Follow me through Central refrigeration training 2.

Orientation Day 3, Oct. 17, 2012

Final day of orientation - interesting morning with some actually useful information. Ok, just about everything is useful information...regardless of what some may say. The morning is spent on a field trip visiting OTRM (Over The Road Maintenance)...a lot of good information given there so its worth paying attention to everything. From there, you go with a mechanic and review some of the truck items that you can help with preventive maintenance, then learn more about tires, alignment, and then reefer. Again, a lot of good info so it was worthwhile.

As that took most of the morning, we thought we were done with any other training presentations in class...well, we were wrong. We had one more presentation/training - CSA training - Compliance, Safety, and Accountability. Good info, but since we thought we were done with all that, our attention span was waning a bit.

Finally, we found out who our trainers were, finished up any last minute items that needed taken care of, and then we met up with our trainers if they are in town.

Mine was already here and so I was able to meet up with him. He's out of hours so we'll start out at 0200 headed to Chicago. That means I'll start posting about my 28 days of OTR training. My postings may be a bit sparse pending internet connectivity until I can figure out how to tether my phone (I tried it a week or so ago but it didn't work) - I'll figure it out. I'll use my phone for now for internet since I have unlimited data use. Connection speed may be an issue so we'll see. If it works fine, then great. If not, then I'll look at getting an air-card of some type. Till my next post......

 

Good luck to you DinerMan, you have a great attitude and given your background am confident that you can handle it easily if you find yourself "in the weeds"! Right out of school with no experience, I have decided to run flatbed otr with Watkins Shepard. We have an 8 day orientation, (if we pass) are given a truck and sent on our way. It's a bit intimidating but I like the challenge of flatbedding. Gonna start up a similar thread beginning next week and hope I can be as helpful to others as you. Keep the shiny side up y'all!

 

Good Luck Bluestraveler - maybe we'll run into each other out on the road...well, not literally...you know what I mean. I also looked at Watkins Shepard but for now, Central fits for me and is close to home - another plus. Have Fun!!

 

Ok, so I haven't been able to post anything till now...which is Sunday Oct. 28. One, I've been a bit busy and two, I have not had any internet access until today when I finally decided to bite the bullet and pay for a months worth of access. Most of the truck stops that we've stopped at have had paid internet service - I finally decided to sign up for 30 days of access for $20. It was cheaper that way than for only an hours worth or a day's worth. This will probably not be my final solution for access though at $20/mo, it would beat Verizon's service...though the speed isn't that great and then again, can only be used while at the truck stop - if I'm at a Rest Stop, I'd be out of luck.

So let's recap a bit...I'm on a truck with a trainer for my 28 days of otr training. During this time frame, I need to get 200 hours of driving time and 40 backs. To date, after 11 full days out (I'm starting my count from Thu. Oct. 18) which is just over a 1/3 of the way complete of the 28 days...I have 88 hours of driving time and I think about 14 backs. I'm getting better all the time with everything as there is a lot to learn. Interesting business this trucking business...a lot more goes on than what people realize - I guess that's true of any industry. For instance...restaurants. Most people know that the restaurant needs to buy their food from someplace and that it gets prepared as they order it...but for those of you that have been in the restaurant industry, you know that there is a lot more that goes on that people just don't know about. Then in the tech industry...depending on the type of software program that is being used for any particular industry, there is a lot more that goes on then what people...or really just the 'end users'...know about. The trucking industry is no different, and I'm beginning to learn how things work...and I hope I continue learning for many years to come.

As for the training - listen with and work with your trainer - you will get better as time goes along. Also, if you are wanting to get into this industry, and this is one of those 'duh' moments, you better realize that you will be DRIVING for many hours at a time...and not just a few hours maybe every other day. I don't mind driving - never have...in fact, I have always looked forward to long road trips. Since being on the trainers truck, I have driven 8 hours at a time without stopping. I know that's not a record by any means, but for many people wanting to get into this industry, 8 hours without a break could be a very very long time...and it is. I probably could have stopped once or twice, but I really didn't feel the need to so I just kept on driving.

