Profile For Oingo

My luck...what I thought was just standard old guy arm aches and pains while training got worse until something in my arm went kaput while driving and caused pain so bad I had to pull over and was nearly doubled over for almost 10 minutes until it was somewhat tolerable. Was sent to the hospital by trainer, nothing torn or broken, but Doctor said it was some sort of bone issue and put me on meds. Had to sign a medical form or something from company, and told to return to school once I get a doctors clearance. Unfortunately, they are the ones that cause you to get dizzy or drowsy. And then found out my Uncles Hip Surgery opened up somehow and caused an infection...he is 85 and now not doing well at all. sigh...

While backing the truck to perform offset backing during training, some instructors walk along side the truck. As I was backing, the instructor noticed that the overhead reading(?) light on the passenger side ceiling was on. It was probably left on during the early morning in cab pre-trip inspection and brake test. It was at that point the instructor demanded..yes...let me repeat demanded I turn off the light, for as I pressed the clutch brake to stop, he yelled "Dont Stop!", then "Turn off that light now!" I ignored him and continued backing, he did this a 2nd time, during my offset to the opposite side, and I ignored him. Finally, as I pulled up to finish, he said calmly, "go ahead and set your brakes and turn off that light". As I unlatched my seat belt, he suddenly yelled "Never Mind I will do it!" ROFLMAO Yes, God Bless us Students....hopefully that nutcase instructor will be fired. Another instructor in response to our complaints about him, told us that a week does not go by in which he is the only instructor to "get into it" with a student. Two other instructors mentioned in their replies to us, that they had almost come to blows with this instructor many times and have filed complaints with Human Resources. Apparently, he is on his way out as they have had enough of him and he will return to OTR driving, soon, according to the other 2 instructors. Imagine that....a driving school having bad instructors....

Update... The bad DMV tester does not seem to be testing anymore. No idea what happened, but the DMV students are stating none of them got her.

It was a really good week, with no trouble from the instructor who insists on students turning off passenger side overhead lights while the student performs off set and parallel parking and backing, as instructors have rotated as routine and I and a few others have not got stuck with him.

My other 4 remaining classmates (9 expelled), are doing great as well. We had a minor speed bump when we got stuck with an instructor who sounds and acts like Samuel L Jackson's character in the movie "Pulp Fiction", and all admitted he was more of an annoyance that could easily be ignored or filtered out. This instructor is good at providing backing/parking instructions, but not road instruction. Contradictory orders such as "step on it step on it!" , then immediately stating "the speed limit is only 30 mph"! ROFLMAO We all keep out mouths shut and just accept the good instruction and filter out his bad instructions and do as the other instructors taught us despite him stating not to do it their way. The student with the medical condition that was being bullied got different roommates and the bully failed his DMV road test...thus, the bully will not be back. All the others passed. More about the student with the medical condition and the "bad instructor". We noticed he is the only one to "challenge" the bad instructor; for example, whenever the instructor tells him to do something he is already doing, he yells at the instructor "I already did that or I am!". Other times, he will yell at the instructor and say, "I already know that!". We find it kind of refreshing that he voices everything we would love to say but are afraid to, and when he does it the instructor backs down, oddly enough. This student also ended up as one of the best drivers at this point, and also one of the best behaved, mannered, good natured...just dont tell him the obvious! We got a new road instructor after a few days of "regression" with Samuel L Jackson, and instantly...let me repeat instantly...we ALL improved 4x! Like night and day and we are all ready to take the DMV test and passed all the academy tests.

In all, driving a truck is fun now and all admit this. 100% of the students and classes ahead of us that we spoke to all stated that the only really serious complaint by those taking the DMV is had they had the "same" instructor the whole time, they would have passed a week earlier, as many lost a week or two by getting stuck with bad instructors who literally caused the students to go from good to bad and cost them a week. And then after getting the original "good instructor" went back to being good and great drivers INSTANTLY. In fact, most of the instructors actually agree with this as well...the two poor instructors were not asked...

The thing to remember about these observations and what to take away is as follows:

1) There are good and bad instructors, if you feel an instructor is "realistically" not up to par, just ask for a different instructor. The academy will usually honor your request as they already know which instructors are good and which ones still learning to not so good. Remember, you are paying money for this course, and earning no money for every week in pre-,mentor training.

2) Training is fun when you are doing good and not fun when you are doing bad. Thus, you mist first determine what you can do to improve things, and then as a last resort "possibly" look elsewhere for the issue.

