TRAINING... How long does it really take ????

I always eat pretty good food. I have a Coleman ice less cooler and a road pro oven and keep the truck stocked with food.

I do run a target dedicated now so I have the ability to shop at my deliveries, but you can also get somewhat decent groceries at truck stops it just costs more(still cheaper than fast food) most truck stops have fruits like apples and bananas too.

drivers tend to snack a lot so it is also a good idea to stock up on healthy snacks like trail mix, chex mix, nuts etc.

 

truck stops cost a ton more, I either shop at the targets I deliver to or I make a trip to walmart once a week. I save a ton just in water, gallon at Walmart well under $1, the truck stop is more like $3 for that same water. 6 pack of bottled soda $3.79, ONE bottle at truck stop almost $2....

I keep a 5 day coleman extreme ice chest and I also use the road pro oven along with a butane stove.

 

If the Wal-Mart has a water center (I ask the greeter; sometimes they know what I'm talking about sometimes they don't. When they don't I just go to the back of the store and look - that's where they're usually located) bring your own jug and you can get the filtered H2O for about 37 cents

 

I dont save the jugs and haul them around with me, I just go buy a new one when I need it, sometimes I just get cases of bottled water from costco.

 

I don't know how long the training tracked I like to think you will always be learning . But I do know that swift pays one of their trainers 76 cents a mile to train for them !!! At least that was the smoke he tried to blow up my ....

So I am selling my truck and going to get ne a training job at swift so I can cash the big money checks !!!!

 

lol 76cpm, you get paid the cpm when the trainer drives and a rate when the trainee drives

 

Like anything in life, some pick it up quick and some never get it. Most are somewhere inbetween. In pilot training, a good trainer in Wisconsin who trains with a J3 (believing it to be the best to get the feel for flying first with a tail dragger and then learn to go by instruments) Says the same about physical skill. A few have difficulty learning it, most do OK, occasionally one will "wear" the airplane. That is quickly become very good at it. The trucking schools will generally be designed for average students, some shouldn't even attempt it, (those are the dropouts for the most part) many need the time, a few could do fine without it.

I'm in a situation where I think I can handle it without much training, since I'm one of those highly physically skilled persons. However it's quite a challenge, and I'm not jumping right into a full size rig either. I'm starting with something I already have plenty of experience with in private life, a ton truck and gooseneck. Just a little longer. Maybe. I did drive a double a couple times for a few hundred miles moving equipment for sawmilling purposes. Lot of weight and length for a 3/4 ton truck. I can visualize physical relationships and drive accordingly.

This is one of those things where schooling is not required, legally at least. I can get my CDL on my own, which I'm doing. start my own authority, which we've done, get my own truck and hit the road, with a friend who has some experience doing the dispatching for us. Or we could do that too if we had to. However if yer not comfortable doing something, don't. Better safe than sorry.

 

Trainers get their normal cpm pay, but they also get paid the miles that the student runs and every student that upgrades out of their truck they get a 1cpm bonus that the new driver runs for the first 6 months up to 12,000 miles a month ($120/mo max)

 

a few things might seam the same like driving down the straight highway with no traffic. but those big rigs need to be backed into doors/docks and most places have more then one door with more then one truck in doors next to you. Backing is a big part of a truckers job and that takes skill and lots of practice. so much more to learn like chaining, scaling out your load, route planning and so much more. oh and a big one watching out for those super experienced 4 wheel drivers!