Celadon/Quality Drivers Im So Ready For This!!

Yeah, it's totally understandable that you're getting impatient and would like to get out there but try like crazy to stay relaxed and positive. Old School is right, you're going to be facing situations like this constantly on the road. They'll give you a load with a schedule so tight you can barely get a moment of rest, and then you'll finally arrive at the destination just to sit for 10 hours waiting to get unloaded. So use this time to practice being positive, patient, and just live in the moment. Try to let things just slide off your back without a concern. It's about the most important ability a truck driver can have.

Also, don't try to understand the what's, why's, and how's about these trucking companies. Large corporations are very hard to figure out and because you're new to trucking that's going to make it that much more difficult to understand. A lot of what they do will not make any sense. Sometimes it's because it doesn't make sense, sometimes it's because they have an agenda you're unaware of. So just try to focus on doing whatever you're being asked to do and just roll with it. You'll be out there before you know it and things will be great for ya.

I was looking over your progress in the High Road Training Program and I noticed you did very little of the logbook section and none of the Weight & Balance section. I think working on those would be time very well spent because that information is critical to your everyday life out there.

Do you know how to calculate fuel burnoff?

Do you know how to implement the split sleeper berth rule?

If you're stuck in heavy traffic in a snowstorm and you're about to run out of hours on your logbook, can you use the two hour safe haven rule to continue on legally? Are you familiar with the two hour safe haven rule?

If you have 34,680 pounds on your trailer tandems and 33,200 on your tractor drives, are you legal? If not, which direction do you slide the tandems and how many holes should you move them?

If you have 12,600 pounds on your steer axle, you're in the state of Illinois, and your steer tires are rated at 6,500 pounds, are you legal?

Those two sections will teach you that kind of stuff and a whole lot more. Before you know it you're going to be running solo and there isn't going to be anyone around to give you the answers - you'll be on your own. There's a ton of information to learn yet - keep at it.

It is very frustrating for all of us women left here.. we watch as our friends are leaving and out on the road very sad and disheartening.. and as far as any of the that tandem stuff they dont teach us that here.. we are taught to pass the CDL test that is it!! Pre trip we had to learn on our own... I had a conversation with a female trainer the other day at lunch and she seemed very upset about the lack of backing experience or map reading that we have when we get to her truck so you see why this makes life all that much harder..

I'm getting concerned that you're focusing so much on the perceived negatives that you're not doing the things you should be doing to give yourself the best possible chance of success.

That trainer mentioned students aren't good with backing or map reading, and you've mentioned that the school doesn't teach the Weight & Balance stuff. And I doubt they teach the logbook rules as thoroughly as we do. And yet all of that knowledge and all of those skills are critically important to your ability to do your job out there. So there are several areas you should be working on to maximize the skills and information you have.

There's a saying you'll hear sometimes, especially in sports and the military - "Nothing is a problem. Everything is a challenge that we will overcome."

Try to take that mindset. Don't get down. Don't say things like "sad and disheartening". It's not at all sad and disheartening. Seeing a child suffering with a deadly disease is sad and disheartening. Waiting a little while longer to travel the American highways in a big, beautiful rig for a company that is paying to train you is a huge blessing!

You're so worried about getting out on the road that you're failing to learn the things you'll need to know once you're out there. That's a dangerous mindset to have. Just because you're not on the road yet doesn't mean you're in a bad place. You have all of the time and resources anyone could ever ask for to learn a ton about a very complex and difficult job. You're lucky to be in that position. A lot of people never even get to the training portion on the road because they weren't given enough time to learn the materials they needed to learn. You have plenty of time.

You're lucky to be able to learn something as cool as driving a big rig and you've found a company that will even finance your training on top of that! The list of things to be grateful for are a mile long and you should be having a lot of fun. Sure, you'd rather be on the road right now. But that's coming soon enough. In the meantime, count your blessings, enjoy yourself, and take advantage of the resources at your disposal. Because I'm going to tell you something - you haven't even experienced a "trucking problem" yet. Wait til you see the things you'll have to face out there. It can and will be brutal at times. You have to keep yourself positive, optimistic, and focused on thoughts that are helpful while at the same time letting the negatives slide off your back like they never happened. If you take the mindset that you're going to ignore the positives and have laser-like focus on the negatives, the road is going to eat you up. It happens to a lot of people.

So take advantage of the time and resources you have available. Keep practicing, keep learning, and stay positive. You'll be out there before you know it.

So take advantage of the time and resources you have available. Keep practicing, keep learning, and stay positive. You'll be out there before you know it.

Well said Brett!

Little Carolina,

Attitude, attitude, and did I say attitude? Everything else; how people respond to you, how you react to them, and the results are always influenced by your own attitude. Stay positive, stay focused, take advantage of the fact you have some time on your hands to learn before being confronted with it out on the road.

Hang in there and good luck.

Fire-Man

So take advantage of the time and resources you have available. Keep practicing, keep learning, and stay positive. You'll be out there before you know it.

Well said Brett!

Little Carolina,

Attitude, attitude, and did I say attitude? Everything else; how people respond to you, how you react to them, and the results are always influenced by your own attitude. Stay positive, stay focused, take advantage of the fact you have some time on your hands to learn before being confronted with it out on the road.

Hang in there and good luck.

Fire-Man

Apologies I was frustrated .. I went home for a little while to take care of some things and regroup I have a better attitude now.. I guess seeing my friends pass me by got to me..

