My Quality Drivers/Celadon experience April 2014

Wow, thank goodness I found this site, and this thread. I made the decision to start looking at cdl training over the weekend, this after lots of time "thinking" about it. I am glad I discovered this school offered by Celadon. Lots of Celadon trucks right up the road at a facility of theirs in Carlisle. In my search so far their name never popped up as a potential "Company Provided/sponsored" training provider. The school looks top notch, and from what you are saying it seems very professional.

I already filled out the questioneer, and plan on calling first thing tomorrow. Not saying this is my definite training route, but right now seems the best option.

 

Dumbolnd, let me clarify something I mentioned earlier about the miles you'll be getting. You won't be getting 20,000 miles a month to start for several reasons. First, most new drivers, especially those who are teaming, need to build up their endurance and stamina. You'll tire more easily at first. Second, it takes time to master the skills you need to run 5,000 miles a week, or more. My Co - Driver and I average 660-675 miles each on expedited runs. It will take some time before you get to that point. The people who are responsible for managing new drivers know this. So, they will probably start you out with shorter runs or runs with extra time to get where you're going. Initially, you ahave to train your own mind to stay focused on the road, truck, etc.

 

Fishnman, how long did it take to get 240,000 team miles?

 

I don't know how the numbers are looking now, but when I dispatched for Celadon the team dispatchers were always working hard to push their teams to get those miles and get the bonus paid. I never dispatched teams, but I did know a few. There was one team in particular (a husband and wife) that would come into the office, talk about how they "need some good miles", but decide they were too tired to drive when they got a load assigned to them. Really nice people and I liked them, but couldn't really take them seriously. More than anything, that kind of stuff kept some teams from making the bonus. What fishnman said is also correct... you won't make those miles when you're first starting. But if you're motivated, it's a definite possibility later. I never saw the bonus being used as some kind of carrot that the company didn't expect to pay.

Things might be different now with that expedited division; I don't really know.

 

Thanks Atlas117. Dumbolnd, a further clarification. .your dispatcher will (I'm clearly speculating here) watch your team performance and go from there. It takes a some time to learn the system, routings, etc. If you demonstrate efficiency they will up the weekly miles. 4,000 a week doesn't necessarily mean 275 mi per person per day, it may be 2 2,000 mile runs that requires 500 per person per day. Don't let a dispatcher dominate you. Stay safe, recognize your limitations, acknowledge your accomplishments, and make realistic goals to achieve as you move forward.

 

The thing that I scratch my head about when it comes to team driving is: What happens when your team mate is A) lazy as heck B) not safe C) unclean, dirty, foul D) no consideration for your limited personal space or belongings E) hometime needs dont match yours.......or any combination there of.

Dont get me wrong here, If I were to team with a highly motivated, respectful person who might forget a shower here and there I might be ok as long as they were safe. I'm just worried about getting stuck with the lazy one who doesnt want to work.

Do you get to request a new partner? How do you coordinate hometime when you got something you have to be back for and your team mate could care less......

sorry to hijack the thread....I have questions about the school as well, and will post them as soon as I get another 5 minutes

 

After I finished with a trainer, I worked 10 months on team. It was 2007-2008. The economy sucked and I we enter through a few con drivers as inexperienced as I. I doubt I totaled any more than 140,000, maybe 150,000, team miles before I left that company. Then I went solo for a year before resuming team driving.Now, when we actually have a week that the truck doesn't break down, my con Driver and I average well over 5,000 per week.

 

Lots of good advice. I've been told the Canadian teams from the Yanke acquisition run Toronto to Winnipeg in 28 hours on consistent schedules. Most of the expedited customers expect that teams only stop to switch drivers. That said, your safety matters more than productivity and when you're starting out don't be afraid to explain your limitations. As soon as you say you don't feel safe doing something, nobody in the office has any business pushing you any further. But it does help if you can recognize potential problems before you confirm a load and take that dispatch... makes it easier on dispatch, planning, customer service, etc.