Millis- Trenton Ohio Class - October 28th, 2013. Questions, Comments, Concerns.

All the trucks have antenna built in... reception is hit or miss. Wifi is not very good in most truck stops... there is a few ma and pa truck stops with free wifi thats decent. Normally inside the truck stops at dennys McDonald's wendys ect is decent wifi. If you have a good smart phone or iphone on a g9od carrier you should be able to skype/facetime on occasion with celldata or 4g. I personally use my laptop the most. .. loading it with movies and shows when im home. Satellite Radio helps.. I listen to lots of podcast and audio books. Good luck to u bro!

 

Rock-n-Roll good luck in your training, I don't know how other guys do it, but I mostly park in Wal-Mart lots my phone has a personal hot spot and I have a kindle fire that is capable of getting internet access so all I do is use the internet sharing from my phone. I can download movies on my kindle, tv programs I recently discovered if you're near a Lowe's you can get free WiFi for 2 hours, I know when I did my training my trainer had a tv reception was hit and miss depending on your location, some days you got great channels others you was lucky to get 1 or 2

 

I started where you are 9 years ago with Bill in Trenton. Your Millis truck will have a TV antenna built into it. You will need a newer television with a digital tuner. Like PowderBlue said, WIFI at most truck stops isn't good. I used to like FlyingJ WIFI as it was usually fast, but after their merger with Pilot they are using the Wandering WIFI which in my opinion stinks. I use my phone as a hotspot. You will get to see how your trainer does things, that will help answer a lot of your lifestyle questions.

 

I don't work for Millis, but do know you are about to attend the one best driving schools in the country bar none. Bill Smith(the big cheese at Millis' school) is one of the best instructors in the country. I've known him for 20 yrs (although I haven't seen him in 6-7 yrs) but anyway to try to answer your questions, it kind of depends what you are already equipped with. The only question I definitely can answer is yes almost all major truck stops offer wifi, but its not free(about 20.00 a month) and you won't be the only one on it, and you won't be the only one trying to get face time with loved ones. The more people on the wifi the slower it will be. As far as the TV goes as long as your in a fairly well populated area you can watch regular TV as long as you have a digital antenna and a digital ready TV. Most people I talk to use Netflicks just because not every truck stop has a red box (and if your stuck for a weekend waiting on a shipper/receiver, or taking your 34 you can go thru a lot of money at the red box. I do not know your current financial situation(and I am NOT asking), but I've got a pretty good idea what kind of shape your going to be in after 6 weeks without a paycheck(probably closer to 8-10 weeks because every company holds back a couple of weeks, I'm not trying to bust your bubble I'm trying to keep your eyes wide open). Here again depending on how you are set up now, get the nicest Straight Talk (almost as good of coverage as Verizon) smartphone you can afford AFTER you have bought a 6 month air card.(one less bill to try to deal with while your waiting for that 1st check). You can face time and net flix unlimited. I'm sure others will chime in with more (and probably better) ideas. I do know that the newer (2011 and up) trucks with the TV prep package will have the digital antenna built in.

 

WOW I need to learn to type faster no one had answered when I started. Tell Bill that Bob(his #2) from UTM/AmTech is chatting him up real good on the internet, and if he is not nice to you I will tell everyone about the pointer incident in Columbus Ohio with Sgt. Barr and the Boyz from OHP.

 

I went to school at Napier right down the road from Millis. Millis was my back up plan if funding fell thru for Napier. Both excellent programs.

 

Try to stay out atleast 3 weeks at a time.. your frieght will be more consistent. I do once a month right now but stay home for 4-6 days. If ur lucky you might live in a frieght lane and get a few freebie visits. But I can tell you that otr isnt nearly as profitable if you come home every other week. Anytime you have hometime request coming you extremely limiy what your dispatcher can do with you that week.