My training experience here at Covenant!

Discussion in 'Covenant' started by AmericanPatriot, Apr 29, 2015.

  1. GraceLives

    GraceLives Bobtail Member

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    I don't want to be 3 in the truck and will not have money when I start training for a hotel every night and I won't want to spend my money on it even after I start earning a paycheck. As long as it is not a requirement to be trained 2 at a time I'll keep my app with them. If it is I'm out before I even hear the offer.
     
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  3. rpad139

    rpad139 Heavy Load Member

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    I couldnt handle 3 in a truck as well
     
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  4. double yellow

    double yellow Road Train Member

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    There are 3 people, all grown adults with CDLs, and 4 positions with legal restraints.

    "Training" is not teaching you how to drive: your truck school should have done that and your state DMV should have verified it. Training is more about teaching you how to do the job of trucking: working with customers, your dispatcher, the qualcomm, keeping up with the paperwork, etc. Sure, they are also there to give you some driving advice and maybe supervise a little backing, but that really isn't their main goal.

    I'm sure everyone's arrangement is different, but in our truck the trainer slept in the top bunk and the other student and I would rotate out of the bottom bunk (each having our own sleeping bags). During layovers Covenant got a motel for the two students and the trainer stayed in the truck.

    Otherwise 1 student was driving or on duty and the trainer would alternate staying up (focusing more time on whichever student needed more help).

    There weren't enough trainers when I went through: it was either train 2 at once or wait an indeterminate amount of time for a solo trainer.

    At other times, there are plenty of trainers and not enough students...
     
    Last edited: Jun 2, 2015
  5. AmericanPatriot

    AmericanPatriot Bobtail Member

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    Commenting on what double yellow posted I disagree, my truck driving school and all other students I have talked to have had school set up the same way. The school and instructors are there to teach you how to pass the state exam that is given. With that being said I don't know how every school in America is ran but I know how the ones in my state and numerous others are ran, it's there to teach you how to pass the exam and that's why companies have training for students. I've never heard of a school that hauls weight, pulls mountains, or teaches how to "properly back a trailer with the tandems slid forward and dealing with the tail whip". They teach you a 90° alley dock, which is kinda uncommon because of the strain it puts on the equipment, and the offset plus parallel and of course straight line. The most common I've noticed out here I use is a 45° backing. Our trainer has taught us how to properly handle the vehicle around sharp turns, how to pull and descend a mountain with 70,000+ pds, how to properly bump a dock while looking professional doing it along with all the other things that double yellow said. That is how it is here at Covenant and numerous places I've heard of although I don't know everything, I can just talk about my experiences. Our trainer has been an awesome teacher as well as an awesome mentor that teaches us to be proud of what we do and the importance of being a proffesional. He teache's us also how to properly control the vehicle in all types of weather as well as how to properly use the engine brake in all conditions. More important things he has tough us is how to read and understand the laws by DOT and how to work with the laws to our advantage to make the best out of everything. He has been more help than I hear most are but the training program is designed to teach you how to properly handle a truck as well as learn how to be a proffesional out here plus all the extra things that come with the job. i.e paperwork, qualcomm, customer service and so on so forth.
     
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  6. freightwipper

    freightwipper Road Train Member

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    can't use your pee bottle in any privacy lmao

    and what else? do they play.. rock-paper-scissors to see which noob sleeps on the floor?
     
  7. GraceLives

    GraceLives Bobtail Member

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    Thank you Zack for your opposite opinion. I read Double Yellow's reply to me a couple days ago and was a bit miffed at his assumption of me thinking my on-the-road trainer is teaching me how to drive the truck. I am getting that training from the school I am going to right now. We are pulling an empty trailer around on city streets and learning how to double clutch and downshift, handle jug handle turns and button hooks without curbing the trailer wheels among other things. I know pulling a loaded trailer is different from an empty one and hoping when my husband comes home tomorrow night or Monday morning he might let me at least take his loaded trailer around the block so I can see how it handles. What you said about the school teaching us how to pass the test is 100% correct. At least I can speak to Roadmaster here in Tulsa doing this. There is a woman in my class that already has a CDL but hadn't driven a semi in like 8 years but kept her license up and now that she is ready to re-enter the trucking industry informs that most of the maneuvers taught on the pad are not really used in the real world or if they are, very little. Even the instructors say this as they are all former drivers. Having lived on my husbands truck (we put every thing in storage while he was paying for his first truck) when he worked for a different company then who he works for now I already know a bit of what you have mentioned in this post as far as the paperwork and QUALCOMM messages go. He didn't teach me anything other than the paperwork while I was on the truck with him and he isn't a very good trainer. I can say this because when I would ask him questions he didn't go into as much detail about anything like my instructors do. This is why I will be going to a starter company to get my on-the-road training before team driving with my old man. I already have a pre-hire from Werner and Covenant. I'm not sure who I'm going to go with just yet. Both have their good and bad points. I'm just praying that I get a good trainer like you seem to have gotten.
     