Let's see...clothing. Don't bring a ton, and be smart about what you bring. For now, winter is coming so I brought more winter type clothing than summer...including boots (for snow...just in case), and a heavier coat. I also like sweatshirts and will usually wear one throughout the day so I brought along a few. As mentioned in other posts...toiletries and shower slippers. Your trainer SHOULD be getting your showers for you at no costs...basically, the TS (truck stops) treat you as a team so it's a team shower (no, you aren't showing together...you get 2 showers instead of just a single shower). As for showering on the road...the showers I've seen aren't that bad at all...I've seen worse in some hotels. So far, from what I can see, Pilot has the better showers.

Food - here is where costs come into play...and you can spend as much or as little as you want...this part is TOTALLY up to you. For me, I've broken this into 3 catagories 1) Groceries, 2) Out to Eat, and 3) Misc. For Groceries, I've spent a total of about $50 to date. With what I currently have, I can easily make it through another week without having to buy anything else. So I'll put a max of another $20 to get me through the rest of this training period. For #2, I've spoiled myself and spent $25 over these 11 days. Two of the days were at restaurants (about $13 worth) while the rest was fast food. Sometimes, fast food is just nice and easy...and hot. I try and stick to the value menu so I don't spend a lot. I'll say I'll spend maybe another $25 in that category. For the 3rd category, I've spent about $15 - this is for misc drinks and snack food that I 'should' have bought at a regular grocery store...and will when I get out on my own. However, I will probably spend maybe another $15 for the rest of this training period. That means for the 28 days of training, I will expect to spend about $70 on groceries, $50 on eating out, and $30 for misc snack type foods - that gives a total of about $150 for the month on food. Now, my trainer I know eats more than that - he'll probably spend closer to $300 for the month. Bottom line is...can you eat cheaply while out on the road? - Yes you can. For me, I can say that I haven't always been 'full', and I wish I had more sometimes than just a sandwich. There were more than a few times that I got hungry while driving...but I didn't pull over to make myself something to eat - I just kept driving. However, the fact is, I am not starving by any means, and I probably could get away with less than $150 for the month. I have spoiled myself at times though...like tonight, I bought some donuts and an ice cream bar - that's about $4 right there.

As a quick summary...we left Utah on the 10/18 and headed to the Chicago area. On the way out, I-80 was shut down at Sidney, NE for a few hours (where I ate at restaurant #1) because of high winds. There were trucks parked EVERYWHERE. We were expecting the freeway to stay closed for some time but it opened up after a few hours. From Chicago to Champaign, IL to Shippensburg, PA (a few other stops in there as well, but general area). Then from PA, we were supposed to head to CA...but ended up getting the call to help repower a load from NM to CO...bummer, would have been nice to hit CA. So we dropped out load in NM and repowered a load from NM to Colorado Springs, CO. Then deadheaded to Denver and picked up a load to the Portland area (Oregon). Picked up a load in Salem to go to MO. As we were on I84 headed towards UT, we were about 30 min past Twin Falls, ID when we got the call to help repower another load. Headed back to Twin Falls and then had to go to the Boise area to deliver the load...nothing like back tracking and spending the day on a repower instead of on our own load. We finally got back to Twin Falls to pickup our load but instead of delivering it to MO, we are now dropping it in NE and someone else will take it from there to MO. We picked up another load in NE and will deliver in MI, pickup another load in MI to deliver in IA, and then will pickup a load in IA and deliver in UT...or at least that is the plan for now.

All in all, I'm having a good time with this...MUCH better than being in an office. Ok...so here is the trade between the business world and driving trucks. In the business world, you 'can' get paid more and you 'can' be home every night. However, you can have business trips that take you away from home...sometimes you can pick your own hotels, other times the hotels are the cheaper ones...not always. I always stayed at either a Marriott property or a Holiday Inn Express (I liked their breakfast offering...especially their cinn. rolls...loved them). So the business world can take you away from the home, you can work some very long hours, and you will get to the point where you just want to huck your blackberry or iphone as far as you can!! Office politics...plenty there to work with. Office meetings...please, do we have to go?? Off-shore departments...will they ever get things right!! There is a LOT of stress in the business world...stress that I could well live without which is why I'm not too excited to get back into the business world. Let's go a step further...office affairs - happens all the time. Just because you work in a 9-5 office environment and home every night doesn't mean your marriage is safe. So basically, the supposed 'I made it' by working in a nice office job making a fair sum of money is not perfect by any means. It can be...it just takes a lot of work managing things well.

