Pastures new @ Gordon

Discussion in 'Gordon' started by chowick1966, Jun 25, 2013.

  1. chowick1966

    chowick1966 Medium Load Member

    539
    336
    Sep 19, 2007
    Bloomington,IL
    0
    I kept up a 'blog'type entry for my time Crete (regular at first then slowed down later) and I am going to do the same thing here....

    Came to Gordon after 3 1/2 years at Crete with a total of just under 7 years experience.

    Arrived at the Country Inn & Suites,Indianapolis late Sunday night and happy to notice that my room-mate hadn't showed up....so I get the lovely comfy big room to myself!!!

    Day 1
    Unable to sleep much more than around an hour or so I get up thinking this could be a long a difficult day!!
    Breakfast starts at 6am and not being one to miss his vittles I hit the breakfast room at 6am sharp,Sausages,Scrambled Eggs,Potatoes and all manner of other goodies!! A great start to the day! Into the meeting room for a quick introduction with Kevin,the Orientation Coordinator at Indy who reiterates that today will mainly be about PAPERWORK,also physical and drug screen,but mostly PAPERWORK.

    5 people in my Orientation Class...so thankfully not too big or we could have been at the physicals for a LONG LONG time!!!! Physical was pretty good,lost 5lbs since my last Dr. visit and got my 1 year certification (I have Diabetes type 2). Drug test was the usual cup plus a hunk of hair also.

    Shuttle to the Indy Terminal followed for lunch (which was ordered in the morning) and then the late morning,early afternoon session. More paperwork.

    Videos on the history of Gordon as well as harassment and drug policy. More paperwork,and go over insurance packages. As is the case with most insurances it's pretty good, unless like me you actually have to use the bloody thing! Two different type of health plans a Basic and a Plus plan, for myself and my wife on the Plus plan it will be $108 a week. Not terrible,not great really,however the kicker is the pre-existing conditions, they get waived IF you are without insurance for less than 63 days,so if you left your previous company less than 3 days before starting then you are pretty much up a certain creek without a paddle as it is,yes you guessed it two months before it kicks in. That is of course unless by some kind of miracle you can afford COBRA coverage. Anyway,things pretty much wound down after that point and we finished at around 3.15 and the hotel shuttle picked us up some 30 minutes later. More tomorrow!!
     
    Victor_V Thanks this.
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. roadlt

    roadlt Medium Load Member

    461
    204
    Apr 27, 2013
    Hughson, California
    0
    I'm interested as I'm hedging between, Melton, Gordon and W/S. Bene's are not as important for my case. More looking at other opportunies after I tire of OTR...
     
  4. Jrdude5

    Jrdude5 Heavy Load Member

    703
    442
    Mar 26, 2013
    New York, NY
    0
    Good luck and keep us updated I am looking at them also.
     
  5. Trafficcontrolxl

    Trafficcontrolxl Medium Load Member

    487
    445
    Feb 19, 2009
    Omaha, NE
    0
    Keep up the great blog. Personally I have no interest in changing my situation but I enjoy coming across well written, informative pieces like this. Best of luck.
     
  6. 123456

    123456 Road Train Member

    10,555
    5,743
    Oct 22, 2010
    32179
    0
    What is their current OTR top pay,

    any idea ?
     
  7. chowick1966

    chowick1966 Medium Load Member

    539
    336
    Sep 19, 2007
    Bloomington,IL
    0
    To be honest with you I have no idea,I have hired on at 0.39 with 7 years experience.
     
    123456 Thanks this.
  8. chowick1966

    chowick1966 Medium Load Member

    539
    336
    Sep 19, 2007
    Bloomington,IL
    0
    DAY 2 06/25
    Finally managed to get some sleep last night after a restless night previously. Up at 6 and another good breakfast, scrambled eggs and sausage patties also biscuits (gravy too but I didn't much like the look of it!!).

    Onto the shuttle at 7.30 and back to the terminal. A quick word about the terminal. It is small ad tight, but Gordon are moving to a larger temporary Indy terminal soon before moving again into a 35 acre new terminal in around 18 months I believe, so things certainly are moving apace for them right now.

    Anyway,a few more pieces of paper and receive medical cards in readiness for road testing. Honestly it is probably the easiest road test I have ever taken. Out of the terminal,right,right,right,right again then left back into the terminal. No problems.

    More with Kevin on payroll,issue of Comdata cards, payroll policy and the like. Followed by lunch (Jimmy Johns today).

    Next came safety stuff with a long(ish) video,and surprisingly interesting, from the company claims adjuster.

    The rest of the afternoon was spent with Brian, AKA 'Safety Guy..' You'd think on first look a scary guy loaded with tats,but don't be fooled....he is a thoroughly good guy with an excellent understanding of safety and logging an ex-driver with many many miles under his belt. Took us outside to run over pre-trips and how to get in-out of a trailer and to watch us do it (obviously a requirement of the job to be able to do that!!) at this point it was hot and muggy (my least favorite weather conditions). More video from the OTR (over the road) dept. They cover pretty much everything not operationally (i.e. dispatch) related such as breakdown,accidents and the like. Followed by logs (Gordon use e-logs) and again various other procedures and how to use the APU.

    Wrapped up around 4pm and waited approximately 20 minutes for the shuttle back to the hotel. More again tomorrow!
     
    Victor_V and Jrdude5 Thank this.
  9. tow614

    tow614 Road Train Member

    3,759
    4,626
    Mar 18, 2013
    0
    Lol..I love the way you describe Brian. .the safety guy... he is a really good guy and a good driver
     
  10. chowick1966

    chowick1966 Medium Load Member

    539
    336
    Sep 19, 2007
    Bloomington,IL
    0
    DAY 3
    Another day in orientation and heading towards wrapping up tomorrow (or today which is when I am writing this!).

    Smith System training this morning and followed by a drive in the van incorporating the Smith System test. The drive took us both to where the new permanent terminal will be in around 18 months time I believe. A 35 acre facility down near to the Pilot at exit 4 on I465 and also to look at the larger new temporary home a little further up the street which will certainly be an improvement on the current facility...which is small!

    After returning from Smith System training we then get more videos on general procedural items like trip processing,permits,trip planning and routing. As far as routing goes my understanding is that the route they send you is the one they EXPECT you to run,if you go out of route you had pretty much have a good reason. One of my least favorite aspects so far,but I can understand where they are coming from with regards to tax and the like.

    Another video on permits, Idaho looks like a nightmare when it comes to permits by the way!! Never been into Idaho yet myself!

    An interminably long and tedious video (45 mins app) on Qualcomm procedures and macros. The way they have done these videos is basically have a camera pointed at the person giving the classes in Pacific. Lets just say that some of them clearly are not comfortable with having a video camera pointed at them!!

    Then myself and the other guy running USE (which is basically Over The Road based east of the Rockies) met with our interim Driver Manager,Bri (short for Brianna) a very nice lady who seems like she actually listens to what you have to say and actually WRITES IT DOWN!!! That for me is a first. Wrap up at 3 then back to the Hotel for one last night.

    Tomorrow is wrapping up and Truck assignments and the like. And hopefully routed through home to get the rest of my gear!
     
    Jrdude5 Thanks this.
  11. chowick1966

    chowick1966 Medium Load Member

    539
    336
    Sep 19, 2007
    Bloomington,IL
    0
    Additional

    Those attending orientation next week may want to know that it is going to be somewhat compacted and more frenetic due to the July 4th holiday!! Just a heads up!
     
    Jrdude5 and 123456 Thank this.
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.