What do orientations and road tests consist of?

These are good questions and I was wondering the same thing also.

 

When you speak to your recruiter ask them where they are with the employment verification's. The road test is going to consist of a road test usually at least 10 miles with turns. Then you will definitely back in to a dock or something. For you it might be a little more involved because of your inexperience. Orientations usually do the physical, drug screen and road test on the first day. The other days are filled with company policies, Qualcomm, E-logs, and other stuff. Just make sure you are completely approved before you get on any bus. Good luck!

 

Us X pays better. Orientations, consist of the usual company paperwork W2's etc and are dot physicals by their RNs, pee tests, agility and checking for any back probs and oh yeah,,,the eye chart.. All truckers know felopzd and defpotec like they know their lis #. The driving test is a short drive around town and backing. It's fun. I've worked for covenant hi phil,usa truck hi teresa,us x or Arnold hi kathy, greatwide hello johnny and now Sunstate hi joe. You'll find your niche.

 

I can't speak for other companies, but can speak for my experience with Swift's orientation and training process.

Day 1 - road test (they take 4 applicants at a time in a truck with a bench seat... if you can negotiate traffic, double clutch shift, and follow directions from the tester then you are fine), medical test, drug test, and issued policy book and other materials... some class time.
Day 2 - more class time. This is the day they are really following up with applications and making sure everything is in order.
Day 3- if you make it to day 3 this is the day you are "hired" and your pay starts on this day. Final classroom work and starting the process of getting assigned to a trainer.

Of 40 people that started day 1, 18 made it through day 3. Some left by their choice, others were disqualified for various reasons (failed road test, couldn't understand English, failed drug test, failed to take the drug test, failed background checks, lack of proper documents, etc.)....

I came with a big duffle bag of clothes and personal effects, a medium duffle bag of food, and my computer bag. I was "road ready". Most of those that passed orientation for one reason or another wanted to go home before hitting the road. I got out with a trainer the next day.

If you really want to get through the process as quick as possible, come to orientation with everything you'll need to finish training, pass your post training road test, get assigned a truck, and go for at least two weeks before requesting home time. Anything less and you aren't living up to their highest expectations.... IMHO. From the time I kissed my wife goodbye until I saw her again was a little over two months.

 

Getting invited to orientation does not assure you of a job , its like a training camp and some do not make the team

 

I went to Swift's local terminal before deciding to go with them. When I talked with the recruiter he told me that about half the people that start orientation will be hired. Of those that are hired about half will complete training and successfully test out to be assigned their own truck. Of those that get assigned their own truck about half will quit within a month.

 

I got hired at US Xpress back in March. Orientation is a total of 3 days. The first day is very short. We started at 7am. The day consisted of us doing our physical. It was really easy. One test was bending under a table & touching the wall(simulates reaching for landing gear). Climbing on top of the table(simulates getting inside a trailer). A pull test. You have to pick up a wooden crate with 70lbs then walk 10 feet then bring it back & put it down. They will test your heart rate after you put it down. The same crate you have to lift from the bottom shelf & put it onto the top shelf then put it back. All of this is real simple, without a doubt you will pass. After this, you do your drug test. Then you see a nurse who checks your sight, hearing & if you have any history of medical problems. Once the nurse is done, a doctor comes in & checks over everything. The doctor talked to me for a minute. I felt like he was going thru the motions.

The road test is easy. Go into it knowing you passed. What they're checking you for is to see if you are a safe driving. I tested at their Markham(near Chicago) terminal. We drove to the interstate which was about 2 miles away. Got on the interstate then before the exit, we switched drivers. My wife then drove back to the terminal. My wife stalled the truck on the way back(she was nervous). The road test was a total of 20 minutes(10 minutes for me & 10 minutes for my wife). When we got back to the terminal, the tester had us dock. My wife had trouble doing it & never really got it but they told her it was good enough. Like I said, the most important thing they want to see is your a safe driver. Only with practice do you get better. You wont get that practice till your on the road. After the road test, we had lunch which the company paid for. We could go home once we were done with lunch.

Second day consisted of going thru paperwork. They want to know the last 3 years of your work history, driving record. Be able to verify all of your information. They will call your former employers to verify you worked there. They'll tell you everything is fine on the phone but once you get there....your second day will be a pain if you don't come prepared. Since you read the Truckers Report....you'll be prepared & be having a easy breezy day while the other guys are being brought into another room to verify their work history or driving record. Go to your DMV & get a copy of your driving history. If you don't have a number for a former employer....give them a relative of yours number & have them pretend to be that employer. Someone hit me 2 years ago, I had to bring a copy of that even though it wasn't my fault.

Third day, they show you briefly how to use the DriverTech(QualComm). Then they tell you who your trainer is. Hopefully they'll be picking you up that day.

My first trainer at USX sucked. My second one was awesome. My biggest advice to you is that if you don't like your trainer....don't put up with him. Demand another one. I highly recommend my second trainer. His name was Victor King.

Hope this helps. Feel free to ask more questions.

 

Basically, In this industry you have to be completely transparent, by this I mean they have to be completely confident that you are good enough to go train or you are good enough not to run someone or something over, also they want to know where you have been working because this is how they weed out the terrorist from the crop of drivers coming into the industry that want to take a load of manure over the George Washington if you know what I am trying to say! If there are any questions as to where you have been or what you have been doing they will send you home and let someone else dissect you and figure out where you have been. To my uneducated knowledge there has not been any CMV related Terrorist attacks defused but I don't know this as I am not with the intel. at all. Just make all of the numbers match up, make the dates match up and go butt to butt with each other for example:
High School 2006-2010 and the name.
Worked at Joe's Gas Station 06/2010-09/2012
CDL School 09/2013-01/2013
unemployed 01/2013 to Present,
If there were any large gaps like the one listed above then you will need someone to verify, Like the 40 year Old Lady Friend who has been housing you up for extra curricular activities!