Climbing Back into the truck, Looking for Info.

It's been wett over 15 years since I stepped out of the truck, and I am sure during that time, things have changed in a dramtic way. So, here I am, going back to school, not for a refresher course, but the whole #### thing, the works.

Why? Well, as I stated, I am sure many things have changed over the years and what better way to get caught up to speed than to go to school, be retrained as well as educated as to today's requirements. Back then, if you didn't keep more than one log book, you could only expect to bring home a few hundred dollars a week. But in doing so, that meant more times than not, you were being forced to stay awake and on the go, 3 of your 5 day trips.

Now, being at 45, a bit wiser about my own health, having a family, etc, I tend to look at things in a whole new light. I have no intentions of getting out there and trying to juggle multiple log books, it's just not worth it. I have no intentions of getting out there and lying on them either, just to satisfy some jerk off with a power trip of thinking he's god, and because he told you that you must now drive your truck another 16 hrs in order to get it to it's appointment, regardless of weather or not you've been up for the last 10 hrs trying to get to your pick up & had to then help load the truck. Again, it's just not worth risking my or others lives out there on the road, just to satisfy one who did the schedualing improperly, or has a habbit of making impossible promises to a customer.

With that being said, I've been trying to do my homework to see what companies would fit the person I've become. I've heard that from some, that getting into a unionized company could / would be a good thing. Others, from what I've read, have spoken relativly highly of both TMC & Maveric. However, I've never driven a flat-bed. All of my previous experiance had been with both dry box and reifers, which means, I haven't a clue as to the load securement & tarping requirements that come with the flat-bed territory.

Also, what sort of pay scale can one be looking at now in this indusrty? Way back when, if one was getting .18 / mi. you were doing fairly well. (as long as you ran multiple log books).

Looking forward to this discussion. Thanks

 

It's called Trans - Tech and I think their main office is in Charlotte, NC but we have a local office there in Conover, NC. They are unlike many of the other schools out there where they take a few months for their students to complete. For example, a local college here, Caldwell Community College, their truck driving program last for about 4 months. At Trans Tech, I'm only looking at 4 weeks for the same amount of hours per day (8am-5pm) Mon-Fri.

http://www.trans-tech.net

One of the things I really like about them is that they have an extreamly low student to trainer ratio. (4 students / trainer) which in my book, means more in debth & personal training, and a 97% job placement of students within 30 days of completion of training. And for $2500.00, Not a bad deal AT ALL. The Local college was wanting well over 5 grand.

A short list of companies that hire their students are:

Con-Way Canada Express
CWX
Conway Logistics
Conway Air
Federal Express (Could be interesting if id were dedicated runs)
Swift (YUCK)
ATS
Schnieder
Colonial
CFS
McElroy
ROEHL
TransAm
TMC (Possibility)
Werner Transport
U.S. Express
W.L.A.

Since I am a creature of Habit, I have no doubts in my mind that dedicated runs would be the perfect solution for me, especially when after I get a routine down, I'm always looking for ways to improve upon it. Weather it be a more efficiant way of doing things, or better way to travel.

I know years ago, I had a dedicated route that would Leave from Charlotte,NC or Asheville, NC; Haul into Nashville TN, Unload, Pick up in Clarksville, TN, then Haul to both Orlando & Naples FLA. Drop. Pick up a Trailer there outside Miami going to Swanee, GA. Empty, Dead head just north of Atlanta, pick up, Empty in Charleston, SC. Pick up in Charleston & then half load drop in Columbia, SC & Empty in Rock Hill, SC & then Dead Head Home.

This trip would take me usually 4.5 days to complete, 3 days if I really pushed hard, but would sleep a good 30+ hrs when I got home, LOL (Never Again as I hated that feeling)

 

Thanks. I believe that EPES wants 2 yrs recent verifiable. While one of the guys that works for them knows me from when we both drove for the same company years ago, that is their policy & I wouldn't feel right trying to use our previous relationship to push aside policy.

 

Normally I wouldn't attempt to make a "similar topic" on ones that have been already started, but was suggested by one of the mods (kickin chicken)here to do so, so please bear along with me.


It's been well over 15 years since I stepped out of the truck, and I am sure during that time, things have changed in a dramtic way. So, here I am, going back to school, not for a refresher course, but the whole #### thing, the works.

