Starting Schneider National Dedicated Flex Fleet

Yeah, DTL said the interior probably won't be in great shape but luckily I only have to drive it about 6 hours. Just hoping it's not a complete biohazard or something lol.

 

Lmaoooo ill be sure to bring rubber gloves too in that case

 

Training with my TE concluded yesterday.

(Monday) I started off with the TE taking me on a backhaul of pallets and bales. I drove back to the distribution center and we got sent on a tire repair for the trailer because it had some bald spots all over tire 6. Got to see how the express maintenance bay worked and stuff. My TE was running low on clock time so we ended up going off duty and I stayed in a hotel for that night and started my first haul the next day.

My TE saw how well I could back and said he was ready to sign off on me the first day, as apparently most new trainees have a fair amount of trouble backing. I told him about my super long CDL school experience and he said "it shows"

(Tuesday) Woke up at like 1am and drove like 450 miles to Tyler, TX and Baton Rouge, LA to make a 2 stop delivery. By the end of the day in Baton Rouge I was absolutely worn out and slept like a baby sawing some logs on the top bunk of the sleeper.

(Wednesday) Woke up the next day and took the empty back to Wilmer.

(Thursday) Was able to sleep another night at the hotel in between loads, woke up at 11pm and made the same run back down to Baton Rouge again. This time I was much more efficient with the whole process and by the end of it I was fully confident in my abilities.

(Friday) Made it back to the OC yesterday with about 2000 miles under my belt, and while it wore me out I enjoyed the experience a lot.

My TE drove me home in his personal vehicle from the OC last night since we're both on our 34 resets and neither one of us felt like sitting at the OC waiting until 8am for me to be able to get a rental car to drive home this morning. So last night I got to sleep in my own bed and that was cool.

As for what's next: Instead of driving to the truck recovery in TN, My DTL set me up a flight to TN Monday morning. Which is nice, I enjoy airports and plane rides. Got all my new IFTA stickers and permit docs for the truck I'm recovering. Once I get to Atlanta and get my own truck, my DTL is going to find me a load going home so I can pick up all the stuff I'm having to leave behind in lieu of having to fly. I'm gonna have to find bedding stuff once I get to Atlanta because there is no way I'm checking clothes, sleeping bags, pillows, sheets, blankets, onto a plane.

I'm thinking I may go ahead and take a couple days of home time before I head to whatever account I may be assisting, I'm expecting some important mail this week so I kinda wanna get it before I head out to wherever I'll be working.

But aside from all of that, now that the trainer has cut me loose, I'm officially a Schneider driver. Now I just gotta get to my truck and it'll be time get settled in and hammer down. My time with the TE was awesome. I'm 100% a better driver now than I was a week ago and that's pretty cool to me.

I'll try to update again when I get through with the truck recovery and let you know how that goes.