Starting orientation/training next week CT Transportation

Day 1 complete.

Started off at 0700, filling in a bunch of paperwork, but this can't be any different than the other companies out there. I woke up with heartburn, so I was a bit nervous of the physical, but I went ahead and did it first and was found very fit. Of course when I did the fitness portion, they put on a heart rate monitor (something the recruiter did not believe they did) and took my blood pressure immediately and it was over 140 and I shook my head and told the guy that the nurse just did it and I was 124 over 82. He laughed and said they were wrong. No biggie, I breezed through the fitness portion and even though my heart did get a bit high, they allowed a little leeway because of my age (40). Point to all of this...I need to exercise more.

Roddy took the packages and began his screening and told me that everything is fine. Gave me the document showing what I would be paid and the extras and answered some questions I had (will provide later).

I took the driving test and passed easily. I was concern a bit with the tracking of the spread axel, but made my turns a bit wider than that of my turns in school and it worked out fine. Everything stayed inside the lines and on the road. He (Bobby) did hit me on my reversing setup, but it was pretty crumby, but I think I was just stoked I made the drive with ease. Backing the flatbed was different. I am always so use to seeing a big white trailer in my mirrors, I kept loosing the trailer when I was backing. I finally calmed myself and took my time and backed it on up. We drove a MACK DAY CAB and that was a bit odd too, never had a big ole window too look out of back there. As for AUTOMATIC transmissions these trucks have. It was definitely different and a bit weird to big moving such a large vehicle with no stick or clutch. I will leave it at that.

Roddy did mention that by November, CT was moving alot of the old equipment out and in with new International Pro-stars (AUTOS). They were still sticking with the MACKs, because the company has been running MACK trucks for so long they are loyal to them (I think is what it boils down too).

Questions I asked:

- Can we install large inverters in the tractor? As long as you have their mechanics do the install. I am sure that is probably easier said than actually done.
- Are they ever going to e-logging? In the future, when it is mandated. I guess that is a NO for now.

- Is it possible to use the e-logging app found on the smart phone that is DOT approved? Nope. Enough said on that.

- What is CT's idling policy? They allow idling as long as it is inside of the laws governed by the state you are in. CT does NOT have APUs, so that was nice to know.

I asked a couple of other things, but nothing that anyone here would care about.

So far everyone has been really cool and down to earth. Roddy is a really good guy. Bobby was really funny, he and I talked cars (of course, everyone noticed my vette parked out front). The lot was not much different than any other trucking company I have been around in my youth, nothing alarming. I did get an opportunity to talk to one of the other drivers. He had been with the company several months and liked them. He said he had only missed being home two weekends, but if that was the worst case on their home weekends policy I can dig it. He said that it was a good company, that the pay was "okay" "decent", but they do their best to take care of you and your needs.

So far things are going well. Nice to get Day 1 jitters out of the way and to get through the physicals. I am not a fat guy, I am in decent shape, but I could use to hit the gym occasionally.

Tomorrow more classroom and a tarp rolling and lifting test. I am not to worried about that, we aren't graded on our form, just that we can get it on the bed of the truck and that we roll it up the way they want it rolled up.

Okay boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen I am off to watch a little tv and try and get some rest, I may peak here later, but no promises.

I will say this again and it has nothing to do with the classroom, but the hotel arrangement is very nice.

 

Day 2 has come and gone.

I forgot to mention that the lunches they provided were decent...Pizza yesterday and today was a really good sub sandwich.

Day started off at 0700 again, no biggie, we went over some company polices and took a short quiz on sexual harassment. Nothing to alarming. Went over tarping and then walked around the compound/lot and Roddy showed us some wrecked trucks and boy were they in bad shape...all accidents boiled down to driver error. I am really shocked on what people will attempt to do behind the wheel of these large vehicles. smh

Pretty much spent the afternoon getting familiar with the proper way to roll up a tarp and lift it onto the back of the trailer. They gave us two options, we could roll up the heavier (125lbs) tarp or the lighter one (90lbs). I went with the heavier one and it wasn't too bad. It was warm out, so that created a little bit of challenge, but overall not too bad.

That was pretty much it. They had a Chinese food menu (flyer) in the lobby, grabbed one and ordered a little grub and man for the price it was a lot and really good. I cannot complain about the eats around here.

Tomorrow (morning) we are going to learn another tarping folding procedure and then more policy. The week has been moving pretty nicely. So far I have no regrets going with CT.

Micah

 

Day 3 - Well, the final full day has been completed. Started out at 0700 (of course) and got our PPE on and went over another type of tarpping fold and tarped another load. This fold was much easier than the tarp fold we did yesterday, just a faster fold. Personally, I liked the rolling style we did yesterday, because it was neat and could be moved easier.

Afterwards we took a little break and went back in the classroom and went over logging. CT currently is a paper logging company. Not sure how long this will continue, but it is what it is. They have QUALCOMM to communicate with the dispatch and receive load information and so forth, so why they don't go ahead and get the e-logging is a question mark. I am sure they have their reasons and I am okay with that decision.

Went over several policy items they have. Safety, rollovers, drugs, etc. and what CT's expectations are for each item. We were given a few quizzes and for the most part they were pretty easy. Anyone paying attention to the slide presentation should have no issues passing their quizzes.

Lunch was provided again and it was pizza again. It was free, everyone typically likes pizza, so beggars can't and shouldn't be choosey. I certainly appreciate the free lunches.

After chow, continued with more policy presentations and then off-duty. So, today was a pretty straight forward and easy day.

That is about it. Tomorrow, we meet the VP and get our employee cards, learn about whom maybe be our trainers (hopefully) and because my terminal is here in Savannah I get to meet out Terminal Supervisor/Manager. Which is good, because I have a question or three about my parking situation at my home.

To end with a positive comment...So far CT has been very straight forward, Roddy has been a class act and very knowledgeable. It helps that he was a driver, recruiter and now an instructor, so he has seen quite a bit. They are very by the book and I appreciate that. I know that other companies may have more attractive equipment, but what I have seen and experienced and the home time each weekend really makes me over look the equipment that really is not all that horrible, it is just not as flashy and screaming "Hey look at my Black Pete or Nice burgundy Freightshaker." Not saying anything negative about TMC or MAVERICK, because I really like their equipment and companies, but I am not in the hiring zones.

Until next time,

Micah
"Chief"