Trucking - yes, away from home a lot, yes, the chance for affairs is there, yes, a lot of hours worked, yes, loads being assigned to you where you are expected to pickup by a certain time and deliver by a certain time, and yes, people 'are' watching over you (or your time) and you have a ton of regulations to follow. However...I don't find near the stress, near the headache, and instead of dreading who is calling me now (client or boss...), I look forward to any calls or text msg received. If I plan my route properly and do my work like I should, I just don't have the stress that I do at a regular office job.

So the trade is...office job - being home a lot and having tons of stress, to trucking - not being home a lot but not having near the stress.

One last word as this post is already too long...cell service - tmobile sucks. That's what I 'currently' have and will look into what Verizon has. Tmobile is fine if in major cities and along 'some' major routes - other than that, my phone seems to always be 'searching' for a signal while my trainer is usually able to always talk on his.

That's all for now, and since I will have internet access, I should be posting more often.

 

Thank you Diner Man , I have been wondering how it was going for you. I enjoy your post they are very helpful for someone looking to go to Central as I am.Glad to see you're having a good time.

 

At the Iowa 80 for tonight before getting back on the road early in the morning. Pretty big TS...looks like a place where one could spend a fair amount of money - I'll pass this time. Not much really to report on other than a huge storm out on the East coast...a lot of loads got cancelled out that way and others told to move inland if possible. The closest we got was Lansing, MI - now headed back West with a final 99 (for now) to UT.

 

Back in WVC for the moment...just long enough to do some laundry and then get our load to head back out East again. Thought I might be able to squeeze in a little bit of time to drop by the house (I live in UT...40 miles south of the terminal), but getting in at 3 AM and wanting to head back out around 9 AM would not have given a lot of time to do anything at home...maybe next time.

At this point, half way through the otr training...have just about 110 hours of the required 200 hours of drive time and have 20 backs. I know I still need to work on my backing, my shifting isn't bad though I know I'm not a pro at it...I'm sure that will come with time (not the 'pro' part...just the getting better part). My turning isn't bad either though I have come close on a few corners (right hand turns). Have been in some pretty tight situations and traffic that I could do without but made it through ok. All in all...I'm still learning and expect to keep on learning even once out on my own...and even years down the road...you can never learn too much.

Till next time....

 

Thanks to Diner Man and of course the original poster kws6011 for starting this thread. I will be leaving for SLC on Nov. 9 to start training and it was nice to be able to read a very detailed and current update on what to expect, not concerned with the hotel (as I have been in some bad ones) just the company training. Not looking forward to the 36 hr ride out but guess it would be the start of my training; trying to get some rest while someone else was driving!! lol

 

Welcome aboard mike44s8 - I, along with many others, would be more than happy to answer any questions that you might have. I was actually just up in your neck of the woods...Madison, Medford, Tomah... Would like to say that I stayed for awhile and enjoyed some of what WI has to offer...but not the case. I do have to mention something though...I saw a few signs saying skiing...as in snow skiing, but I didn't see any mountains...just hills. Now, when you get out to Utah, those are ski resorts up in the mountains...8 of them actually within an hour of downtown Salt Lake City. Anyway, hope you have a great time!!

 

The first question I have is what if any items will I need for the training class e.g. clear ruler, atlas (other than just a pad of paper and pen).

I have been here 20 yrs and have only skied once, to take my kids when they were young. I grew up in AZ and have skied AZ, UT, CO, ND, WY....those are mountains.....the things here, I just you could call them half a bunny hill. Great for kids but for an experienced skier, a waste of time and money when you could have gone to a real mountain.