Talk to me about why...

You'll spend a week of 12-14 hour days at a training OC, then 7-10 days with a trainer learning all you need to successfully START your career as a truck driver, your trainer will NOT be sleeping with you at the controls. You'll get alot to digest and the miles will probably be around 1500-2000, not alot but enough to get your feet wet.

 

well, 1 week in orientation(paperwork, other stuff) basically a week out with TE (training engineer) they dont teach you how to drive. You shoudl know that much coming in, but they will try to refine how you drive. They will not be sleeping while you drive. Truck is run as a solo truck. What you will be shown depends on the loads you get.

My experience was with another new hire on the truck too. He and I split time. I ended up with about 1800 miles in 8 days. Hit two docks and backed into an extremely tight spot at our atlanta ops center AT NIGHT!!!! You can always have a list of things you want covered and as time/loads allow it can be practiced then. on your tens there should be some book work/practice like trip planning etc. Other stuff you mention fuel card qcomm is easy really imo. simple to operate.
I tend to think our training is a little short but if you have the drive , are able to take a deep breath and just do it when you are issued your own truck. Thats where your real training begins(IMO) in the doing on my own. Learned some valuable things and still am as I go.

Looking back, I cant say I would change a thing. Scary at first, would be lieing if I say it wasnt for me. But you know, I DID IT!!!!!!

I would give the same advice to any new driver for any company. Think through what you are doing BEFORE you do it. Take your time in doing it. breath slowly while you do it. Analyze your mistakes and learn what you did wrong and apply those lessons going forward. As a rookie you WILL make soem mistakes.

 

you will be assigned loads that have ample time to deliver on time. Open drop windows etc. Close contact with 0-90 day DBL before you are moved on to your normal person. Keep it simple.

 

never thrown chains. wasnt trained BUT I was NE regional. So chains werent a requirement running east of the rockies.

 

You should get somewhat easy assignments at first and SNI frowns on drivers repairing their trucks but sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do. You will get a DBL that deals strictly with brand new drivers and will basically hold your hand for the first 30-90 days or so. When they feel your abilities are progressing they will have you go to an OC for your review, thats when a OSR fine tunes (critiques) your pretrip,hook up, logs, dental hygiene, foot odor and family lifestyles, at least thats how it feels, but basically its just to re-enforce the SNI way of safely doing things.

 

My first solo runs were 200-300 milers in the outlying Chicago area, then slowly working North East though Indiana, Ohio and then bam, pick up relay in Seville and take it to Jersey for a live unload. I still shudder when I think about that one. Broke the 14 hr rule trying to find a place to park. I really questioned what I was doing that early morning.