3) Training is a serious business, do not expect a bunch of peasant and funny instructors as they ALL do take their job seriously regardless of their level and/or quality of instruction.

4) Smoking and non smoking...many instructors caught the crud the students had and are either out sick or working sick. All of the students are no longer sick.

5) Various rules are still being cherry picked by certain instructors as to whether they will break them or enforce them. The rule seems to be that if the instructor indulges in a particular rule breakage, then he does not enforce it on others and vice versa. All you can do is stay away from and refuse to work with instructors that break the rules and smoke around the trucks. The academy will comply with your request.

In a nutshell, I feel the academy is VERY good in that 99% of students WILL learn to perform what is expected of you and pass both the academy and DMV. Those that do not pass either one, are pretty obvious from the get go. For example, if the student insists on calling right and left indicator lights "Port and Starboard" like the Navy does during the pre-trip inspection or calling the gear shift the "shaft" during pre-trip inspection because you think it's funny, floating gears, grinding gears while slowing down until slow enough for the grinding to end when it finally goes into gear, and hitting every curb every day and still passing the driving test, but then failing at DMV...well...you can see where that's going.

90% of the students currently 1 -2 weeks behind my class and the 2 classes ahead, as well as mine said they will not be working for Swift even if given an offer. They all claim there are better opportunities out there, and they started applying to other company's before even attending school. I am not sure what I am going to do. If I personally was to base whether I accept a job with Swift or not based on the behavioral and professional standards of 4 out of the 7 instructors we currently have, I would refuse the offer and work elsewhere. Not sure how SWIFT is in other state schools.

You are correct, I am doing well. Not perfect yet, but closer each time I get behind the wheel. A few things I forgot to add.

1) According to the instructors, the DMV where we go to test got a new employee who also gives the DMV test. The instructors and students noticed her harassing students during the DMV driving test, i.e. instead of observing or giving directions during the test, she chooses to harass students. Last I heard the school is demanding her removal.

2) Each new class, including mine, that I observed and came after mine (three), not only loses most of its students before the 3rd week, but those that remain who were once enthusiastic, are no longer...regardless of how well they are doing. They all act differently, gone is the excitement and eagerness. Instead, they literally stare glassy eyed, and don't talk, and walk like automated robots with no emotion. As for myself, I go thru cycles like this as well, but I do admit my excitement for the job is more tempered. This is not due to how I feel about the truck; in fact, on the contrary...most of the students are all saying the same thing. "There motivation to pass and move on from the school is not due to eagerness to become a truck drive, it is 100% due to leave the school and never ever have to deal with all of its negatives ever ever again. Case in point, in military basic training and tech school; no matter how tough or rough the Drill instructors were we all remained motivated and morale increased. It was a 100% positive and motivating experience. Unfortunately, with this particular school every student in my class has stated their only motivation is to finish up and get their CDL so they never have to deal with a (insert cuss word) school like this one ever again. I do not think its a bad school, its a "ok" school, maybe even good, but I do not think it sets any standards at all. Also, almost every student has already stated they will not accept a job offer even of presented, and have already applied at other trucking companies, as there are a ton of better opportunities out there. Not sure how I feel about that.

3) The trucks are falling apart.....one time it it took 3 tries to find one operational. Bald tires, gouges and cuts in the side walls and treads. Electrical issues, windows and mirrors that do not work. On a positive note, the instructors do everything they can to fix them despite not being mechanics.

4) The hotel is ok, but cramming 3 people into a normal sized hotel room is crazy. Although , marketed as "suites", they are not true suites. Basically, they cram a kitchen into a small hotel room, and force one poor soul to sleep on the crappiest roll out bed ever made. The hotel does not change sheets except for once a week and only if you strip the bed yourself and bring it all downstairs. We are paying for these rooms.....

5) We had two fires at the hotel and there were no fire extinguishers. When a student informed the front desk, the clerk told the student "hold on let me finish with this customer"....ROFLMAO

In a nutshell, everyone in my class agree's that although the classroom training was kind of boring it was still top notch. No one feels that way about the range and driving training. In fact, regardless of how good the outcome is, I will not be recommending this particular school or hotel.

1) Out of the original 12 students in my class; 2 left during the first week due to a financial reason and the other for a stupid reason (did not want to pay CDL license fee for his state, thought it was free).

2) Lost another student that first week due to his admission of smoking pot before coming to CDL school.

