Central Ref. oct 21

U paid out your pocket man those rooms are like 100 and some change a night...but yes that's where we stayed. And we only stayed at the comfort the first 3 nights guess u can call it luck huh

 

My trainer didnt offer to pay, and I asked the training dept to pay, they said theyd put me in a room with a roommate. So I opted to pay for a room by myself, it was like 75 with a discount from central.

 

So, one question I haven't seen answered is what happens if your trainer is a d-bag?

 

You talk to the training dept... Call from the bathroom if you have to... I also made sure I had enough available on a credit card to get me home if need be... Didn't need it, but made me feel more empowered because I knew I could

 

With Elogs, kinda hard to mess with the hours... Each driver is logged on separately. There are (I believe) a certain number of hours you will need to get (200?).. Each trainer is different. Mine was good, my husbands was ... Not ... Thankfully he use to drive (O/O 25+ years ago) so it was more processes and regulations he needed to learn. He was used as a spare log book, me I actually got some learning (thank God)... Just go in with an open mind and ask questions... You are coming in at a good time too... You will have a trainer available for your first taste of winter weather

 

Okay tangerineGT, I don't want to rain on your parade, don't know you from Adam but I have been at this for 25+ years and I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express once. I see you keep mentioning your son's upcoming birthday and how your not going to be there for it. I fear as is usually the case with new drivers that you have yet to come to a complete understanding of the career path your getting ready to try and take.

I'm going to be as blunt and up front here as I can. YOUR GOING TO MISS MOST/ALL BIRTHDAYS, HOLIDAYS, ANNIVERSARIES and just about any other date that's important to you. OTR trucking is a 24/7 atmosphere. An OTR company calendar in 365 blank squares all in a row, no months, weekends, holidays highlighted, just 365 squares that all look the same. Yes some companies will try and get you home when you ask to be there but short of a local driving job where your home every night or every other night etc. your going to miss these things.

I see it every day, listen to new drivers all with the same story. "I didn't get home like I was promised for my daughters 3rd grade graduation and now my wife isn't speaking to me." or "I asked to be home on March 23rd way back in January and they didn't get me home till the 25th which means I missed our anniversary and now my wife isn't talking to me."

What I'm trying to say as nice as I can, your wife (assuming you have one based on son's birthday comments) is going to be a single mother. You are not going to be there for ANY date you consider important be it a 7th birthday or 10th anniversary or Thanksgiving Turkey. You are not going to get to see the country, your going to see the other people out seeing the country and not seeing you so rather than enjoying the scenery your going to be enjoying the other peoples rear tail lights cutting you off and your going to be busy trying to not kill that load of family in that car not looking out at the giant ball of twine as you go by at 60 mph trying to make a seemingly impossible appointment.

Trucking is an excellent career as long as you understand what your loosing up front in exchange for the better than average income that can be had in trucking. I own a beautiful home, have very nice cars and trucks, a 5th wheel camper, a couple boats (just bought a new pontoon a couple weeks ago) and my family lives well above the middle class level. BUT, I have missed almost every birthday, anniversary, 50/50 on holidays, missed my daughters high school graduation and the list goes on. My wife has been a single mother since the day we got married and had our first child.

Please for your own sanity and the sake of your marriage and child be absolutely clear what your getting into before leaving on the 21st. Your not going to make squat for money for the first couple months/years and you not going to be home for any date you, your wife and your children deem important.

This isn't a dig on Central or any other company. I'm just trying to get you to understand what your going to be giving up to become a driver.