Swift C1 Training - Indianapolis, IN

Good Evening,

Yesterday we spent the day looking at our classroom tables and going over pre-trip. Brad came in, at 0650, and said he was DOT and was going to inspect our logbooks, since we have to keep log of each and every day, since last Friday. He gave me 100%, on my logbook , but it was a complete and utter surprise how many people did not follow the simple instructions to keep their log and we had one student who didn't even keep log, at all.

I spoke with the lead instructor, Keith, yesterday, and he told me and a fellow classmate that he wanted us to be in the trucks this week but the school director overrode him and said we cannot get into a truck until next week but we will test out on Pre-Trip on Friday. It was rather downing but we kept our heads up.

A buddy, I made at school, fell in the shower last night (at my hotel) and ended up going to the ER and got 28 stitches. He was a trooper and made it in, today, but he did not do anything except sit in the classroom trying not to send his pain into a spiral. When we got back to the hotel, the hotel staff made him do some paperwork (for insurance) and then they moved him (cause he broke the shower). They moved him completely across the hotel, the room farthest from the elevator on the 2nd floor. Poor guy. :(

Today they did roll call at 0650 and at 0700 myself and another student got called out, with Eric, to do our backing practice. I went second and did the straight line backing, off-set and parallel (left). Eric said that you are given three (3) lessons, lesson one being where they hold your hand and walk you through the entire thing, lesson two being where they kind of let you figure it out but help you, and lesson three where you are on your own and they intentionally give you false information to seal your confidence on what you know. Eric said tomorrow was going to be my third day and he is confident that I'll pass the backing, for BMV , on the first shot.

After lunch, I was called, by Travis, with three other students (from my class) to go out on the road. I went third. The two, before me, did not have experience driving anything of this size but they did very well, they should be happy with where they sit driving a truck, like this, for the first time. One of them did their 4-point brake check and did a great job, he just missed some verbiage. Since I have driven truck, before, Travis was pretty lax with me and just gave me some direction and pointers and tips. I also did my 4-point brake check but messed it up because I put my service brake on, first, before letting out my tractor and trailer valves... Travis said he would like a solo hour, with me, to work on gear recovery and a few other things (I missed very few gears and I like to stop closer than 20-feet to other vehicles).

Tomorrow is our pre-trip test. I am ready but I am going to go over it, once more, in the morning and then I will go ahead and take the test. I am very excited that things are rolling now.

On a side note, MrTechit and I have connected, via phone, and he will be starting next week. He is coming in this weekend and we may get lucky and be roomed together (since I don't have a roomie).

Awesome progress report. Glad to know that the newer guys are doing well. And called me out Haha. I should be there around 6pm sat.

Hello Everybody,

I wanted to update you as to what has been going on around the school. Things are moving quickly, now.

Yesterday was a day spent mostly just hanging out in the classroom. We have a BMV examiner come in at 0900 and talk to us for about 1.5 hours about what to expect and how to excel during your state test. The state tests are taken on the same grounds as the school and they are administered by ProSafe.

A few things to know about the BMV examiners: 1). They don't work for Swift or C1. 2). They examine based on the federal standards, not based on the C1 standards. 3). They know what they're doing and what they're talking about. 4). They can't engage in conversation during any test, they can merely give instructions. 5). They can't help you with anything.

The rest of the day was spent waiting to take our C1 pre-trip examination (which included the 4-point brake test). We only had 6 students (out of about 15) pass both the pre-trip and 4-point, including me. I walked a fine line; however, on my pre-trip test. If I had a few more mistakes, I would've failed. It was mostly either being too specific (saying cut instead of damaged, etc) or not being specific enough (saying damaged instead of cut, etc). I am going to spend each day going back over the sheet just to get the specific little words figured out.

Those of us, who passed our pre-trip, were moved to the final classroom, where we will stay until we graduate from C1. Those who failed remained in the other classroom, along with the new class that started Monday.

The instructor, I had, told me that they're hoping to get me out of this class by the end of this upcoming week, which means that my goals and the school's goals align quite nicely.

Happy Tuesday!

Yesterday morning was time on the road. I spend four (4) hours on the road, one of which I drove, the other three was spent watching other students drive. My instructor said I was doing very good. We took lunch and then I spent four hours on the range, again, one of which I was doing my straight-line, off-set, and parallel park and the other three were spent watching other students. We did our same-side for the maneuvers.

Today morning was, again, time on the road. I spent four hours in the truck, one with me driving, and the other three with others driving. My instructor is testing me tomorrow to see if I am ready for state. I was told that we were taken on all of the BMV test routes which is great to know. We took lunch and then I spent four hours on the range. I did my blind-side maneuvers for an hour and my range instructor said he thinks I will be testing out, at state, this week or next.

I will update you as to my progress.

Glad to hear things are going well. That's awesome that you guys have been on the test routes. When I went to school we did that as well and I was familiar with it so come test day I could relax and know exactly how to handle the problem area that most students had issues. You got this!

Good Afternoon,

Yesterday I completed the school's road skills test and backing skills test and passed both of them.

Today I spent some time on the road as well as some time on the range, just touching some fine skills.

Tomorrow is my BMV test day! It is me and one other student, from my class. My test is at 0930 but I have to be there at 0900. I was told that, once I pass, tomorrow, I will be leaving and headed to my next destination (no clue where that may be).

Good Afternoon,

Yesterday I completed the school's road skills test and backing skills test and passed both of them.

Today I spent some time on the road as well as some time on the range, just touching some fine skills.

Tomorrow is my BMV test day! It is me and one other student, from my class. My test is at 0930 but I have to be there at 0900. I was told that, once I pass, tomorrow, I will be leaving and headed to my next destination (no clue where that may be).

tomorrow, I will be leaving and headed to my next destination (no clue where that may be).

Welcome to trucking. That statement perfectly describes your life from this day forward!

How did you do on your test

Good Evening,

I completed my BMV examinations today. I was given an awesome examiner. I did a blind-side offset backing and a blind-side parallel. I passed with just one point left before I failed backing. Yikes.

During my road test, we got put in some pretty bad situations, two to be exact, where he had to instruct me on what to do because they were so bad and one was flat-out dangerous (a 4-wheeler cut us off in an intersection, stalled, and we had to sit in the intersection for around 1 minute while he fixed the issue).

It is with great pleasure that I announce that I passed and am considered a "CDL ACE" at this school. In other words, Tri-Fecta!

I spoke with Dana, at Swift, and I am going to be going home, tomorrow, and it will take 5-7 days for Virginia to get my information and then I get my CDL. Once I have my temporary permit, I call my new recruiter (mine is no longer around) and he schedules me for orientation in Richmond, VA (since it is so close to my house).

I will be doing two days of orientation and then out on the road with a trainer. Since I am on the Kraft East contract, they are going to try to get me a trainer who is on that contract but I am expecting an OTR trainer and that is okay, I am curious to see what that OTR life is like.

I will give you all an update once I have my CDL temporary permit in my hand and I am on my way (or at) Swift Orientation in Richmond, VA.

Take care and safe travels!