Central Refrigerated Truck Stop II

what do ya bet first time somethin happens to this guy when he's driving solo he'll be blaming training

 

When it all boils down to it, Central is a starter company, not much different than any other starter company out there. When I went to school, the guys running it were quick to point out that the only real difference for the company we went to was different coloured trucks. And while I've never worked for a company other than Central, I've talked to a lot of other drivers, and it seems like that rings pretty true.

For me, Central has always provided what it claims. That's the company, not dispatch, or the shop, or any other department. Central, as a company, made very limited promises to me, and it fulfilled every one of them.

If you're considering going to Central, there's 3 things I'd suggest to you:

1) If anyone ever offers to team with you, think long and hard about it.
2) If they push the lease program, defer.
3) Stick it out for a year.

The third one is the most important, and I cannot stress it enough. Trucking has a huge turnover. Central has 150% turnover rate, with the average driver lasting 11 months. Well, those statistics were true a couple years ago, but I doubt they've changed much.

In short, trucking is long, tiring, often boring work that keeps your away from everyone and everything you love. It's not just a job, it's a lifestyle. You hear that spouted about a lot, but it's true. Whatever life you had before driving, you won't have once you start, even on those rare home time days.

It takes a full year to adjust, and that's where a lot of drivers go wrong. It gets better, you get used to things being the way they are, and you can decide if you really want to keep doing it. And if you want to keep driving, then you have more choices to make: stay with your company, move on, lease a truck, change to a dedicated route, go buy a truck, team, etc etc.

But that first year, when you're still learning lots and lots, you're best off to simply survive it and learn what you can before you make any other choices.

 

I won't take that bet, I'd lose money.

 

GREAT input and GOOD advice ....... thank you so much .... I haven't made the move yet, for the exact reason you are stating .. that once I start, my life will change .... and I'm just not quite sure I want to take that step .... Plus, I'm starting kinda "late in life" (50+) .... So I ask myself ... do I really want to put myself through all this at my age? NOT that I'm OLD .. I'm not ... but, although I haven't driven a truck for a career, I have paid my dues in the work force for the past 30 years ...... Right now I'm retired, my kids are grown, I'm single ... so I figured ... it's something I've always wanted to do ... Now is the time ..... I can either sit home and be bored ... or go out and do something (like drive) that I've always wanted to do .... IF I do decide to finally take that bus ticket to Utah ... I probably won't be until April. I have 3 commitments from now until then ... and once I commit to Utah .. I'm GONE .... so I have to wait until the middle of April to do this.....

Thanks again for your input ... I'm learning a lot just READING .....

 

You're not too old to do this, my trainer was in his 60s and had been doing this 10 years when I was on his truck. There are plenty of folks who retire out of the military, or another profession, in their 40s and 50s, and decide to drive trucks.

The big question is can you take off, drive truck, and if it doesn't work out, go back to your life before? I don't mean in the way that driving truck will change you and make your old life impossible, but can you go back where you were? I've seen people put everything they own in storage, and go out driving, only to find out they can't go back to their old life. Divorce, family moves, can't afford it, etc.

If you go, make sure everything's lined up at home before you go. April is a good time to start, the worst of the weather is generall over, so you'll have several months of driving under your belt before the next bad season hits. FReight also starts to pick up. And, it's when I started, so I'm biased

 

Funny you should mention about squaring things away at home. I've been thinking about that lately. I have a home that's mine ... so I wouldn't have to store stuff .... However, I need to consider how to "close it down" so-to-speak ... as far as discontinuing things I won't use like home phone, TV and internet, etc. ...... This may sound a little naive, so don't laugh .... but aren't I EVER gonna be home?????? With regard to my way of life now ... it's pretty laid back ... and I only worry about me .... so I think, if I'm gonna do this ... NOW is the time. I don't foresee a problem "going back" to the way things are now, if I need to.

I have a girlfriend who's been driving for 14 years .... She's been with this one company now about a year ... and she is ALWAYS out there .... I think her truck is her appt. actually ..... She offered to have me go out with her, which I would really like to do. Maybe go out a couple of weeks to get a feel for it ..... but like she said ..... when I want to go home, I may have to take a bus or a plane home, because she's not sure where she'll be or for how long .... So I'm thinking I just may go out with her.

I do appreciate your input. Thanks again.

 

Forget the bus. You want to see what it's like? Go out for a whole trip, get used to living on the road, and then see how poorly home time works out. Bailing out on a bus doesn't give you the real experience. I find missed home time is the worst, and the only time my sleeper feels more like a jail cell.

 

Not quite sure myself. Apparently freights a little slow out of CA so they sent me inland. Thankfully I'm back to normal now running I5 where I'm comfortable.

 

On the training issue I would have to go with the others. That is your truck, your the boss, and he needs to know it. I had a guy who spit chew into a nice coffee mug and kept leaving it in the cup holder when it was my turn to drive. After about 10 reminders, the cup found it's way into a fuel island can while he was sleeping.
I hear you about a recent drop in the quality of student. The guy I have now does not speak english (not much at least) and is a total jerk. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I am younger than his kids and he drove bus for 2 years in Uzbekistan. Well this is America and I am the trainer. He is having a hard time adjusting to taking orders from me.
He is great at moving forward and is great at shifting (when not mad at me) but he can not read signs and does not know his east from his west.
A funny story. I walk around and to pretrips with the student until I feel they know what they are doing, but I let them do their own after that. I do not let them run free I do things to the truck/trailer and watch them to see if they catch them. They are simple things like removing an airhose putting the landing gear down. I even have a stuffed animal that I put between the duals to see if they catch it. This guy has tried to drive off with the red line disconnected 3 times in the 9 days he has been on the truck. You would think he would learn.
Another "policy" I have is you are only allowed to drive 4hrs per day until your book is done. This works outwell because it motivates them to work on their book (I was getting tired of having to babysit grown men and telling them to do their homework) most get it done in the first week.

 

A question for some of you more exp drivers. I just picked up a trailer and the rt side rear marker light was out. The connectors were bad so I stripped the wires and spliced them back together. Now the light is working but is dim. Will that pass a dot or does it need to be at a certain level of brightness?