When you get hired through any trucking company the first step is to attend their new truc driver orientation. In this article on Truck Driver CDL101 we are going to look at what a new truck driver orientation looks like at a mega truck company and what I experienced. It should go without saying that most new truck driver orientation is going to differ from company to company..
New Truck Driver Orientation – Day One
Well my first day at orientation consisted of taking the company physical which basically meant going through a series of simple maneuvers and having your blood pressure taken immediately afterwards. As long as you could complete the maneuvers without your blood pressure spiking through the roof you passed the test
The second part was the drug test. So the nurse gives you a little bottle and has you empty out your pockets before you head into the washroom to fill up the cup. The cup is then headed back to the nurse who will seal it in front of you and ask you to place your signature on the cup. Basically ensuring that no one can tamper with the sample. The nurse would also take a small snippet of your hair to test as well. If you are as bald as an egg they will use your chest or armpit hair to get a sample.
The next part was the signing of documents, making photocopies of your license and going through the expectations of the orientation period
The instructor will then give you the directions to the hotel/motel where you will be staying at for the duration of your orientation. The hotel/motel will provide breakfast and the school will provide lunch however you are responsible for your own dinner. Depending on the company will determine how good or bad the hotel/motel will be. Megas tend to find the cheapest option in the area. As well expect to have a roommate.
New Truck Driver Orientation – Day Two
If I remember right the orientation was set to run from eight o’clock in the morning to five o’clock in the afternoon with an hour given for lunch.
This day was all about company policies and going through their safety book. Part of the day was spent going through the pretrip and what the company expected each of their drivers to perform in terms of inspection of the truck and trailer.
The instructor also introduced trip planning and the most effective ways to utilize your hours of service.
New Truck Driver Orientation – Day Three to Day Ten
Well the drug tests have come back from day one and in my case one of my fellow students failed it due to marijuana use from a couple of months before. It does not matter if you have high levels or low levels of a given drug in your system it is still a fail and a automatic dismissal from the company.
For the next seven days the orientation would be split in two halves. The first group would attend classes in the morning and would practice driving with one of the instructors in the afternoon. The second group would do the opposite with each group alternating each day in who would start in the truck or the class
The problem with a lot of truck driving school is they teach the students to pass the test and not actual real driving scenarios. The instructors at orientation are focused on getting you as comfortable as possible behind the wheel and experience a wide variety of driving scenarios. An area that a ton of drivers have problems with is backing for a high percentage of truck driving schools only teach a straight back as that is what is required to get your CDL. When it comes to blindside backing or backing in a dock with limited room to maneuver most new drivers are going to need some time behind the wheel in order to get comfortable
The classes were spent on dealing with a number of items that are specific to the company or region. I was working for a company near Toronto so crossing the border into the United States was a common experience so we spent a lot of time learning about the paperwork needed in order to cross an international border. Other such areas that we covered had to deal with hazmat loads and loads of high value that needed to be treated differently in terms of where you were going to stop for the night and the type of securement you needed for your trailer
On the last day of orientation everyone is given a driving test. For those that were able to pass the test they would be assigned to an on road trainer. For those that failed the test they were sent back to orientation for another week. If they still failed after the extra week they were normally sent home without a job.
My roommate at the hotel was sent back to orientation as he kept making the same mistakes over and over again. The CDL school he attended was allowed to award their students with their licenses and not be tested by the MTO (Ministry Of Transportation Ontario). I believe the company placed a ban on hiring anyone from that school in the future do to a number of new hires that could not successfully complete orientation
Reasons Truck Drivers Are Removed From Orientation
- Failed drug tests – A failed drug test is an automatic dismissal from most companies and they may send your information to the clearinghouse which is a royal pain in the butt when it comes to future employment by any company. If you want a career in trucking make sure that you can pass the drug tests before you even get your CDL
- Failed road test – This is pretty obvious but if you can not pass the companies road test there is no way they are going to trust you with their expensive equipment
- Being constantly late – There are companies that provide buses and vans in order to get you from the hotel/motel to the terminal and vice versa. If the person is constantly late this will be enough reason to remove someone from orientation
- Poor behavior at to hotel/motel – Now I have never experienced this personally but heard of stories of students drinking at the hotel/motel and being dismissed from the company.
- English requirements – This is a rather new reason however with the new laws concerning English requirements where the CDL driver must be able to read and understand English if the driver is unable to do so he or she will be dismissed from the company. No company wants to have their equipment placed out of service far from the terminal due to the driver CDL being taken away. Dot English Proficiency
New Driver Orientation Conclusion
Every company will have their own way in how they conduct orientation for new and for experienced drivers. The orientation period for a experienced driver tends to be a couple of days long where you are basically reviewing company procedures and going through the medical and drug tests
For a new driver who just received his or her CDL the orientation can be much longer depending on the company. Some companies may still stick to the two day process in order to get the driver into a truck and making them money as soon as possible. Of course the downside of this is drivers who lack real experience being thrown to the wolves
