lowdown on covenants free refresher course (chattanooga tn)

Alright guys here it is, as I just went through covenants orientation and refresher course.. starts out 3 days in orientation like most places; paperwork, physicals and driving tests for exp. Drivers. (goes from Monday to weds every week)

On Thursday you'll meet the two guys who run the refresher course, they'll make sure you have your cdl and physical papers, you'll go up to the terminal to "the hill" where the training courses are. Let me tell you without any names those two instructors are very different. You'll sit with them and they'll introduce themselves one will say he doesn't teach or instruct, and the other will give good pointers and be really helpful the guy who doesn't teach comes off kinda rough and not very friendly. He is a good guy but just comes off like that. The other guy is a character, has all kinds of stories and is willing to help however he can.

anyway theres two courses they have you practice on every day, both have a 45 turn between two trailers that are 11ft apart, after you do the 45 on each there is a straight line back pull out of the hole and back it 100ft, between 11 ft apart barrels into the hole you pulled out of for the 45. Now this is all on a hill and some of the drivers up there seemed to think that when doing the straight line that the hole in the trailers was a little off set. (trailers on both courses have the tandems set differently, and they both off track a bit)

So you'll do that from Thursday to Saturday, and during that time you'll go out for a drive with one of them, have to prove you can double clutch and drive truck and trailer. You'll also drive the covenant van around and do a commentary drive on the smith system. You'll have 'homework' every night from writing out policies that can be found in the papers you got in orientation, to planning, routing and logging a make believe trip that is given to you.
So I suggest to bring an atlas if you come for the refresher.

Come Sunday you'll get to practice backing a little and eventually they get out the measuring tape and make sure the barrels and trailers are all the right distances (11 ft apart) then they'll run both courses and start testing out, you do a 45 with unlimited pull ups and a straight line with one pull up. (be sure to get it straight before you start backing) if you fail (going over the line, running down a barrel or scraping or bumping a trailer) either backing on one course you'll have a second chance to do it on the other course with the other tester. One course has a 20min time limit, the other is 15min. There's also a bob tail you'll have to couple and uncouple to a trailer. If you mess up both chances at the end of the day they speak to everyone one at a time and tell you what's up, if you fail you gotta go with a trainer.

I saw several drivers fail that had 5+ yrs, so practice all you can while out there. Well I hope this info is helpful to anyone thinking of going to covenants free refresher in chattanooga tn.

 

Well, the orientation goes like this, 1st day, paperwork, agility test physicals driving tests for as many of the experienced drivers they can do that day. They will likely have a person or two from the terminal speak to the group about covenant. 2nd day more paperwork physicals and driving tests for exp drivers. And more speakers from the terminal (safety, citations depts.) Think you also get a chance to go over to the terminal get a tour of it and an opportunity to speak to recruiting and personnel dept to make sure your file is all good.

And the 3rd day again more people speaking, they finish up any outstanding paperwork and are working out a lot of issues any drivers are having in particular to make sure they are qualified, or any issues with work history etc. I think they also do student agreements and the like on the 3rd day.

When I was there as a refresher, I was only in "class" for a short time that day, so I can't really tell you alot on it, from what I know speaking to other drivers there I believe thats the day they test out exp drivers with the backing test. And they get activated that day or else the very next.

As far as who has to go to refresher, it's only for people who have exp. but haven't been in a truck for a while, who want to try and test out so they won't have to go out with a trainer ( I was out of it for 2 yrs) I think if you haven't driving in like the last 6 months you have to go to it, but don't quote me on that ask a recruiter on that one for a def answer.

hope that helps