Schneider driving training only 7 days, really??

I was actually only out 4 days with my trainer. No one else in my class was out less than 6 days. We had 10 people to start with in the first week. Was a small class. But 2 were held back the first week. And on to the 3rd week we only had 4 people. Meaning another 4 needed more road time. They won't move you on if you are not ready. Same as the above people said, Schneider doesn't team drive during training. If you're driving, the trainer is in the passenger seat. If he is driving, you're in the passenger seat. I think the requirement is for you to drive 80% of the time. I wasn't sure that it would be enough time also. But after going through it it really is perfect. Don't feel bad if you need more time though. But, you will continue to learn when you get on your own. There are some things that having a trainer isn't going to make a difference for after your out there learning. Small back roads that wind and curve with no shoulders, timing your routes around big city traffic or finding a place to park before they fill up in certain areas. Eventually, turning becomes second nature. It just clicks one day. Hard to explain. I was real nervous about turning in the beginning. Now, I can pretty much just see the corner ahead of time and know when to start and end my turn without thinking about it. I've been on the road about 2 months now. I don't remember when it clicked but it does. You'll be good man. Just be a sponge and take it all in and learn. To be honest, if anything is lacking in their training, it's the Qualcomm training. They cram it in but you learn so much more of it on the road. I still am learning stuff on it.

 

Waggledaddy is spot on, just don't be afraid to ask questions.

 

It's certainly one of the main reasons I came here. I absolutely abhore the concept of team driving as "training"

It's 4-7 days with a trainer on the road. They'll pass you if you're ready. However, if you feel like you need more training by the end of it you can ask to spend another week out with a TE. I doubt you will though, you learn as much in that week as you would with most of those other companies. Only difference is that afterwards you don't have someone sleeping in the bunk while you're backing. You know. Your "trainer".

 

It's a pretty intense 3 weeks. I know I was pretty wiped in the end. They throw a lot at you but it was good training. As others mentioned, if you are not ready, they will work with you some more. They don't expect you to be perfect. Just that you get the fundamentals and do things their way. @w.h.o is 100% right. You should already know how to shift and navigate turns. What Schneider does is fine tune everything to their standards. If you can show improvement and that you are willing to do things their way, you'll have no problem. They can't teach someone who thinks they already know everything. Those are the ones who get booted and they get booted quick.

 

Schneider's training program isn't a money grab driver mill like most everywhere else.
When you can drive... you are ready to go out own your own.
Not hey you can drive.. cool but we'll keep you teaming for another two months earning peanuts per mile.

 

I started with Werner after a 3 week 3rd party school. 1 week of trainer sitting there followed by being nothing more than a team for another 5 weeks. During those 5 weeks I only really learned that teaming isn't for me due to being woke up every bump...I'm a light sleeper. Trainer trained me on paperwork and 11 line Qualcomm during the 5 weeks. He never watched me back up after first week.

So no, I don't have an issue with a short, or long, training period as long as trainer is up in the seat with you.

 

This is 100% true. I have a blog kind of post on here somewhere. Chronicling my experiences from day one. In there I had posted about the guy I trained with with during week one. Basically 2 of us went with a trainer driving around town. When this guy got in the drivers seat he didn't know how to shift. He had driven trucks in the military and never went to school. All he knew how to do was float gears. They spent a good 20 min in the parking lot of a Petro teaching him how to double clutch. He picked up really quick. Was willing to learn. Although they didn't believe he was ready to go on the next week and held him over. He was bummed but understood. I was impressed with Schneider at that point more than before. I will tell you that it is very intense. More mentally than anything else. If you pick up quick you will be fine. Your biggest worry will be your DBL. LOL

 

Excellent thread. Learned a great deal. Think I will definitely look into starting with SNI myself now. I did get an offer from Freymiller but they team drive. Did any of you at SNI pay for your own hotel room or did you go ahead and bunk up? because I know you have to share a hotel room during training.

 

Shared. But I lived 20 min away from the training place. I stayed there most of the time just to save on gas back and forth. My roommate was cool. We still chat back and forth now.

 

Well I decided to go Freymiller lol. Mostly because of the location, stay in own hotel room for 2 days at orientation and then go OTR for 4-6 weeks. I figured I'd take the advice someone gave about starting out on a 10-speed and learning that.