Driver Solutions - going with PAM

Discussion in 'PAM' started by Forklift, Jul 18, 2008.

  1. Forklift

    Forklift Bobtail Member

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    4
    Jul 18, 2008
    wellsboro pa
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    Ok guys here is my "week one" update!!!!

    Sun - arrived at the hallmark inn around 4pm and got my room. rooms are not too bad, you will have a roommate. the hotel (both hallmark inn and gateway inn, only half mile from eachother) are not the best hotels. One night cable was out next night we had no water. cops patrol the parking lot alot for drug dealers... BUT, its truley not that bad of a place. Its a place to sleep and study. Room service cleans your room everyday which is nice. Bring a shower towel. They have a half decent breakfast in the morning with bananas and coffee and little debbie type snacks. There no Hilton but they do work for a place to stay.

    Mon - Arrive at C1, which is only about 3 miles from hotels, at 700am. We had a brief introduction from some of our instructors and signed a bunch of paper work dealing with the school, the housing (hotel) and your sponsoring company. Mines Decker, which is owned by PAM.
    Then we all left and drove to the clinic for our physicals and are pee (drug) tests. Our class has 24 people so this took along time. We didnt get back to the class room till after 3pm!!! Then we reviewed General Knowledge, Air Brakes, and IN operator test (for people who were out of staters and didnt have an IN driver licence) Then we tested after each review. Passing was 65% or better. Its very important to study all of this stuff BEFORE arriving!!! Left class at 930pm!!! Very very late first day
     
    Last edited: Jul 27, 2008
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  3. Forklift

    Forklift Bobtail Member

    15
    4
    Jul 18, 2008
    wellsboro pa
    0
    Tue - Class starts the rest of this week at 12pm (noon) so the students can go to the DMV, called the BMV in IN., during the morning hours to take the required test's to get our CDL permits. So you have Tue through Fri to take and pass the General Knowledge, Air Brakes, Combination, and IN operator if your an out of stater. All tests are free untill your ready to get your CDL permit. In the class room we cover Combination vehicles and Haz-mat then test. *Note* out of staters shouldnt take the Haz-mat endourcment test at the DMV cuz it will not transfer back to home state. you'll have to take Haz-mat when you get back to your home state. Doubles and Triples and Tankers are free to take so take them. If you pass those endorcments will go on your CDL and stay there for life. So take them!

    Wed - We go over Log books and eating right.... of course we test after these

    Thur - People are starting to complain about too much down time. We as a class need 100+ hrs of classroom time so suck it up and study on your own, review the chapters we already discused and read ahead to the next chapters or even the pre-trip inspection. dont sit there and just complain. much of this school is studying on your own. the instructors will go over the material, but its up to you to put it into memory! so use the "down" time to study not complain. Two people are gone from having things come up in there back ground checks....
     
  4. Forklift

    Forklift Bobtail Member

    15
    4
    Jul 18, 2008
    wellsboro pa
    0
    Fri - Mapping and Pre-Trip inspection, also 4 point brake check. Lots of info here. but once again the instuctors go over and show us all this material, but its up to you to study on your own. Most students have passed all there tests at the DMV and have there CDL permits, of couse some people do not, the same ones who complain about too much free time, and are never studying. Next week we go to the driving range to start driving, but the ones with out a permit will not be joining us and have to go back to the classroom for more studying time. If they pass they can then join us but they be behind, so its very importnat to study even before getting here. Driver Solutions sends you a study packet, if you dont know ever question and answer by heart before getting here your already behind and its tough to catch up...

    Sat - Off, but the high speed students who care are all at the range going over there Pre-Trip inspection. Study Study Study

    Thats the week in review.... talk to you next week!!!!!!!!!!!:biggrin_25525:
     
  5. Drachen

    Drachen Heavy Load Member

    721
    1,766
    Jan 29, 2008
    Indiana
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    hey Forklift.. was it Thursday night the cable went out? if so that wasnt anything to do with the Hotels. the cable company here(Comcast) had some issue and the entire city lost service.
     
  6. Drackon

    Drackon Bobtail Member

    12
    0
    Jul 21, 2008
    St. Louis
    0
    So how was the second week?

    And do you know-do you get to go home after the third week and how much actual OTR training you will get-from the posts I have seen it looks like it could be as short as 2 weeks and as much as 4.
     
