thats prolly on the low end too. Based on "talk". However, I am assume your mileage will be based on trust from your FM..
Sat: Since my trainer went home for the weekend I was told I need to attend the Smith System class again. So I did. It was a little more entailed than the class on Thursday. After that I went over to the training pad for a little pre trip practice. The rest of the day is mine from here. I'm going to do laundry and get ready to head out tomorrow.
Because the orientation class is basic overview, and the real class involves a morning of classroom time and an afternoon of simulator work. everyone has to take it again at upgrade before you get your own truck, and take it again if you attend the instructor/TNT course
you will want to take smith as often as posible as it will help to keep you shiny side up. No one gets on my truck without having it in last 30 days
Well here we are, my trainer picked me up and we did a few hours on the shifting pad and then took off. We hooked up to his load that was in the yard and headed to bentonville ark for a drop and hook. I drove the whole way. So I got a few hours in. We drove up to the Lowes up the street and called it a night. We are going to drive a hour or so ( I think ) and load up and head to PA. So far so good, no cut nothing broken just a few new shiny gears. Lol.
Well it's been over a week since I have posted so here's a little update. I drove right at 3000 miles my first week. Ive been in the eastern part of the US. From Ark to Pa down to South Carolina and all places in between. Driving through the mountains has been interesting. I've did it 3 times so far. After we get unloaded we are picking up a load and heading to Alabama I believe. If our pre plan doesn't change. Driving is good. I've having a little of a hard time hitting 7th gear. (I keep wanting to put it in 9th ) and my backing needs some work. Honestly I think my trainer is a little easy on me. So I really feel sorry for those guys that have a bad one. How many hours does other PSD's get before they go in to test? I'm at 65 for my first week and a half. I know 80 is the min. Just courious......
Training department numbers show the average is 125 hours at test point. So its reasonable to assume that there are a handful who do the minimum (unless it recently went up, its 75 hours) and a handful that end up doing somewhere way above 125. Instructors can keep students out for up to 5 weeks. By that time they either have to have a really good reason why the student is not back to test, or expect not to get paid. My last student was out for almost 3 weeks and had about 125 when he tested. I had another who did about 80 at test out. 80 was borderline, and I only had him test because we were stuck in Springfield and he did really well on the backing pad. Single best place to practice shifting up and down through the gears is in heavy, slow moving traffic. Down shifting seems to just really click in a students head after that.
Tue: official day 1. Been a pretty full day. Went from orientation at 7:00 am, to go do the wizz quiz. Then across the hall to do half of the DOT physical eyes and hearing test and lifting test. Wizz quiz? You mean the peepee test, right? I have been looking into a few trucking companies and a few of them are doing hair follicle tests these days. I was certain Prime would be doing it also. Doesn't Prime do the hair follicle test?
