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Pike's School Journal Male, 42 years
Introduction
After too many years in the cubicle-strewn cocoon of the corporate world, my career in telecommunications came to an abrupt end in March 2002. Of little comfort, this happened right alongside 50,000+ other laid off workers globally just from my company alone, all due to the telephone industry’s continued economic downturn first seen in early 2001. As a manager with excellent “soft-skills,” I’ve tried unsuccessfully to-date to land a new job, not in telecom, in this wobbly job market. With my severance package and benefits, I’m capable of maintaining my family until the end of October 2002, so I decided to take my life somewhat back into my own hands and learn a “hard-skill” that would be useful to me now, as well as the next time I face this kind of “opportunity” in the future. Growing up a teenager in the secluded mountains of southwestern VA in the ‘70’s meant that I too watched the big rigs maneuver gracefully on our narrow, twisting roads as well as the brand new Interstate highway that then began slicing through the high mountain passes and two tunnels on its way north and south through VA and WV.
... continued from Introduction, July 1, 2002 ...
Oh wow, and not to forget, TV’s own “Movin’ On” big truck, a mighty Kenworth, it “took” us out of those mountains and to new adventures every week. Once we even traveled to Beckley, WV to see it parked there behind a motel during the filming of one of the series’ episodes. We joined right in with the other big truck fad that went crazy at the time; “Breaker 1, 9, good buddy, what’s your 20?” And even though Jimmy Carter was president and his killer bunny rabbit was stalking the great GA woods and swamps; the times seemed happy and the living was slow and easy. But somewhere along the way, the great CB fad mercifully passed into history and my life took the “road less traveled” toward a local college and then a “real” career, one that was awaiting me in the mysterious “technology gold rush” flatlands of NC. So, here I am today, a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering Technology, a 19-year career history with one company, three cats and not a job offer in sight. But I’m still very happy and of most importance, I’m truly blessed with a supportive family and a loving wife who’ll truly stand beside me no matter, well almost no matter, how unusual my next idea.
So tonight, July 1, 2002, my wife and I are going to our first class (night classes for twelve weeks) at drivers’ school! Woo hoo! We’re both really excited and a little nervous. Coincidentally, one of my neighbors attended and graduated from U. S. Xpress’ drivers’ school in OH earlier this year and his success out on the road gave me that tiny, extra nudge that I needed to say to myself, yes, I actually do like my idea of becoming an Over The Road driving team with my wife. So I jumped on my computer, read all ya’ll’s posts here on-line, especially Kenneth Harrod’s experiences in Morehead City, NC with the same school (thanks for all the info and continued good luck Ken!), ordered and read Rachelle Biggs’ book titled “Drivers ABC’s Surviving the First Year Guidebook, Third Edition” (an excellent resource – don’t miss it!), did a lot of off-line research, made many telephone calls, floated my “idea” as a trial balloon in my career outplacement center’s classes and ultimately decided on Johnston Community College’s (JCC) North Carolina Truck Driver Training School (NC TDTS) in Smithfield, NC. (see their web site at http://www.johnston.cc.nc.us/academics/tdt/tdt.html
The JCC NC TDTS was founded in 1949, has received good reports as producing superior student drivers upon graduation and the price is affordable for residents of NC at $469.40 per student. Two weeks ago, my wife and I both passed our Class A Commercial Driver’s (Learner’s) Permit computer-based tests at the DMV in Raleigh, NC; having studied and studied and studied and studied the NC Commercial Driver’s Manual for several days and nights. We also dutifully went to our personal physicians for our required physical examinations and traveled back to Smithfield for JCC’s required drug screen test; both of which we passed with no problem, so we’ve been proudly showing our Class A Commercial Learner’s Permits to everyone we think won’t turn and run screaming away from us. Here we are, now under two hours away from class starting, and ready to go. I’ll try to make regular journal postings as we go along, so to all ya’ll “Newbies” out there in classes or on the road, Godspeed, drive safe and happy landings! Best regards, “Pike”
First Week
