Profile For Infidel

Are you retired with tri care? If not check their healthcare. It's a weakspot. My GF sells insurance so It wasn't a issue for me.

Well I have done 2 orientations so far since graduating from CDL school last October. First company ended with a terrible experience. Second is Roehl. Matter of fact Im there now.

So far I have nothing bad to say. And a lot good to say. First I had my choice of transportation too orientation, or what they call phase 1. Which is more accurate cause you will do more than normal orientation at other companies. Most companies will let you rent a car and they may reimburse gas or up too the price of a Greyhound ticket. Well not only did they pay for all of it. But they rented it for me. I just had to pick it up. Their phase 1 is orientation and real world training rolled into one. I have been here since Monday and this morning we spent hours practicing 45 and 45 degree backs. The kind you might have to do in a truck stop. Which you dont learn in school. I was just me so I had a great opportunity to do one after another. Thats the thing as well. We only had 2 people here in my phase. Unfortunately the other guy didnt cut it. But that leaves me alone till Im done on Monday. Thats a lot of one on one with an instructor. But I did get kinda lucky on that. We have also had classes on route mapping, load securement and log booking. Everyone here is very respectful and professional so far. I am scheduled as of now to go with my OTR trainer Monday or Tuesday. Its kinda up in the air so far. Im not officially hired until Monday.

Thats the over the road training part after you have your CDL. Its going to be team driving from the beginning once you go with your trainer. And you will run hard from the first day.

They just started their CDL program. Which I didn't do. So I dont know about that.

Im going too try to send you a PM. Never done it before.

Nice, let us know how it goes. :)

What if you tell them you don't want the bonus at all (now...or later)? You can't owe money that was/never will be given to you!

Yeah I found out that the money that you payback is actually not the bonus. Seems to say that in the contract. In legal speak. Its kinda confusing. So if you refuse the bonus it has no effect.

So I pulled the trigger. Decided to sign the contract. Mostly because of all the positive stuff I saw about Roehl. From posters here and other sources. Not all the information I found was positive but most was. And most of the bad stuff was a little old.

I report 4 JAN in Phoenix. And so far so good. As a matter of fact I already have one good thing too report. Once the paperwork was finally signed and we were getting set up for what I need to be there. They asked "So what is your preferred method of travel?" what? Every other company I talked too (which was a lot) just sends you a greyhound ticket. If you want to get there another way then thats on you. They told me I could fly, bus or rental car. So I said I would prefer to rent a car (yeah I dont like to fly, I have control issues. Not pretty I know. But it is what it is). So they then told me that they would set up a rental with their preferred rental company and they would send me the reservation. Even asked if I would like to pick it up the day before I travel. Too easy!

Only thing I worry about is getting home when they say they will get me home. Only cause I never see Roehl trucks coming through my part of Southern Nevada. I dont go into Vegas much anymore so maybe they run on the 15 mostly. But I never see them run through Boulder City. Which as some of you may know gets a lot of interstate traffic funneled through it. I asked about this so I will have to trust them.

Good Luck!

I too have done the deed. Just for the OTR training part. I already have my CDL.

It might take all of two minutes to completely change bedding. But a sleeping bag will resolve that issue. It's really not a big deal. Training is going to be so stressful that where you sleep will be the last of your concerns, you'll probably be grateful to get any kind of decent sleep at all. Getting used to the truck moving while you sleep without waking up constantly is a chore for many.

Honestly that's my main concern more then anything. I'm already setting myself up as it being complete hell for about a month. Sorta like being in Alcatraz. I know some might say oh that's a negative way of thinking not to me it's not. There is negative, positive and then realistic thinking and i think realistically. You are basically moving in with a complete stranger living in a box and it's another dude. I don't even move my girlfriends into my house that quick.

It's crazy nothing else about this job has me worried more then the time out with a trainer. Plus if you get one that you don't get along with all those other problems become that much worse. I watched a youtube video of a knight driver kicking his student out of his truck on the side of the highway.

Well it took me longer than 2 minutes. I did it wrong. I brought a sheet set. Fitted sheet, regular sheet, a blanket and pillow case. I wasn't told about team driving so I was ill prepared. And Im a little picky about how I set myself up.

And yep I got very little sleep in 10 hours. The constant moving and swaying was unnerving.

And like you. This is the worst part for me. Its just gonna depend on the type of person I get. If Im paired with the right trainer it wont even be like working. But if its another like my first.... ugh.

So you change the bedding every day? The trainer has his bed setup with his sheet blankets and pillows so when its time for you to sleep you move all of that off and put your stuff on? Sounds like a blast.

Thats what I had to do. And yeah it was big fun.... Specially while hes rushing you.

Blake H. said.

"So someone with depression shouldn't be allowed to drive? Or PTSD? Well there goes 80% of your workforce and most veterans."

Not true. One of my jobs in the military was mental health. Most of the veteran population have never seen combat. And out of those that have its hovers around 10-14 percent of those who report symptoms of PTSD. This is a hard stat to track. As PTSD includes a lot of things. Its a moving target with lots of variables. Time being a big one.

I was able to sit in on a study by a group studying the effects of stress on the human brain. They were working with the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape school. Reportedly one of the most stressful schools a regular soldier could get into. It was just really neat to here these people talk about peoples brains reacting to stress. As it turns out the most combat troops have a much lower instance of PTSD overall. The lowest being in the Special Forces community. These guys that probably see the worst warfare has to offer. Most reported PTSD cases seem to come from the guys who didn't expect (and maybe didn't get as much training for) being in the thick of combat. But were put there none the less.

In perspective feeling sad or angry doesn't mean you are broken everyone feels that way sometimes. Its how well you deal with. Even if its diagnose-able doesn't mean your malfunctioning. Even remembering bad things form the past doesn't make it PTSD. Their are lots factors that go into it.

Just neat stuff I learned I thought I would share.

One of my friends is about to start school...does swift accept ESD (Emotional Support Dog)?

Just find a company that allows pets. Their are lots of them. It was the last thing that made me finally do this. I found out some companies will let me bring a dog. Just know many shippers and receivers have strict rules about your pets. Not allowed out on their property and definitely not in the building.