Originally Posted by mannmk7

Team driving, to me, basicly stinks to high heaven, (I've done it once with a friend, never again), other wise I would have went to SNI, Fontana, back when I wrote about it. The only time I intend to team is when I have too, thats when I go out to train.

Team driving might be ok with a wife or girlfriend. Otherwise, "forget it".

If your not trapped in that #$%^ whole, L.A., you may want to ask them were you would have to move to to get on as a solo driver. I would like to know myself.

I hope things go well for ya at the interview. Look forward to hearing what it was like.

PS. You may want to re-think team drive'n. Maybe ask someone what it's like, although Z said it all.

Originally Posted by MrZero

I appreciate the input. I'll look into the teaming issue. BTW I'm in. I start training on 09/06 in Fontana.

Originally Posted by ziggystyles

Well it depends on what you are getting trained for. I think that the tanker haulers get more training.

Either way, regular van training (most of Schneiderdom) takes 2 weeks from start to finish. A couple of days in the classroom, the rest is classroom/truck/simulators.

This is what happened to me, just for a reference:
*Oct 5th, started class
*finished on the 19th, stayed in Fontana overnight, then took a greyhound to CO for OTR training where we stayed for the weekend, and then met up with driver of the ded route.
*Drove on the route for 4 days and on Friday the 26th, I finished and was put in a rental car to go home for the weekend.
*on Monday, I went to Denver where I turned in rental car and did my SQT, on Monday and then Tuesday (maybe wednesday too).
*was sent home and given a company car, and then came back the next week where we took a truck up to the WY border and we did my CDL test.
*passed test and went back to Denver where I met up with the team who brings me my freight and I actually caught a ride with them up to where I live where we handed off the trailer / freight to the guy who was filling in on my route. I then drove with him for three days to get used to the route and then on the next tuesday started on my own.

The say that OTR could last 1-3 weeks (thats what the recruiter said). In class, they said it could be UP to two weeks. Mine was 4 days. A fellow classmate who ended up with me at the same time with the same trainer took about two weeks. The training pay I think is 350/week. but make sure you get your regular pay after you are on your own as I heard a bunch of cases where you needed to call the DBL and get it straigtened out.

During classroom training, no training pay at all. you only start to get paid when you are training OTR.

No train, you ride da bus. And may God be with you if you do that.

Originally Posted by razorbacker

Am I understanding you correctly? You went from no driving experience and no cdl to being alone in your own truck in about 3 weeks?

Originally Posted by mannmk7

Your going with SNI, thats a good chioce even if you have to team drive.

Did SNI tell you they want you to team drive out of Fontana?

Yes. The recruiter said they are only hiring teams out of Fontana OC.

Did you agree?

I guess I did, but I don't have a team mate yet. We'll see what happens.

What about if you relocate to another SNI area will you still have to drive team?

I'm not sure. I've been told that each OC has different hiring needs. The recruiter did say I could transfer to another OC if I wanted. Actually, I do want to relocate eventually to Texas.


I was going to go back to CA sign up with them there, do their dance then try to relocate.

Any way have fun. It'll be a new adventure.

Thanks. I'm looking forward to it, and I'll keep everyone up-to-date.

Originally Posted by ziggystyles

Correct. Schneider is fairly quick about that stuff. I started I think on a Saturday morning and finished two weeks later on a Friday. I stayed at a hotel with another classmate in Fontana overnight, and then took a bus up to CO where we stayed for another day or so until a Monday night. I myself was finished with OTR training on that run after four nights. However, it was about another week or two before I was able to get my CDL. I was sent home after training via a rental car...then drove down to Denver and met everyone...did some of their final testing over two days, went home and scheduled a CDL test which was about a week out or whatever, and then came back, stayed overnight. Took a truck the next morn, passed the test...went back to Denver...then rode with a truck back home.

So I dunno...it was probably more like 4-5 weeks when all was said and done. From day 1 to the time I was done with OTR training, it was 3 weeks. Then it took a while for final testing and the CDL test.



Well in my particular account and run...Im home daily. If I meet them to swap loads at 5 or so...I can be home around 2:30-3pm. My route starts in the town I live in actually. The truck is parked about a mile from my apartment. My first stop is about 1.5 hours away, and the end of my route is about 3.5 hours from the house and I just basically deadhead home.

However, keep in mind that my route is rare...in terms of what I do. Many dedicated accounts...you can criss cross all over the place and not have a set run. My run is set in stone for the most part. There have been times where I have delivered at other stops as well, but that is very rare:
*the team bringing me my freight delivers to the stops in my town, but once they broke down outside of town and I picked up their freight and did their stops for them.

Originally Posted by mannmk7

I was trying to get with SNI but they told me they are only training team drivers out of Fontana. I have to do a dance as it is to get with them from AZ. I have to go to my friends house use his address, get a CA lic and permit. Then apply with SNI and go through the training. Can you give me an idea as to how to get out of the team driving? Can I train at Fontana then relocate to were they will use me solo? Or will they hold me to team driving? After I get out of my AZ house I would be basiclly free to go anywhere.

Thanks.

Originally Posted by ziggystyles

Well hmm, to be honest, Im not sure. I think you are basically asking if there is a way to get hired onto SNI without the team aspect. I dont know. All I hear when I hear commercials from them on XM radio is how they are hiring experienced drivers. I don't know if they are training right now, or even how much they are training at all. With the way the economy is and such, they might be slowing down. I know the OC at Fontana is pretty much designed for training new drivers (simulators, 3 classrooms, large empty hard to monkey around in...etc). Did they specifically say that they weren't hiring any new inexperienced drivers?

Id say to use that friends address, take a day or whatever and go to CA to take the permit test and get it...apply and see what happens.

You can relocate, but I think its after 90 days in their current run. I dont understand why they arent hiring out of AZ, especially Phoenix.

According to their openings PDF, they are hiring for Sears and Wal Mart dedicated runs out of Fontana. I know for a fact that the WM is new...not sure how good of a position it is.

Originally Posted by mannmk7

I have no driving experiance. I called SNI in May they said they would take me on but they only were taking on team drivers. I took that to mean that I would need to agree to be a team driver. The rep told that there were other areas that they were hiring that were solo, but in Fontana they were only using teams.

Originally Posted by ziggystyles

That could be the case now...I just know that when I was there last Oct, they were training solos and had a class graduating every Friday. However, at that same time, they mentioned teaming and gave us a choice / chance to sign up as a team (I think the other driver would be someone with experience...not sure...maybe they would combine two newbies). I think they try to match you as best they can through some sort of questionarre thing.


I generally don't hear much bad about Schneider. When Im on the road, I've gotten flak a couple of times over the radio...hence my turning the radio off...but its mostly from Owner Ops in Pete Bricks that think they are doing the world a favor by sucking up all the fuel.



Well hmm that is strange to hear. I would have been willing to bet they had drivers in Phoenix for sure. Should have freight going there at least, hmm.
Well either way, you could team and if it doesnt work out, after however many days I mentioned before, you could switch to another board or something. I mean, I don't think they are going to can you if you decide teaming isnt right for you...dont think they would make you sign something saying youd stay as a team for x time frame either. who knows