First two weeks of OJT after CLD School.

BLUF: So far so good. The company has lived up to their word, and then some. Our trainers may have different styles, but are genuinely focused on getting us better. Because we are filling loads and bringing them back to the companies yard for the over the road drivers to drop and hook to, we are getting a ton of experience every day backing our trailers into different spots and dealing with different loads. I’m usually doing three flatbeds loads a day and my wife is doing up to seven drive vans each day.



Details: (If you’re interested)

I’m not gonna mention the companies name at this point because I signed a social media policy The first day that I’m not sure about. Once I get clarity on that I may. They are a local company with under 100 trucks that does a lot of flat bedding along with dry vans Running all over the country. We are Pretty happy with our choice of who to work for at this point. Other than us, I haven’t met any Company drivers that have been with the company less than five years But I have talked to a few that left and came back. They recently brought in more owner operators, and the general word from them is that they are being kept busy with loads And very happy.

my wife and I aren’t exactly spring chickens so when we decided that we would do flatbed as a team along with dry van, the company didn’t bat an eye when we said that we weren’t going to be able to do tarps. They were just thrilled that we were Willing to do the flatbed to open up options for them and us. They do have Conestoga trailers as well that I’ve gotten some experience with the first two weeks.

Because we agreed to do flat beds our training is going to be extended from 4 to 6 weeks. And my wife will be doing flat bed training as well. The only downside is that training pay is hourly at $20 an hour, but I didn’t realize we were going to get overtime after 40 hours. That was a nice surprise in our first checks today.

with so many loads every day it’s hard to remember everything that we’ve done, but I have pulled every manner of flatbed to include a stretch today (60’). We’ve loaded, John Deere tractors, combine heads, steel bars, steel tubing, steel plates, aluminum plates, coils, road construction rebar baskets, Production, robots and the list keeps going on and on.

Our dispatchers aren’t faceless voices on the other end of a phone but people that we look at every day when we walk in and talk to. There’s a familiarity already, and the feeling that everybody is pulling on the same rope.

I don’t know if anybody’s really interested in all of this, but my recommendation to new drivers looking for employment is to find out who your local companies are before deciding to go with a mega company. I’m not saying you’ll find a company like this, but you might.

 

Ive moved 5 dry vans in the last two weeks but we will switch trainers after next week. Then my wife will be doing the flatbed work, and I will be doing mainly dry van For three weeks.

I think she’ll be fine, but she will move at her own pace Even if that means moving one chain at a time