Hey, that's totally understandable. We're all equally human and we all have our moments. But you're going to do great and all of this is going to be a distant memory in no time. In fact, you'll be able to use it to help motivate and inspire other people to keep working hard and keep facing challenges head on.

Keep your head up and keep us updated.

Little Carolina,

What is the update. You out on your own yet? You still with Celadon?

Dave

Bumping this thread .... I was following when she started , now no word

Hey, be confident!!! Do not ever doubt yourself. Millions and millions of people have learned how to drive trucks over the years and so will you. Just keep a great attitude, be confident, and learn from everything you do. The fact that you were able to do anything right the first day is a huge success. It will certainly get easier and begin falling into place.

And don't worry about what the instructors or other drivers think. That just adds unneeded pressure. Just focus on yourself and what you're trying to accomplish. As long as they see you're giving it everything you have and you're learning as you go they'll keep working with you and you'll get it just fine. It's the people with horrible attitudes that won't listen and won't learn because they think they know everything - those are the types that get booted to the curb. But if you're giving it your best effort and show them you really, really want to do this, they'll certainly do anything they can to help you.

When you're really good at something - good enough to teach it - you enjoy teaching others if they have the right attitude about learning it. If they're trying their best and listening to your advice, as a teacher you're hoping they'll succeed at it. So just keep smiling, keep working hard, keep asking questions, and make progress each day. You'll have some good days and some bad days - that's just the nature of driving a rig. But don't sweat it. Before you know it things will start falling into place and you'll have it. That's right if u want it bad enough those guys will teach it just keep calm you'll do fine

Yeah, it's totally understandable that you're getting impatient and would like to get out there but try like crazy to stay relaxed and positive. Old School is right, you're going to be facing situations like this constantly on the road. They'll give you a load with a schedule so tight you can barely get a moment of rest, and then you'll finally arrive at the destination just to sit for 10 hours waiting to get unloaded. So use this time to practice being positive, patient, and just live in the moment. Try to let things just slide off your back without a concern. It's about the most important ability a truck driver can have.

Also, don't try to understand the what's, why's, and how's about these trucking companies. Large corporations are very hard to figure out and because you're new to trucking that's going to make it that much more difficult to understand. A lot of what they do will not make any sense. Sometimes it's because it doesn't make sense, sometimes it's because they have an agenda you're unaware of. So just try to focus on doing whatever you're being asked to do and just roll with it. You'll be out there before you know it and things will be great for ya.

I was looking over your progress in the High Road Training Program and I noticed you did very little of the logbook section and none of the Weight & Balance section. I think working on those would be time very well spent because that information is critical to your everyday life out there.

Do you know how to calculate fuel burnoff?

Do you know how to implement the split sleeper berth rule?

If you're stuck in heavy traffic in a snowstorm and you're about to run out of hours on your logbook, can you use the two hour safe haven rule to continue on legally? Are you familiar with the two hour safe haven rule?

If you have 34,680 pounds on your trailer tandems and 33,200 on your tractor drives, are you legal? If not, which direction do you slide the tandems and how many holes should you move them?

If you have 12,600 pounds on your steer axle, you're in the state of Illinois, and your steer tires are rated at 6,500 pounds, are you legal?

Those two sections will teach you that kind of stuff and a whole lot more. Before you know it you're going to be running solo and there isn't going to be anyone around to give you the answers - you'll be on your own. There's a ton of information to learn yet - keep at it.

I'm new, so this is my first response and my first post to this website, which I really enjoy coming here to read stories others post. I understand the importance of patience in most everything we do. But when does that patience go beyond being tolerated to becoming concerned, worried and not tolerated? I read all of Carolina's post and was following her up to her very last one and now I'm very concerned as to where she went and if she's doing well, if she walked out on the school after waiting so long to get a trainer or if the school finally sent her home or what.... what happen? I feel safe in saying, she went into the training program with anticipation of learning a new trade in order to start her new career making money as soon as she possible could. I understand, as I stated in the beginning of patience. But what if someone can't have the patience and need to start making that money, need that training to get the job they want? Do you sit around and wait indefinitely on a trainer, while they support you? I don't want to get lazy, I'm here to work! Does the school finally let you go without the training you came there to get? And what if you've waited longer that you could financially afford because the bills still come in while you're getting free food and lodging from this Laredo Texas school. Are y'all following me, understanding what I'm getting at? I'm very interested in Quality Drivers School in Laredo and beginning a career with Celadon Trucking. But I have not been able to find much information regarding this school in Laredo compared to ALL the information I've been able to obtain regarding the IN school. I live in Texas and need reviews from former students from this school, not the one in Indy. If you Google Quality Drivers Trucking School in Laredo... it pulls up Caledon's Trucking School along with an option to click on their link. But when you click on that link, it pulls up ERROR, page not found. What's up with that, lol? My biggest concern is, beginning a school that can't get me out on the road with a trainer within 2-3 weeks of performing my best and achieving my CDL license and having to walk away, going to another school that can give me the training I need, yet owing Quality Drivers that $7200 tuition fee over conditions beyond my control. I need a job and my bills are still coming in. KLLM/FFE already let me down, thinking they were one of the best of the best schools in Texas, only to find out differently. I don't want another repeat. And I'm not out here to bash anyone or anything. When looking into a school for training, please, PLEASE find out if that school works at your pace or theirs. Where are the Texas reviews, not the Indy reviews, plz!