As I sit down to write this, today is Monday July 8, 2002, one week down, 11 to go to my new career. And what an amazing week it was from start to finish! Yesterday, I climbed behind the steering wheel and drove a tractor-trailer for the first time in my life. I took the helm of the school’s roadworthy Mack 9-speed; first driving a couple of times around the parking lot of a small, nearly deserted shopping center (did that kid on his bicycle realize just how close he was to becoming a parking lot pancake?) trying very hard to accomplish, much less understand double-clutching. Then, after stalling the engine and drifting backwards at the center’s exit light, I managed to ever so slowly get my big, blue truck out and moving on US 70 Business West. My instructor Sherman was in the passenger seat working with me to get the gears right and to watch my tachometer. It’s harder than it seems it should be to take your eyes off the road for those few seconds to watch the tachometer rise and fall between 1300 and 1800 rpm’s to smoothly shift through the gears. But up the highway we went, me at the wheel and three other wide-eyed students who had already driven sitting oh-so quietly on the padded seat of the sleeper compartment directly behind me. “Alright, rev up, rev up, get your four, get your four, rev up, you didn’t get no four!” Those seemed to be the only words I remember echoing from Sherman’s persistent urging and coaching to help me get downshifting right at some point during my memorable first drive. A big U-turn somewhere out there in light Sunday morning traffic and as the last driver of the morning shift, it was time to head back to the college, so right smack dab through downtown Smithfield I drove the big truck. Left lane, straight ahead, low underpass, gears, gears, gears everywhere, and not a smooth-enough shift in sight. Downshifting, damn. But I’d done it. I brought that Mack back right by my fellow students on the school’s driving practice field, wheeled it around, pulled up beside the other big trucks and brought it to a noble, if somewhat wobbly, stop. Wow, I’d driven a tractor-trailer, whew. My huge leap had now been made; from laid-off telecom manager, back to classroom student and all the way to the edge of unofficial road hazard. Thank God for the four-way flashers and the huge, and I mean huge, “Student Driver” banners glaringly pasted all over the trailer. But whoa, I’ve put last things first; so let me put this journal briefly in reverse and go back a little. This week, we met our Lead Instructor, Paul. He’s one of three regular instructors; the other two are Ann and Sherman. They are friendly, happy people, each very professional and they truly exude confidence in themselves and pride in their work. In fact, they are good role models for us. But they are serious. This is real world stuff; not the theoretical studies of my college experience twenty-plus years ago. There are 16 of us in class 481-D at JCC TDTS summer nights and weekends school, three women and 13 men. Most of us have no previous truck driving experience and most are taking this class after working a full day at a regular job. Paul seated us alphabetically in four rows of four to expedite the nightly attendance check at 6 PM sharp. Don’t be late. The classroom is traditional community college “chic” and the facility overall is tidy, clean and well maintained. The simple breezeway with its picnic tables is wonderful, as a cool breeze seems to always be blowing during the regular breaks we take for rest, water, sodas and conversation. The first two nights we spent a lot of time going over various housekeeping details, rules and policies. It was somewhat tedious at times, but the golf-esque scoring system whereby you try to hold your total number of “points” as low as possible is a neat way of keeping things fair and accurate. There are grade points and rank points; field exercises and road driving. It was interesting to learn that our instructors are certified by the NC DMV to perform “qualifying” of students as CDL ready and that once qualified, we are given a special form to take to the DMV to receive our class A licenses, of course after paying all the fees and such. But we’re a long way from that point now; by the time we finish the class we’ll each have about 40 hours of actual driving experience, some of which will be “solo” driving with another student in the cab once both are qualified. So far, some of the subjects we’ve covered are transmissions, shift patterns, operating ranges, clutches, up-shifting, downshifting, blocking, the over-the-road life style, pick-up and delivery of freight, straight-line backing, coupling and uncoupling, obstacle course forward exercise, pre-trip inspections, basic safety, two-way traffic hazards, three points-of-contact, four-way flashers, five hundred rpm’s, and on, and on, and on. You get the point. It was a lot of information in such a short first week. But even though our first two long, hot weekend days were tough, I’m exhilarated by the experience and more dedicated than ever to doing well in class; learning all I can from my instructors, avoiding rank points and ultimately getting “out there.” This coming week number two we’re going to be out on the driving field the majority of most evenings and next weekend half of us will go out in the road trucks on Saturday and the other half on Sunday. Wonder when we’ll have our first real test? So, until next week, good luck and Godspeed to all ya’ll. Best regards, Pike (PikeHockman220@yahoo.com)
