DIS-Orientation

NoProblem · Nov 11, 2004

Well folks, my orientation is now complete, I am now fully educated on company policies and procedures.

As I suspected, this orientaion was pretty much typical as far as orientations go. Although I will admit that it's presentation was much better than expected - due to the presenters themselves - really great folks, I really like them and look forward to working with them all in the future.

I did like the part about where to position yourself with some actual locations for the company's hot spots. Other than that, their paperwork system is extremely easy to figure out, 10 minutes on that subject would have sufficed.

Overall, I stick with my opinion that there is no need for 2 days of orientation. 2 hours I can see, but not 2 days.

I personally sum up the whole orientation requirement this way:

If you come to orientation with 3-6 months of safe driving experience, I see no need for two days of orientation because you already should know log book, safety, vehicle maintenance, how to drive etc. etc.- if you come to orientation with less than about 3 months experience, odds are you will probably leave scratching your head on log book, safety, etc. etc. after 2 days anyway.

Well, thats my unbiased opinion....if they don't get me a load soon, I am sure I will be able to add to that opinion.

raceman · Nov 11, 2004

NoProblem, sit tight the loads too shall come. All in due time my freind. HotFreightRecruiter your answer helps me see that you do understand the issue that some folks raised about this topic. I really don't care from my own standpoint because I hope to never sit through another one. I do however understand the other concerns and why they feel like they do. I bucked a system for a number of years to get folks to see how training could be handled better in another industry. And I do mean years. In the end all saw the benefit and it paid off better than I or anyone supporting me evr thought it would. Thank you for your kind comments about my response. As I said in another topic thread, we all have to get along but we will have some hard questions now and then and that is how we all get better and smarter along the way. When we are younger they call it school and as we get older they call it life. I have learned much from everyone that posts on here. It does not mean I agree with them but they have made me better and I will always thank them for that.

---Why hug a tree when you sit on a Diesel---

raceman

Broompilot · Nov 11, 2004

Just finished Orientation, I agree being a Newbee I had no business being with Veterans other than to learn from them. They had no business being with me. I left being overwhelmed, paper work I had no clue it was this much. I will master it but right now it is a pretty heavy fog.

Everything was RUSHED as if I already knew this but they just wanted to bring it up and move on to the next subject when I still had my hand up for a question on the previous topic.

What will get me through this is the contacts I have made from this sight. Many have told me to call WHENEVER and you better be ready cause I start on Monday. Thank you all in advance AGAIN. Am I having fun yet? I think so.

NoProblem · Nov 14, 2004

I know what your saying and thats the thing, there really is not that much paper work - orientations can make it seem like there is, but in reality, all thats needed is the BOL with a signature - some companies also have a PRO bill. So in total, for most loads, there are no more than two pieces of paper that are required for "paper work". I don't know why most orientations make it seem like theres a mountain of the stuff when there isn't.

Anytime loads require more than the typical paper work as stated above, ya pretty much gotta call 'em anyway - so again, why some companies confuse the issue and drag out the orientation I have no idea.

I don't think there are any Expediting companies that reimburse tolls and other expenses, so other than turning in fuel reciepts with the BOLs, there should be no real confusion IMHO - after all, orientation is supposed to orientate the dis-oriented - but when someone walks out of orientation after two days and is still confused about paper work - probably the single most important part of orientaion - I think THAT speaks volumes.

Anyway, don't look for that situation to change any time soon, the next place you go to will quite possibly have the same barrage of hodge podge - no matter, after a few runs, you'll have it pretty much down pat, in the mean time, just gotta sit through it and hope for the best.

redytrk · Nov 14, 2004

Coming from one who never attended an orientation(I am not sure there was such a thing in 1988)I would have gladly given 2 days of my time to have avoided the scene at customs on my first trip to Canada.To start with I lined my van up with the cars.Then it all went downhill from there.I didnt have a clue what a manafist was much less how to fill it out.Then came the question what is my carrier code?DUH.who is my broker?DUH.Fortunately the Canadian Customs were very gentle with me(US Customs would have eaten me alive)After about an hour I was on my way.
Orientation cost companys a lot of money.I am sure they weigh this cost against having drivers run into the unexpected.
It would be nice if there could be a shorter version available for experienced contractors.

NoProblem · Nov 14, 2004

Trips to Canada are another issue. Personally, I've always refused any loads to Canada just because I know it can be a nightmare at worst or, at best, it means sitting and waiting when I could be rolling here in the states.

I do plan on going to Canada once I get my FAST card, but I don't necessarily plan on going before then. Give me the open highway over sitting in a line of cars any day.

Tennesseahawk · Nov 14, 2004

That's your perogative, NoProblem, but I would take Canadian runs any day of the week. And at night there is very little traffic. Simply being, I have found sitting near Toronto is a great way to get a good load. We just got an 803 miler out of StCatherines going to TN. I only spent 1-1/2 hours at customs. Usually it doesn't even take close to that time... but I was only 1/2 hour from the border from p/u, and there should be a two hour or more delay to give the broker time.

Back to orientation, I think going over paperwork, especially customs, is essential. And yes, there are other things we didn't have to worry about when there was no orientation. One thing I do like about ours was that the company shares alot of info of their ways to get us out of jams, such as road service, discounts, etc.

LrBcom · Nov 14, 2004

I have been in this industry for several years and have contracted with two companies. Only one of the companies conducted a true orientation. The other company spent a couple of hours with me going over their paperwork process etc. and they were very respectful of my experience but also made sure that they answered any and all my questions. Now, the problems that I encountered in the three day orientation were many. I was brand new to expediting and knew absolutely zero. I was very anxious and wanted to learn any and all information about my new business. I noticed immediately that the orientation was going to be tedious to say the least because of the inclination of some of the attendees to constantly interrupt to relate their war stories. The folks conducting the orientation were too polite to put a stop to this practice. Ultimately these war stories drug the process out almost into a fourth day! As far as experienced people go, it was quite interesting to see that pretty much every person there failed the logging test and only a few passed the map test. Surely everyone can read a map, right? Evidently not! The company spent quite a lot of time and money trying to make sure everyone could understand logging, customs, mapping and a number of other basic skills and took nothing for granted when it came to these things. Would I want to go through another three day orientation? NO, but I totally understand the need for this process especially after the "experienced" people failed the logging and mapping tests. In closing, I just wish the experienced folks would have saved their war stories for the break periods during the orientation because most of us couldn't wait to get out of there just to escape...LOL. All of the war stories were well worth hearing and informative expecially for a newbee but there is a time and place for this and it seemed very disruptive of the process.

Tennesseahawk · Nov 15, 2004

Absolutely agree with you on the war stories. It seems that the ppl who are the biggest experts on everything there can't seem to follow directions either. One other thing... I've met two former OTR drivers who switched to expediting. One quit after spending 10 hours in NC, and the other expected to constantly be #1 on the list. He was furious after spending the night in TN and god-forbid someone got a load out before him! What is it with these ppl not listening to those doing the orientation??? It was stated and re-stated and focused on... BE PREPARED TO SIT AND WAIT!!! Sometimes I think these ex-truckers are thinking about porn or lot-lizards during the important parts of orientation, cause they are dumb-founded when loads aren't knockin on their crome-plated door.