Any and all questions about Conway Truckload can be answered here!

I was informed that border patrol will hassle drivers about groceries in their truck, especially produce and meat, so I'd rather not go if I have to empty my fridge every time

 

Hasn't happened to me yet. They could care less if you have food in your truck from what I have seen. I always make sure I am extra polite to them. It's "yes sir/ma'am" to everything.

 

They said they don't allow bobtailing in Joplin due to the sheer number of trucks that are in the city at any given time. There are just to many to be driving around the city and then some might park at businesses who don't want bobtails parking there are get poeple mad at CWTL and stuff like that. That is why they have the free shuttle during the day and at night you can take a cab with a specifc company and it just gets billed back to Con-way (you have to show them your company badge and sign a little paper that you put your name and truck number on).

I got my Haz-Mat but not doubles/triples. I don't plan to switch over to CWF or anything that pulls them so I didn't bother with it.

Crowder doesn't have anything to do with endorsements. For those you just got to the DMV (or DDS depending where you live) and take a written test. I got a MO CDL when I graduated from Crowder then went back to KY and took the endorsement tests and tranferred my license and stuff.

 

I am debateing Should I take my car to crowder then drive Home? I would then take a buss to joplin. or leave the car so I can start orientation rightaway with my class and start earning again? I forgot does conway pay you for orientation? any busses or taxis at crowder? thinking of the weekends and free time

 

I drove to Crowder but I couldn't stand the idea of not being able to go places. It is also quite a long walk from the dorms to classes so I drove every day (in fact everyone in my class either drove or rode with someone else). If you don't decide to drive there is a good chance someone else in your class at the dorms will have a vehicle but you can't be sure.

Orientation pay is $25/day.

 

how many days is orientation? and what all does it cover?

 

4 to 5 days, most only run until thursday but some (like mine) have things come up and they run into friday.

Consists of a driving test, backing test (45 degree back), smith system class, smith system driving test (usually in a van, sometimes in a bobtail truck), a bunch of lectures and videos on company policies and how you interact with different departments within the company, and a BUNCH of paperwork. That's about the jist of it if I remember right.

 

Can't wait, will be there on the 11th !!!

 

keep us posted. i go for my permit on the seventh

$25 that is not even min wage? oh well trucking happens. how long usually with finisher? I'm guessing about 16 days

 

Lol yeah it's not supposed to be actual pay, because it's not taxed, it's just money they give you "for food" while you are there. They hand it to you in cash each morning.

Time with finisher is 7500 miles, which on avg takes 3 weeks but some finish faster. Some finish slower or have trouble getting back to Joplin so they end up on finisher's truck for a month or more. All up to what freight is doing really.