Stevens Transport - Dallas, Tx.

Who said anything about paying out of pocket? In 2003 my tuition was just a shade over $2000. Being that it was at an actual technical college, I got financial aid. This was at a time when companies like Swift were already charging way more for training that was totally worthless. Once again, do your research people.

 

I've heard all of this before about the license thing, the governments part in this allows these companies to twist stuff up. I'd check the rip-off reports before I joined anybody again, right now I'm considering Covenant transport, one of the few companies that will still hire out of Michigan!

 

ok,i am going too stevens transport for there cdl training in late september,can someone please tell me how long it will be before they will let my wife ride with me,how the training is,dont care about the money right now as im so broke i cant pay attention,i just want too get my foot in the door,be a company driver,log miles,and work my tail off,i dont want too sit in the "meatpatch" or the "produce patch" i want too run as much as allowed to,i have already been told all the good news and all the bad news i can bear,bel;ieve about half of each,i'll form my own opinion,i just want too know what will be expected of me when i get there

 

Hunter, you better look else where with your attitude.

You will need one year of safe driving before you can have any riders.

As a company driver you WILL sit in the meat patch, and the produce patch, until such time that you have proven that you are a reliable driver, that will pay your dues, and deliver loads on time. All drivers during the first year are baby sit to death, and you will sit, and not run.

Training after you finish the school is 1 week classes, 5 to 6 weeks, with trainers, 1 more week of classes, 3 to 4 weeks with a finish trainer, then you will be assigned a solo truck, where you will get short runs, sit at docks, and waiting for loads, have loads repowered to Alliance drivers, and totally be tested to the breaking point. Stevens will spend a lot of time with you, training, explaining why, and making sure you understand, and that you do it their way.

 

Actually its a year for minors and 90 days solo for adults . Actually I sat in the meat patch over the weekend. Hunter I hope you do well so I don't have to sit in
The meat patch.

Zombie 8087

 

Yes. 90 days 4 adults is correct. I just dropped off my wife # home after she was riding with me 4 2 weeks. Certain conditions must be met though. Like no accident in last 3 mnths, you need 2 get health insurance thru stevens if she doesn't have one and so on. It's easy if you're not a screwup. Like almost everything else with stevens.
They will make it easy 4 u if u make it easy 4 them.

I'm sitting # meatpatch usually only once a month. Last time when I got there, the load was ready already. I got lucky I guess.

Good luck.

 

thank you all,including you tleaheart,and i dont have an attitude,im 42 years old and know what i want,i know things aint going too be easy,not looking for peaches and cream,i know things will be difficult in the beggining,im talking in the long run,so never assume anything,you cant tell someones attitude or where there heart is by reading fonts on a computer screen.

 

As a trainer for Stevens Transport, I consider it my job to teach you three things.

1. How to drive the truck safely, on time, within the law and reliably.
2. How to deal with the meat patch and produce patch by working with office staff to better plan how your hours are spent.
3. How to enjoy life on the truck.

Our training program is as follows.

Orientation I. - plan to scare the ##### out of you and tell you on these days all the ways you can get fired or owe Stevens money for lost/damaged freight etc. In my retrospective opinion, that's a good thing. Nothing is worse than hearing you're fired! Surprise! Stevens lays this all out on the table so you know what to avoid. Of course there is plenty of positive information in Orientation I that you will also get, but by the time that week is over, my students are usually eager, apprehensive and a little shell shocked or overwhelmed from all that was covered. Of course I felt somewhat the same way myself when I got in my trainer's truck years ago.

Then you meet me (or someone like me) For the next 35 days, we'll live all that you heard in the few days of orientation. I'll take you from driving a truck to pass a CDL test to driving a truck to make a living. It's different, really. By the time you're done with me for that 35 days, you'll be confident you can handle a stevens truck just fine.

On meat patch and produce, I'm going to get a little bit technical here. The way I run and the way I teach to run is to plan and run 10 hour days. You have seven of those and on the eighth day you rest. That's just a little more work than God did to create a universe Seriously, you'll have some time to yourself during trips and some shorter days as you wait for a shipper or receiver to load and unload your truck. I try to plan to arrive at the meat patch within 10 hours of the end of my hours for the week. Then, drop the trailer, reset my 70 hours and leave with a fresh 70 when the meat has cooperated with the producers and packers of meat.

For Produce, generally i get five stops in California. People forget that you get paid for each stop and you get paid for the miles between each stop. Working with the office people and a few phone calls to the shippers you can get all five stops done in one day (meaning 10 hour period) You can rearrange if necessary the order of the pickups so that if shipper A is running late, but shipper b is ready, you go to b and a. Communicate this fact with our produce people and they'll adjust the route so that you get paid for the route you drive. Then you'll bring that produce usually 1500 to 300 miles from California. Again, if you arrive in California with less than 10 hours on your logbook with drips and drabs coming off, you'll keep getting sucked back in. Working with your driver manager can prevent this so that you get into california, and then safely achieve escape velocity and get away from there.

When you are a student on my truck, you are probably planning on investing at least a few years of your life in this career. That won't happen if you don't take the time to enjoy life. My students also get the national tour. Meteor crater, Calico California, the museum at Dodge City, Disneyland or disney world for a day if possible etc. It's not always possible, but when you can enjoy the fact that you get paid to go places people usually pay to go, your career will last longer.

Although your original question was answered here goes.

you arrive at stevens, once you have completed their CDL Course, you go to orientation I. That takes 1 week.

Then 35 days with me.

another week of class.

three more weeks with a finishing trainer.

90 days gradfleet.

Once you've completed that, you have been with Stevens six months. If you haven't screwed up, just work with your counselor and your adult passenger can come aboard.

Hope this helps.

 

thank you sir:you explained that just the way i needed,like i said,i know this is not GOING TOO BE NO CAKEWALK and i look forward too learning all i can,i have always wanted too be a trucker,and we ALL HAVE TOO START OUT SOMEWHERE,i chose stevens because of all the positive i have read by employees,former employees,and people in general,and i also chose stevens because a personal friend of mine who has never been with them,wished he had gone through them,thank you,see you in september

 

Actually its 90days for adults unless his wife is a minor. Minors are one year. Hunter I spent the weekend in the meatpatch so I hope you do well so I don't have to sit in the meatpatch. ZOMBIE TRUCK 8087