Stevens Transport aviary

It has been a few weeks since my last post. I have been back and forth from California to the Midwest. Overall, my training has been going well. By a stroke of luck I was assigned wgcarver as my trainer. This was not planned it just happened. It truly is a small world.

I am near the completion of my first phase of training. I am on my way to Westfield, MA to complete my northeast requirement. The first phase had to be extended an extra week due to the fact I was never routed to the northeast. Once this is completed I am going to head home to spend time with my family.

I am going to echo Smokr's sentiments that trainers do have a big impact on a student's experience here at Stevens. I feel that I was lucky to get both of the trainers I had in first phase. I just hope that same luck carries over to the next phase.

On the opposite side of the spectrum an orientation classmate did not have a very good experience with a trainer. He ended up quitting because of it. What happened with him is that his trainer left him alone on the truck for three days so he could spend time with a girlfriend. Trainers are allowed to take a few days off with a student on the truck, however, the student is to stay in a hotel during this time and it is not to be for any longer than three days. The classmate never said anything about this even after going back through Dallas and talking to his counselor. A week later the trainer told him he had a date planned for the upcoming weekend and was going to leave him alone on the truck again. At that point the classmate decieded he was done. He rented a car and drove several hundred miles home.

For anyone thinking of coming to Stevens, if this happens to you while assigned to a trainer, CALL Dallas IMMEDIATELY. That is what a student counselor is for.

 

Stevens knows they have some bad trainers, they also know that people may not get along. If the student does not speak up and tell them the problems, these bad trainers just keep right on making it impossible for a student to succeed. It also comes down to what will you do to make your dream come true?

My second trainer liked to use his students to baby sit the truck, while he visited his girl friend in Amarillo, and his family in Atlanta. In Amarillo, I stayed at the TA, in Atlanta, it was a Home Depot parking lot south of the airport. Not a friendly place to a white redneck country boy. I survived, and told stevens about it. We would also have to run 34 hours non stop to make Cheshire CT from amarillo, which I found out later was a violation of company policy. 6 months later I saw this trainer again, in Laredo, and he was still training. Now this all happened 2 years ago.

 

Woo hoo!! Passed my Combination, General Knowledge, and Pre-Trip today. That's all my DPS test's so now I will have more time on the yard to practice. I need it. Today during parallel I didn't just hit the curb, I put my back right tires in the dirt. well gonna relax tonight, tomorrow is trip-planning.

 

Got to love the thought processes in Dallas at times. Unloaded at midnight in Clackamas or pulled out to the TA in Aurora Or, and am dispatched on a load that was to be picked up at 6am yesterday, for delivery in Temple TX Sunday. 2200 miles, 28 hours, not gonna happen by any truck.

The shipper is closed on saturdays too!!!! Today. But Stevens is paying $100 to get it loaded this afternoon. Well I am paying it in cash, and they will pay me back.


But then they were wanting to repower the load to a team, to make the appointment, until I pointed out, it was totally impossible. whoops, must be something important, frozen, to wal mart....Now rescheduled for Wednesday.

Oh well about time to call the 2 guys who are coming in on there day off to load me, and get my day started.

And it is not Raining in Oregon.

 

I am sitting here in Spiceland Indiana at the flying J. There is a Steven's truck parked right next to me. It is truck # 9403. Nice looking Rig!

 

Was it black, blue, a t2000, a t660, or a pete? I love my black KW T660

Sitting tonight in the middle of no where Utah, on US 6.

 

Just a quick question. I have my CDL but haven't been hired and haven't driven at all yet but I'm concerned about my health and exercise once I start to drive. Does anyone have any routine where they can get some sort of exercise while working?
Thanks

 

It was a black T660

I am now in North Carolina. We got up and left at midnight. We now have to pick up tomorrow a load of Particle Board that has to go to indiana.
We are sitting in the truck with the AC on. Yesterday we were freezing...

 

I am in flatbedding so I get a nice workout whenever I load or unload.
But when I am at the truck stops, I walk all around the perimiter. Sometimes at a fast pace...other times slower. You can take some small weights with you. You can always find a place to do push ups, jumping jacks ect...Just use your imagination and have at it!

 

I've got a question for you stevens guys. I was told by one of your contractors that even experienced guys have to go with a trainer when you hire on. Can anyone confirm this?