schneider...a year in review

Today was day three of orientation at Schneider National. It was a good day, yet very confusing. I liken it to trying to sip water from a fire hose! A LOT of information was thrown at us today in a very short time an it was just kind of hard to take it all in.

We went over electronic logging, which for me wasn't hard at all since I had the same system when I worked at Prime, so I was very familiar with the whole thing. this was where the familiarity took a dive!

We went from electronic logs to learning how we get our loads and what to do with the messages that come with the loads. This is where I just lost my mind. It just didn't make sense to me at all. At Prime, we got simple messages that told us the information that we needed. What Schneider sends for loads is in code of some kind. At least it seemed that way to me. On top of that, you have to do trip plans that tie into getting your loads.

This is one cool thing that I found out today with learning trip planning...you pretty much are pre-planned two loads ahead so that you never have to wonder where you will go once you drop the load that you are currently hauling. Pre-plans are GOOD. Sitting and waiting on a load is BAD! Also trip planning is an integral part of getting paid. It isn't easy yet, though! Trip planning is sort of confusing to me right now, but our instructor said that it would click tomorrow when we tied everything together. I certainly hope so!

So far, Schneider has been all it is cracked up to be. Every person that I have come into contact with has been awesome! Everyone wants you to succeed and will go out of their way to help you do so. From drivers to the office people that I have come into contact with, they all genuinely seem to be laid back people who care. I like that.

 

I checked his blog...Ill definitely be following it. As for the money, it will come. Take it from a veteran road driver...it takes a few weeks to get the miles going before he sees what he will be really making. also, he is probably not making as much as others because he is a true rookie as far as I can tell.

The money will come!

 

I feel bad for you! LOL. That British guy had me shaking uncontrollably for several hours and rocking back and forth in the fetal position. You will be good. WELCOME BACK TO THE PUMPKIN!!

 

YAY me! Today was the last day in orientation and we are good to go! We do have to go sit through some talks by the higher ups tomorrow and get assigned our trucks and then be on the road!

Today, we finished up with trip planning, and e-logs on an actual MCP-200 Qualcom system. This machine was really nothing new to me as I have used them and e-logs extensively at Prime when I drove for them. It was basically an easy day for me and nothing really noteworthy happened.

We will get our boots tomorrow as well as comdata cards, ID's made, trucks assigned, meet with our DBL and get our trucks loaded up with the necessary paperwork that we need on the road.

I am torn about going back out there, really. I dont want to leave my wife and little girl here, yet I HAVE to because there are no other jobs. I never wanted to go back to driving. Driving s what I know how to do, though. Ill do it for a few more years, I suppose and then get back out.

Anyway, tomorrow should be more interesting! More then!

 

Today, we went in to the OC to finish up some final details and paperwork. It was pretty easy and we had to listen to a few people talk to us as well. Safety was first followed by maintenance, and finally was a recruiter. The recruiter was actually MY recruiter that talked to the class so that was pretty cool.

A few things DID go wrong today, however. We were to have gotten our driver numbers today and everyone but me succeeded. It seems that my recruiter was on vacation last week and his fill in didn't do her job and send my paperwork in to request it. This threw a snag in my whole day as we couldn't get equipment, boots, etc or be assigned to a truck without that number. So, while everyone else was getting ready to outfit their trucks, I was just sitting there. This went on until about 1:30 when they expedited my number and then I was set. That would have been bad enough, but...there is more!

Everyone in the class was speaking to their DBL's and getting trucks assigned and planning their next few days. I ended up having to wait for my DBL, which wasn't a problem, but he threw a wrench in my plans. I was supposed to get a truck and be ready to roll by Monday morning. I went in the office with my DBl and he asked for a favor from me (which struck me as odd that I would already be doing favors...LOL).

There is a driver that does a dedicated run in the state of Florida only that is going on vacation tomorrow. The account doesn't go on vacation, so SNI has to find someone to take over that account for the next few weeks. So, I will be getting inn this drivers truck and running his dedicated route until Dec. 23 when I am scheduled to be at home.

The reason that I was asked to do this, is really two fold. They NEEDED someone ASAP and the main reason was that there are no trucks in ATL that are available for me to get. So, I get to run this drivers truck. It is a win win. Besides, I dont mind helping out when I can and I'm going to get a better truck out of the deal as well. My DBL said that he would make sure I got a "newer" truck. I hope so, but if not, that's OK too.

Once we got all of that straight, you would think that it would be smooth sailing from here, right? Nope. Medical was supposed to have overnighted me the loaner CPAP machine because they failed to send it to ATL at the beginning of the week. when I left, it still hasn't shown up. The thing is, I can't move the truck unless that machine is in it. So, I am to call my DBL in the morning and we will get this all straight then.

I should be rolling by Saturday morning, but we will see.

More later!

 

Yeah...Im not really worried about what truck I get, though. The truck is a means to an end. It is a tool to move freight. Ill just be glad to get my own instead of traipsing around Florida in someone else's. LOL.

Cool thing about this situation, ill be in FLORIDA for two weeks and I know it. No snow, ice, or northeast to deal with. AND, Ill be close to home so it won't take much to get me home on Dec. 23rd.