The Smith System: Anyone Have Any Input?

Monday, I start at Con-way. Woo-HOO!

(Trying to curb my enthusiasm, but it's no use. I'm totally psyched!)

Orientation and paperwork, physicals, drug tests, hazmat finger-printing, etc. have already been completed, so we will jump right in to in-house, new-hire driver training that will last 5-6 weeks. There will be a few in my group, 5 or 6, (I'm guessing) and having had the advantage of having studied the High Road Training Program before I went to CDL school I wanted to do the same and study stuff before my job started. I don't know how long classes will last but I'm guessing there will be a week or two in the classroom followed by training behind the wheel. I do know that the training is through the Smith Driver Training System.

I know the Smith 5 Keys: 1)Aim High in Steering, 2) Get the Big Picture 3) Keep Your Eyes Moving 4) Leave Yourself an Out 5) Make Sure They See You ... ... Got that part, and I know the course is based on those principles.

Does anyone have anything else to offer, teach, advise, or have any resources to point me to, so I can study up before Monday? (The Smith website doesn't divulge a whole lot)

I'm open to all comments, suggestions, and advice!

Thanks,

-mountain girl

Hey mountaingirl, congrats on your new job at Conway this coming Monday! I'm starting at my new company too on Monday 28th. Not sure if you're truckload or going to the LTL part of Conway, but I started a thread on the LTL aspect of trucking. LTL Trucking - My linehaul job I'd love for you to share your experience w/ Conway on the thread, especially if you're part of the LTL side. I hardly see any mention of LTL on Trucking Truth for prospective drivers, so I think it'd be a great contribution for the TT community. But again, congrats on your new job!

Ask yourself what each step means.

What does Get the big picture mean exactly?

Then simulate it in your head how you would apply it when driving a semi.

Don't overthink it, 90% of students don't even know what the SMITH system is, and even smaller population they know each 5 steps.

I hope that was good advice, people have been telling me I'm bad lately. :)

Hey mountaingirl, congrats on your new job at Conway this coming Monday! I'm starting at my new company too on Monday 28th. Not sure if you're truckload or going to the LTL part of Conway, but I started a thread on the LTL aspect of trucking. LTL Trucking - My linehaul job I'd love for you to share your experience w/ Conway on the thread, especially if you're part of the LTL side. I hardly see any mention of LTL on Trucking Truth for prospective drivers, so I think it'd be a great contribution for the TT community. But again, congrats on your new job!

-6 string rhythm

Hey, 6 string. Yo, I'm a Philly girl too. Congrats to you too! I have been reading your thread and I did notice you were starting on the same day, so yeah, we can definitely compare notes! Congratulations to you too! YES, I was hired with Con-way Freight which is the LTL side of Con-way. Con-way Truckload is OTR. Your thread is great stuff! It seemed too good to be true, once I opened my mind and looked in to the company. You're right, LTLs are not easy to come by for new drivers and I did well in school, so they referred me nicely. I'm a single parent with almost no shared parenting with the kids' father, so I don't have the advantage of having any non-parenting time. I had to find something local and I'm very excited about how this is working out! You have a lot more information than I do, so I'm learning from your thread. Thank you for posting!

-mountain girl

Ask yourself what each step means.

What does Get the big picture mean exactly?

Then simulate it in your head how you would apply it when driving a semi.

Don't overthink it, 90% of students don't even know what the SMITH system is, and even smaller population they know each 5 steps.

I hope that was good advice, people have been telling me I'm bad lately. :)

Daniel B.

Righton! Will do.

...and don't listen to those telling you you've been bad, lately. That's preposterous. Your stuff is always good. Always.

-mountain girl

Hey mountaingirl, congrats on your new job at Conway this coming Monday! I'm starting at my new company too on Monday 28th. Not sure if you're truckload or going to the LTL part of Conway, but I started a thread on the LTL aspect of trucking. LTL Trucking - My linehaul job I'd love for you to share your experience w/ Conway on the thread, especially if you're part of the LTL side. I hardly see any mention of LTL on Trucking Truth for prospective drivers, so I think it'd be a great contribution for the TT community. But again, congrats on your new job!

