CFI /Trainco Perrysburg Ohio Day by Day

Since there doesnt seem to to be a lot about CFI, and even less about the training they send you to in Perrysburg ,Ohio. I figured I would do a day by day for those who come along after me.

First CFI puts you up at the Baymont Suites by Wyndham in Perrysburg ,Ohio. Really not bad at all. One person per room, king size bed , fridge, microwave and coffee maker in room. Heated pool and hot tub(hot tub is being rebuilt right now) , free coffee in the lobby, and not a bad continental breakfast in the morning. Hotel is in a busy shopping area and there are tons of restaurants including Frickers and Cracker barrel literally within 5 minutes walk. Walmart close, Krogers close, too much to list that is right here.

Trainco is about ten minuted up the road from the hotel. Trainco does have a shuttle to the school but I chose to drive my own car. If you dont drive your own car then I would suggest taking food to Trainco, because the school itself is kind of in the middle of nowhere and there is some vending there, but not a whole lot.

For those not familiar, this is the flatlands of Ohio, out on the range it is brutal cold with the wind. \
So Day #1. School starts at 8 but you are asked to be there at 745 the first day to fill out paper work. Bring your DL, Your CLP, and your DOT long form.

Make sure you ask Tami for your food card. She will not come find you and give it to you. They give you a Visa Gift Card for $100 and $5 cash for the week. On week 2 you get $105 again. SO you get $105 per week for two meals per day, because breakfast at the hotel is free. Class is Monday through Saturday 8 to 630 pm .

Day #1 - After doing your paper work you will be shown around real quick and taken to the class room. Fron 8 to 10 you will go through rules etc.. on a power point , I think the instructors name is Mike and hes a good guy and will let everyone talk and ask questons. At 10 you get a break that is supposed to last unti 1015 but they really give you until about 1030. From 1030 until 1230 you will learn to do paper logs.
Lunch is 1230 to 1 . At one you will hit the range, SO IF IT IS COLD BRING YOUR COLD WEATHER GEAR FIRST DAY!! We broke off into groups of 3 and they showed us the inside of a few different trucks and then we went and dropped and hooked trailers. Being a mechanic this was all very boring to me .SO after we dropped and hooked a trailer a few times we went and did straight line backing , we basically did that for awhile, took a break, then came back and did that until 630 pm. Instructors were out there at first and then once we looked like we were ok , they went into this green bus top looking things and watched us , but were there if we needed help.

Even if you are in the automatic class, you will be using manuals on the range. You are allowed to use R and 1st gear only,with no throttle. This part was hard for me when pulling forward. Had to catch myself from hitting the accelerator.

Thats was pretty much all I can think of from day one. Well, the trucks on the range are not the newest equipment, but its kind of nice to learn on older equipment so when I get to CFI and get my new stuff it will be easy. I guess the equipment they use for road work is better.

We were warned today that day #2 is completely in the classroom , will post at end of day 2

 

I am from the Akron , Ohio area. I thought the same thing about CFI, but they use Trainco in Perrysburg( Toledo) and my orientation will be at their Taylor , MI center .

 

So Day #2 is in the books

Not really a whole lot to say, except it was a long and boring day of watching really bad training videos that are required by the state.

There was a company recruiter who came in at around 530 so those of us already signed to a company went out to the range and spent an hour on In Cab pre trip.

Have really not heard a whole lot on what tomorrow is going to bring , but I am really hoping we have gotten past the classroom and are going to be spending more time in the trucks now.

 

Day #3 was a good day

Spent first hour or so working on Pre trip for the axles until 10 am break
Then worked on straight line backing until lunch break

After lunch we were supposed to go out and hit the road bobtail but I ended up hanging back a little bit because my partner had missed in cab pre trip the day befor so we did that until afternoon break

Then after break we each did about an hour on road, bob tail

I hear tomorrow we are doing reverse lane changes and since i am so comfortable with bob tail they are going to let me pull a trailer

 

6 , and they ususally split us up into groups of three . On the range we are each in our owm truck. On road time there are three of us in a truck and we rotate

 

Day #4

We spent first part of day working on pre trip under the hood
After break we worked on reverse lane change
After lunch half off us went on the road and the rest of went back to reverse lane change
After break we switched and they came back and worked on reverse lane change and we went on road and drove bob tail

 

In our 6 person class we have 2 from NC, one from Michigan but like 20 minutes away , one from WI , and two of us from OHio