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  8. AmericanPatriot

    AmericanPatriot Bobtail Member

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    Your welcome, that what the blog is for, for me to express my personal opinion about what my experience is like as well as hear how others learned the industry. Now to pulling a loaded VS empty in my eyes takes alot more coordination, especially when your pulling something like Donners pass, talahachapi mountains I'm California. There's a huge difference between a 1 mile long 6% grade and one that's 6% but 8 or so miles long. Also, I didn't say much about it but my first week I pulled Donners pass at about 78,000 pds as well as all the other small things down I 80 but then also I drove in PA, Chicago, New York and those other small places so the coordination is very important because when it comes to stopping your downshifting is very important so you don't have to use only your pedal brakes that could very possibly cause problems. So I was put into the tank of sharks right away but I like being taught that way because it gives me only one option and that option is to learn right then. I had a general idea on what had to be done and I've always picked up on things very quickly so that was an advantage of mine to where I see other students spend 6 weeks on the road and still don't got it. Now my opinion on Werner VS Covenant. I had a pre hire from Werner, Covenant and a few other places. I had a hard time because of my driving record which wasn't alot of stuff but I had two accidents and one speeding ticket which covenant is more understanding/acceptable of those things due to the fact they are self insured. I also chose covenant because of the values they run by, they welcomed me with open arms and gave me trust upfront which I then have to keep my trust there while of course buidling my reliability as well as loyalty. Also there training program, yeah it's long but it's well worth it. I was at first the one that wanted only a week long training that places like May do but my first 7 days out here I immediately said thank God I didn't do that because there is no way to get all of this in one week. Alot of talk is about Covenants turn over rate, yeah it's something the company is working on but we are also a training company granted I could see myself (as of right now) retiring from here. I strongly strongly suggest that you get your hazmat before coming to work here, it makes a huge difference in pay and also you have a very high chance in getting a hazmat load during training. Some of our customers require the drivers that come to there yard to pick up to have hazmat regardless if you are getting hazmat or not. The insurance benefits are also cheaper than most, I have a family and pay 79 a week for everything so it's really not that much for an 80/20 plan not including they have qquite a few options when it comes to insurance. There is alot of pros to the company and obviously cons but that is with all companies. I honestly haven't found any cons with Covenant. Now with that being said I do not get paid to do this blog nor am I a recruiter so I will be straight up honest about what goes on with me, but like I said before if there is a problem I will work around it fifirst and then post the problem as well as the resolution because I feel that's only fair to the company. I'm not one to rant and rave because I'm mad about something. I personally chose them because of there values as well as there training program and numerous other things. Sending Safe travels from West Sacramento to everyone!
     
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  9. AmericanPatriot

    AmericanPatriot Bobtail Member

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    Apr 14, 2015
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    Hello everyone, my apologies on not being on here in so long. It has been crazy busy with alot to do, I am going to start another blog on how it has been here at Covenant for myself. My first post may be long because there is a lot to say but I will do my best to keep up with it hopefully daily as long as life allows. The blogs name is "My personal opinion and experience with Covenant" The link is down at the bottom after all the text! Please follow and comment on there so we can get the truth out there for other drivers looking into the company like I myself did. Thank you everyone. Drive safe and stay away from that crazy wildfire in Cali on I-15 thats eating rigs like a snack!! Sending safe travels from a hotel in Oklahoma City!

    http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...-opinion-and-experience-with-covenant.290273/
     
  10. rpad139

    rpad139 Heavy Load Member

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    Did you ever find a good co driver?
     
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