Why? Well, as I stated, I am sure many things have changed over the years and what better way to get caught up to speed than to go to school, be retrained as well as educated as to today's requirements. Back then, if you didn't keep more than one log book, you could only expect to bring home a few hundred dollars a week. But in doing so, that meant more times than not, you were being forced to stay awake and on the go, 3 of your 5 day trips.

Now, being at 45, a bit wiser about my own health, having a family, etc, I tend to look at things in a whole new light. I have no intentions of getting out there and trying to juggle multiple log books, it's just not worth it. I have no intentions of getting out there and lying on them either, just to satisfy some jerk off with a power trip of thinking he's god, and because he told you that you must now drive your truck another 16 hrs in order to get it to it's appointment, regardless of weather or not you've been up for the last 10 hrs trying to get to your pick up & had to then help load the truck. Again, it's just not worth risking my or others lives out there on the road, just to satisfy one who did the schedualing improperly, or has a habbit of making impossible promises to a customer.

With that being said, I've been trying to do my homework to see what companies would fit the person I've become. I've heard that from some, that getting into a unionized company could / would be a good thing. Others, from what I've read, have spoken relativly highly of both TMC & Maveric. However, I've never driven a flat-bed. All of my previous experiance had been with both dry box and reifers, which means, I haven't a clue as to the load securement & tarping requirements that come with the flat-bed territory.

Also, what sort of pay scale can one be looking at now in this indusrty? Way back when, if one was getting .18 / mi. you were doing fairly well. (as long as you ran multiple log books).

About the School that I'll be attending:

It's called Trans - Tech and I think their main office is in Charlotte, NC but we have a local office there in Conover, NC. They are unlike many of the other schools out there where they take a few months for their students to complete. For example, a local college here, Caldwell Community College, their truck driving program last for about 4 months. At Trans Tech, I'm only looking at 4 weeks for the same amount of hours per day (8am-5pm) Mon-Fri.

http://www.trans-tech.net

One of the things I really like about them is that they have an extreamly low student to trainer ratio. (4 students / trainer) which in my book, means more in debth & personal training, and a 97% job placement of students within 30 days of completion of training. And for $2500.00, Not a bad deal AT ALL. The Local college was wanting well over 5 grand.

A short list of companies that hire their students are:

Con-Way Canada Express
CWX
Conway Logistics
Conway Air
Federal Express (Could be interesting if id were dedicated runs)
Swift (YUCK)
ATS
Schnieder
Colonial
CFS
McElroy
ROEHL
TransAm
TMC (Possibility)
Werner Transport
U.S. Express
W.L.A.

Since I am a creature of Habit, I have no doubts in my mind that dedicated runs would be the perfect solution for me, especially when after I get a routine down, I'm always looking for ways to improve upon it. Weather it be a more efficiant way of doing things, or better way to travel.

I know years ago, I had a dedicated route that would Leave from Charlotte,NC or Asheville, NC; Haul into Nashville TN, Unload, Pick up in Clarksville, TN, then Haul to both Orlando & Naples FLA. Drop. Pick up a Trailer there outside Miami going to Swanee, GA. Empty, Dead head just north of Atlanta, pick up, Empty in Charleston, SC. Pick up in Charleston & then half load drop in Columbia, SC & Empty in Rock Hill, SC & then Dead Head Home.

This trip would take me usually 4.5 days to complete, 3 days if I really pushed hard, but would sleep a good 30+ hrs when I got home, LOL (Never Again as I hated that feeling)

 

Well, here we are a week later & all I can say is, "I AM BORED OUT OF MY MIND" and here is why:

Day 0ne; It was the typical 1st day, getting "re-aquainted with the log books and how to properly do a pre-trip. While I was confident on how to do a pre-trip, I was surprised to learn how some new things were added to it and currently, still having a tuff time remembering as to at which point to include them. That's fine, as I am sure that I will have it all down by the end of the school.

My group, (the 3 of us) was taken outside to begin practice our backing skills, in which at that point, I was thrilled mainly because I just can't stand to be couped up in a class room listening to someon flap their jaws, over & over again. anyway, as luck would have it, I was the first one to be slung into the truck (raggedy as #### - but to be expected) and told that we would be working on our 100 ft. backing. Ok, cool. This should be easy. So here I go, im up in the cab, & then here is the instructor, hanging onto the out side of te cab. OH CRAP!! Now, not only am I at my witts end hoping as to not screw up, I now have to worry about this guy hanging right next to my front tire. NOT A GOOD scenario, as it drives me up the wall any time someone is close to my truck & I am haveing to move it.

