Two more days left, Thursday and Friday although they said Friday is the day we go home and complete everything. Thursday will be yard exercises and driving plus simulators. Today was city driving in downtown Des Moines which isn't too bad, lots of tight turns and traffic. I actually enjoyed it as it was a challenge doing button hook turns and other tight turns. My down shifting is getting better, and I just need to slow down as I tend to shift too fast and hard, but they are working with me on it. Oh did I mention it was snowing too while doing the city driving, best way to learn I think. They also cut 3 guys today, one guy lost his glasses or as he said they were stolen at the hotel which I can't see happening, most think he was using it as an excuse since he didn't really like it here and was doing bad. The other 2 guys I am not sure why they got cut, only thing I know is they say they want to see improvment everyday and get you scores up each day, so maybe they weren't. So thats a total of 5 that have been cut and 1 quit. More presssure now on the rest of the guys, hopefully they won't cut anymore tomorrow. Some of the guys left want to get through this but said they will be relived when its over as they feel they are hard on you. They are but it doesn't bother me. Hopefully I will do good tomorrow and make it through this and get set up with a trainer next week. Even if I do get cut I will leave here on good terms, I learned more here in 2 weeks than 3 months of trucking school so the knowledge gained here will help me anywhere I go. It was a good experiance for me. Most of the instructors especially the older ones that just go on the road with students are great to learn from. Ok gotta go now, I'll update more maybe tomorrow or when I get home. See ya
Fir, Best of luck to you. Friday will be here before you know it. I know your busy, but I appreciate your taking the time to keep this post up and running. R/ Frat
..FirNt thanks for keeping us posted on your training so far, I'm betting you'll make it through ok & if you do you'll end up on their website 'graduating class' photo, please let us know which one you are if you do! ..for some of the other posts about their training there, if you just go to the TMC website they have lots of detailed answers to some of the questions posted here, along with some nice videos of their load securement training & even a video on how to shift the hi-lo 13-speed in their trucks.. check it out, they have one of the better company websites I have found so far!
Fir, your updates have been very interesting to read. Very informative and much appreciated. It sounds as if you're doing great. Hang in there and best of luck finishing the orientation. I hope to hear that you'll be heading out with a trainer soon.
Fir, Positive attitude lad, positive attitude. Don't even let "If I don't make it" creep into your thought process. We stayed at that hotel one night last winter.I work for LeFebvre & Sons and were hauling concrete pipe to a job site just south of there. We run out of daylight so one of the guys had his wife check for hotels in that area. There were 4 of us and when we got to the hotel the only parking was in the TMC lot. The gal in the hotel called someone at TMC and got us permission to park there.Thats when we realized we were staying in a TMC hotel. I guess the TMC "gear store" kind of tipped us off. We did get to eat in the cafe, not too bad, and we did not walk on the grass.
Just a quick note, cause theres people waiting for the PC here, I will put more here when I get home sometime Satuday. They cut 2 more people today and I wasn't one of them so it looks like I made it, I really improved, head home tomorrow afternoon and hook up with my trainer sometime on Sunday. So out of 24 we have 16 that made it. Gotta run as I said I'll make a more detailed post when I am home and relaxed.
Thx for all the info you have provided FirNaTine. Great insight on the orientation process. I feel like I've already gone once now and now what to expect
Hey Fir, I knew from your attitude that you'd make it, congratualtions! I think that they are 2 reasons that they are hard on the students: 1. They must really want you to succeed, otherwise they would have a brief orientation and send you out to fin for yourself, like some companies do. 2. The want to weed out those who can't follow instructions, aren't serious and really want to be there. It's the guys with the positive attitude and the committment that do well and you have both. I only hope I can make it through if they hire me. Maybe I'll catch some of your good attitude. We've all asked a lot from you to keep us posted and answer our questions at a time when you had a lot on your mind. Thanks for your help.
Thanks for these updates, I'm very interested in doing skateboards and have a feel for the orientation As again I keep seeing, "ATTITUDE", alot of vets/instructors/recruiters say this attitude, I'm excited but a little down on feeling of hiring freezes everywhere and its been on my mind entire time at school
..more & more businesses are shutting down or closing their doors, that means less freight to ship & more drivers sitting at truckstops or let go.. this can only mean a shakeup from top to bottom for the trucking industry which means more drivers getting less pay & benefits; it's happening already at Covenant as per some of the drivers wives who have posted the bad news here already. This also means the stronger companies will be able to hire more veteran drivers that are available at a lower pay scale.. lets wait & see if this isn't what happens but i am praying it won't!
