New pumpkin driver

Jason,

I will be in your shoes in two weeks. Any job you go to there is frustration in learning new skills. I am not at all discounting your experience with your trainer. That would get under my skin and has in past experiences. I will try my best to grit my teeth and bare with it if I have the same experience. Keep focused on the big picture. You are getting your truck and wont have to listen to a trainer micro managing you. Trust in yourself that you can get the job completed safely. I am sorry that I don't have any advice for missing your girl friend or being at home. I will have to over come that myself when the time comes.

I know it is easy for someone that has yet to sit in your seat to give words of encouragement, but many of your internal frustrations go with any new situation, it is just the added stress of the many focuses needed in driving a truck compound the feelings. Keep your eye on the ball and what you are willing to accomplish. You may check into one of the new regional positions SNI is posting around the country. It may provide a bit of solace to know you would not be so far from home.

These are just ideas. Take them as you wish and for what you paid for them. Look toward the big picture and beyond what you are feeling in the moment.

Please keep us informed as you progress and as you have time.

As a side note: I am jealous that you are already getting your own truck.

 

Jason, sounds like you may have had the "The Trainor from Hell". I've never been a trainor, have no desire to be one either. You were his first student? That may have been part of the problem. He may need to get some experience training himself. Not trying to excuse his behaviour, remember I said I have no desire to be one, but I know I prize my time by myself. Just trying to put myself in both your places.

At any rate, you can put it all behind you now. Just blowoff your bad experience and concentrate on what you learned, both professionally and personally. After being out like you have, the SQT should be a piece of cake.
I've watched this process from a distance, it looked like GOAL was a big thing they expected you to do. Just try to remember to hook like you were shown, keep checking those mirrors, put your head on a swivel, oh and check those mirrors again. There is no reason for you to be nervous for your SQT, just relax, you're not perfect, and you're not expected to be perfect. Crap, I still screw up, you see, I haven't learned to walk on water yet. But when I do................

Good luck, you'll be fine.

Big Cove gave ya some good advice there!

 

Hang in there Jason. Some drivers that become trainers get big heads. After you get done and have your truck I would contact training dept and give them your opinion of the trainer. I had a trainer when I was at Roehl that would tell me to disregard the 7 second rule because in heavy Chicago traffic I would never get anywhere and also he made an illegal U-turn and told me I don't see anything. He also told me to throw everything I learn in Roehl's driving school out the window because it wouldn't work out in the real world. I reported him.

 

JD,

Thanks for those flowers, but they would smell a lot better if you let me have that Volvo you rumored about!!!

 

Rumour? What rumour? My DBL has me going to get it on the 26th. It even has an APU. Oh man, I think I'll come back early so I'll have time to get the lugnut covers and hub caps on after I have the wheels polished!!!!

 

Do anybody know what Schneider truck Governor at

 

I think you're asking what we're governed too? On the solo trucks it's 60mph, although I've had some that were closer to 62, on cruise. SNI leaves you some room on the pedal so you get can get a wee bit more speed if needed when passing, blow a steer,etc. Usually about 2-3 mph.

Now the celebrated teams are real special, they're governed at about 65-68 mph. Still slow, but that's what SNI does.

The way you're kept to that lower governed speed is your quarterly bonus. If you exceed the governed speed continuously by keeping it to the floor, you'll lose your bonus.

SNI says it's for fuel savings. Some disagree including myself. I had a T-600 with a C-15 Cat, 13 speed. Always averaged over 6.8 mpg, and I was governed to 70, opposed to the 5.4mpg I average now. If that's what SNI wants, that's what I'll do as long as I'm with them. It's their truck, not mine.

 

JD

I have been seeing more black tractors with Schneider trailers in this area. I have heard that is the new color representing Regional drivers. Also that the dedicated are going to white tractors. Can you verify that info? The black tractors do have Schneider National on the side in orange.

 

No, can't verify that. We have orange, ofcourse, black, white, and some of the newer team trucks are different colours altogether. I had heard originally that the black were as you say. Even saw some with regional instead of national on the door. I think what SNI was really trying to do was get away from the orange, they figured that maybe resale value would be higher.
Don't hold me to any of that though, I heard it all from other drivers, in other words, subject to change at a moments notice. LOL
Once the team trucks get around 500k on them, or there abouts, they are given to the solo drivers. But some solos do get new trucks, just depends on if you have a truck that's time is up.

Give me a truck with 500k any day, the problems are usually worked out, and it's broken in.

 

I got a new '10 Century last Sept. It's white. Yes, because of resale value. Mine will cruise 63 with 65 on the pedal. But my overspeed kicks in if I'm doing over 60 on the pedal, yet not on cruise. My overspeed is usually in the 1% range. And my mpg is around 6.8.

Black trucks are regional drivers.

JohnDay....just curious as to why you are averaging 5.4 mpg?