Second Week
Wow, two weeks completed already. I can’t believe it! [(Me either!) – That was my better half chiming / typing in with her $0.02 worth while I’d stepped away.] Today is Thursday, July 18, 2002; sorry I’m a little late in posting my journal from last week’s activities. The class settled into its regular routine during week number two, establishing our regular pattern of Monday, Tuesday in the classroom, Wednesday, Thursday on the practice field and Saturday, Sunday either in the road trucks or on the practice field. Oddly, on Saturday in the Mack 02 with our instructor Sherman, each of us again reunited from our week one team, now in week two seemed to have gained a new level of confidence behind the wheel. We (Ghana Zooma, Wild Bill, Mr. Clint and I) ranged up and down the back roads of Johnston County occasionally struggling with double clutching and sneakily tight wide right turns. We drove up and down US 301, up-shifting, downshifting, and signaling; all under the incredible speed of 45 mph in our blue behemoth. We’d strangely gotten better at the practice field exercises too. Mostly gone were the timid forward and back, forward and back; now replaced by a newbie’s expectant sense of “maybe confidence.” The coupling and uncoupling exercise is still a little foreign to us, but we’re looking at it now not as a series of disconnected steps to memorize, but rather as a routine process that makes sense when you just think it through as to what you’re trying to do – uncouple or couple a trailer from its tractor. Hmmm. The book stuff wasn’t hit too hard this week; we began the portion of the course on pick-up and delivery procedures. Here comes the paperwork part of our new career. But hey, this is where the money’s made and lost, so it’s important to get this right too. Our instructor Paul took us through some new forms such as Waybill and Bill Of Lading. We learned about consignees and consignors, the folks who in essence pay our salaries. Sometime in the next week or so, we’ll have our first classroom test; it’ll be on pick-up and delivery. Our instructor Ann gave us a great talk on the L.A.B. (airbrakes) check; Leaks, Alarms, Buttons and Sherman gave our driving team a thorough pre-trip inspection walk and talk. Even the mph and rpm “rules” for skip shifting were introduced to us this week; so that during our upcoming week three’s weekend road trip in FL08 we’ll be able to give that a try too. Back on the field exercises, we began to be held liable for “rank” points; those pesky wrist-slaps made when we make a mistake such as “losing a mirror,” letting someone bump a traffic cone, or clashing a gear on the unsynchronized manual transmission of the coupling truck. Losing a mirror is when you can’t see the rear of your trailer as you’re backing up due to the fact that you’ve been steering to the left, but watching in your right mirror, and now suddenly when you glance back left all you can see in your left mirror is the front of your trailer. Oops, here comes our newly introduced instructor Bill, his index finger pointing skyward, and it’s rank point time. But overall, the second week was really great. A sense of camaraderie is really beginning to grow among all the students and the routine of the next several weeks is becoming familiar and comfortable. We’ve been exposed to so much, but in reality, it’s so little of what we’ll experience in this new career. The old cliché of “don’t know how much you don’t know” really rings true. Even the ambling country road drive to and from Smithfield is settling into a nice routine. My wife and I talk and chat and plan and dream and worry and speculate and plan and talk and chat; and except for the occasional deer standing just outside my headlights’ range in the darkness, it’s all good. Thanks for the encouragement; good luck, good weather and Godspeed to all ya’ll out there. Best regards from the JCC TDTS, Pike (pikehockman220@yahoo.com)
Third Week