3) Lost 4 students at the start of the 2nd week of school; one was kicked out due to him smoking pot before starting CDL school (he tried to dilute drug test) and smoking pot during his first weekend at CDL school. Another never returned to his hotel room until late the next morning and left, another met his parents for dinner the previous night and never returned. Another left that weekend for a short trip home and never returned. 4) Despite the large amount of rules, instructors will pick and choose which rules they will enforce or even break themselves, including the head of the academy.

5) All instructors are good, but each has their own techniques to doing things and how they teach you to do them. For example, one instructor will teach you one way to down shift, while the other 4 will teach you 4 different ways. They will each point out that its fine to do it different ways, but that when you are in the with them, to do it their way. This has been the main source of complaints from students and even possibly why it has taken a little longer for some to master shifting, and 3 different ways of parking. Personally, I felt it gave me a choice to select which techniques worked best for me, but will admit it was frustrating to master one instructors way of doing things, only to have to unlearn it and master another way. Also, I can also see how the different techniques may or may not apply to certain situations. Thus, it really depends on the student as to whether this is a good or bad thing.

6) Some instructors are good and some are really bad. For example, if you an instructor cannot speak or communicate properly as at least a Elementary School student they have no business teaching a class. Also, one instructor is an absolute GENIUS and every student learns 1000% from him. IMHO, if this particular instructor taught everything aspect of parking, shifting and driving, we all would have taken and passed the DMV after only 2 weeks of training. He is INCREDIBLE.

7) Don't argue with fools..although I got along with all students , you will encounter all kinds of persons. For example, students who think the earth is flat and that islands will capsize if there are too many people living on them (NO LIE), perverts, psycho's, sissy's, bully's, you name it. The good thing is that there was only one student who fit all those traits except sissy, and he has tormented a student with a medical condition for 3 straight weeks and broken every printed rule of the school. Not sure if he was written up, but he has not been expelled despite violated every rule multiple times that results in expulsion. In addition, the closest he came to being expelled was when he admitted to sabotaging an 18 wheeler of a truck driver after following him to a truck stop, because the 18 wheeler kicked up some road debris and broke his cars windshield when it struck. In the end, he explained after 1 solid week of defending himself to instructors, that "it was a long time ago and my brother made me do it". (cough).

8) Listen to your instructors 100% and do what they say unless it is unsafe or against the law. We had one instructor who demanded a student while in the middle of offset backing and moving to shut off an overhead light on the passenger side. After ordering the student to do this twice and the student ignoring him, the instructor finally told the student to stop and secure the truck and turn off the light. However, before the student could get out of their seat the instructor stated angrily "Nevermind I will do it!" ROFLMAO!

9) New found respect for truck drivers. As for myself I always had respect and admiration for truck drivers. However IMHO, it takes a very intelligent, skilled, and disciplined person to be one. Driving an 18-wheeler is a serious undertaking, it is no joke. It can be learned in 3 - 4 weeks, by most, but not mastered in that time. To master or even become "really good" takes miles, time, and experience.

In the end, you will find that driving an 18 wheeler is actually fun. However, you had better take it very seriously as driving an 18 wheeler is not a game.

My only complaint as I start my 3rd week at CDL school is that although smokers are supposed to smoke only in designated areas; i.e. the "smoking Pavilion" and not anywhere around the trucks or on the range, they ignore the rules and smoke everywhere except indoors or in the trucks. There is no escape from them as you TRY to practice your "Pre-Trip" and the only places with a canopy for shelter from sun or rain, as well as a place to sit are all infested with smokers. All of us non smokers are coughing, hacking and now a few are complaining about burning noses, burning eyes, and coughing up green or yellow phlegm. I am very sick as well with the same symptoms. I complained to the lady in the school office and she repeated that the rules are no smoking except where the cigarette butt receptacles are and I explained to her that no one is following those rules. She then told the head of the school and he said yes that's a violation of the rules, but they did NOTHING. All of the instructors and staff of the school see the smokers everywhere and do not say anything. As a result, I will be a coughing, snotty, red eyes burning, phlegm spitting, sneezing and runny nose student while driving the range this week. Very frustrating...

Thanks! BTW I see you work for Swift. I am going to take my CDL training with them.

I beleive that this link about Bed Bugs is what you're looking for.

Based on the several posts I have seen about Bed Bugs...how the heck do bed bugs infest a truck or sleeper in a truck anyway? Is it due to poor personal hygiene ? Also, what can drivers/students do about it? Any tricks of the trade?

Dart, Any updates?