April 8, 2007: Day 9

HAPPY EASTER!

Time to get caught up on a few things while I have some time to spare.  Spare time is a very precious commodity around here!

Instead of my usual jabbering about what my day was like in the truck, I think I’ll take a little time to tell you a bit about how this program works.

The Schneider Training Academies exist to train new drivers to be safe and effective drivers for Schneider National.  (for more info on Schneider, you can go to www.schneider.com).  The program takes in new trainees, most of whom do not have a Class A Commercial Driver’s License (CDL).  On occasion there are a few students who already have a CDL, either from another CDL school, or perhaps they had driven for some other company.   For the non-CDL students, part of the focus is to prepare us to take our own state’s version of the CDL exam; for others it is to brush up and to learn the Schneider way of doing things.

The class runs for a very intense two weeks, starting on a Saturday, with graduation scheduled for the second Friday, 14 days later.  During that time there are generally four different aspects to the training:

1) Classroom time.  In the classroom we learn subjects such as DOT regulations, logging hours, general safety principles, map reading and trip planning, cargo security, etc.  Most classes will have some homework assigned to polish up the topics we reviewed in class that day.  Sometimes the homework is easy, sometimes it is more involved.  For example, last night one of our assignments was to determine efficient routes between two locations, specifically Albuquerque, NM to Kansas City, MO; or Delano, CA to Pocatello, ID.

2) Lab time.  The labs are outdoors sessions where things in and around the truck are demonstrated and we practice.  Some lab topics include 4-point inspections, coupling and uncoupling trailers, pre-trip inspections, intermodal container, dock activities such as proper handling and moving of pallets, use of pallet jacks, proper lifting techniques.  In a previous post I mentioned how detailed a pre-trip inspection is.  It was even a bit eye opening to learn that coupling and uncoupling a trailer is a more involved process than I had previously thought.  It’s not just back up, hook ‘n go.  It is important to make sure the equipment is roadworthy, everything is properly set up, the hook is good and solid, air lines and electrical lines are properly and securely attached, all the brakes work, lights work and so on.   And naturally, here in Green Bay the weather has been just DUCKY, with temps in the upper 20s and low 30s all week, 15 mph winds that cut right through you.  Yeah  labs are FUN!

3) Sim time.  The “sims,” or simulators, are high tech expensive oversized GameBoys.  I would say XBox, but the graphics aren’t quite that good!  You’re sitting in a truck seat / dashboard mockup with three large wrap around screens.  Think something along the lines of three 42″ large screen TVs.   The sims are used to teach basic clutching / shifting skills before we get in the trucks, defensive driving techniques, downhill braking control, emergency techniques such as downhill braking, skid control, blowouts, etc.  In some respects they do a very good job at imitating a truck, but not completely.   There can also be a nasty tendency towards motion sickness, although the only time I experienced it was when I was standing behind another student, watching what he or she was doing.  At that point, my line of vision was not on the same plane or level as the driver, so the motion on the screens was a bit unnatural.  It was less of a queasiness and more of a headache that affected me, although some of my classmates were more profoundly sensitive to it.

4) Driving.   This is the time actually spent in the truck with your driving instructor.   It covers all basic phases of driving a tractor trailer, from simple maneuvering on surface streets, to highways, turns – both easy and tight, backing the truck (done at the STA driving range), actual coupling and uncoupling at the start and end of your session with your instructor.   This is the part that I really enjoy, it is where I get to put into practice the things I have been learning in the above three categories.

 The training has a cost -$3,500, but nothing is paid up front, and if we drive for the company for one year after completion, all tuition expenses are waived.  Schneider pays our way to the STA (a lovely bus ride that could last as long as 14 hours), our rooms are provided at a local hotel.  The hotel provides continental breakfast and we get lunch vouchers for the STA lunchroom.  Thank goodness the cafeteria food is free!  I honestly can say that all the time I was in public school, every school cafeteria I ate in was vastly superior to this.  I won’t say the food is bad; it isn’t.  It just is quite far from inspiring.  Don’t be looking for this facility to appear on the Food Network anytime soon!

At the end of the second week, those who are still surviving with the program (we have lost about 10 of our original 48 students so far), will be evaluated in the trucks in what is called a Qualification Readiness Test, and we will also take a written final exam.  The successful graduates will be issued a driver number, a log book, and a new pair of workboots.  After the school, we head home where we will be assigned a Training Engineer (TE) who is a driver for Schneider.  We will run loads with that TE for the next 1 – 3 weeks, the length of time depending on how well we learn and develop in the real world.  When the TE feels we are ready, a Skills Qualification Test (SQT) is done by an examiner at one of the several Operating Centers (OCs) around the country, and the CDL test is administerd by the state.  Once we have all those things done, we’re official, we get assigned our own trucks and start getting loads to run.   Once we’re out on the road, for the most part we will run anywhere from 2 – 3 weeks out, then a few days at home.  The life of an OTR driver isn’t always the best for those with families to raise – assuming of course they’d like to be around the wife and kids!  As for me, since I am divorced with no children, the home time is not as much of a factor as it might be with some of my classmates – one guy has ELEVEN CHILDREN!  I think I know why HE is wanting to get out of the house for a bit!

As this was quite possibly the most boring post of mine to date (I can hear you all thinking, “And we didn’t think it possible!”), I will close for now.  Tomorrow I will fill you in on my latest progress and adventures.

In the meantime, if you have any particular questions, by all means feel free to ask away!  And don’t be afraid to click on the other links you see to your right - they contain a wealth of great information.

Be safe and keep the shiny side up!