As suspected, while trying to back this thing trying to pay attention as to where my truck is, here is the instructor flapping his jaws on as to "How & what I need to do" making me me not only frustated as hell, but also causing me to lose my concentration, in which, causing me to not be paying attention as to what I am doing, causing the truck to get out of wack.

Knowing that "I CAN BACK A Set of Pups", of which any experanced driver knows, is NOT an easy thing to do, I got out of the truck & went inside to calm down, as I was at that breaking point of wanting to bust someone in the head. Shortly after going inside, here the instructor comes, wanting to know what was wrong. After a couple of times of him trying to extract info out of me, I finally told him that I was seriously frustrated & that with him being stuck up my butt flapping his jaws, there was no way of me being able to keep my mind on to what I was doing & listening to him to, not to mention that there was no way I can deal with somone right outside my truck while I am trying to back it. I told him that this was not "My First Rodeo" & that if "given a chance" I could show to him that I could in fact, do just about any form of backing he wanted, "If he would just back off, explain to me as to what he wanted, & then just stand back & let me do it.

Sure enough, when the next time for me to work on the 100 ft back, he said, "go show me what you've got, I'll leave you alone, (until you screw up)" I got up in there, & on the first try, "BAMM!" I nailed it without touching a sigle cone. "Go Again" he said, & sure enough, I nailed it each and every time. My fellow team mates stated that I made it look easy, in which, when you;ve done it enough times, it can be.

So the for the first two days, that is all that we did. Each one of us taking turns. And, as I am sure that there is always one odd ball in every group, our group gets stuck with one guy that it's obvious, doesn't know his left from his right, deaf in one ear, and so darn heard headed, he's fure to forget that he just farted 2 seconds ago. Now, I'll give him the fact that he's in his early 50's, never stepped into a truck before, as well as being a bit scared. I'll give him that. But, when one refuses to remember instructions that he was just given, not just 2 seconds ago, & continues to find himself in the same exact position as he's found himself the previous 100 times before, one would tend to think that hey, I need to change this, & try something different. .....NOPE! Not this guy. Look at me!! I'm swinging on this big round wheel....Here's your sign!! ....The light is on, but there is definately no one home...much less any curtains.

On the third day, just when I was about to tie a rope around my own neck (One can only look and watch a stupid person for so long) our instructor decided to let us try to work on a 45* backing. ..ALL RIGHT!! Something different!!!... Well, as it comes out, Yeah, I did forget that one needs to "WATCH THE WHEELS" on the trailer & NOT THE BACK of the trailer, so of course, I got the trailer out of wack. (####, this is what I get for being out of the truck for almost 15 years).

Anyway, the instructor came up to the truck, pointed out a few things he saw I was doing, enlightend me as to what I needed to do to correct it, & sent me on my way to try it again. NO Problem. The first time... a little screwy, (had to pull up a few times) but the 2nd & 3rd time.. BAMM!!. It was no longer an issue.

So, the rest of the week, it's been watching "MOE - from the three stooges" and this youg kid (in which I think he'll do just fine, just needs to build his confidence up). But Moe? OMFG!! He's sooooo far out there, that not only had the instructors swap out, but I believe the two of them have now taken up stock in Prozac, Tums, Zanex.. Both instructors have yelled until their throats are raw...Litterally at this guy...No matter what they do, this guy can't seem to trun the wheel, unless they are right there beside him telling him what & how to do it.

Now I know that I'm not the best driver out there, & aint no way I'll even try to entertain that notion as I am sure that there are others out there that are way better than me. But..with what I know & the abilities I have, watching this yo yo has driven me to drinking. Hell, even the instructors are beginning to tease me about how they are going to call Swift & tell them that they have the perfect team for them.. Me & Moe.. LOL. I told them that before I allowed myself to be put in that situation, I'd hand cuff my self to a DOT Bumper, put a rope around my neck tied to a light poll.

But all in all, I guess it was a good week. I got to show them that I still remember how to parallel park Serpentine, 20' x 100' to a 90* back & 90* back a combination, even though they are no longer required here in NC.

The 2nd week is right around the corner, in which this week, We'll be going out in a truck to work on our up & down shifting. (God I hope that I can remember the tac positions on the down shifting)

I'll try & fill you all in on the progress as it progresses. Thanks for listening to me.