Millis Trenton

Classroom work. 6 in our class total.

 

One week of school in the books. I am in the Trenton, Ohio school. All the Millis training facilities are located in actual Millis Terminals. Which have the added bonus of giving you access to the mechanics ,drivers and the everyday activities of a trucking company. I eat lunch everyday in the drivers lounge so I am already making contacts with what will soon be my peers. Everyone I have met has been helpful and positive. These guys really believe in their company, it is pretty amazing. You will hear Millis is the best...not the rest.
I would also like to point out that they say Millis is a good company, but not perfect. Safety is a top priority. It is not just a company spiel it matters here. Product and customer service are also very important here. Millis hauls alot of fragile loads. The front 7 to 10 feet of the trailer is empty and the back 10 to 12 feet of the trailer is empty. The trailers are not loaded tight to the sides either. Basically your load is sitting in the middle of the trailer. So spilling a load is easily done. You must be smooth and cautious. Abrupt braking or cornering carrying too much speed can have terrible results. I would say this is probably not the place for highballin' cowboys. They are looking for trainees that want to become professional drivers and conduct themselves that way promoting a positive company image.
The equpment here seems to be top notch. We are also told that it is. Air suspension trucks and trailers, self greasing on all trucks and trailers. The trucks I see are kenworths from 07 to new 2012's. All of them in good shape. This is not a beat up zip tied together fleet.
At my school in Trenton there are 3 training trucks. Two, 3 door, 7 seat freightliners and a kenworth. There is a track at the terminal for our driving exercises as well other scenarios set up using orange barrels. The classes range from 6 students down to 1 student. Yes, they have had classes with one student!
There are 6 students in my class and I am getting as much wheel time as I can handle. I am not sitting on the side watching other people drive half the day.
The first week of class was 3 days of classroom and 2 days of hands on driving. The second week will be 4 days hands on with 1 day of classroom. The third week will be OTR making actual runs, followed the fourth week with 3 days of orientation.
The Trainer/student process here involves as short as 5 weeks to as long as 16 weeks depending on the students abilities. The average being 6 to 8 weeks. They try to put you with a trainer that lives close to your home 20, so you can have home time when your trainer does. This is not always possible. You are given the choice of going straight from school to trainer or taking home time and being picked up there.
Upon succesful completion of training you will be issued a truck. You will keep this truck, no slip seating. The majority of the loads seem to be mostly east, but they also run to Texas and the occasional California.
I am not exactly sure on the home time policies as it wasn't an important part of the decision in my case. But there are family guys here that are happy.
From this forum I have met Bear and Sully. Btw "Thanks Guys" for taking the time to stop and talk to us. It was kind of like meeting someone famous!
If I posted any erroneous information I'm sure someone with more knowledge will straighten me out but I think I'm pretty close.

 

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By the way - did you get Bear and Sully's autographs? (LOL - just kidding)[/QUOTE]



No, I didn't manage an autograph..... I think it was a moment of "Shock and Awe". Lol, But I am waiting to get the opportunity to meet you also Baritone. I will be the guy with a pad and sharpie in hand!!!

 

Week two of school was spent on practicing our basic backing maneuvers. It can be a little frustrating but day by day you get alittle more comfortable articulating the truck and trailer combo. You test out on the backing maneuvers on Thursday. By then you will be suprised at the confidence you have gained with making the trailer react the way you want it to. During the week there is a constant flow of Drivers stopping by the range. They are not there to point and laugh. They will approach you and offer bits of advice. You wont get conflicting instruction. It seems obvious that they were all trained by the same process that you will receive. Thanks to Bear, Whitey and Ryeman from this forum that stopped by this week. There were at least 6 or 8 more drivers that stopped by also. The positive reinforcement offered by all is really amazing. I am sure that I have mentioned this before but the positive attitude around Millis is rampant in my experience thus far.
We also began receiving calls from our Trainers. I have received several from mine throughout the week. They will ask how much home time you want before starting training. They will let you know what you need and what you don't. The process will take anywhere from 5 to 16 weeks with the average being 8. The actual time will depend on the individual students progress. These are numbers I have heard from other drivers personal experiences. I have already been given my pickup date.
Thursday afternoon and Friday we began our road training. Driving takes on a whole new meaning! So many considerations guiding the tractor trailer through traffic and roadway conditions. It is very humbling in my situation. I seem to gain a whole new level of respect for the drivers daily. It is a bit overwhelming at the beginning but so was the backing at first. So I expect to see improvement next week day by day.
I would also like to reiterate that if any one reading this is looking for a quality training program or a positive company experience you really should consider Millis. I am conviced this is the outfit to join to become the best professional driver I can be.

 

Baritone,Thanks for the positive vibe. I am sure everyone would like to meet you. It seems we have met everyone else. That makes you kinda mysterious,lol. Besides I have my sharpie ready!