Schneider National Carriers - Green Bay, Wi.

Is it me, or is it kind of hard for turbotrucker to tell us how SNI really is, if he doesnt work for them? I thought I read that you do not. SNI does 18 months at Dallas, and will be carrying this policy on to all the other training centers, including Fontana, Ca next year early. They also at the same time raised the tuition amount to over $4k. Instructors themselves confessed to the turnover of students before the contract expires. Part of their pay is on how long students stay. Upkeep on their trucks, they are having a hard time maintaining shops full of mechanics, entry level at that. They are refusing to work on their contractors trucks, and putting off all but the most dire repairs. There is other companies that are worse, however, do not think all is rosey at SNI.

 

I drove for Schneider for almost two years. My training was through them, and at that time, you spent more time in the truck than you did on the sims. Sims were backup for if you had problems with shifting, double-clutching, or something of that nature. I was trained on the "Real" skid pad, which has now been replaced with the sims. I got to spend time on both the smaller and the large sims, and there is no way they compare to being in a real truck, especially with regards to the skid pad. I'm glad I experienced the real thing, as it came in handy when I was a newbie driving in near whiteout conditions in CO. Sims are little more than a glorified video game to me, and have no place replacing truck time during training for those who have never driven an 18-wheeler.

As for the skirting of safety issues and questionable logging practices that Crankshaft speaks of, I agree totally. One of my trucks would pop out of gear when I would hit a bump, and when the problem became worse, I took it to be repaired. I was told the OC I was at was too busy to get me in to fix it, that I should just "watch" the thing since I knew it was happening, until it could be addressed at pm time. Would you feel safe driving a truck that popped out of gear seven times between Beloit, WI
and Gary, IN? I didn't, and I didn't feel it was in my, or the company's best interest that I continue to operate such a vehicle on a daily basis without repair. After receiving a litany of excuses such as "too busy" or "truck was trade age anyway, not a lot of repairs will be done to it" and the like, I decided to find a trucking company that would actually repair something like that, rather than expect me to babysit faulty equipment.

Don't get me started on the logging thing, because I believe the only way a driver needs to log is to "log it as he or she drives it". Yet I had million milers telling me I was "wasting time" doing it that way, and needed to cut corners by logging at a higher rate of speed, so less of my drive time was used. I even had a team partner who would go through my log book first thing in the morning, and "rewrite" the pages to match the lies he told in his. When he began having me drive while he was sleeping, but logged it under his name, I contacted our STL and said I wanted out of the truck. That driver is still with the company. I've heard from many other drivers how they have been asked to do anything they needed to to get a critical load there, even if it pushed them past the safe and legal point. SNI is a big company, and management is so far removed from the driver, that I think they'd be shocked if they actually saw things from the viewpoint of their drivers. I was constantly being given loads that pushed me to the edge, despite supplying them via qualcomm with all my info with regards to hours. When I complained, I was told I needed to learn to "work the system", which must mean to break the rules to get it done, rather than to do it safely and legally. Of course, the logbook had to show it safe and legal.

All the training centers are now using the 18-month contract, rather than the 12-month. I also hear that the Fontana STA, which used to be exempt from a contract, will eventually be joining the others under contract. Less training time, more money, and a longer time to work off your training. Rather than pay the drivers better, and give them benefits and insurance that works for them, they use the long-term contract to keep a driver there.

As for the idling issue, my stl gave out report cards, telling us all how much we idled, etc. I was talked to over and over about lowering my idle time. Did I lower it? No, because I think a bigger waste of diesel than my idle time at night was the endless trailer searches I was sent on every day because their wonderous "trailer tracks" system couldn't track anything. I was sent in one day to at least four or five places, many of whom didn't have a sni empty and hadn't for some time. They could save more than a gallon a day per driver, if they'd just find them an empty at the first place they sent them to. But no, that's too easy. They'd much rather blame the idling at night for comfort as adding to their diesel expenses, rather than the endless wild goose chases they send a driver on. SNI isn't perfect, and I don't think they care if they are even tolerable. They know for every driver that walks away, there are many more waiting for them to set the hook in them.

 

SNI is closing the Evergreen O.C. I think we are in serious money trouble.Too many Chiefs and not enough Indians.Most good loads go on trains and SNI drivers get only short runs. Weekly miles are getting lower and lower.

 

I saw an orange Maverick truck was that once a schneider truck???

 

Yeah, They sold our Glass Division to Maverick.

 

YES, J.B. & SNI, I see quite a few U.S.Express trailers on trains out of Worcester,Mass on CSX.And on Guilford /PanAm Railways.

 

I spent 12 days (1 more and I would have graduated!) at the "Academy" in beautiful Carlisle, PA. I won't go into the reason I left 1-day before graduation (I was "On Track").

Before a trainee goes to the Academy they need to get their CDL Permit. You do this on your own.

The trainee spends 13-days (working over 10-hours a day) at the Academy, then 3-weeks with Trainer, then back to Schneider to test for your CDL. You are looking at nearly 6-weeks.

In PA after you have your permit all you need is to go to the DMV do a pre-trip, parallel parking manuever, and a road test (all told maybe an hour).

If you go to any CDL school with a your permit they can get you ready to take (and pass!) the CDL exam in 2 weeks, 3 if you are a little slow.

Essentially, the SCHNEIDER program is 2/3's to Schneider benefit (company specific) and 1/3 to your benefit (getting a CDL). However, you don't get your benefit (the CDL) until the very end when you have been totally Schneiderized.

If you quit Schneider any time before you get your CDL - you have NOTHING. If you quit anytime during the first year, you are essentially paying Schneider $2,333. (66% of $3500) for orientation.

That is what makes Schneider's scam so different from the rest. Your CDL is kept out of reach until the day before you drive a Schneider truck. At most other Company Training Scams, you can pick up your CDL fairly quickly. If you quit during training with a driver, you still at least got your CDL. At Schneider if you got a big, smelly, dirtball of a trainer - you grin and bear it - because you get nothing until the end.

In the final analysis - beg, borrow, or steal to go to CDL school on your own. Take the permit on your own, you don't need CDL school to walk you through getting a permit. You don't need, and can't afford to pay $2,333 to get Schneiderized.

Once you have a permit, negotiate with the CDL schools. Tell them you don't want ANY classroom training - just yard work for PTI's and the specific manuevers needed for where they take you for testing.

Trust me, all this training stuff is BS, get it done the cheapest way you can.

 

Do you have your CDL now?

 

Yeah. it took 2-weeks at a neaby CDL school.

I am done with my CDL - No Experience "training" with a local company. Went with them to get my feet wet in the trucking biz, and I was home all weekends during training - most were 3-day weekends.

I am now an official first seat trucker. Albeit as green as freshly watered spring lawn!