Our third week is now behind us! Three down and nine to go to my new over-the-road lifestyle! Today is Monday, July 22, 2002. The days and nights at JCC TDTS are passing quickly. Unfortunately, I believe that we had our first student withdraw from the class. I don’t know why he stopped coming. Jerry is a nice, quick-witted fellow and he was perhaps the only student ever to miss zero questions on the general knowledge, unofficial first “pop quiz.” So likely we’re now down to fifteen newbie drivers. Yesterday, three of my student colleagues and I ventured forth with our instructor Ann on the school’s FL08. The rig is a Freightliner ten-speed with a smooth transmission and a comfortable 400-rpm drop and rev to monitor via the tachometer during up shifting and downshifting. This was my (and my buddies’ Dr. Watson, Mr. Clint and Larry “Pops” Teeter) first drive with Ann. Off we went, hoping not to “terrorize” too badly NC’s Johnston, Harnett and Cumberland counties. The primary objective of the day was to practice our newly acquainted skip-shifting skills. This was our second weekend with a full day of road driving practice. During this week’s night classes, the instructors focused mainly on practice field exercises, and as the funky Caribbean dance song goes, it was hot, hot, hot! Saturday the temperature was well over 100 degrees on the stifling asphalt of the sun drenched practice field. Paul got our attention bright and early on Saturday morning with our first official classroom test. Yikes, what a surprise! Really. The ten question test covered Pick-Up & Delivery procedures. We’d finished this section of class work during the week and most of us were planning to study later, expecting that this test would come first thing on Monday night. Ah ha! Fool us once, shame on you; fool us twice, … , and oh well I suppose you’ve fooled us twice. We’ll learn our scores first thing tonight and supposedly four students didn’t miss any questions. Ok, that’s enough about class work for now. Let’s go back outside onto the hot and humid practice field. Again this week we drove four basic exercises using the school’s well-worn tractors equipped with automatic transmissions and open windows for cooling. First, let me tell you about the Forward Exercise. This mini obstacle course includes several tight maneuvers. We begin with a right-hand turn at idling speed driving into a tight serpentine “S” pattern where we have to finesse the tractor-trailer around a blue barrel on our left and then back inside highway cones on our right. Second comes a no-stop, ninety-degree curb (corner) turn to the right while we watch our convex mirror to ensure that our trailer’s right rear tire rolls across a well faded yellow line, keeping within 12 inches of but not touching the “curb.” Third, there’s a tricky zigzag maneuver (otherwise known as the offset alley) where we drive the tractor-trailer “diagonally” into a flat “S” pattern through a set of two barricades that are offset from one another. The only way you can get through them both without repositioning (a stop, back-up and forward) is to ensure that your trailer’s left rear tire glides by as close as possible to the end of the first barricade, so that your trailer’s right rear tire passes clear exiting the next barricade. Fourth, a button hook-shaped, right-hand turn leads you down into a 100-foot “alley.” The alley is only nine feet wide and we can’t “hit” the yellow lines or one of the tennis balls so tenuously perched on small casters on the edge of those same lines. Finally, after successfully exiting the 100-foot narrow alley, another right-hand turn and then a gradual, controlled slow-down approach leading to a measured stop on yet another yellow line. We have to bring our vehicle to one, not two, but one gentle stop with the front bumper no more than 6 inches from the line without crossing it. Of course, each of these obstacles has its own “grade points” penalty if you fail to complete that portion of the course without hitting something or crossing a yellow line. After a full day of practice, near the end of the day on Saturday, I made a couple of perfect runs all the way around the course without incurring any demerits. Woo hoo! Also on the practice field there are a bulk (tanker) tractor-trailer dedicated to Coupling/Uncoupling Exercises and a set of tractor-trailers dedicated to Straight-line Backing; simulating backing into an 11 foot wide loading dock between two other parked trailers. For test purposes later in the course, we’ll have to complete the coupling and uncoupling process in less than ten minutes in the exact order of the 28 logical steps specified by the school. Regarding the course’s straight-line backing skill test, we’ll be graded on that as part of an overall 90 degree, loading dock and nine-foot wide alley backing maneuver. Lastly comes the Pre-trip Inspection exercise where we have to complete a full inspection of a “ready-to-go” rig from bow to stern (just a little nautical lingo thrown in from my ocean-going cruise ship days). To pass, we’re supposed to do this nose to tail inspection in less than 20 minutes. There are lots of tractor components and trailer components