Going back OTR, no refresher. Questions galore...

Although I currently truck and I'm not really new to the industry, I will soon be finding myself behind the wheel of a standard shift, highway rig for the first time in over 15 months. When I started in this particular industry I did very little OTR work before switching to local driving. For better, or for worse, I made my decision to stay local and thats where I am today. Recenly, and thanks in part to the allure of better money, I've decided to go back OTR. After researching several opportunities, I found a company in my neck of the woods that has agreed to hire me. The catch? They refuse to send me to a refresher because they claim I have "commerical truck experience" from my current job. My current rig is an auto shift, commerical weight straight truck, completely different from the highway trucks, but they insist that because I work loosely within the industry, I must road test first before they'll agree to send me to school. BTW, going back to school would mean signing a contract and attending the full three weeks. I just got out of a contract with another carrier, not playing that game again.

The only other company I'd consider does offer a refresher for a fair deal, but they are located 1500 miles from where I live. Horribly inconvenient, I just don't see the sense in traveling that far for a potential fail. The company I'm testing for next week has two terminals within a day's driving distance, one less than 50 minutes away.

With as little experience as I had to begin with, and also being out of the truck so long, how likely is it that I'll pass? What does a standard company road test entail? What are the repercussions of failing a company road test (i.e DAP, hireright etc)? And if I do pass, why are they insisting I'd still have to complete 240 hours of training? I thought I knew this industry fairly well having dealt with it for a couple of years now.... I didn't know jack....

 

Thats exactly what I thought as well. They claim the road test is part of their orientation process and that even if I complete it successfully I would still need my otr training because I've been out of the truck so long. But if that is the case then why not give me the opportunity to refresh in a school?? Suffice it to say im having second thoughts...