Apprentice program progress

Just finished my 3rd week of hostling and only have 2 more to go. I will definitely be happy to get done with hostling and get on either the city or linehaul flex boards. I bid for the city flex but who knows where I will end up.

 

That all depends on how the other drivers bid. I've seen a terminal where 6 of the 7 night yard slots were bid by drivers with a decent amount of seniority - the new hires actually were running day line-haul for a while till bids were adjusted. They're all on day or night flex now which is almost always line-haul. Used to be you were forced into a bid and new hires automatically went to flex - that was changed last year so you can now bid the flex board - good change in my opinion.

 

You have the right attitude - I was 22 with no wife or kids when I started here and was able to do what I needed to do and 8 years later I now sit where I sit.

I can actually explain the Carlstadt/Newark/Allentown thing for you. Newark (XNJ) used to be (XLJ), Little Falls, NJ before they moved the terminal. Little Falls was a cramped dump. Allentown used to be an FAC but was shut down as an FAC back in 2007.

The reason Carlstadt and Newark are both FAC's even though they are so close is because neither one is big enough to handle all the NY, NJ, Ma, Ct freight so each one is actually different. In Newark, all the freight you or any metro terminal gets comes from Clearfield, Pa and Hagerstown, Md off of their day line-haul runs. That's why you have second day service to places like Atlanta, Minneapolis, and St Louis. At Carlstadt, you get freight from all the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic terminals like Brooklyn, NY, Baltimore & Jessup, Md, Seaford, De, York, Harrisburg, Philly, Wilkes Barre, and Milton, Pa which are all next day lanes.

The truck thing will roll around when the trucks are assigned to runs - it's done by Ann Arbor, Mi management but most terminals kinda let it go by seniority so long as it's close to what is specified.

I think your inbound supervisor is doing the right thing. I had some OTR experience when I started here - most was running into the Tri-State from Chicago with a spread axle and a 260" wheelbase truck so I was more than competent with a pup or van behind a CCX truck. I used to deliver in the Bronx and Westchester county lot and can tell you it's tough in spots but just do whatever you need to do to avoid crunching stuff.

In my almost 10 years of driving now, I can honestly tell you the only damage I've ever done to anything behind the wheel of a truck was in Manhattan delivering to a Con Edison project. I was backing my spread down a long alley when my steer tire dropped into a pot hole crunching my passenger side mirror off the building next to me. With 10 years in now, that would not happen today - would realize from watching my trailer then feeling my drives dip into the hole that I would need to pull up enough to skirt the hole with my truck. I avoided all the stupid stuff though and I'm proud of that.

 

Ok all the conway heads unite.

I have a road test it seems for freight this week in NYC. Just want to know the things they look for, trucks(Sterlings right)? 9/10 /13 speeds?

Was the skills test hard, pretrip?


All the info provided would be great. Can never know too much

And forgive me if this sounds like a dumb question, but what to wear? I just got out of the military and have been used to utilities for the last 4 years.

I have a suit but I know thats not appropriate for a driving job. So I was thinking slacks, a tucked in polo or short sleeve shirt and maybe some driving boots or something.


Thanks much guys, and looking forward to joining the Conway Freight team.