Hi Everybody

My name is Tommye more affectionately known as TommyeGunn, I just passed my CDL-A test yesterday and got my license today. I am schedule to head to Kentucky for a 2.5 days orientation at Paschal Truck Lines. not sure how we'll this will go or if PTL is a good company to start off with but I'm going to give it a try.

 

Orientation is from mon-wed at 7. Once I arrived on Sunday via greyhound, (which cost the same as a one way flight), checked into the hotel they put us up in, (the hotel is not a marriott but it's clean and didn't have bugs and it's in a quiet neighborhood), The hotel owner gave details of what time the vans from PTL would come get us which was 6:40 am each day an we returned at 3. Tomorrow which is Wednesday is a half day cause it's when we meet the trainer we will be going out with. People had complaints about the hotel and the owner but every time I seen the owner she was greeting me by name but keep in mind she is hilarious. It's not 5 star but I have a theory that if the company puts you in a five star hotel you wouldn't want to leave to get on the road. But like I told some guys, "you didn't come for the hotel you came for more training to get you started in the future" that stopped a lot of complaining. The first day is all paperwork and the 2nd day a little paperwork and some pre-trips Qualcomm info and handouts, paper logging if the need shall ever arise to use them but if was a lot of emphasis on safety. You get Lot of info within the first day as far as ESOP, life on the road, home time and other things. And they feed you very well, lol, imagine trying to fight a buffet, you will lose. I hope this will be a good experience since it is my first company. You have to drive 5000 miles with a trainer then you go home if you choose then you start your second phase of training with another trainee where you have to get 30,000 dispatched miles then you come back for your own truck. Keep in mind if you choose to go home during that 30,000 you can and return with another trainee and pick up where your miles where when you left, but if you choose to stay you and your teammate can do the30,000 then you are good to go. You will get .15 cent/ mike as a trainee and once you complete you go to .33 cent and up, but like I said before it's my first job as a driver to get some experience under my belt and build my ultimate plan during my training. Hope this helps.

 

The trainer is suppose to drive 2-4 hours a day so you may get lucky enough to have a trainer that will drive the 2-4 hours per day because mines just said there an ate an sleep, he didn't drive the 2-4 hours a day, he actually fell asleep once when he was driving. So it's ok for you to ask the guy in charge of the trainers how a particular trainer teaches of drives, it's a lot of them at PTL that want to teach you even though they are getting paid for it. Any other questions don't hesitate to ask, I will give you the whole truth not just the part that will make me look good.

 

Well you are not under obligation to stay with PTL, some companies may convert your miles driven with PTL TO HOURS so if you drive 6000 miles an goto a company that requires 150-200 hours they will do a mathematical equation to see if the miles driven equals to their hourly requirement. Most people leave PTL in their training stage because of the 30,000 miles they have to drive with another trainee after doing their 6000 with a trainer an because of the .15 cent per mile, So basically you have to be with this company for 36,000 miles before you can make .33 cent/ mile. I checked around an most companies have .26 an up per mile trainee pay or $350-450/ week. I chose this company to get some exoerience to get my feet wet, I'm on hometime now cause my daughter had some eye surgery but I didn't reach my 6000 miles because the Memorial Day holiday held us up for 3 days an a week later my trainer had to go home on some personal business and I wS sitting for another 2 days, if not for the 5 days sitting I would have easily made my 6000 miles.