What do you mean "purchased through the company"? I want to get a satellite TV installed when I get a truck (planning on graduating next week) for downtime. Does that mean I can only get a cretian brand/model or none if they don't offer it?
Not sure. All I know is they won't place you with a trainer who's uncomfortable training opposite sex. There are a few female trainers I heard.
If you want an inverter that has to be hard wired to the battery system, you have to buy it through the company and have them install it. Satellite TV? You're a company driver right? Get permission for that stuff before you do it. It is their truck after all. They'll allow some stuff within reason. Keep in mind they can and will from time to time make you move into a different truck. You'll have to uninstall all that stuff and re-install it if they do.
Those of us that are certified to train females have to take a 4 hour gender sensitivity class. Not sure how many female trainers there are.
ok, I was just curious.How much do you have to be able to lift when they do the testing in phase 1? My recruiter didn't know,and the literature she sent me/videos didn't include the weight. Also, I chose the Dairyland option, have you heard any feedback about that option from any drivers? I believe that would satisfy my curiosity at this point There isn't much Dairyland feedback on this forum,I've asked before with no answer. Also, are steel toe work boots necessary/highly recommended? thank you,
The physical lifting tests are easy. Unless you're severely limited in what you can do physically, you'll be fine. I'm not too familiar with Dairyland. I know miles are pretty limited from what I've heard. I don't wear steel toe boots, but I drive van. Might not be a bad idea for flatbed.
In flatbed you need hard toed boots, they say steel toe, but they'll never hold a magnet to them to see if they're steel or composite. I know for me if I'm going to be loading/unloading I'll wear my boots, if I'm going to just be driving, I'll wear my sneakers. Not sure about van/refer, but with refer I know I'd want something that is nonslip at least.
I can let you know more about the dairyland fleet in a couple weeks. Head out with a trainer early next week so should be in my truck making money in two weeks. From the dairyland guy I ran into, he said he gets between 1500-1800 miles a day but averages 2-3 drop and hooks a day. He said the extra money he makes outside of driving helps balance it out. We will see if that is true. 40 lbs is the most you have to lift in the test. 1 30 pound bag head high and then 3 x 20 lbs and 3 x 40 lbs to eye level. You should be fine unless you haven't really ever lifted anything.
I am considering signing up for RDTC for OTR Dry Van. No experience, no CDL. I won't really have a home, just a nominal permanent residence with a friend in the Chicago area. Staying there on a regular basis would be uncomfortable, so most of my home time would be spent in the truck, or occasionally in a hotel. I want to stay out as long as possible, or as long as I feel able, in an effort to get miles. My recruiter said my home terminal would be Gary. I know that right out of training my miles would be low, but what might I expect to average in miles in the first six months?
Depends on what's going on. First off I can say rdtc is excellent as a student. For miles, my first couple loads to get me home were pulling van and in 4 days I racked up 1800 miles real quick, and even wasted most of one of those days. Then I went to my normal discipline of flatbed and was getting around 2200 a week for a few weeks. My last week before my last home time I got 2400 in 5 days. Since coming back out, I've had 4 days, 411, 421, 586, and 582 today. Going to be just about 50 tomorrow then don't deliver until Tuesday thanks to the holiday. Anyways, it ebs and flows. They have you hit the ground running, as it is with every part of the training, but they also don't just throw you to the wolves.
