OK, it's been ages and ages since I've posted but I'm back! For this post, I'm going to talk mainly to both current CDL students and to those thinking about getting into trucking.
When Richie and I were in CDL school, we were encouraged to apply to as many trucking companies as possible to give us the best chance of receiving letters of prehire. Those prehire letters meant that we had passed their initial background checks and, provided we obtained our CDLs at the end of the course, we would be invited to attend a company's orientation.
In our school, most students believed that if you were invited to orientation, you were as good as hired.
So it was a little baffling when, after us both passing our final tests and feeling quite on top of the world, the office manager advised us as she prepared our papers "Don't wait too long to find another orientation if this orientation doesn't work out. You don't want to have to do a refresher course."
Well, why was she being so pessimistic? Of course our orientation was going to work out! They were paying for our bus tickets to the company. They were housing and feeding us for free. They were going to tell us all about the company. Companies just don't do that if they're not going to welcome you to the "family"!
After experiencing our first (and only) orientation, I can safely say that "Yes, they do."
This is something that CDL schools need to hammer home to their students because not being absolutely clear as to what orientation is causes much confusion, misunderstanding and potential bitter disappointment.
First, I'm going to tell you what orientation isn't. It isn't a guaranteed job. You aren't going there as an employee. It isn't a "welcome to your new family" party.
Here's what it is. It's a really, really long job interview. It's a weeding out process. Until the moment you receive your employee ID, it's a constant asking yourself "Is today the day I'm going to be sent home?"
If you are a CDL student reading this and I have burst your bubble, I'm sorry. I really am! I remember how exciting it was to receive those prehire letters and treat them as if they were job offers.
But knowing the reality is so much more beneficial in the long run and while you may not exactly be thanking me now, you will when you're in orientation.
I'm going to tell you about our orientation, but first, a bit about us. Both Richie and I passed our final exams at CDL school on the same day and on the first try. During school, we used any free time to also study for our hazmat endorsement so we could take that test as soon as we got our CDLs.
We both have clean records in all areas, have consistent employment histories and were 100% honest with everything about ourselves. We were a ready-made husband and wife team. In short, we were a company's ideal candidates.
And yet, on the day of the orientation driving tests, we came within an inch of being sent back home on the bus.
Richie had his driving test in the morning. The examiner gave an instruction that was unclear to Richie. He therefore wasn't able to set himself up properly for a turn and as a result, the trailer went over the curb a little. Instant fail!
Luckily, the company gives people two chances to pass the driving test. If you fail the second time however, no matter what, you're out of there.
I passed my test first time but that meant nothing if Richie didn't pass his test the second time. Thankfully, he did pass his second test and we were able to stay, but we came so close to being weeded out!
Throughout orientation, we'd see faces one day and they'd be gone the next. We saw people sent home for all sorts of reasons: getting caught for not being honest about a criminal history, about their driving or employment histories. One person who was in orientation as an experienced driver was sent home because he couldn't pass the backing test that experienced drivers have to pass. People were also sent home because they were seen in Logan's Roadhouse restaurant drinking beer during orientation and there's a zero tolerance alcohol and drug policy.
There are a number of tests that we absolutely had to pass or be sent home: the background checks (including employment history, driving record and criminal record), the physical, drug test, agility test and driving test.
I remember on the Thursday (day 4), we were all in the recruitment office to receive our employee IDs (very exciting). A woman was called in and she excitedly went, assuming she'd be receiving her ID. A few minutes later we heard her crying. She wasn't being given her ID - she was being sent home!
We learned that during orientation, a team of people work all day carefully researching all of our backgrounds. If we have lied or misled or omitted anything, it is their job to find out.
We also witnessed some behaviors from people during orientation that, had they understood that orientation was nothing more than a huge job interview, would definitely not have done. These included:
* Sleeping or playing on their phones while someone was speaking.
* Showing up late to scheduled events.
* Using foul language.
* Mumbling or speaking incoherently when asked a question.
I hope I've provided some insight into the reality of orientation. If you understand and accept it for what it is, it's possible to even enjoy it!
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