to complete throughout the week.
Your given a log book,and required to log all events of the week,as well as have them checked every
morning for accuracy.
Days are pretty long,and you have homework every night,and very little time to do anything but sleep.
We had to call the hotel,and request a pickup from apuh.he usually took his sweet as* time getting
there.an older guy,who later became a good friend of mine finally snapped on our apuh on one of
our long evening waits to get back to hotel.we waited for over an hour,and jim let him have it.
I was sitting in class on a wed.morning,we had lost a few drivers earlier in the week.
One lady was a convicted felon,as it turns out.when we came back from lunch she was mia.
Another long hair hippie guy left in the middle of the night.i felt real bad for this guy.
He just couldnt take the stress.the day before he was having a great day,and drove like a pro.
He had drove in the 80's,and seemed to be doing well.he had a really bad day,on the day he bailed.
He couldnt find gears,and just cracked.he had his wife drive up that night,and she picked him up
at 4am,and he was gone.his room mate later told me this wasnt for him,and he missed his dogs.
I noticed two guys at the classroom door talking to my classroom instructor,and they wanted to
speak with me.oohh,goodie!wth did i do?they want to see my license,which is still paper,as i
have not recieved my hard copy yet.the two schneider men inspect my license,and inform me that im
missing the little code bar that is supposed to accompany my paper license.
This simply will not work,im being told by these two men.im gonna have to drive back to ga.and get
this corrected.so i hit the freak out button.i quit my job,ive been scared poopless since this whole
deal began,and now it looks like im not gonna get my driver #.scott assures me,i can drive home that
day,get the license fixed,and drive back the following day.i was literally in tears driving home.
When i got back into ga.i started looking for the closest dmv.as luck would have it they were not
open that day,statewide.more stress!i call back to charlotte,and explain the situation,and was re-
assured it was o.k. And to drive back the following day after getting license.
I went home for the night,and it was soo good to see the wife,son,and my little dogs were glad i
was home.
The next morning i was at the dmv before they opened.i got my license,paid the lady,and made sure
that the paper code bar that comes with it was folded neatly and placed in my wallet.
Im now making my second trip back to charlotte in my car,and a pretty nice gas bill out of pocket.
I arrived at lunch,and rejoined my class,behind,and several cbt's that still needed to be completed.

 

The week went on with class room training,then we were split up into groups of three.
There were a few guys that were behind for one reason,or another,along with myself.
That was my group for truck time.
Luckily we were put with mike owens,who by far exceeded what i expected from a trainer.
Very calm,patient,and never lost his cool.two of the guys were having trouble starting
off in reverse,instead of finding second gear.other than that the driving time,and road
testing went off without any incidents.
Our last night consisted of a group trip planning event that took about four hrs.in the
motel conference room.we were all tired,and a few of the guys started arguing over how to
do the exercise.it eventually got worse from there.feelings were hurt,and that was that.
It shouldnt have taken that long,but everyone was burnt out.
The next morning,you pack everything up,and take it with you,since your going home.
Theres some more class time,and final exam,and log check offs.
You,(provided everything goes well)get your assigned driver # ,fuel card,and safety boots.
Kinda like a cap and pinning
ceremony.our instructor had to leave early,and was replaced by some balding buzz cut a-hole.
My log book wasnt exactly how he wanted it to be,along with a few other guys.he threatened
to make us stay after everyone was released to go home.
This was probably the madest i had been thus far.im not in the army,and as far as i remembered
hadnt signed up recently.this guy needed to take the attitude and relocate it just left of
his right b-cheek.
I took my boots,and other sni memorabilia,and loaded it up in my car a little after lunch,
for a long awaited drive home.i was glad i made it,and was looking forward to starting
my new career as a yard driver on the home depot account.

 

Wow!!I just saw the headline on msn.I hope everybody got out safely.

 

The following week,i went to atlanta to get yard dog certification.This was not someting schneider normally tests on,so it was new to everyone involved.
Mike drove down to atlanta to grade my performance,as well as see if the atlanta area was suitable for new driver school.I tested out fine,but mike was
a little concerned about my speed,or lack of speed.
I was now all set to start on the home depot account.My work hrs. Were 2nd shift,with three hrs. At the end of the shift working solo.
It was a lot to learn,and the home depot system was unique,i guess you could say.The ladies inside the building would call you on the radio,while you were
driving across the lot at speed.You had to write,while driving,and these ladies were auctioneers on the mic.I slowly learned the system,and where all 1000+
spots were on the yard,as well as inbound,outbound,and pallet sections.
The ladies inside also were known to call out wrong moves,as well as red lighted doors.In turn if you were the unlucky driver that pulled a door on a red light
or damaged any trailer,you were now unemployed,whether it was your fault ,or not.
In a little under two years we had lost all but one of the original yard drivers,including myself.
Home depot called off 5 red lighted doors in a row.I hooked up,and started pulling the first one.I called back in to dispatch,and was reassured it
was o.k. To pull that particular door.Within a few minutes home depots head of transportation was looking for me,and shut me down.I was sent home to wait for further instructions.Luckily,after several days of waiting,i was cleared to drive,but not as a yard driver anymore.
I gotta clearify,this happened after 9 months of driving on the yard.Im just trying to hit the high points.It was not an easy job.my yard dog was constantly tore up.Schneider had no maintenance on the yard dogs,initially.I had bald tires,and went almost 3 months with no heat in the middle of winter.If your truck was down,and another was not available,you got to pick up trash,til another driver went home,and you could get in his truck.Many days i grited my teeth about being a class A trash man.
By the time a pulled off the trailer with the red light,i was ready to get the hell out of that yard.
There was supposedly a long line of drivers wanting my position,and they were welcome to it as far as i cared.Most didnt last long,as well as those that had incidents on the yard,and were forced to move on.
I learned alot,if only on a yard in my 9 months.Its amazing how many drivers i met,that couldnt hook up air lines correctly.I helped several drivers that high hooked trailers,and i had to get under trailers from the side to get them up to clear the pin.
Had two drivers enter the employee parking,which is a death sentence driving a tractor trailor into.You aint getting back out,without a yard dog removing your trailer for you.Always embarassing for the drivers,but you gotta read those big signs that say no trucks.
We also had a flock of crows that followed us around,and we kept them well fed.Those were about the only thing i looked forward to seeing on the yard.
I did have the only yard dog with a working cb,so at night i usually got some good laughs out of the drivers at the pilot up the street cussing each other.
My first exposure to cb trash talk,but wasnt gonna be my last.I was looking forward to getting off that yard,and into a truck,and hopefully some peaceful open road.