Hello all, first off let me start by saying ty to everyone out there that has posted to this site, I have learned a lot by perusing different threads. I have some questions about what to expect from C1 in Indianapolis and moving on to USA truck for a solo OTR position. I have seen similar questions but everything I keep finding is a year or more old. Let me start by giving a quick background of myself. I'm 34 single with no kids. I live on a farm in rural TN that most of my immediate family lives on also so my monthly home bills are minimal. I have no great expectation of this job, I dont plan on making a million bucks doing it but on the other hand over the past two years Ive barely made 25K. And I don't mean per year... total. I am and always have been a safe courteous driver, running with a volunteer fire department in NJ showed me what happens when you do stupid stuff behind the wheel or are in a rush. I have run heavy equipment including a 20 yard off road dump truck (end-dump) and my main job there was backing the thing around a 17 acre landfill on a road just wide enough for the truck. Also I have run a king cab PU with 20 ft landscape trailer for years when I was landscaping. I know neither of those two things will be the same as backing a TT but I have common sense and once I figure it out, get the method down, I'm usually good to go. I always stay focused on driving while driving and always keep myself aware of whats going on ahead of me around me and behind me to the best of my ability. I've got a good head on my shoulders and I think this will be a good fit for me seeing as I enjoy driving and seeing the country, even if it's only via the interstate.
Basically all I'm asking is what should I expect over the next month or two? I'm leaving for Indy this Sunday and start class on 4/25. Ive been studying the manual now for well over a month and have taken just about every practice exam I can get my hands on. Read a lot of articles watched some videos (not a whole lot of good ones that I can find) and basically learned as much as I can. any insight or first hand knowledge would be appreciated. TY.
Expectations? C1 Indy USA
Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by Scorcher21, Apr 20, 2011.
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you will start your day with a dot physical and paperwork, then you will be in class room 1 with keith shelly as your 1st week instructor. the first week is about getting your indiana driving permits ( indiana operator , indiana general knowledge, air breaks and combination vehicles ) once you get this done you move onto the pretrip inspection. YOU MUST GET YOUR INDIANA CLASS A LEARNERS BEFORE YOU ARE ALLOWED TO ADVANCE TO THE DRIVING AND BACKING ON THE ROADS AND THE RANGE. the 2nd week is about learning to shift gears and basic driving as well as the backing exercises AND you are expected to (on your on time) to master the pretrip inspection. once you show your instructor you have this mastered they will send you to prosafe to take your practical test (3rd week) once you have passed this and get your class a license you will graduate. they will set you up for orientation with USA truck at either van buren arkansas or vandalia ohio and send you home till its time to go. you will get a greyhound bus code for a ticket once you get home. USA truck will give you a ton of paperwork and take you out in a van for smith system training and after 4 days set you up with an instructor. once you show you can drive a tractor trailer to this instructor AND get 175 hours of line 3 time in running teams you will be sent to van buren to upgrade. once you get past this upgrade you will be assigned a tractor and introduced to your fleet manager. MAKE SURE YOU GET YOUR INDIANA LICENSE CHANGED TO YOUR HOME STATE BEFORE YOU GO TO UPGRADE BECAUSE USA TRUCK WILL NOT GIVE YOU A TRACTOR TILL YOU DO THIS.
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OK very informative if not a bit impersonal, but thank you. Sorry if Im new and asking an age old question but really gotta run it down like a check sheet? maybe I should have flamed somebody or thrown some curse words in to get some response. Whatever Im smart and capable, was just looking for some advice or insight.
re-reading that I did not mean to come off as an a-hole... I do appreciate the thought and time you put into that, was just looking for I guess a more whats really gonna happen personal experience
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