Orientation in Green Bay, 2/4/14?

"Gentle" refers more to time on the load than weight, with a side thought to which customer you're going to. There are some customers that flagged for "experienced" drivers "only" (read "only" if there's an experienced driver available, if not send in DFO).

In theory you won't get any of the "You want me to be there WHEN? You realize I drive a 60 mph truck right?" for a few more weeks. And then they'll send you to the Clorox plant in Cincinnatti where you have to either back in off a busy 4 land road and then blind side into the dock, or blind side back to get flipped around and blind side into the dock. Or the grocery warehouse that you back the trailer into the hole, uncouple, drive around the fire hydrant, recouple, and finish putting the trailer in the dock.

As for trip planning it will get better and you'll be more efficient. I would look carefully at how you log your day. Log it legal, log it as you do it, but be CONSERVATIVE (think tree huger type of conservative, less Regan type of conservative). My morning pretrip doesn't take more than 15 minutes, fueling should be between 5-10 minutes on duty. Once you clear the fuel island and go in to hit on the cashier (or whatever) make sure you're off duty. When I'm at a customer and waiting on them to do something, I'm off duty (waiting for the gaurd, walking to the shipping office, waiting on paperwork, whatever). I tend to show 5-10 min on line 4 for a live load, 15-25 for a drop and hook. My evening posttrip is logged as 2 minutes (yes I have to edit it in).

A minute here and there doesn't seem like much but over the course of day/week it really adds up. I hammer my trainees about getting OFF DUTY as soon as they're done with whatever on duty thing they're doing for the first couple of days. Then I let them have a day where they log it themselves but I record every duty status change in a notebook. At the end of the day we go back and edit the log to match the reality of the day. They usually end up right around 30 minutes over what they should be. I'm more jealous of my clocks than I ever have been over any girl.

 

I got in trouble during my last check ride log check cuz the osr said I edited too much

 

little tip I received from a vet driver from another compnay. The wiper spray nozzles can get clogged up and they really suck on the century's. Add some vinegar to your reservoir. It helps to clean the nozzles out and helps cut the "road garbage" somebody keeps throwing on your windshield. After cleaning the windshield you'll smell the vinegar!! Grab an extra set of wipers to keep on the truck too. Might want to change them both out now and grab spares. Fresh blades help too.

 

Not to hijack the thread, but I have a quick question for you orange guys. Did Schneider open their training academy back up? Only reason I ask is because I live in GB and have been noticing more than usual trainee trucks around (trailer number starts with STA#####), snubbing out at lights, grinding gears, and just driving so ungodly SLOW. Last I checked they only hired driving school grads or experienced. Some of these guys you'd think never have been behind the wheel before.

 

They opened the STA back but as you said they only hire recent school grads. Yes the drive slow and can't shift. It is a trade off from the cdl mills. They get a license and barely learn to operate the truck. Sni has to teach them how.

 

I was NEVER THERE, those pictures are photoshopped, I have an airtight alibi, it wasn't me, must have been a look alike, never been to Charlotte, honest!