to remember to call out and check for a potential defect; but the rig is right there in front of you, so if you practice you’ll get it. The true highlight of the week was the very evident and ever-growing camaraderie between and amongst the students. I’m really enjoying getting to know these people. Each and every person in our small group has a really good attitude and is genuinely interested in the success of his or her fellow classmates. We’re having interesting conversations on what we want to do with this newfound skill after we complete the course. Personally, I’m still interested in driving as an over-the-road team with my darling wife and classmate. As our September 22 graduation begins to become visible on the calendar’s horizon, my research into various carriers for a company driver career is ramping-up. I’m compiling as much information as I can from lots of companies and industry web sites. If you’re reading this journal, I’d welcome your feedback and opinions on both “good” and “bad” carriers as employers; who you like, why you like them and vice versa. In aiming high, my career goal is to hire on with a carrier that will provide a good starting team mileage pay rate and regular increases, lots of driving miles per week, reasonable health insurance coverage beginning on day one and the opportunity within two years or less to drive a non-slip seat, brand new rig. In return, I’ll work hard and give my very best effort to provide that company a professional, safe, dependable, conscientious driver. A new driver with a good work ethic, good attitude and who has been educated by a long established, highly respected and well certified truck driver training school. I’ve discovered one or two interesting NC-based companies, but I’m also looking into the big national carriers too. As I mentioned in a previous post, my neighbor has been working for U. S. Xpress for a few months and appears to be satisfied with them. Schneider, J. B. Hunt, Marten, May and several others are on my interest list; who knows, maybe I’ll become a pumpkin driver? I’m really looking forward to Recruiter Day on August 8 at the school. With the nation’s economy seemingly in such fragile shape, I’m hoping we get a decent turn out of company representatives. But that’s next month, and for now, we’re going to be starting our logbooks during tonight’s class. So until next week, don’t forget your Smith’s defensive driving guidelines; “A. G. K. L. M.” -- Aim high, Get the big picture, Keep your eyes moving, Leave yourself and out, and Make sure they see you! Take care and Godspeed. Best regards, Pike (pikehockman220@yahoo.com)
Fourth Week OK, four weeks complete, I’m still enjoying truck driver training school and I’m learning at a seemingly faster and faster pace. Today is Thursday, August 1, 2002 and I apologize yet again for falling a little behind on my journal. The summer weather here in central NC is hazily, hotly and humidly settling in on top of us. The students in the Day Class must really be taking a beating out on the practice field in the broiling sun. We only have to endure one full day each weekend outside on the training field, practicing our exercises driving the range diesels. This past weekend, I was on the training field Saturday, out on the road on Sunday, and at the end of the day on Saturday there were only two of us who’d stayed the entire day to its bitter end. Next week the instructors are going to start us on six weeks of backing exercises, but for now we’re still on the forward exercises and we have to re-set the training field each evening. In the classroom this past week, we got back our scores on our first pop test, Pick-Up & Delivery Procedures. My score along with three other students was a zero; now in JCC NCTDTS terms, that’s a great score! Ten questions, one hundred percent correct, remember we’re being scored in this class as if we’re on the golf course. The fewer points “earned” the better. Our instructor told us that if someone passed all his/her classroom tests with zero missed on every test, that student would be exempt from taking the final written exam. But then in the very next sentence “ … of course, it’s very rare when that happens … ” he said in a little burst of sarcastic foreshadowing. Well, our celebration was indeed short-lived when our instructor then proceeded, almost as if he enjoyed it too much, to pop another test on us, this time on Coupling/Uncoupling & Straight Line Backing. This time around only one (not me) of the previous four students with a zero on his/her first test received a zero on this second test. (Go Chris!) My raging paranoia tells me that this quick reduction in zeroes was no gee wiz accident, but I suppose it just doesn’t matter, does it. And hey, our class had its first random drug test this past week. Two students were called out