Sisbro

I was just looking at another member who posted a thread similar to this, so I figured I would do the same.
I will be starting with this company, Sisbro, next week. I've read a lot of negative opinions, and a lot of positive opinions, so I will remain unbiased and post what I can about this company and orientation.
That being said, the reason that I'm posting this a week early is so that I could hopefully get advice from people about what it's like starting with a new company, or being in a different tractor, or just any advice in general. I've been driving for about 7 1/2 months, I've only been in one company and in one truck. So this whole experience is going to be new for me and I hope that someone can learn from it like I am.

So if you have any advice, please comment. I am always eager to learn, and gain new experiences. Thanks.

*** Sidenote : please don't use this thread to bash me or the particular company I'm interested in, or any other company for that matter. I know everyone has their own opinions, some stronger than others. I also know that some of those opinion stem from years ago, and I know that many things can change in as little as a month, so I'm just trying to give a fresh up-to-date informational post to a company that I hope will treat me right.

Also, if everything starts turning south with my experience with the company,I'll be more than happy to move this post over to another category...

 

I appreciate the tip!

 

Just a quick update. Tomorrow I'll be taking a Greyhound bus from Michigan to Illinois, company paid. On the phone they're very informative and pretty much give you step-by-step details on what to do once you get in there. I'm nervous and excited to start this new opportunity and I really hope that it pans out for the best. I'll keep you guys updated as it goes along

 

Day Zero:
I have finally had some time to relax in my hotel room, here at the Microtel. Very nice rooms,by the way. The bus ride, 12 hours, was unique, and I hope that I never have to do that again....
That being said,Quincy is quite an area, with not much to do aside from venturing resturaunts. I'm ready for some sleep now, tomorrow starts the first day of "orientation".
So far, what I know is:
- sister company of Sharkey
-$1,000 sign on bonus is promised
-supposed to be 3 days of orientation/training, then on the fourth day I'm to be assigned my truck and head out.
-2 meals a day are covered
-starts nice and early tomorrow morning, with a promise of a 0530 wake up call
Will update tomorrow as I gain new knowledge. So far everything seems promising (but it's only just begun).

 

Hey guys sorry for slacking yesterday. I forgot my password and didn't have enough energy to do the whole questionnaire thing.

With that being said I have had quite an experience thus far with Sisbro.

Day 1: the provided hotel has a free breakfast buffet which includes omelets, sausage gravy and biscuits, and cereal, Bagels Etc. Also, for those of you smokers, they are Smoker Friendly and do have smoking rooms here.

Then I was shuttle bussed, as they called it, (it was a minivan) to Sisbro. I met a man named Earl. Really nice former Marine, he really seems to have his head on straight. Now, so far everything that the recruiter has told me and promised me is still holding up in the job. First day orientation is 98% filling out paperwork and 2% watching videos, as anticipated. I didn't know what to expect when I walked in there. I was surprised to see that there are only three of us in this orientation / job training event. We went out to lunch to a really nice restaurant with some really decent food. We finished up with our Med screen and are physical and I was taken back to the motel. It was a good day. 7 am thru 330 pm.

 

Day 2: today was a very eventful day. We did quite a bit, starting with the same breakfast, the same shuttle bus to the same location. Watch a video, listen to a hazmat audio, took a couple tests, finished up some more paperwork. Lunch at the same spot. Then a tour of the yards and explanations on what goes where.

Then the insurance lady came in to discuss Insurance options.
Here's what I learned today about the insurance plan:
1 - the insurance premium IS covered by Sisbro 100% (not to be confused with deductibles, copays, etc., which are always your responsibility).
2 - if your spouse has a job, and they are offered insurance, then your insurance can only be secondary (coinsurance).
3 - if you choose to opt out of the insurance (which is what I did because my wife has amazing insurance), you are then offered an additional wage premium which varies depending on if you are paid per mile, hourly, or salary. So that was an added bonus for me. The basic life insurance is free for you and dependents and your spouse, so yet another bonus.

Now, there IS a contract that you do have to sign. Need I remind you that they paid for my bus ticket here, the hotel room, and my Med Physical? Add to that the $1000 bonus ( which they say they pay you with your first and second checks (and you are paid weekly)). And the contract basically says that if you quit within 90 days of your hire date then you owe all that money back. Seems like a legitimate contract to me.

Also, For the Love of All Things Holy, do not abandon the truck.... this is where the contract will get costly. They will charge per mile to retrieve their truck, and in my situation, the 440 miles between Quincy Illinois and my house would probably add up quickly LOL. That seems like the largest part of the contract, but at the same time it seems like a pretty legitimate request.

After we signed the contract, we went and did our drive test to make sure that we, in fact, know how to drive. It was pretty basic stuff, standard left turns and right turns, stops and starts, shifting, and backing up a trailer in between two trailers. It wasn't hell. And you go one at a time, not as a group. And as an added bonus, the truck you're driving in is the truck that you will be assigned. So it's kind of nice to get to know your truck before you're stuck with it. You get to do a pre-trip and point out all of the problems with it so that you make everyone aware of the issues with the truck. So far, so good.
7am thru about 430pm today. Tomirrow we go to Sharkey to learn the elog stuff. Until then!

 

I should add, the lunches are covered by Sisbro!

 

Thank you kind sir!