Central Refrigerated Truck Stop

I asked this in a different thread but what does central do for winter time driving training? Do they put you on a skid pad or anything?

 

Another option is out there now too, starting this month.
The Rand Mcnally truck GPS is now going to stores. It looks cool. Just that they are new in the whole GPS market. I like some of the tools they added too it.
Same price as the garman. I don't know though. 499 is steep for eather.

I talked to the local company that I talked to a few weeks ago. They filled the opening that they had, so now I am still hunting. I did not want to go with a big carrier but it is looking like untill the economy changes I will have no choice.
Also I decided I should have gotten my hazmat back months ago lol. Several of the better possibilitys I had all require it, and it will take me at least a month to get it. The problem is that in 2 months it will have been 6 months since I have driven. That is a big number for most companys. They do not want people that have not been in a truck for that long. Soooo.
I will go and get my test done this next week and finger printed.
I will take whatever I can find for work for now, till freight changes. Then in the spring or summer I will re-evaluate where I want to work.
At least that way I have a paycheck coming in and I am otr and marketable.

I talked to a recruter today from another company (that will remain nameless for now).
They had pulled my DAC so I asked them what Central had to say.
Central had reported one incedent.......
I was backing in at Nestle in IL during my first 6 months with Central. It was cold and sleeting, and I was mad that they would not have me home for Thanksgiving.
I was also being lazy lol.
I knew I needed to slide my tandoms all the way back to limit swing in the tight spaces they have there, and I did not.
The hinges of the door on the blind side of my trailer scratched the paint on a nice pretty Baby Ruth trailer.
I reported it to Nestle, I reported it to Central. Nestle never did anything with it. Just paperwork and took pictures. It was 2 scratches about a foot long. I had to show it to the lady for her to see it lol.
She said since the damage was so minor it would never get turned in, and it never did.
Central did not even take my safety bonus for the quarter. I recieved the bonus and I recieved my 1 year safety award. But they put it on my DAC.
He said everything else they put was good. 100% ontime and subject to rehire.

I was just miffed they put that scratch on there lol. The company I was applying to did not mind it at all. Did not even ask me to explain, but I did anyway. I learned a valuble lesson that day. Always follow your instinct. If you think you should move the axles, pull up, or restart a back. Always do it. And always get out and look. That is honestly the only way I knew I hit it. If I had not gotten out I would have straightened out and backed in, never noticing I had made contact. It was several years ago now, but I still remember it clearly.

When I decide what big box drivers are numbers company I will go to I will let you know lol. I am not happy about it, but I need work and to keep my licence current. I am still only applying to companys that most weekends are off. I like running hard all week, knowing I get a reset. It has become a habbit. I would rather run every hour I can than try to concerve them at times so I will have later. I can get in allot more miles, espically with drop and hook loads.
I applied at 3 so far. None are stellar. Some I want too need hazmat. So I will try to find the best of the worst lol.

 

Who knows? I don't actually have their service, just going by what their website says. I've been researching this as I'm addicted to the Internet and will have to sign up for one of these programs once I'm solo (if I get that far, knock on wood).

From my research, every company was pretty much the same. 5GB/$60 month. From reading various forums it seems Sprint and Verizon are the two most recommended as far as actually "having service" are concerned.

Not having either, I'd love input from those that do. 60 bucks is and isn't a lot of money. If it works, it isn't, but if it's crap, well, I can think of better things to waste 60 bucks on..lol

 

Well just an update. Mama Mia and I have both passed our pre-trip and skills test(backing) so all we have left is our road test tomorrow. Yesterday was very draining as we had to do our pretrips in the A.M. in the cold rain/sleet/snow. It is taking its toll on Mama Mia as she is feeling pretty sick. As for the comment by the person that said people are on here and then go to school and aren't heard from you have to understand the long days involved with the school. To be successful and pass everything you have to spend the time preparing/studying because you have so much info cramed into less than 2 weeks. It is very fast pace. Just this week has been get up at 4:00am get back to hotel by 6:00 to 6:30 then try to make us something to eat, then try to gather your thoughts for the next day. Also the first week in the "bunkhouse" you really dont have internet (15 to 20 minuted page load times no joke) we where able to update some from our phones but thats about all. And to make our day worst ourChihuahua died last night. But we are still here and we will be finishing next weds and we are looking forward to training with 6pak...

 

No skid pad or anything.
If you go with a trainer in the snow, then you get some training on winter driving. If you are with a trainer when there is no snow, you watch a video.

 

Sorry for my long posts again lol. It is that time of the evening.

 

Thats kinda stupid if you ask me, as I feel everyone should have skid pad training. But it is what it is. Thanks for the info Chrome!

 

Well if you do go with sprnt you get 5gig just like everyone eles. The only way you can get more then 5gig is if you are on a crop or biss account and if you have that you will pay 85 to 100$$ a mounth. ( i know)

 

verizon charges 60 for a card. if you have a blackberry, persay. they charge 30 for internet. and 30 for modem. so you pay 60 either way. (last i checked)
sprint also charges 60 for card. but internet is included on the phone. since pretty much all phones have gps now. they require the internet to make that gps work. so it really makes no sense to buy an air card when you can use your phone as a modem. because internet is already included.
with sprint, internet and gps are pretty much standard feartures now. with verizon, you have to pay EXTRA. and if you want gps. that's another EXTRA. and if you want phone as modem. that's another EXTRA. 3 extras for features that sprint throws in for free.

now, i've heard people using tetherberry, or pdanet on there verizon phone to use as a modem. but you still have to have that internet plan. your just not paying that montly phone as modem charge. and i beleive there is another program called mobishark.

 

tell me about your plan. i've never had a problem going over. but i've heard others. i'm just curious to what yours is. not causing an argument.