  7. panhandleswife

    panhandleswife <strong>Florida Girl</strong>

    660
    270
    Jan 14, 2007
    0


    there is still one in Arkansa hubby went there and other have gone lately good luck to u
     
  8. Drackon

    Drackon Bobtail Member

    12
    0
    Jul 21, 2008
    St. Louis
    0
    They also have a training facility in Springfield, MO. as that is where I would go since they closed the one down in St. Louis about 6-8 months ago.
     
  9. tickedofftrucker

    tickedofftrucker Bobtail Member

    2
    0
    Oct 31, 2010
    hopkinsville,KY
    0
    Ill say 1st that don't believe what anything your recruiter tells you. Not only did it take 4 long weeks to get into the training program in Indianapolis, IN but I live 4 hrs from school and I dreaded taking the bus when I went to school with Swift so I drove up. $150 in Gas. Then I get to Ramada and was impressed that I was going to stay in a nice hotel. In class they said they use to use the Budget Inn. Well DON'T EVER STAY AT RAMADA. They are going green and so is the fungus in that bed. I stayed for 4 days and sheets was changed um not at all. My roommate left and had room for myself no clean towels and asked 2x for new ones and never got them. Ill finish this ending at end of this lovely note. (note the $ for gas).

    So on 1st day it was fine the recruiter told me to show up at 7am and later find out I was suppose to be there at 6am. Lucky I went with my instinct and showed up at 6am.

    Ok now Don't trust Catrina shes full of S&*^. I have my CDL and was told It was going to be a refresh and be there for 2wks and out 4-6wks with a trainer. HAHA WRONG. I had to just about go thru the whole course just like anybody else. (3days 34miles a day).

    So I pass physical and drug screen and all there stupid tests now here is the discrimination on there part and I am in proses of filing. Tell me what you think this sounds like. On 3rd day mind you its Weds at 4pm and trying to call this lady at PAM for hiring me since 9am. Calling her because I had a foot injury my last job and been off work for 4yrs and now trying to get back into a truck and here is why I got "booted". They wanted me to obtain my doctor records for 4yrs and all settlement information from my lawyer and have them copy and mail to Indy to the school and mail again to AK by Friday at 12pm. That's 1 1/2 days to go from Buffalo,NY to Indy to AK. How the F&*^ is that possible? Besides finding out on my claim NO company is allowed to ask you to obtain any information about your health or settlement information unless your asking to get heath coverage and only then the only person who gets any of this is the rep for the ins company not PAM SUE OR SALLY.

    Wasted my time and money to drive up there and spend $150 in gas that I never got reimbursed for to stay in a hotel that never changed sheets to save a buck and got $200 in food that you have to pay for and had to gobble down fast before it goes to waist driving home. So I had 3 days of "retrain" just to be discriminated against because on prior injury.

    To finish up my hotel story. They refuse to change sheets right...No new towels and I am 6ft using hand towels to dry off... Don't trust the wifi it stinks there to and you have to be unsecured to use bring your on internet card if you decide you want to be ripped off. So anyways I was mad REAL MAD. Rooms was nasty sheets was dirty no clean rooms. well I fought back I took the iron the remaining towels trashed the room stole cool coat hangers oh and I fought back and found a bottle of hand cream lmfao and squirted it all over the beds making it seem like I you know all over the beds. OH don't get me mad Ill make sure you pay. No cable and movie selections was horrible.

    Other than that the trainer I saw for the 3 days I was there was really cool but the way people got kicked out was bull. This one guy went to DMV got his permit paid for it and later USA trucking told him to go home they found someone more qualified. BULLLLLLLLL.

    PAM I will get my revenge:biggrin_25523:


    Ok i hit enter and this posted on me I miss spelled "discriminates" Brain Fart and I will post pictures of the gifts I got from Ramada if you don't believe this and prove it or hey go there yourself and find out if its true just beware I warned you.
     
    Last edited: Oct 31, 2010
  10. tickedofftrucker

    tickedofftrucker Bobtail Member

    2
    0
    Oct 31, 2010
    hopkinsville,KY
    0
    Sounds like you had it better than IN. Read my post and you get morning food good we got nothing just 2 blocks away we got gun fire and murders and the school was 17mile 1 way so far you got it good.
     
  11. vmwelker

    vmwelker Light Load Member

    97
    16
    Jul 28, 2010
    0
    How did you manage to spend $150 on gas for a 4-hour trip? Did you leave the emergency brake on or forget to take it out of 1st?
     
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