Seeking Home Run Info

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone's replies to this thread before heading into orientation, especially Johnday for all his helpful information. Will let ya'll know how things are after I get back in a week or two. Twisted turtle

 

Hey ya'll, I just got home from my orientation in Charlotte with Schneider. Well, it's official. I'm a Jack O' Lantern now! What a difference from my orientation with my first job, this one, hopefully being my last. This OC (or terminal) is clean. Even the men's room is clean. There's a caterer serving food at the OC cafeteria style but the food honestly isn't very good, the portions are poor and the prices are too high for what you get. That, however, is the worst thing I can say about the whole experience. Lodgings are at the Red Roof about a mile away with a refridgerator and a micro-wave so I would recommend bringing some groceries with you during your stay if you go to orientation in Charlotte. The room was clean and comfortable. There were supposed to be 7 people in my class but 2 never showed up so I got lucky and had a room to myself which really came in handy for studying purposes. Another guy left after the third day, evidently because he wanted to hire on part-time working 3 days a week and was under the impression that he would be home every night. Not sure how he planned on making any money doing that. My instructor's name was Dennis who I believe has been with Schneider for 21 years or at least a trucker for that long. Dennis is a very likeable guy and struck me as being a very intelligent person who is very knowledgeable of his trade. However, he is one of the very few Southerners I've ever met who could speak as fast as his mind can think which made it kind of hard for me to keep up with him so you have to really pay attention to him but he definately knows what he is doing. I am really really impressed with the whole way Schneider is set up to make you, the driver, and the company money and I think after I get the hang of my new job that the home run deal will work well for me. I was pretty overwhelmed with the Macro 18 but the other 3 guys, all of whom have much more experience than I, helped me and we were lucky that one of them had worked with Schneider before. And I've got to throw this in. Yesterday, I had homework on trip planning the Schneider way and the Macro 18 which I was having a very tough time understanding. I had been riding to and from class with the other 3 guys and when the driver asked where we were going to eat I elected to just go back to my room and try to figure the whole thing out. Besides, I wasn't that hungry yet. So I dropped my stuff in the room and ran across Graham St. to a convenience store to grab a cigar (my last vice) sat outside to smoke one and call the wife. Saw the guys coming back from eating and shortly after I headed to my room. When I got there, the room phone was ringing and I ran in and caught it. It was Mike the driver who told me he didn't want to insult me but they all wanted to know if the reason I didn't go with them was 'cause I didn't have enough money to eat. I may have mentioned I had to watch my money earlier in the day. For a split second I started misting up it has been so long since I met people like this and I have to say that I have met people like this repeatedly since I moved to NC and I'm starting to think the whole state is full of angels. I am raised in Virginia and it so good to be back home in the South again after so many years away and my wife is happier here than I've ever seen her anywhere else. God, bless these people although I know there are more like them all over this great country of ours. Speaking of food. Besides the convenience store (there are 2) there is also walk up drive thru place called Cook Out, a bar-b-que place called Sugar's, and a Texas Steak House, all within short walking distance of the motel. On the other side of I-85 there's a Mc D's and a Pop-Eyes and some other places I think. The thing I am most impressed with about Schneider is the Macro 18 which is designed to let your DBL (dispatcher) know when you will get to your receiver and how many hours you will have left in that day when you get there so you will have another dispatch before you ever get to your 1rst receiver. That's a money maker and I didn't have that where I was before. Sometimes would have to wait 3 hours for my next dispatch. No wonder I wasn't making any money! Tick tick tick tick tick. I do have to wait to get started for a week or maybe 2 so my DBL can set me up with other drivers doing the Home Run gig. I'm gambling it's gonna be worth the wait and I'm also getting started right off with their new satellite system (forgot what it's called) so I won't have to switch from the 1rst one later. Have already worked with the present system before anyway. I think, at least I hope, that after I get broke into the Schneider way, I will be happy here. I saved my last orientation video for the Macro 18 which I watched today that showed examples with it that I can bring up again at home and was able to go back and re-watch portions of again at my own pace and I think I understand it much better now. I just couldn't keep up with Dennis' mind which is my fault not his. He was a great instructor to have. As far as I know, I'll be home at least thru next Tuesday if anyone wants to write me here and I hope this post may help anyone thinking about going to Schneider. I'll answer any questions that I can and you can count on them being honest answers. Again, thanks to those who helped me get this far. See ya'll. Twisted

 

Johnday, good to hear from you. I try not to be an arrogant person (saw enough of that from Iranian cab drivers in Tucson) but my ignorance still ranks high. I haven't got a clue as to what FMLA stands for so if you could, please enlighten me. Wanted to view video again at home on Macro 18 'cause it was the last thing I did before finishing orientation and made it a whole lot easier to understand with the examples contained in it. Unfortunately, they haven't got me logged into the system yet so I may not be able to view it again before I go out for the first time which should be either next Wednesday or the Wednesday after (they're trying to find another driver for me to slip-seat with). Oh well, I've still got the paperwork they gave me on it so that may have to do. Yes, I am ready to make some money after six months of being unemployed. Thanks for the info. It gives me something to actually look forward to going to work for Schneider. At least I have a little time to read up on all the stuff I'm still a little cloudy about 'cause things went so fast. FMLA. Federal Management Land Association maybe? LOL. Twisted. I told you so!