Schneider Bulk Training, Week 1

I closed out my SAGE training diary with the successful acquisition of my CDL-A and words of thanks to those following my diary and offering their encouragement and support, especially G-Town and including Han Solo Cup, Brett, and Old School. I began my bulk training period with Schneider on schedule, beginning Monday May 8. Schneider’s bulk or tanker training last approximately 4 1/2 weeks, and right on schedule, my last day in training fell on the 31st day. 

The first day of bulk training, and when I say ‘bulk training,’ I mean chemicals, not food-grade… as a Schneider associate we are going to become “Chemical Unload Specialists;” The Big Orange does not haul food-grade products, but chemicals only, many of which are HAZMAT. The first day of bulk training weeded out half of the prospective trainees, mostly due to high blood pressure; on that 1st day experienced and inexperienced drivers alike all go through the same DOT physical process. After Day 1 my class of inexperienced drivers only lost two additional persons, one because of stupidity and the other due to bad knees (there is a fair amount of climbing on-and-off the top of the tankers, especially during training… in the real world not so much: most customers unload your trailer anyway and don’t allow you on top of the trailer while on their property… liability reasons). So climbing on top of your trailer often is limited to how thorough of a pre-trip or en-route inspection you want to perform. 

Pretty much the first week was spent in the classroom; we watched training videos and modules, saw some really amazing powerpoint presentations, signed up for employee benefits, received our fuel cards, and received a very large duffel bag with which to store all of the chemical gear we might be called upon to wear: a chemical suit, chemical boots, chemical gloves, respirator, FR coveralls, hard hat w/face shield, and an enormous pair of goggles. 

We ended the first week and began the second week with a much more hands-on approach, spending one day learning how to unload the contents of our trailer using the pump, and one day learning how to unload our trailer using the air compressor. That’s when the training really became fun for me. It’s one thing to observe a procedure while watching a video, it’s quite another actually doing it. With only three of us in the inexperienced group remaining, I had as many opportunities as I wanted to practice the unloads; I basically kept practicing until the end of the day arrived and I was encouraged to stop.

Me, Jimmie, & Jimmy... wearing our 'basic PPE:'  hard hat w/full face shield, steel-toe boots, long pants, long-sleeve shirts, and gloves.