Orientation Road Tests ( hitting curb )

Seroiusly? Maybe I'm old school, but it seems to me that pre-trip, trailer hook up brake test and docking are all important parts of of being a safe driver. I've lost count over the years how many mishaps I've seen because of the drivers failure to check one or more of these items. But, maybe at US Express, you don't need silly things like proper trailer hook ups, or brakes, etc. Somehow I highly doubt that's true. Just sayin'...

 

Actually, no, I am right. But what you are stumbling onto is one of the major problems with a lot of trucking companies out here. They are so interested in filling their seats that they are short cutting some very important steps in properly training and testing of new drivers. This is why there has been a big push on for several years now to have mandatory testing and training standards for new drivers.
This lazy, hurry up attitude of the bottom feeder companies, as well as others is what's contributing to the unsafe drivers out here. Want a quick example? We have all seen drivers broke down along the highway. it happens all the time. Yet it always amazes me how many so called professional drivers have no clue as to the proper placement of warning triangles behind and/or in front of their vehicle. This is one of the easiest, as well as more necessary things to do if you break down, but yet so many don't have a clue.

 

I just went through this process.. not with a big company but with a smaller company where I will be trained by an O/ O with over 20+ years of trucking..
Through the application process before I met with the O/O the company, verified everything and gave me a drug test.. I knew that there were 5 others and myself trying to get this.. I was called and told when and where to meet the O/O for a face to face interview and road tes

I met him at a truck stop.. I was there 16nutes early.. which was good.. the O!/O told me that the guy was late the day before so didn't even go any further.. shook his hand and let him know he was out of the running..

We then sat and had coffee for a long face to face.. he asked me a lot of questions and even asked the same qustion a few times.. it had a more conversational feel to it.. but, later I found out that he was testing me and making sure he liked me enough to spend weeks on the road together..

Then we went to his truck for the road test.. I did a pre trip.. I was up front with him that I haven't done a pre trip in awhile.. I did my pre trip and then he tested me again.. he asked me if I really knew what I was looking for.. I told him the truth.. that no I didn't really know as I have only done pre trips in school and on trucks and trailer that are in good shape.. So I really only know how to go through the motions and say the right things I am looking for..
To that he laughed and said that sounded right for a CDL graduate and he liked my honty.. we then did the road test.. Wednessday drove around and he had me back up and he gave me some tips and had me back up again..

I won't say I did perfect.. cause I didn't.. I didn't hit any curbs, or anything else.. it took me a awhile to back in and I got In and out of the truck a lot...
I did do much better the second time with the tips and pointers he gave me..

We then went back in and he wanted to have coffee and pie.. and he was blunt and straight forward with me.. told me when he first met me he didn't like the tattoo on my neck.. but, my personality made up for it.. he liked that I was honest and up front about what I knew and didn't know and that I took his direction well.. that he was pleased how I took his tips and backed in again using them.. we sat and ate pie and talked more.. cause, I got the job..

You must keep in mind...
There is more to this job then driving skills.. especially for us newbies.. they need to know what they have to work with and if we are the ones they want to put their resources in to training..

So, maybe it wasn't just the curb.. maybe it was the whole package..

 

Those are important but he just got his CDL. He isn't going to be perfect. My point is that the company he applied to was being too selective. He made an honest mistake but he didn't kill anyone. He passed their pre-trip, trailer hook, & dock test but hit a curb on the road test. He jumped through their hoops but got one point off for hitting the curb. I think he did well. They should have invested in this rookie because obviously after a few weeks training at this company....their going to have a solid driver. If they want perfection....then don't hire rookies.

 

The OP doesn't say where he took his Bowman road test. If here in Indiana, out of Indy, it sounds like he got nearly full-on skills test for CDL. Here in Indiana, there is an auto-fail for a bunch of things, like touching a white line, let alone a curb. I don't think Bowman's a great company for the OP anyway, so maybe it was an excuse, maybe he seemed shaky.

He needs a safe place to park his CDL while he learns. I don't think that's Bowman. If you're going to take a break after CDL school, that's fine. Get a straight truck or city bus job using the 'B' part of your CDL for more experience on a large profile vehicle. You'll probably end up with more money in your pocket than with a mega anyway.

/Gordon's road test was trivial beyond belief. If you started the truck, I think you passed. We pulled out of the yard, turned left, went around the block and came back. When I started to go through a pre-trip at the beginning, he waived me off, said, "Everything's fine. Let's just go." Okay, fine.

 

Actually, I may have not read your post closely, my apologies. My letter from Crete said - "On the first day you will be doing a drug screen, physical, pre-work screen (series of physical activities to make sure you can physically perform the duties of the job) and a road test."

I agree that many companies may be circumventing good practice by hiring too quickly.

 

That post was directed at the person I quoted, not the OP. If you go back to the beginning of this thread, you will see that I agree with you.

 

One of the most important things I have learned in my short driving career is anticipation/planning. Being aware of your surroundings so you can see what impediments are present for making a turn for example. I've seen drivers put themselves into very awkward positions because they weren't paying attention. For me it is especially important because I cannot back out of a bad situation like a van can.

 

A lot of the local companies here, even ones that have regional routes go through employment agencies.. I applied to two of the agencies and got sent on some temp gigs.. one was shagging for two weeks.. that was a good gig for me.. moving trailers around.. got some.good practice.. another gig they got was for three weeks.. it was an Omaha to KC run.. pretty simple drop and hook... But it did sharpen the skills.. the good part also, is that even though the work was not steady.. I turned some gigs down.. I am technically employed from the time I started with the agencies to present.. so it help with work history too...

 

Im with Shaffer. Day one we did physical drug test. Pretrip driving backing. I didnt have to do drop and hook.