Central Refrigerated Truck Stop II

i start on the 4th also hope to meet some of you soon

 

Volvo's drive just like a Boston Whaler on a three foot chop day at sea! Have lots of cabinet space and living space though!

Jake like the other poster said, as long as you try and make your self presentable you should be fine. You are making the conscious effort to try and look better. This is where common sense will kick in and tell you sweatpants and a dirty wife beater aren't professional. Not every driver can afford to buy new clothes before they start so just do your best. Worse case, borrow from a friend.

Central does have nice shirts, jackets, hats etc... in which I highly recommend. Like Lastkid said, there are a lot of advantages to wearing Central stuff. Central will also usually let you buy a few shirts and such and they will take it out of a later check in little installments. (your first step to leasing! lol) A lot of times you are given hats or t-shirts for certain things like safety meetings/bonuses, top driver, fuel bonus etc... This is usually on top of a monetary bonus. One thing about Central is that there are a lot of bonuses!

Do your best about looking professional at Central. For all those attending orientation there is a one on one interview during this time (yes, just like a real job!) so look good, and good luck to you...

I think all of you new guys heading to Central (especially the West Valley Terminal) will be pretty impressed! If you have never been to Utah, that will also be impressive! (In my profile there are picts taken from the Central terminal in West Valley...Hell of a view!)

 

When I went through training/orientation there was no one on one interview. They may have changed this, or skipped it because of the massive size of our group.

 

petey387, personally I thing the Prostars are a little better than the Volvo's. Either way, you are a company driver and all these trucks are governed and turned down to the absolute minimum. So don't expect to drive a 500CAT in a long nose, classic coffin! Course if you do well out there and save your money for a couple years you will rightfully be able to buy and operate your own. Your best chances of getting a really nice truck (which they are all pretty nice at Central) is to drink the Kool-Aid during orientation, look sharp and be very professional. Pay attention, ace your exams and do well driving.

If for some reason you end up getting a truck you do not like, just hang in there you will most likely get what you want eventually. Central also inspects trucks, so even if you are given the biggest p.o.s. and hate it, keep it clean! Keep it really clean, and maintained! If they see this being done they won't question giving you a brand new truck!

What ever you do.... DO NOT LEASE A TRUCK BECAUSE YOU DON'T LIKE WHAT YOU ARE CURRENTLY DRIVING OR BECAUSE YOU WANT A SHINY NEW TRUCK!!! This will just be the beginning of the end of your driving career. Until you can physically show on paper one year of exceptional earnings as a company driver under your current dispatcher then do not even consider leasing!!! Also once you lease you cannot go back to company driving at Central!!! They are not evil, but they do this for a reason folks!!! They fully realize what it entails to cut the mustard as a lease operator and know that not many can do it. Therefore if you do not have the option of going back to company you must try and do whatever it takes to make it work.

Sorry for digressing but hopefully it will help some of you new guys in making critical decisions.

Good luck guys/gals....

 

i wouldn't exactly say the beginning of the end of a driving career. depends on your mentality.

i can think of one person who's now doing his own trucking. but he defenitly went through some rough roads.

 

Hey passion, have you been issued a truck yet?

 

I think he is been there a while and is actually a lease operator, but not sure on the later one. What about you chompi when are you going back to trucking? You know everybody knows you are missing it. Also I hope you did alright with Isaac making a mess in that corner of the country.

 

I don't really care what the truck looks like. As long as it is clean and does not have any body damage.
I don't care if it rides like a Caddy. As long as it holds the road and does not follow every rut or crown.
I do not care if it is a little lacking in power or speed. As long as I can make money.
A truck is a tool, not a toy or trinket. So I use it as such. Take care of the truck, keep it cleaned and serviced. And most of the time it will take care of you.
Do not ignore warnings it gives you. Even if a light does not come on.

 

cool thanks guys

 

Yeah. I've been solo for 3 months, l/o for the past month. Wouldn't recommend that to people who aren't ready to keep an eagle eye on everything, but I've bumped up my net by 12 cpm (have a background in running businesses)