TDI Trucking school- Graduate

Congratulations Shimmymama! I knew you could do it! Time to celebrate and then on to orientation and training. Wasn't too bad was it? You have come a long way in a short time and are now a certified truck driver. Orientation won't be a stressful for you as school was. You will probably have one backing test at orientation but that should be no problem.

Now make sure you are prepared for Monday and have everything you need. Be sure to bring your medical card and also the long form that goes with it. You will also need to bring your credentials from school with you. It will help you immensely to have a prepared resume and with that a copy of your MVR, social security card and also a blank check (so that they can set up your direct deposit). Bring yourself a nice set of clothes because you will have a one on one interview during orientation. Believe it or not the truck you are issued is likely due to how your interview went and what your impression of yourself was to them. Make sure to bring warm clothes! Though it is warm here it has been snowing out west and you will most likely be going through there in the next couple of weeks.

Being from Fl make sure your trainer knows and take extra time to learn your winter driving skills and also have them physically show you to throw chains. There is nothing to worry about or be nervous about but you need to take full advantage of your training in inclement weather so that you will be comfortable out there on your own. Make sure to ask any and all questions and you may even want to prepare a little notebook with questions that you can think of to ask your trainer. If for any reason you feel your trainer is not adequately training you or you just don't get along then you need to speak up and call dispatch to have them get you another trainer. Not a big deal, happens quite frequently. As a matter of fact, while you are in orientation there will be a lot of current Swift drivers coming in and out of the terminal. Stop and chat and make some friends, you may just meet a trainer that you feel will mesh well with you. If so ask for them to train you. This is a little better than just getting thrown into a truck with a stranger. Make sure to not bring too much stuff. If you need something or forget something it won't be a big deal to stop off at Walmart and get whatever you need. Some trainers are picky about how much stuff you bring and a lot of times just don't have the room for it. Plus you never know what truck you will be training in. If its a truck like a W9 there is absolutely no room for your stuff. Likely this won't be the case because trainers usually have bigger trucks. You want to make sure to take care of everything you need to at home because it could be a couple months before you get back home. So stuff like bills and mail, food in the refrigerator, pets etc... won't get tended to for awhile.

Well that pretty much sums it up. Make sure to bring a camera and take picts to post! If you need anything feel free to hit us up. For sure though keep us posted on your journey.

Good luck Shimmymama!

 

Congratz

 

Hey Shimmymama, what was your opinion of TDI? I plan to start soon, once I figure out if they will finance me or if I have to come up with the money myself. I'll be attending the Oxford AL campus though, but I guess it should be ran similarly to the ones down there.

 

Congrats Shimmymama.

I dont know which TDI you went to, but I know that last year when I went through TDI-TN it was a great move for me. S3Zyklon, not sure about any other TDI. but I do know that the TN branch was great. A buddy of mine is actually going through school there now. He is starting his 3rd week there. The TN branch made sure that we knew what we were doing before we started our test out stuff.

 

I'm sure it will be good. I was talking to a girl I used to date tonight over dinner, and she said the guy she dated before me was a truck driver, and he just happened to have gone to the TDI in Oxford that I will be going to. She said he enjoyed it, got the knowledge he needed, and was recruited with a company that he drove for, for several years and liked. I like hearing good things like that from people I know. Definitely gave me more comfort in my decision to attend TDI.