Profile For Troy S.

Amen and good luck to you!!

Thanks G-Town! Cannot wait!

Hey all,

Its been a while since I've posted anything about my training progress at NTTS in Liverpool, NY. I began training in the 18 week program on August 8, and just finally graduated on December 9th. I was able to pull off class champion which is a huge honor for me as I've never really been #1 at anything. On Tuesday, December 13, those of us who graduated proceeded to take the NYS DMV Road test and I'm happy to report that I passed - although by the skin of my teeth lol (nerves can cause crazy mistakes!). Now my next chapter begins, and on January 4th I begin orientation at Werner Enterprises in Allentown, PA. I had several option for carriers to choose from, and in the end, Werner had the best to offer for myself and my family. I'm super excited to begin this new career after what seemed like an eternity of training! If anyone has questions about NTTS training, or training in a private trucking school I'll be happy to share my experiences. Hope to see you all out on the highway!

Your trucking brother,

Troy

Well the second ride was definitely an improvement! We get 24 total so I think I should have it down by then, or kill the truck trying lol

Had my first road ride at NTTS yesterday in a 10 speed International we call "Big Bird" because of its yellow color. While I was able to move the truck in a forward direction, I doubt the transmission has much life left after me.

Here's hoping drive number 2 (we get 24 plus crew rides) goes better!

T

This is a continuation of my earlier posts. I decided to wait until I made it through the 1st half of training to post another update. Half way point of 18 weeks was last week so here is what we've been up to.

(Note: each phase consists of 3 weeks)

Phase 1 was classroom only and was relatively boring to report about but went well and I finished with the top grade. We covered DOT regs, map reading, log books, and a lot about air brakes, drop and hook procedures and backing maneuvers.

Phase 2 we practiced pre-trip inspections, drop & hook, and straight line backing in the field. At the end of the 3rd week we tested for each of these as well as a written test for some other lab work we had been doing. I finished this phase successfully and was quite pleased with my grade.

Phase 3 we moved on to see-side and blind-side backing maneuvers and also covered cargo securement and driver health and wellness in lab. This was considerably harder for me but I was able to maintain a good grade. I needed a 3rd pull up for my see side at a cost of 10 points but did well on everything else.

Today we begin phase 4. Finally after 9 weeks of field only maneuvers we begin taking road rides and really learning how to drive! Super excited!!

Stat tuned for more to come!

Troy

Hey all,

I figured Id summarize all of week 3 into 1 post. The bulk of the week was DOT regulations and defensive driving. Necessary but definitely not exciting to talk about lol! The excting thing is we are now done with phase 1 training here which was all classroom. Monday morning we finally head out to the field for some real work and I cannot wait!!

All in all its been a good 3 weeks. My GPA is currently a 97 which I'm very happy about, and I know some trucking companies check grades of those coming from trucking schools so I'm definitely glad I did so well.

We also had 5 different companies come and give some great presentations about what they have to offer: Gypsum Express, Werner Enterprises, TMC Trucking, H.O. Wolding, and U.S. Express.

Each company had some great things to offer but currently my favorite is H.O. Wolding. I've been prehired by them and several others, so now I just have to knuckle down and do well on all my practical learning and of course pass my DOT road test.

A word of advice to anyone going this route. Be on time and don't miss classes! UnlIke normal college, if you miss material here you HAVE to make it up. The more time you miss the more you have to make up while still learning other stuff. Eventually it will catch up with you and you'll be sunk so, unless your truly so sick you can't make it or have a legitimate emergency (not getting your oil changed like one lady) be there! And at my school at least, tardys effect your grade and are also seen by potential employers. Trucking employers DO NOT like people who show up late. Remember the old adage in this biz, early is on time!

Next week we begin learning straight line backing, drop and hook, and pre-trip. Should be fun, I'll tell you all about it as I can!

Until then,

Troy

Week 2 days 4 & 5

Sorry for the delay - been a busy week. Thursday was interesting and we covered a lot of material. Our main focus was Drop & Hook procedures, and we also learned about 9 & 10 speed transmissions. After lunch a recruiter from Werner Enterprises came and gave a great presentation (any Werner folk care to comment?) I was very intrigued by what they had to offer!

On Friday our focus was map reading and route planning all day. Very interesting stuff! Not much more to report on that unless you want a play by play of reading an atlas lol.

I'm looking forward to next week as it will be our last week of classroom only work. Week 4 we begin working in the field and in labs doing more hands on stuff, so I'm excited for that!

Have a great weekend, back at it Monday morning!!

Troy

Thanks G-Town, it's nice to get feedback like this from experienced drivers!

Week 2 day 3 (late update..)

Today we focused on log books and hours of service. While most trucks are already using e-logs and it will be industry wide by 2018, using paper logs Is still an essential skill. We also got all of our remaining text books today which is always exciting!

Tomorrow Werner Enterprises will be coming to do their company presentation so that should be interesting!

More updates to come!

Troy