Schneider National Carriers - Green Bay, Wi.

I've been following this thread for quite a while now, and I can't remember if it got off topic or not But I thought I'd add to it.
I have no facts or figures to offer, only my opinion.
When I got laid off from my factory job I decided to follow my Fathers path and climb into a truck.
I wanted a local job, home most if not all nights, good pay, good benefits and a friendly work environment.
Time was tight, money was tighter, still I looked around. I checked with all of the decent local companies. Heavy equipment haulers, grain elevator companies, salvage yards, gravel companies, construction firms.
Either they paid less than I could support my family on, or they required a minimum of two years verifiable OTR experience.
So I signed up with Drivers Solutions C1 school in Ft. Wayne In. After one week of the two week course, I was dropped from there, ( a good thing IMO ). So I called Schneider and was in Green Bay less than a week later.
I've been driving OTR for them for over 4 months now. Am I satisfied with them? So far, yes. Is it the perfect fit for me? No. I still want to be home most nights. The job so far has been exactly what they claimed from the first. 2 weeks out and a weekend home. Miles averaging consistant with what was promised. Layover pay without argument when they promised. Active encouragemnt to run legal and safe.
This isn't the same world it was when my Father started trucking. It's not even the same world it was when he passed away. The insurance companies have made hiring less experienced drivers cost prohibitive for most companies. Special interest groups have influenced government regulations, causing companies to be much more selective in who they risk hiring. Making it harder and harder for someone just getting into this career to get the "good jobs".
Lets face it, the fact that the "good companies" don't have much turn over means that not everyone can get hired by them. There's only so many seats and if they aren't being emptied they can't be filled by someone else.
The best most of us can do is try to get into a company that will at least let us survive and get in some good experience until one of those "golden seats" opens up.
I can't offer any opinion on any other "starter company", I haven't worked for any of them. And, at the risk of incuring the wrath of some of a rightfully proud group, many of the of most dangerous or rude acts I've seen on the roads, I have seen committed more by O/O's than starter company drivers.
Will I be with Schneider in a year, 2 years? I don't know. I still want to sleep in my own bed in my home every night. I still want a small company atmosphere. If I'm lucky enough to be at the right place at the right time and find one of those golden seats available, You bet I'll jump right in it.
I do not however, see me signing on with another mega fleet without a very large incentive. So far Schneider has treated me well and done exactly what they said they would.

 

Danny, does the Great Pumpkin have any dedicated stuff in your neck of the woods? They have quite a bit of dedicated and some of their accounts might get you home nightly. Im running dedicated and its weird how I dont feel that Im working for a huge company, lol. I know Im working for Schneider, but we are a small teeeeeeny branch off of them that works in our own little circle.

 

Hi Ziggy,
I'm on a dedicated account now. But Gen. Mills has facilities spread across all 48 so that doesn't help much.
I live in a small town, the closest city being Ft. Wayne In. so I think the chances of finding anything like a dedicated run for Schneider in my area are pretty slim. Naturally I will keep looking though.
In many ways, it doesn't feel like I'm working for a large company. I don't know any other drivers, I've never met my DBL, or anyone else associated with my board for that matter. My home OC is Seville Oh but I've only been there 3 times, either at night, or on a weekend. It's rare when I get into an OC, usually only when a PM is due or I'm routed to one to drop or hook a relay load. OC's to me have the flavor of just another truck stop with easier parking, no 4 wheeler hassles and free wifi.
So far, my relationship with the company has been pretty relaxed. I get a load on the qualcomm, I run it. Finish that load, get the next on the qualcomm, keep going. Not many phone calls, maybe once every couple of weeks. There's not much of that "big brother is watching" feeling.
I put in for my next TAH as soon as I get back in the truck from one, and I'm routed home when it's due. I get to bobtail home as there are no OC's nearby.
Sure, I'd like to be home more, but I'm hoping that that will come in time. When I've "payed my dues". I'd like a webasto heater too, but I'm told my truck is too old to put one in. So again, when I "pay my dues" and run this truck until it's useful life is done, ( it's an '03 so I don't know how long that will be ) I'll get a newer one with all the neat bells and whistles.
Oh, and I'd sure like more money too , another month though, and I should be in line for another 05 cpm. Now if that doesn't happen, there may be some fireworks.
Sorry for being so long winded, but I just don't see where working for Schneider is such a bad thing. Sure, you see mistakes being made by pumpkin trucks. I KNOW I make mistakes. But for the number of units they have on the road, the percentage really isn't that high.

 

I am thinking of going with them as I have heard they are the best to train with. Any lo down on what to expect?? and anyone trained at the Dallas location. Let me know some views. Thanks.

 

I had great frustrations at Schneider's Driving Academy. I went to the one in Green Bay, WI. I honestly think that some people get the skills down in a relatively short time and some people take longer. I was the one who took longer.

Schneider does send people home. They sent at least half the people home on week 2 because they thought they were far behind in training.

My main problem with the training is they have you do actual training on a very small range and then out on the busy streets of Green Bay in a day or two. That was my experience. It was way too fast in my opinion, a lot of accredited schools usually give you more weeks to learn.

The people who got send home in week 2 have to pay almost the whole shabang (2,000 some dollars) back to Schneider.

 

Read other post they are not training as of november No new students

 

Yes, Schneideer certainly does send people home. Two experienced drivers got booted out of orientation lst week for showing up late for class two days in a row - they have high expectations of professionalism.
Also, you don't learn to drive a rig in a small lot, you learn on the highway. CR England trained me the same way 13 years ago and we all balked that we not only were headed out onto the streets so quick, but were pulling a trailer and not just going out bobtail. "We pay you to drive a tractor/trailer, not to bobtail" was the response. The quicker you get over the intimidation factor of driving an 18wheeler, the quicker you will focus on the task at hand, safely manuvering that beast around corners, thru traffic, and across intersections (and in New Jersey, around the infamous 'jug-handles').bb.

 

I went to the Green Bay STA also. I agree, it was a bit fast paced. My biggest problem was shifting the way they wanted. Even fought it when out with my trainer. He almost sent me back for more training.
They kept hammering on shifting by the tach. I was taught to drive when I was a teen by my Dad. You didn't double clutch and you shifted by ear. I got through it though.
Now that I'm in my own truck, I shift by ear, and I kinda clutch it out of gear and float it in. Much easier on both me and the truck.
Oh, and I STILL hate driving in Green Bay ( Of course being a Bears fan for 50 years has no bearing on that

 

I hear a lot of not so good things about the Green Bay Sta. what about the other training facilities like Virginia and Pa.

 

Schneider is no longer training. They closed all training academy's. I tried to post a link but got an infraction for it. When and if the economy recovers they will re-open them. But for now, nada.