at the start of class Thursday evening and sent down to the local “please provide me a urine sample” office. It’s good to see that the drug-free environment is enforced. This week we also delved deeper into the DOT FMCSR regulations, this time covering Drive Time, On Duty Not Driving Time, the rules of 10, 15, 60/7 and 70/8 as well as our introduction to logs and the “Driver’s Daily Log” book. Now I remember when I used to have to keep time sheets at work in my previous life as a cubicle-dweller. I hated time sheets, I hated monthly letters and I hated those who hoisted them upon us. Yet here I am again, only now deeper in time keeping hell than I ever was before. Here in truck driver land we have to account for every 15 minutes of our lives, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days per year; except in leap years, when it’ll be 366 hideous time sheet keeping days per year. And on top of just keeping work status time, professional drivers’ must evaluate their “time” in terms of whether or not they are legally allowed to drive and for how long at the start of each 24 hour day. And the Log Books are so antiquated! Using pencils, drawing lines up and down and across, with or without arrows but most definitely connected if in one physical place for longer than 15 minutes and not connected otherwise and forced time marks below the lines up and down to note change in physical location but not change in status. Yikes! And, carbon paper! Aaaarrrggg! I haven’t used carbon paper for any reason in over twenty years! Oh and don’t forget that while in the corporate world this is all done as merely a paper-chase exercise, here in corporate trucker world, this is all regulated by various black helicopter-equipped agencies that are lawfully able to levy fines of hundreds of dollars per violation or boo boo on these rock tablet balls and chains. Now wait just a minute here, I thought the life of a professional driver was just running up and down the highways and hollering “Yee Haw” at the top of my lungs on the CB all day long. Nobody said nothing about keeping no – timesheets! Did I mention that I hate time sheets? Well, now I think I hate Log Books too. And next week we start keeping practice logs, prior to the next week when we’ll start keeping log sheets for actual points on our class work. What a menace. OK, ok, enough about, well, that. This week we spent two nights on the training field putting in our final hours of practice on the Forward Exercises; then on Thursday night, we met back in the classroom for a full evening’s class worth of General Operation & Maintenance. We received an overview at the 30,000-foot level of various systems on commercial vehicles. Our maintenance instructor for the evening talked about the following major systems: Engine, Electrical System, Fuel and Exhaust Systems, Engine Lubricating System, Cooling System, Transmission System, Braking System, Steering and Suspension Systems, Hubs, Wheels and Tires, Fifth Wheel and various Control Systems and Gauges. None of the maintenance information went very deep, but we did learn some interesting facts about the operation of diesels and various transmissions. Even the inglorious Tractor Protection Valve (TPV) became a little clearer as we plowed through the various braking subsystems. There’ll be a test on this stuff, a pop test, sometime “later.” I suspect it’ll be one morning this coming weekend and I suspect some of the questions might be: check oil level first, 85% of governed rpms is most fuel efficient, fast idle 800 – 1100 rpms, three to five minute cool down at regular idle 500 – 600 rpms, lugging tractor-trailer is when ones foot is hard on the accelerator and rpms are seemingly stuck at 1100, most HP is created at the engine’s governed rpms, interaxle differential lock “on” only if all wheels are stopped or all wheels are rolling at same speed, radiator cap maintains correct coolant system pressure and keeps out foreign material, 165 – 195 degrees normal diesel engine operating range, and the average air speed velocity of a coconut-laden swallow, oh well, you get the picture. Whew, what a nice review! Lastly this past week on Sunday, I went back out on the roads of central NC on the FL08 road diesel once again. There were three other students (Ghana Z., Doc Watson, C. Tall Man) and our instructor Ann. When it was my turn to drive in the morning, I drove on some relatively uncongested secondary roads; practicing my skip shifting and watching my tachometer, mirrors and checking for my overhead clearances. But when the afternoon turn came, wow, I was let loose in Fayetteville, NC behind the steering wheel of a Big Truck maneuvering all over, down and around town for over a full hour. At the end, my instructor said that I’d had a very good drive in the heavy traffic of Fayetteville and that I