How many make it through the 1st year

This is all very scary and something to consider. But it's not at all out of the ordinary. The same thing can be said about just about every profession. I've been in a great many classes...costmotology school, insurance school, real estate school etc. I enjoyed all of them as learning experiences. But they were not for me.

I know for a fact that most people starting daycares will not make it past the first few months. People get so angry when they are given bad checks, dumped by their parents without giving notices and when parents spend all the money before paying the provider and then show up with sob stories. Parents are notorious for setting up interviews with us, taking up our time, calling on the phone several times, agreeing to a start date and then after we turn other children away they never show up. It's not at all unlike the idea of getting sent out on the road just to find out that by the time the driver gets there the shipment has been given to someone else.

I guess in the end it depends on if the person loves the duties of the job enough to put up with all the crap.

Is there some way we can find out if we can hack it without giving up our present job?

I live in Missouri. If I take the written test and get a lerners permit, can I pay a truck driver to take me out in the country and give me a private lesson just to see if I dare enroll in truck driving school?

Suzi

 

I feel bad for his wife and kids, if he has any.

Or maybe he has been so hurt emotionally that he is just mad at life and a grumpy old man?

 

Who is a grumpy old man? You have totally lost me.

Suzi

 

Suzi,

You are a high need achiever and will just need to measure your risk as you go. No risk, no reward. All risk, failure likely.

After I went to Mid Florida Tech's (MFT) this Tuesday, I was floored by reportedly the best school in FL. Here's the facts to the best of my knowledge talking with the instructor at least a couple of hours before, during, and after orientation.

1. MFT is 8 week 4 days/week 10 hrs a day.

2. St. Pete's Pinellas Tech school is MFT's sister school 10 weeks 5 days/week 7 hrs per day and an excellent school in an excellent location (for a range of votech schedules - 8 to 10 weeks/4 to 5 days per week/ 10 to 7 hours per day).

3. MFT is only FL's only PDTI, although our orientation instructor said its mainly investing in qualifying time/cost and didn't say that was a big deal; although he's very proud of his school.

4. Why I thought it was a 4 week school, was starts classes every 4 weeks, but actually 2 groups: course/oval track/city driving and on the road.

a. 1 instructor/First group has 7 loaded tractor-trailor back-up setups from docking to jack knifes practice. 3 reps of each station and rotate. Trucks were from city no-sleepers to mid size sleepers to double sleepers - all trailers were loaded. Guys in 4th week looked like pros: every one of them including a lady. I couldn't tell skill level's between them for the most part. They were like robots, lol. The instructor was driving around in a covered golf cart inspecting/coaching different students in different situations and students were observing from the rear before they attempted their reps.

b. 2nd instructor/First group has one person riding around a 3/4 mile track 'by themselves' getting used to gear patterns, with various truck configs I assume. This instructor was riding around town with another student their first road experiences - Orlando is busy and packed with cars, and screwey FL signs that's hard to ride in 4 wheeler. FL designs roads to be confusing with no/switched ids and impossible to read signs if there at all in the cities.

c. 3rd instructor/Second Group - after get license 5th week (and if get permit for tanker, double/triple, and haz mat, they will test/give license for that then too), they convoy 4 or 5 loaded trucks around at 250 miles per day up to the 8th week taking a wide assortment of tricky routes. 1200 miles per student if they're there every day, and requires 1000 miles to graduate. And this also includes every thing to do with flat beds, tarps, and loading different types of cargo as well as riding with those different loads.

_________________________________________________


8 weeks time is going to be a challenge to finance since was counting on 4 weeks originally; but the constant repetition, wide range of well maintained vehicles, and various constant driving experience seems invaluable. A 98% placement rate! I found some 'dive' hotels can probably get good rate for 3 nights a week too for the 4 day classes.

IF I get $5K WIA grant (go to VA this Friday), with my bankruptcy professional commitments, I need to earn $625 a week per 80 hrsweek if needed for 4 months to hopefully get bankruptcy behind me. And with $5K WIA, I can then count on 8 weeks plus assume a couple weeks effectively unpaid with working 3 -8 hour(or more) days on weekends of 4 day classes.