-6 string rhythm

Hey, 6 string. Yo, I'm a Philly girl too. Congrats to you too! I have been reading your thread and I did notice you were starting on the same day, so yeah, we can definitely compare notes! Congratulations to you too! YES, I was hired with Con-way Freight which is the LTL side of Con-way. Con-way Truckload is OTR. Your thread is great stuff! It seemed too good to be true, once I opened my mind and looked in to the company. You're right, LTLs are not easy to come by for new drivers and I did well in school, so they referred me nicely. I'm a single parent with almost no shared parenting with the kids' father, so I don't have the advantage of having any non-parenting time. I had to find something local and I'm very excited about how this is working out! You have a lot more information than I do, so I'm learning from your thread. Thank you for posting!

-mountain girl

That's awesome! We can hopefully encourage and learn from each other! We'll be the resident LTL gurus

I'd love to learn more about LTL from another company driver's perspective, and have that info accessible in one thread for other prospective drivers, so please feel free to contribute to the thread when you have the time. Are you P&D? Congrats on your LTL opportunity!

I'd love to learn more about LTL from another company driver's perspective, and have that info accessible in one thread for other prospective drivers, so please feel free to contribute to the thread when you have the time. Are you P&D? Congrats on your LTL opportunity!

-6 string rhythm

Yeah me too. Love to learn from others. I'll do my best to post. P & D? I'm pretty sure there's a lot of variety of things that I'll be doing. There are routes where I'll just be driving a trailer to another driver meeting me at the edge of the state, we'd switch trailers and each of us turn back home. I know there will be local deliveries too. I know I'll be doing extraboard for the better part of the first year, which will give me the opportunity to take loads for more senior drivers who've called in sick, etc., and I've been given the impression that there will be plenty of work to be had as I get the feeling this terminal is a bit under-manned in the driver department. They're doing a lot of hiring (and I'm at the forefront of that) so I was told there was a good possibility I'd be "pushed" forward in seniority a little more quickly than the norm, just by the number of new drivers getting hired behind me. I hope that turns out to be true so I can move to hard-starts sooner. I'm keeping my mind open for any possibility though, because I just need the work, yanno?

I've heard, the most time I'll spend anywhere over-night will be one night at a time, due to weather or unexpected hold-ups of some kind, and generally, the work is M-F, with weekends off.

I'm just going to do my best to take any and every load my DM hands me, so I can build a reputation of being the one they can count on, when they need the job done and done well. I was also told by the manager who hired me that if I stayed a full year, I'd be "hooked" on the company because they take such good care of their people. So far, the compensation seems pretty darned good and I get the feeling, after the first year, it gets even better.

I considered working in the oil fields as well as for a food-grade tanker company here in Colorado, and this was what I learned: I know the oil fields in ND are paying up to $28 for new drivers, because I had a friend start up there in January who told me that rate was top-of-the-line. That would seem like a lot but the cost of living up there is astronomical and rent it ridiculously high, if you can even find a place to live. The oil fields here are paying new drivers $20/hr, tops. Con-way is paying higher than that and if they keep that trend going, the oil fields will never be able to win me over and because of Con-way, I now know what I'm worth.

-mountain girl

Congrats Mountain Girl! Way to git r dun!

We covered the Smith System a bit when I was in school. The one thing that really sticks out in my head is how people typically travel in packs, which, is where a lot of hard breaking can come from, not to mention some wicked wrecks. I definitely take the "loner" approach and keep a good distance, or comfort zone around my truck whenever possible.

Congrats Mountain Girl...have a cousin on LTL with Conway....been there 12 years and loves the company!

Congrats Mountain Girl! Way to git r dun!

We covered the Smith System a bit when I was in school. The one thing that really sticks out in my head is how people typically travel in packs, which, is where a lot of hard breaking can come from, not to mention some wicked wrecks. I definitely take the "loner" approach and keep a good distance, or comfort zone around my truck whenever possible.

-Rolling Thunder

Thanks, RT! Yeah, I've always noticed that's how people move in packs, like you describe; and I've always noticed that within those "packs" 4-wheelers are always competing for top-doggie, too, as though they need to find their "place" in the crowd. Odd, to me. No problem maintaining the "loner" mindset, here.

Good stuff. Thanks!

-mountain girl