Schneider Orientation Fontana 1 July 2014, Military Apprenticeship, Colorado

So I am starting this BLOG to inform those that are wondering about the Military Apprenticeship Program and Schneider Orientation in Fontana California. There are other blogs out there that cover some of this but some are over two years old and things change a lot in two years. Here is my background and how I got to this point.

I attended a Job fair in early May 2014. There was a recruiter for May Trucking Company that was talking the talk and this guy was listening. I had retired from 23 years in the Army and was having a hard time finding gainful employment. When I say gainful I mean something more than $11 an hour and I could still have my dignity. I drove for Breckenridge Ski Resorts in Colorado for a season and enjoyed it but it was seasonal and cost a fortune to live in a ski town. Anyhow I researched a lot and before you know it I was at the US Truck Driving School in Fountain Colorado.

The school was 160 hours long and mine was paid for using my GI Bill. Some of the other students were on some sort of scholarship with the unemployment office or some other grant. Some of the school was helpful and some was check the block but bottom line was I did my time and passed the tests required to get my Class A. If you’re thinking of getting your CDL-A, get all the endorsements when you test the first time. Some of the tests (Tank and Doubles/Triples) are easy and they make you more employable.

While we were in school recruiters came by looking for prospects. Local companies were desperate for help but most required experience already, paid low or were seasonal. I actually thought about working for a construction company until I found out about the Military Apprenticeship program.
The Military Apprenticeship program was designed to help ex-military transition into the trucking industry. I can tell you trying to translate your military skills into what the civilian market needs is almost impossible. I was a Combat Engineer and for my last three combat tours I looked for roadside bombs and blew stuff up. Mention that in an interview and you get the “Thanks for applying…we’ll get back to you”. I found out that while driving in Breckenridge I noticed things most people wouldn’t. I was very aware of my surroundings. The only reason I got hired in the first place at Breckenridge is I passed the urinalysis. They were having a hard time finding five drivers that could pass. I never got into drugs.

So the Military Apprenticeship program pays GI Bill benefits for 12 months while a driver learns how to become a professional driver. For Schneider it amounts to around $13000 a year tax free. That amount is on top of driver pay. It can add up quickly! Not all companies have this program but a number of them do. I personally feel that the best company offering this is TMC Transportation out of Iowa. Unfortunately they had no positions in my area but if you’re considering this career field they are worth taking a look at. There were other Companies I researched (May, Werner, Prime, Swift and JB Hunt) but Schneider was the one we decided to go with.

My youngest Son, an honorably discharged Marine, was in the middle of trying to figure out what he was going to do with his life when I started this whole process. He approached me about driving team and started the school two weeks after me. He will also be using his GI bill for the first year. He finished Truck Driving School on 24 June and is now with me in Fontana.

Orientation starts tomorrow and both of us are pretty pumped. We travelled by bus from Colorado to California with four other classmates from the truck driving school. Greyhound is pretty inefficient and if you can avoid taking the bus DO IT! The hotel (Best Western in Ontario) is pretty good but located a mile from the closest Grocery Store. Breakfast and Lunch is provided but you have to figure it out for dinner. There is a variety of restaurants close by and a convenience store a couple blocks away. Met another new driver here that drove for CR England for three months. He was paid 12 cpm which they should be embarrassed about. His trainer had been with them a week longer and paid 18 cpm as a trainer. He seemed pretty cautious about what he was hearing from Schneider.

I will update this as we go through orientation and get moving on down the road. I hope this is helpful that have the same questions I did when I started this journey. If you have any questions don't be afraid to ask and I'll do my best to find the answer.
,
The Warhippy

 

You are correct. The companies get perk for hiring Veterans but not sure exactly what those perks are. All my research for TMC was favorable. Unfortunately I wasn't moving to Iowa or let me rephrase that my wife wasn't willing to leave Colorado.

 

You have just answered a question my son had. He also will be receiving the kicker with his GI Bill. Thanks!!

 

Day 1 of Orientation went as I expected. Lots of briefings, a physical agility test and some paperwork. We started with 18 and dropped 2 in the physical agility. Also have people missing paperwork. Word of advice....if your coming here for orientation go to the Schneider website and check what paperwork you need and what you have to do to succeed. The physical agility is easy but if you are in poor shape (and I mean real bad shape) you will not pass. It's all about your pulse while doing exercises. A good rule is step up and down off a stool for one minute and measure your heart rate. If it goes above 150 then maybe you need to think about a little exercise. The second issue was paperwork...the website tells you what to bring so not having the right paperwork is not a good way to impress those that hired you.

On the drive back to the hotel I was talking to the driver about questions I had and he said "I wouldn't worry about that right now. I would worry about being hired....look at this as a three week job interview". I never thought about that way but I guess he's right.

More tomorrow