My Journey To A New Life As An OTR Trucker Begins
Topic 758 | Page 5
I just received an invitation to go to the FFE training academy in the DFW area in less than two weeks, simply pending passing their background check, which I have no worries about. So now I have between Swift and FFE to choose from, and dry van or reefer. Things are looking better and better. Still have not heard back from Stevens, so I may need to give them another call to see if they are still interested, but they are bad about returning calls. They were concerned about the gap in employment while I took care of my mother, but FFE said no problem, just need to have three letters from folks familiar with the situation willing to attest.
Dry Van:
A trailer or truck that that requires no special attention, such as refrigeration, that hauls regular palletted, boxed, or floor-loaded freight. The most common type of trailer in trucking.Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
I have accepted the invite to attend the FFE Training Academy. I will be starting on Aug 26. I will continue to document my experiences with FFE here in the Diaries.
Awesome! Yeah, we were talking about this in the general part of the forum. I look forward to hearing how things go for ya. I haven't spoken to a lot of people about their academy so I'm interested in hearing how it runs.
Onward and upward! 
Awesome! Yeah, we were talking about this in the general part of the forum. I look forward to hearing how things go for ya. I haven't spoken to a lot of people about their academy so I'm interested in hearing how it runs.
Onward and upward!
Thanks, Brett. I owe you and and others on this site a lot of gratitude in helping me get into the trucking industry. It will not be forgotten, and I will do my best to help others as I grow into the job and gain experience.
Congratulations Tim! So glad to see that everything worked out for you on the physical, I know that was kind of stressing you. I'm looking forward to following along with you on this new adventure.
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
Spoke with my FFE recruiter today. I will be driving my car to Fort Worth on the Aug 25th, and start school the following day. They will furnish bus fare, but I elected to drive, and they will reimburse me for my fuel expense up to the amount of the bus ticket. FFE pays for the lodging at Days Inn hotel while at the Academy. My only expenses will include fees to take the CDL permit tests, and my food, however, the Academy has a fridge and microwave available, and food can be bought at Walmart.
On the first day of the Academy, FFE gets your DOT physical out of the way first thing which I guess also doubles as the company physical, as I was told by another driver that has been through the Academy that you are not given a physical at the orientation, just at the Academy. So I have that to sweat that out again, LOL. The school will last for 18 days. If I graduate, I will immediately go to orientation at Lancaster, TX, a Dallas suburb. That will last I think 3 days. I will then be assigned a trainer and go out on the road with him for a few weeks.
I still have to finish High Road and am about 65% done. I am going to try to finish it up in the next day or two. FFE does not require Hazmat endorsement for reefer drivers, so in my precarious financial situation, I am going to pass on it at this time and try to get it later. I am truly very excited and can't wait for the week to pass.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
HAZMAT:
Hazardous Materials
Explosive, flammable, poisonous or otherwise potentially dangerous cargo. Large amounts of especially hazardous cargo are required to be placarded under HAZMAT regulations
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
Doubles:
Refers to pulling two trailers at the same time, otherwise known as "pups" or "pup trailers" because they're only about 28 feet long. However there are some states that allow doubles that are each 48 feet in length.
Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
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No problem, PR. I will take you through the whole process. I had the physical done at Texas Med Clinic, a chain of clinics in San Antonio that Swift approves of. It was nice to go there, since they were not busy having just opened the new location, and they were open 24/7. I started out filling in the expected paperwork. I was greeted shortly afterward by a little filipina lady PA. She started with an eye test using the standard chart with the varying sized letters. She also tested for peripheral vision and color blindness. Then I got weighed, measured and BP and pulse taken. She asked me about meds I was taking or had recently taken, and any past surgeries. I brought my meds with me and just showed them to her. I then wizzed in a cup for the blood sugar test. After that she gave me the whisper test. I had to stand in a corner with her behind me about 8' away and cover one ear. Since I heard the whispered numbers, she only tested one ear. After that, I was told to strip to my tighty whities and get ready for the doctor. He came in and poked and prodded, listened to my heart and breathing, checked for hernias, reflexes, grip, etc. He asked if I had any shortness of breath, dizziness, or any problems that might be problematic for a driver. After that he said congratulations on a two year card, I had passed.
I am a big guy at well 6.5 ft tall, and 300 lbs. I have a 19.5 inch neck and a bit of a pot belly, but I don't look that obese. That is perhaps why he did not even bring up sleep apnea , which I was concerned about with so much talk about it in the industry lately. He looked down my throat, but said nothing. Whew. I don't know if I have apnea. I doubt it since I sleep well and rarely ever am tired during the day. I sure did not want to have that to worry about getting taken care of at this point by having to go through the expense of a sleep study and CPAP machine. However, if in the future while driving I have any problem with keeping aware and alert, I will voluntarily get one done when I can afford it.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
Sleep Apnea:
A physical disorder in which you have pauses in your breathing, or take shallow breaths, during sleep. These pauses can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Normal breathing will usually resume, sometimes with a loud choking sound or snort.
In obstructive sleep apnea, your airways become blocked or collapse during sleep, causing the pauses and shallow breathing.
It is a chronic condition that will require ongoing management. It affects about 18 million people in the U.S.
CPAP:
Constant Positive Airway Pressure
CPAP is a breathing assist device which is worn over the mouth or nose. It provides nighttime relief for individuals who suffer from Sleep Apnea.