Hello. I am thinking about putting in an app with Stevens and wanted to see if my impressions about the company are somewhat accurate. 1) Does Stevens take running legal seriously or are they just another shady trucking company that says the right things, but ultimately encourages its drivers to cheat logs, run w/ defective equipment, etc.? 2) Are Stevens' OTR trainers competent? What are their requirements to become a trainer? How are they vetted? Do they at least know how to do things the correct and legal way even if they don't always put those things into practice? 3) Does Stevens still require you to do the "dumb and dumber" team before going solo? I've driven solo before, but I'll probably have to go through the training process again. If that turns out to be the case, I want to do my best to avoid the dangerously comical stupidity I endured the last time I drove. Thanks in advance.
If you decide to come to Stevens, I think you'll find the training program as good as the best out there and certainly heads above almost every other program out there. They take training seriously.
Thanks for the response. When you refer to "simple errors" regarding logs, what do they consider "simple"? Are you referring to honest mistakes, or are you referring to things that are illegal but commonly accepted practice in the industry such as logging line 4 as line 1 in order to cheat the 70-hr clock? How difficult is the trainers' competency test? Is it something that legitimately qualifies as a test, or is it one of those tests with a 100% pass rate that anybody off the street with a little bit of common sense can pass? I ask because it simply would not have been possible for my trainers at my old company to become trainers if they had been vetted properly. The things they didn't know were just too basic and too major for that to have been the case.
Simple errors are honest mistakes. You'll still be called on them, but you walk away with a hand slap...until it becomes too often. An example is addition errors, failing to log 15 minutes at a receiver on line 4 for processing paperwork, etc. Forgetting to log line 4 for fueling. If you log line one instead of four when monitoring loading such as a produce load, you'll get your butt kicked. But if you are short logging driving time, for instance, you'll receive a warning at first, then keelhauled after that. The ladies in Compliance take NO prisoners! As for training the trainers? I am not a trainer for Stevens, so I can't give you first hand knowledge, however I know for a fact that not everyone that applies is either accepted nor do all of them qualify. Also, each trainer must requalify annually. I have seen trainers lose their training status for short cutting rules or 'bending' some rules. Examples include letting students drive during certain 'forbidden' hours unless pre approved. I don't know the exact hours, but I think it's between 2300 and 0600. Other infractions that will make a trainer lose their status is breaking any safety rules such as letting a student drive with cruise control before they are qualified, or using a Jake before being trained. After a student returns from O-1 or O-2 training, they are given a questionaire to rate their trainers. There are loaded questions in there that will rat out trainers for intentional violations. If any of these turn up, that trainer is investigated. Stevens takes safety and training VERY seriously. They don't just do it lip service.
Some of the trainers out there like to use you for your log book. My first trainer liked to bend the rules a bit. Finish trainer was much more by the books.
Just contacted a recruiter. The recruiter told me that the take home policy allowed me to leave my truck at a truck stop, but wasn't specific about which stops were acceptable. Is there an official list of truck stops or will any truck stop do? Also, I was told that I would only have to roll with a trainer for 2-4 weeks at $425/wk (I have a few months experience). Does this match-up with reality?
No matter what is said, if it isn't written down, it was never said. capice? I have seen what you are being offered, done. Just get it in writing. Odds are, they will do that. As for where to leave the truck? If you are a company driver, there will be agreed locations to leave your truck. I doubt very much a truck stop is one of them. Normally it's a Kenworth or Peterbuilt dealership or Thermo King. There are other approved locations, however they are taken on a case by case basis. As an example, when I was a company driver, I used a Penske dealership. Usually that isn't a problem. Just be aware that you will not be allowed to take a company truck home. It must be secured at an approved location.
You sure that was a Stevens recruiter? Cause none of that sounds right. Stevens training pay is 350 per week.
Yeah, she called and sent an e-mail through Stevens' servers. The questions and answers were all in the e-mail. (I'm referring to my specific questions to the recruiter, not the pdf file she sent.) The only reasoning behind the pay rate she gave me that makes sense is that I have some solo experience within the last year (but not very much). But since I can't find a significant number of people (nobody, in fact) who have had the same deal, I'm going to assume it's not true for now.
