Stevens Transport aviary

Since we tend to chat it up a bit in every thread where a wannabe comes and asks a question, as well as under the good trucking or bad trucking company threads, I decided we need a general chatting thread where we all can chat about things in general.
So, here we are!
And since we have that bird emblem on our trucks, I decided the aviary was a decent title for our general chat area.
So, come chat with your fellow Stevens drivers about anything that comes to mind.
Routes, shippers, receivers, policies, loads, weather, bad bits of road, or what truckstops have the best lizards. LOL

 

Our instructor said the same thing, that it has happened when the trainee didn't have the money, but you pay back that airline ticket when you get back on the road. Stevens seems a truly standout company in more than just that way!
Today was day six, first day of our second week, and we had trailers on our trucks all day for the first time. Our class of 18 to start with is now down to 11. Most were lost for physical conditions that disqualified them via DOT regs. We have one student who is very nervous and not doing well, but they have not tossed him and are working with him. I am sure some companies would just toss him, but like our instructor said, sometimes the ones who do the worst at the beginning end up among the best by the end.
We changed classrooms this week, and spent almost the entire day out in the trucks on the range.
We have done straight line backing, parallel parking, and the driving range. Today we coupled up a trailer, did a full Pre-Trip on both, then took off on the range for the morning doing turns and going up and down through the gears. Up to six, down to four, up to six, down to three, up to six and stop. Left turn, left-right-left slolum, stop sign, up to six then down to three, stop, left turn, up to four, three, four, three, tight left, stop.
After lunch it was straight line backing and parallel parking followed by an hour of tips and ''what did you do wrong" and such.
Another good day.
They answer your questions, and they teach things not in the books. Above all, take it easy, relax, and have fun with it. Learn and improve, but relax, relax, relax.
Much of our first week was getting your CDL written tests done at the license office after taking the Texas Special Requirements test which gives you your CDL learners permit in the afternoons, and you are in a truck the third day, driving them on the fourth day of your first week.
Tomorrow, we go off the range and onto the city streets! WOW!
Time between taking your turn in the truck is spent studying things like air brake test procedures.
All trucks are 10 speeds, but they are going to go to 8 speeds in all new trucks I hear.

 

So, today was more going around the range, more straight line backing and more parallel parking. Instead of hitting the streets, we worked more with coupling/uncoupling and range. We have to have the Texas air brakes tests memorized by tomorrow so that we can check out on them on the trucks, AND we leave the yard and hit the streets! Also today, the other instructor that was going to take half the class in a truck out on the roads was out sick seemingly.
Today the truck we were on had the service line go out on the trailer about an hour into the day. We heard a hissing when we touched the brakes and tracked it down to under the trailer by the 5th wheel. The instructor came over and checked and had us drop that trailer and pick up a different one.
The barrels on the range were put closer together, so close we were tapping them at first every time! But by lunch we were doing well and leaving the poor things standing up behind us. lol
We have our second level interviews tomorrow. They will go over our applications, ask a few questions I guess, and decide if we are Stevens material based on our performance in the schooling I guess. I will let you know more about that tomorrow.
I guess I hit the road in the morning then spend the afternoon on the range and wait to get called in for that interview.
A good day at the Stevens Driving Academy!
This place is very fun! Or maybe it is just our instructor, Terry, but we have a good time every day, and learn more than just what's in our books!