Headed to Orientation This Week

Sniff. Smells like TMC . Didn't read If you said later on or not . Ok well. If your going to orientation best thing to do is make sure you understand anything financially or anything contractual the company conveys to you and have it in writing . Now with that out of the way . Flatbed . Your going to need more clothes that usual . Steel toes, gloves, hard hat , vest , and safety glasses. Lots of shippers require them before even leaving the truck . Things to make your life easier , strap winder , rachet bar , short winch bar and a long collapsible pole . Please be aware , your days are going to be longer than others . Not to discourage you . You will need to learn to tarp efficiently , and please for God sakes secure your load . Flatbed can pay more , but you'll have to make your bones first to get to the lucrative loads . You will need to trip plan efficiently as well , you will spend a lot of time on duty dealing with the tarp , straps, chains and binders . Please befriend someone there and get a mentor to help . Make sure you stop to check your load often , do more than DOT min on securement . Tarp any load that carries small items , like bricks , or small lumber . Last thing you want is that flying off . You can be a good flatbed driver starting out , you just have to focus alot on the back end and everything about it cause it don't have walls and it doesn't forgive in any way . Be safe and best of luck with your company .

 

When I went to CDL school at a mega they had this policy. My roommate in the hotel decided to buy a 12 pack every day regardless. The housekeeper notified the carrier of the empty beer cans under his bed and they let him go. He proceeded to want to have a fist fight with me over it thinking I tattled on him. I could of cared less he was not going to pass even if he was sober he was a moron.

 

A good friend is the head instructor in a school that has about 70 students. They also have that policy. One night he was with his wife and daughter having dinner at an Outback Steak house and noticed a student sitting at the bar drinking beer. The next morning he left a note for the school clerk to send him home. On the first day of school, they go through this. He said almost every incoming class has one knucklehead that gets sent home for drinking.

 

What he said....

Also--you will probably sit through some lengthy presentations.

Be prepared to fight the urge to sleep during these.

Stand up (near the back of the room) if you have to--to stay awake.

Sleep only in your hotel room, after hours.

--Lual

 

Yep, exactly right !!!