So that's 7 months best bet. Just signed on temporary job today for engineering/warehouse/clerical/whatever for hopefully 40 hours per week variable hour wages. Will now look for 2 -12 hr weekend help now.

But if you saw that course, wow, and those 4th week students gliding around backing up jackknifes etc... to docks and all 7 trucks looked like robot automation (wish I would have brought my digital camera). When I noticed the lady in one truck gliding by me circling to take the next turn, I thought of you. I value education having several degrees and think the repetition and more than 1000 mile otr logged experience is invaluable.

And 98% placement says you can imo. Go to the best votech near you when you can see them in action. They were ready to get license next week (5th of 8 weeks) before OTR convoy 250 miles per day: but they backed in better than a large majority of veterans I've seen (but same course they've done it 500 times and veteran drivers skills are widely variable based on their exact experience levels).

The scarey part to me, and you I think as well, is not if we can do it. Sure we can do it. But with a high dollar 3 week course with no instructor incentive, reps, and different road experience, we would base EVERYTHING on ONE randomly assigned trainer (and one truck likely), with no great incentives to teach you as well. Not saying he won't, but he will get his trainer pay regardless, so... do you feel lucky? lol

Budget, plan, budget, plan, schedule, ... do!

 

So you were impressed with MFT. I checked out Roadmaster and found them to be very suspect. I didn't know that MFT existed until I googled. I was surprised to find them and very lucky. I too liked what I saw at their yard. Dale was the guys name that did the orientation. He seemed like a likeable fellow and was down to earth. I'll be glad to get started. You really can't beat the price either.

 

Choo Choo,

The instructors are old truck drivers so they are going to likeable guys. They are churning out some excellent drivers in the class A school. If you go to the class B school, you will be driving a bus, lol: grinding gears and yelling at the kids.

At best, 4 months for me to attend and 7 months until making salary wages (no debts). Going to check WIA out this morning at VA. I'm jealous as heck of you going. Don't need to wish you luck, you won't need any. I think the school is better than just Florida's best school.

 

ddog
I hope everything works out for you with the WIA funding.

 

Well, Roadmaster (and Werner) salesman was right, WIA will give $3500 for our few county section. I am now trying to find out how to get MFT assigned to our Suncoast Workforce Board region school list, or get Pinellas Tech to change to 4 day 10 hr 8 week program (less likely to change them, but uncompetitive schedule they have now and they get less money too). The 3 day weekend at MFT may be the one factor that keeps me financially afloat when I get there.

It may work, but not near as nicely as was hoping. Now its looking doubtful, but haven't totally given up yet. Got my FOLLOW UP Outlook alerts copied to all the Suncoast Workforce Board, lol. It usually gets attention on Monday after their mid day staff meeting


Choo Choo, take advantage of the resources, and have fun! And thanks for the research information that showed me the way
I would be happy to go to Pinellas Tech if had a reasonable schedule. I think the instructors may be close in skill, but all the equipment and resources at MFT just add to a drivers repetition and expertise right out of school.

 

Eh, I have lasted through 3 weeks of school, 3 weeks of training at CR England, 3 months of solo driving at CR, and 3 months at TransAm.

I am still at TransAm.
Went to school with a class of 6.
One quit before training at CRE was over.
One still drives for them.
The other 4 (me included) quit CRE within 90 days.
One is a postman.
One is now back in the military.
And 2 of us drive for TransAm.

I can't say that trucking has been fun. It is looong, boring, and repetitious.
The pay is nowhere NEAR what I expected. I average $750 per week. This includes hometime, and is for the last 3 months.

At CRE HOWEVER... I made ...uh, hmmm.

Ok, at CRE I lost about $600. Yep, lost money working.

 

Hey its not for everyone. There are 2 types of truckers... the ones that love it.. and the ones that do it just for the check. I would hate to be the 2nd type.