I Start With Averitt in January 2012

Thanks big mike for the info I am really excited bout coming aboard but as I have read your thread you use to drive for swift so you know what i mean when I say I am nervious about trusting a recruiter to tell you the truth. Another words I have to run miles I cant be sitting. As far as you driving in the winter weather brother I think you will be just fine.

 

I'm even newer to Averitt than Big Mike but my experiences so far have mirrored his from what I have read of his time at Averitt. I ended up this evening with about 2300 miles for the week. Had a few nice, easy runs this week. One thing I will tell you new guys (like me) - in the interview, they tell you that you may "occasionally" have to run the night shift. I think some new guys are surprised to find out that night driving a fair amount is the general rule, not the exception. If you can't drive regularly for long stretches late at night - sometimes all night - then Averitt may not be for you - or at least that has been my experience.

 

Hey jmark thanks for the info brother. I dont mind night driving for example the company im with and have been for 7 years otr all 48 runs like this we have log books they give you a 900 mile trip and you leave and del the next morning so driving all hours of the night is cool. I hate running like that thats why im looking so hard at averitt so far everyone i have delt with have been extremly nice and i kinda feel like a person not a number. What i mean is like i said about the company I drive for they dont care about you or you family just there loads. I like the fact that averitt runs legal and still gets you home every weekend. I have done my interview and background check and dac report everything is complete and my recruiter called me today and set up orintation for jan 6th. I told her that was fine.But i just dont want to make a huge mistake and cost my family to suffer because i ant getting the miles i need to make enough money. 2100 to 2300 a week would be good its those 1500 mile weeks that im worried about. Thanks for the info and any other insite you can give. O 1 more thing whats orintation like i mean from 1st day til its over

 

Orientation, you'll get to a hotel in town there. Fill out paperwork, and turn it in the next morning. They'll split the class in half, and one half goes to drug test and the other half goes to take driving test(27 miles down interstate, highways, and thru town). I went to drug test and physical first, then came to orientation. You spend the first day taking test on computer. Then after orientation, go to terminal and take road test. Next day come in and watch CSA videos and learn about company info. Third day is basically the same. I only had 3 days, but I think LTL and OTR has 4. You also get to meet your recruiter, and meet the owner of the company(which I've never seen in a company as large as Averitt).

That's the best I can remember. I have a bad memory so...
Lunch is pretty good, but their sweet tea isn't that great.

Good luck sir, and glad to see you're coming to Averitt.

P.S....Orientation at Averitt is good also, because they get all the info from you before you get there, so they don't drag you out of orientation 12 times and ask you things they should've ask you before you got there. Makes remembering the things you need for your job much easier, especially with my bad memory.

 

Hey man thanks for all your help as well you have been a big part in answering my questions. i do have a few more tho when you do you road test do you go with other drivers or is it just you and the tester,do you have to do a pretrip and i never drove an auto before are they gonna hold that against me when i do my road test

 

roadtest with instructor only
pre-trip is just verbal and basic...I walk up to my truck and check for leaks and damages, check tires, and lights and oil. Make sure fifth-wheel is locked and all that. Then what all you check for inside. You do all this from the drivers seat.
Auto they want hold against you, but once you get it rolling, that's the end of it. Everything else is just driving it. Hammer down, and get up to speed. Only thing to remember is hold the break, throttle until it starts pulling, then let off brake. Keeps it from rolling backwards. It's slow slow slow taking off, then it runs like any other truck. Did I mention it's slow taking off?

 

The newest Auto's have a feature that keeps you from rolling back...I tried one out the other day and it was a big improvement. I've been running shuttle all week except for today I had to do office work.

 

That ain't gonna help him in testing, unless they all our driving whatever truck you drove the other day. That is nice though.

 

My apologies I wasn't talking about the testing. I just meant in general. When I went to orientation I had to test with the regional safety coordinator Jason Bolton. Great guy but firm.