New to trucking!!

Discussion in 'Transport America' started by hammiegl, Mar 15, 2008.

  1. hammiegl

    hammiegl Bobtail Member

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    Mar 15, 2008
    Charlestown, IN
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    I'm new to trucking and I'm anxious to learn as much about it as quickly as possible.

    I 'grew up' in the home mortgage industry and I've spend the last 30 years in the lending business. I've always been intreguied by our country's transportation system, so here I am, getting ready to dive in and 'go for it'.

    After being laid off or losing a job three times in the last five years in the mortgage industry, I've finally 'had enough' and finally found my motivation to live out my life long dream to 'hit the open road' to command a big rig.

    I recently finishing my three weeks of training at Truck Driver's Institute in Sellersburg Indiana. I selected Transport America from the several pre-hire offers I received while attending school there. I participated in a federal WIA program which paid for all but $500 of my tuition since I had been laid off. I would definately recommend this program!

    I will start orientation with TA on 3/17. My plan is to post my orientaion and traing experiences over the next several weeks with this company to this site. Hopefully this will assist others in making their choice of the many offers they receive during school.

    Your comments and recommendations are certainly welcomed!
     
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  3. Nuthinspecial

    Nuthinspecial Bobtail Member

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    Nov 19, 2006
    Salem, Or
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    Welcome to the Trucking industry, and good luck! Hopefully it will treat you better than the Mortgage business did. You should know that with these low freight rates and extremely high fuel costs, it is an awkward time in the trucking industry and definately not the norm. Of course that could probably be said about most industries right now given our countries current economic state. Anyway, keep your chin up and be safe out there. My advice to a newbie: Take your time. That simple really. No matter what you are doing, take the time you need to do whatever it is your doing, whether you're backing to a dock, filling out a log book, whatever, take your time, do it right, do it professionally and everything else will work itself out. Good luck! :biggrin_25525:
     
  4. Fooman

    Fooman Light Load Member

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    Mar 11, 2008
    SW Indiana
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    Hello fellow Hoosier.
    I will be following this thread closely. Let us know the details if you have time, these type posts are some of the best to read. One guy on here even took us thru a couple weeks when he went solo and broke down his pay, mileage and locations.
    Hey, what was the price of that TDI schooling? and that WIA, is that only if you're unemployed? Who all showed up at your school recruiting?

    So good luck and keep us posted!
     
  5. hammiegl

    hammiegl Bobtail Member

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    Mar 15, 2008
    Charlestown, IN
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    Well I just completed the first week of training/orientation at the Scottsburg, IN training facility. And, overall, I would say it was a very good and positive beginning with this company.

    Day 1: Filling out paperwork and physicals. I might add that the physicals are 'very' complete! We lost a couple of guys due to not being able to pass their physical. One's blood sugar was too high and the other couldn't lift the 60 lbs up to a shoulder high shelf.

    Day 2: The first half of the day was spent in the class room covering various topics and the second half out on the range. They have four backing maneuvers set up with an instructor at each. The instructors guide you through each until you 'get it'. Each instructor then signs off on your training record (which you carry around with you all week).

    Day 3: Half the day out on the road with a trainer and the second half back in the class room.

    Day 4: Half day back on the range and the afternoon back in the class room. However, we also spent some time in their 'very cool' simulator doing serpentines through cones, recovering from skids and driving through very tight city streets.

    Day 5: Back out with a road instructor for half the day and finished up in the class room. We also received our road trainer assignments.

    Day 6: Saturday - watch a couple of videos and take our final road evaluation with an instructor.

    Overall the training staff was very helpful, friendly and understanding of us rookies. Although I didn't stay at the motel, everyone that did said it was clean and pleasant. They were provided with a contenental breakfast each day there. A hot lunch was catered in each day and it was pretty good (espcially the deserts!). Each student was provided a meal ticket which they could use for several restaurants around the hotel for dinner.

    Each night we were given a homework assignment i.e. reading the SOP manual or trip plans. We started with 15 students and ended with 9. Lost 2 due to physicals and 4 for various other reasons i.e. drug test, couldn't complete a trip plan, couldn't follow intructor's directions....

    Although it was a long hard week, I still enjoyed it and now feel better about my decision to go with Tranport America. I'm now waiting to hook up with my road trainer who is out of Wisconsin. I will be out with him for 4 weeks.

    I'll update this post later after I've spent some time going through that faze of my training.
     
    wb75 and Wolfman2412 Thank this.
  6. hammiegl

    hammiegl Bobtail Member

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    Mar 15, 2008
    Charlestown, IN
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    The cost for the TDI training is $5995 if you finance it. If you pay cash, I think its $4995. I don't think you have to be laid off to participate in the WIA program. All I had to pay though WIA is $500 and the company is reimbursing me for that ($150 per month).

    However, if you do finance the tuition, the company will reimburse you for the full amount at $150 per month.

    The recruiters that we saw at TDI were: Werner, USA, Stevens, HOWolding, Tranport America, TMC and a Miller beer distributor out of Louisville.
     
  7. Ocean_diver

    Ocean_diver Bobtail Member

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    Apr 8, 2007
    Texas
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    Hi,
    Thanks for the post regarding Transport America. I will be starting with them on Monday 3-31-08. It has been some time since I drove tractor trailer so I will be going through the student training program as well. Please keep up the post so I know what I have to look forward to. Thanks again and good luck to you.:biggrin_255:
     
  8. seansolo

    seansolo Light Load Member

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    Jan 29, 2008
    Cambridge, Ohio
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    One guy was cut because his blood sugar was too high. . . I don't like the sound of that. I am not diabetic but I know my sugar runs high.

    Anybody out there know what too high is?
     
  9. hammiegl

    hammiegl Bobtail Member

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    Mar 15, 2008
    Charlestown, IN
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    I believe your blood sugar level must be below 200 mg/dl. The guy's reading was somewhere around 260 (checked over two days - the second time after fasting). He has the option to return if he gets it under control with medication.

    If you have a problem with high blood sugar, you should address it with treatment before going to orientation.
     
  10. seansolo

    seansolo Light Load Member

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    Jan 29, 2008
    Cambridge, Ohio
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    notarps sent me a link to the DOT website about the physical and it didn't say a specific number, only that if you are on insulin you can't drive and if your sugar is high but controlled by diet or oral pills that is okay as long as you under doctor's care.
     
  11. Hoosier Hillbilly

    Hoosier Hillbilly Bobtail Member

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    Mar 1, 2008
    Hardinsburg Indiana
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    Hello fellow Hoosier. Welcome to the forum and Transport America!!!
    I live in Hardinsburg In. and I have been with TA for almost 2 years now.
    So far it has been pretty good. I started out as a company driver and became an o/o. Good luck to you.
     
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