Questions about transferring to RTD
- Thread starter brown-nosing
- Start date
Operational needs
Virescit Vulnere Virtus
Ramp Transport Driver aka tractor trailer driver, or Feeder in UPS lingo.
McFeely
Huge Member
...and they probably promptly changed all future swing driver offer letters to read "no more than 7 splits a week". Ha!
NonyaBiznes
Yanked Out My Purple-Blood I.V. In 2000!
Didn't read the all 5 pages, but here's my input:
Go for it. Plenty of old heads are retiring and now is the time to get in. You'll probably have to go to PM shift; in our area that means being a swing driver, but you'll get all the hours you can handle. On PM, you'll have more a chance to get a full time (city/local) route quickly.
We have a RTD trainer (a seasoned RTD) that you ride and train with (pretrip, posttrip, shifting, backing, no street driving), before going to the 3 week class (sometimes out of state, FedEx pays).
After you come back from class, you have a little time before going to that the state test (depends on when you can get in). During this time,
you practice, practice, practice (you can't go on the road by yourself yet).
After passing the state, you may or may not drive with the RTD trainer. In the old days, they gave us a map, keys and said go. Nowadays,
the RTD trainer will ride with you a few days, then you're on your own.
My two cents: If you have a choice, try to get the hardest route. Upon mastering some of the worst stops, there will be no where you can't go.
Learn to drive the newer tractors, as well as the older ones. Drive single axles and twin screws (axles). Also, get yard mule and doubles training, if they offer it. We used to get 50 cents for doubles, but they took it back. Get the training in case you decide to go elsewhere ... it's FREE!
Good luck.
Go for it. Plenty of old heads are retiring and now is the time to get in. You'll probably have to go to PM shift; in our area that means being a swing driver, but you'll get all the hours you can handle. On PM, you'll have more a chance to get a full time (city/local) route quickly.
We have a RTD trainer (a seasoned RTD) that you ride and train with (pretrip, posttrip, shifting, backing, no street driving), before going to the 3 week class (sometimes out of state, FedEx pays).
After you come back from class, you have a little time before going to that the state test (depends on when you can get in). During this time,
you practice, practice, practice (you can't go on the road by yourself yet).
After passing the state, you may or may not drive with the RTD trainer. In the old days, they gave us a map, keys and said go. Nowadays,
the RTD trainer will ride with you a few days, then you're on your own.
My two cents: If you have a choice, try to get the hardest route. Upon mastering some of the worst stops, there will be no where you can't go.
Learn to drive the newer tractors, as well as the older ones. Drive single axles and twin screws (axles). Also, get yard mule and doubles training, if they offer it. We used to get 50 cents for doubles, but they took it back. Get the training in case you decide to go elsewhere ... it's FREE!
Good luck.
Route 66
Slapped Upside-da-Head Member
Yeah - way too much coddling these days IMO.
Twin screws are getting to be a rarity these days. Express has been replacing them all with singles (because we all live in snow-free climates, of course).
Its like pulling hens teeth to get a 3 axle to run the hill in the snow nowdays. Its sucks to have to use 3 rail chains on the 2 axle tractors. At least we don't have any automatics at our location yet. Surrounding locations are starting to get them in. Supposed to be real dogs.
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