Tankers the Schneider way

So from what I've been reading here... They are taking people with no experience and putting them in tankers? That's like handing a 10 year old a bottle of nitro and telling them that it is safe. One needs to start their career in trucking in a more manageable situation like van freight. Think of this surge... Ice.. Now what? It's alot easier to learn how to drive a truck with a non live load. And one won't end up in the ditch so easily, and it's a lot easier to pick up boxes or watermelons over hazardous when it's spilled. It is a proven fact that somebody with over 5 years will not have the accident rate of somebody with less experience.. And there is a very good chance that somebody that is new will have some kind of an accident within their first year. It might just be a incident of tapping a fence backing in.. To a roll over or worse. And they want to put new people in tankers? But, but ill have a trainer. And just how much driving time does that trainer have? Some companies it's a hand full of months since they got their license.

 

I disagree, it would be safer to start every driver out in a straight truck by your logic. Or have every driver start in an automatic, or have every new driver just doing relays so the dont have to back into tight spots.

Tanker is not worlds different from any other kind of driving. I have driven van, flat and now tanker and while surge is a fact it is not this game changing death machine that some make it out to be. I know for a fact that student drivers can make a great career in tankers. I have trained many of them. Not trying to pick a fight but just couldnt let your statement go unanswered.

 

You will probably be okay. Just depends on how bad they need new drivers.

 

My point exactly!

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S III

 

I don't believe it, they just denied me. Because of a five year old ticket for speeding.

 

So sorry tonakis, that's tough! Was it the 5 year old speeding ticket that bit you, or the one from 2011, or both?

 

Both. Stupid thing is those tickets were taken care of by a lawyer, so no points of any kind. They do not show on my driving record (they could show on a DAC report?! I don't know where they see it). The thing is tickets were dismissed, but they still see them somewhere. I guess they have plenty of candidates for tankers ready with hazmat, twic and passports lined up at the door, who have not been convicted and accident free forever.

 

As difficult as it may be, as ethos mentioned, keep a good attitude through it all! Do not let any sarcasm come out about anything when talking to another potential employer. It is true that attitude equals altitude!

I do know you're hurting right now! its okay to vent here, but only here and to your family!

 

Absolutely. I keep it 100% professional. I will see if I can get back to Werner and finish my training (have 163 of 275 hours needed) and we'll take it from there.

 

This is what's wrong with today's truck driver... And they are being set up for failure. Every newbie needs to learn on trucks where the jobs are for newbies. Vans, refers, straight trucks. They are the easiest to do everything and will give the largest chance of a permanate job. Learning open trailers like flats can be learned later. In a van that load falls on the floor.. It just rolls around. On a flat it could hit a car.and when one gets more experience then they can learn live loads. And when a van or a refer tips over, it's easier to clean up boxes or cantaloupes . About half the tank loads are hazardous and will take many hours or days to clean up. But all these companies care about is finding somebody to fill that seat, no matter what it is. Then that poor smuck will be trained for a few weeks and let go, with the dispatcher saying.. Ohhh your the best. Just to move that load. Then one day that newbie will get so far over their head that they will start to drowned .. Like being on a 7% hill that is longer than 3-4 miles. Or on an icey road like they get in Michigan .. So no wonder Schneider has such a turn over rate . Guess those newbies get tired of changing their shorts. As they were being set up for failure.. Not by themselves, but by companies that just want a load moved. And you say that you train them? How far west do you train to? Because I get tired of talking people off these hills west of Kansas that they were never trained to do. Or how to chain up, or secure their loads on a trailer! Or with some, having to load that trailer for them. Where's that training? Or how to neutralize that corrosive load if a little spilled and needs to be cleaned up?or will they need a hazmat team to clean it up. Do you do training for any type of haz mat training.. Either the 8 hour or 24 or 40 hour OSHA training? Do you train how to properly wear PPE and have respirator sizing and training? Do you train for ullage ? Or just innage? Ya see get I get stuck with these people along the side of the road or in some shippers yard, trying to help them.. So when are they going to be trained, before they are let go by them selves? Or should I just leave them and let the company send out some body? Because I can do that also.but see I have a problem .. I don't want anybody to fail or get hurt or worse. So I will still spend time on the side of the road or shippers yard, not doing my job.. but TRAINING THE NEW GUY? And try to keep his head above water. Maybe I ought to send their company a bill for my lost time..