was where each student was expected to be at this particular point in the course. For that little bit of success to-date, I am very grateful to our instructors for being so patient and skilled at their jobs and my fellow students for being so encouraging and supportive. The last thing I want to briefly begin discussing in my journal this week is company drivers and driving pay. Of course let me preface my following comments as merely my own personal observations and opinions and please also know that I have no affiliation whatsoever with any trucking company or associated business. There, ‘nuff said. As I’ve mentioned before, on Aug 8, our school will sponsor a Recruiter Day, and I want to be ready to make the most out of it when whoever from whatever company shows up. So I’ve picked 36 carriers by searching the Internet and I’ve targeted them as possible employers for after I graduate. Of course, none of us is here doing this as charity work, so my first objective is to try to understand the pay structure of the over-the-road (OTR) trucking industry. Most drivers are paid by the mile and are paid at a flat pay rate of so many cents per mile (maybe with bonuses). Typically, a driver is either “Solo” or a member of a “Team.” Since I’m hoping to go “Team” with my wife, that’s my primary focus right now. Team drivers usually “split” a given pay rate, one that is usually established by driving experience or years with the company. So if a company says it pays teams $ 0.30 cents per mile (cpm), that usually means $ 0.15 cpm to each driver for all the miles that truck covers during that particular week or month. However, a few companies “split” the miles, for example, a truck accumulates 20,000 miles in a month and those miles are split between the drivers at the full rate of $ 0.30 cents per mile (to the truck). Confusing, huh? Of course, it works out the same either way, but I did find one company advertising this second method as an unnecessary reduction in pay to be avoided. The company was using two different pay rates however in the example they provided, so “the math” made it look fuzzy. Hey, fuzzy math, get it? Well, this is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg of interesting findings that I’ve uncovered to-date regarding the overall industry, various company pay rates and generally accepted practices and policies. To-date, the advertised new driver per mile pay rates I’ve seen published for teams fall in and around the $0.30/split to $0.50/split area; thus bringing most newbie drivers’ pay for their first year to somewhere between $30K and $50K. To new student graduates’ disadvantage, some of the companies have a mandatory requirement calling for previous driving experience before they will consider you for hiring. This previous OTR experience requirement ranges from 6 months (J. B. Hunt, May Trucking Co., et al), to 1 year (Averitte Express, Great Coastal Express, Heartland Express, et al) to 2 years (Hunt Transportation, et al). My search so far has led me to several of the national carriers, such as Covenant Transport, CR England, CRST, Marten, Schneider, Swift, TransAm, USXpress, Werner and a few others. Their actual pay rates per mile all appear very similar with a difference of a few pennies either way for most of the national chains. Other considerations for me are: eligibility date for health/dental/life insurance, training and orientation process, second-seat trainer driver programs, pet allowance (not how much they’ll pay your pet, but whether or not they allow a pet in “your” truck), slip-seating, dispatched miles per month “guarantees,” special team support, fleet equipment age and several other factors. And even though I’m enjoying training for my Class A CDL and looking forward to a new career, I’m growing weary of the uncertainty of it all and would really like to be able to bring the openendedness of my corporately laid off experience to an end. It has seemed like such a long time since March 4 when I was “notified” and an even longer time since October 4 when this odd odyssey really began when I was forced to notify (lay off) my entire staff. They all seem to be doing well now and have landed successfully back in the world of work somewhere, somehow; but as for me, well, you’ll find me nights and weekends way down in Smithfield, NC on the campus of the Johnston Community College’s NC Truck Driver Training School (better get that spelled right on your Log Book) working sweatily with fourteen other hearty souls learning how to drive those big trucks that bring everything to everyone that buys anything. Stay tuned, stay safe and stay healthy! Thanks again to Rachelle for this wonderful e-service. Much love and thanks to my darling wife and Godspeed to all, Pike (pikehockman220@yahoo.com)
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