Do companies pay for trips back from Orientation?

Western express did you a favor. Never look back.

Never heard of super service. http://www.superservicellc.com/drivers/pay-benefits/
Looks like a great starter company. Good luck AGreene. Thinking outside the box

 

As others have said, call and ask... have a back-up plan. I'm sure you have some friends or family that wouldn't want to see you stranded. Think before you act. Of the three OTR companies that my husband has worked for 2 of the 3 paid your bus ticket if you washed out at orientation. ( He didn't, but if I remember correctly one of the companies paid for the guy that failed his drug test to go back home).

The only dumb question is the one you neglect to ask out of foolish pride.

 

When I was 22, I got my license and went to a local trucking company. It looked like a double wide, surrounded by a dirt field. Trucks and trailers all in there. The owner was sitting outside jawing with some of his drivers. I asked him if he had any openings

Never been to school, read about it in the CDL handbook, and I had my Class A permit. No application, no orientation, no interview. The guy needed a driver, I needed a chance. What do you say?

What is a driver? Someone that drives. See, this man didn't ask me if I were a driver, because I was not a driver and he knew that. He needed a driver, I was not what he needed, but if I could drive, it was possible that I could become a driver and be what he needed.

"Can you drive?" Simple question. He's looking for a one word answer, not excuses.

Had to do a road test right then and there. I was nervous as hell. Simple road test, a couple miles. I could drive! I even amazed myself!

Went back home, threw some clothes in a duffle, got a pillow and a blanket, got put into this old Cornbinder cab over with this Hacksaw guy. ran team for a month, then took one of the trucks to the DMV and took the test. The Boss gave me my own truck...a 2 stick Mack.

A driver can drive anything. ANYTHING. Any car, any truck, any transmission, any heavy machinery, anything with wheels. Starting out, they're not expecting you to be a driver. But you have to be able to drive. SuperService is no different. The road test in orientation is to determine if you can drive. It's like playing poker, all in on the first hand.

So be honest with me...yes or no answer. Can you drive?

 

Triple Six can you drive? I'm joking, I think most of us have similar stories and being nervous. Great post old man

 

OK, sounds like I'm gonna be the odd man out here. I'm not telling YOU what to do, but here is what I would do. First and foremost, there is NO WAY that I would call them and ask if they will pay my home if things don't go well. The reason for this should be obvious. You don't want them to think that you believe you may fail. No matter how desperate you are, you don't let them know that! DESPERATE NEW HIRE = SLAVE THAT WILL DO ANYTHING! And they know it.

As others have said, get a back up plan to get home, if things don't work out. And if things don't work out, then you can ask them to pay your way back. If they do, fine, if they don't, oh well, you already have it worked out.

NEVER LET A PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYER KNOW YOU ARE DESPERATE, NO MATTER HOW DESPERATE YOU ARE!

You ever play poker?

 

the road test before you go with a trainer
will not have you backing up
pretty much just a 10 mile trip around town
after being out with a trainer you will have to pass a more extensive test

you will be thankful western express didn't hire you

 

That's why my subtle approach was "family emergency and/or feeling out the company " If SHTF. know you have a way home in a discrete way

 

When I was a kid, I heard race car drivers be referred to as athletes. I was thinking, "They sit in a car...what's so athletic about that? Anyone can do that!" Got into racing sports cars on road courses...the whole SCCA deal. I realized that I do not drive well enough to be a professional racer. A racer can put in consistent fast laps for hours on end. A driver can drive anything. A Trucker can put down consistent miles day after day.

I had to learn that.

Ran out of Indian River, fl to some place in Wisconsin. Had this hand called 107 running with me. I was young and strong and 107 was an old hand. We both had large cars. Hit the bigroad, and I'm up front. Made it to Tennessee and I started getting tired. Old 7 is just tooting along. "I can't let this old guy out truck me. He has to be ready to give out!". Got to Louisville, I was dying. I was so tired, I was in pain.

"Seven, I gotta lay it down. I am beat."

"What? Why didn't you say anything?"

You mean, I could have been asleep? Anyways, we stopped at that truckstop in Memphis, In (it's a freakin Loves now. What a shame). Well, any driver can push it and put the miles in. But can you do it every day? Drive til you're tired, go to sleep, wake up ready to do it all over again, 7 days a week. A trucker can.