Man that sucks arky. Hope you get to feelin better soon. That would have been cool to hang out with someone from CAD. I just finished packin and I am going to bed. I rented a car and am heading out out of here at 6 AM. I should be there by 5 pm Little Rock time Saturday evening. Talk at you all later when I get done with all my training.

 

Yes it sucks and I'm really pissed about it, but not a lot I can do. My neck is still pretty locked up, but I think it's better now than it was. I'm sure I'll be feeling great Sunday, just in time to be really, really pissed that I cancelled...lol. It's a tough call to make, but the last thing I would want to do is to have a problem once I'm there.

I might get to see you anyway Steve. From what they explained to me, you'll be there for flatbed training for a few days after orientation.

Good luck!

Arky

 

I am on the list as well. They called me Thursday to see if I could go this Sunday, but I missed the call and someone else got the position, but they said dont be surprised if I get a call this next week. So we might end up seeing each other Arky. GL

 

stevedb28, wish you could have gotten my spot. It was noon Friday when I cancelled out and I hope they were able to get someone in that spot. I think that was one reason the recruiter encouraged me to go ahead and cancel so that they could have time to fill the spot.

With hindsight being the true test of any decision, the advise from the recruiter seems to be have been correct. If I hadn't cancelled, I would seriously be worried about the agility testing. Although I feel a LOT better today, I am far from 100% and wouldn't want to be obligated to lift and throw a tarp right now. Tomorrow may...and probably will...be better, but I think it would be cutting my luck far too close. Waiting through next week is gonna be hell knowing that I could have already been there, but life is life and there's not a lot we can do about that...lol.

I'll let you guys know once I find out if I make the list or not for next week.

Arky

 

Just to let you know Stevedb28 I had my spot on WED so I didnt take it but you will probably be there next week. If you want tell me your name and Ill look for you next week. Im Jim from Indiana. Good luck. Well gtg the kids are making breakfest before I leave. Im leaving in a couple hours.

 

I dont know if you would call it hired on I filled out app. talked to recruiter found out just come on down take road test and start securment training dont think he relized i was saying 1 I read book took permit test 2 went and took driving test only ever been behind wheel of automatic trucks execept for about six months and that was with an old international with 8 speed wasn't taught to doulbe clutch. and I was taken around a country block three time once to see how to float the gears two times to practice then turned loose up shifting is ok but down shifting thereis alot of swearing and grinding[/quote]

 

This may be a question for a current maverick employee. I am looking to make a change in my life. I'm currently a supervisor for a small company and I'm as far as I can get with my job. I not happy and I've been thinking about going back on the road. I ran dedicated from NC to CALI from '85 to '87. So I somewhat know what to expect in the trucking business. I never drove a flatbed so I'm not familiar what it takes to secure a load. Back in 2001 I tore my bicep muscle in my left arm. My left arm is limited to lifting 50 lbs max. If I have to lift anything over 50 lbs over my head I put the most of the weight on my right arm. I can get up to 75lbs over my head but It gets tuff after that. Don't get me wrong, I'm not lazy by no means. I do alot of heavy lifting at my current job but it's rare I have to lift over my head. I'm 49 years old and not in bad shape, but I'm not as strong as I use to be. My question is Would this slight disadvantage be "looked down upon" Maverick? I read somewhere that the fitness test requires you to lift a 140lb tarp from the ground up on to the trailer. And I just can't do that, lift 140lbs over my head. I will get that tarp up on the trailer but it won't be lifting all the weight up at once.

 

hey bob mack there is a post by pronghornracer i will put under this and you can see what she went through the first day to get with maverick


Well, here is the latest.....
I thought I would try out for flatbed, so I applied for Maverick.
They sent me a bus ticket, got there Saturday and I showed up for orientation on Sunday.
There were probably about 30 guys there, and I was the only woman.
Orientation on Sunday was really long, we started at 7:30 and didn't get out until 7:30-8:00pm at night.
They discussed the company, and we watched videos, took tests, filled out paperwork, and had a log book assignment for the next day.
Monday we had to be there at 6:30am for drug testing, D.O.T. physical,
interviews, strength/agility tests.
Sooo......I had a drug/dot test, went to an interview, came back to the main building. They had us filling out more paperwork, took our blood pressure ....again...because most of us had drank coffee that morning. I
guess that it raises your blood pressure or something.
Then we had to do all kinds of stretching, they took measurements of everything, they examined your spine, knees, everything. We had to do grip tests, cardio tests, strength tests, weight tests.
Then we had to show them that we could get on /off the trailer safely. We
had to get on a 5 foot something box that was on the trailer, and off of it safely. We had to get in/ out of the cab of a truck safely. We had to walk a plank/ or narrow piece of the trailer that was on the floor....I guess a balance test.
Also, we had to put a rolled up tarp on the back of the trailer.
They said put it up there, any way that you can.


So...we were lined up doing the weight tests; one of them consisted of
a box/crate with handles on the top of the box, and on the bottom.
The lady conducting the tests would put sand bags in this box, and you
would have to lift it, once using the top handle and once using the bottom handle, she said lift as much as you can, you have to be able to lift a certain amount, which was supposed to be the minimum amount of whatever the required amount was, but she couldn't disclose how much it was.
Well, a couple of guys went first in front of me, and they would lift what she had in the box, and she would ask them, do you want 10 or 20 more pounds added, she kept adding weight as they would ask for it, but before it was said and done, you lifted this thing twice each time as weight was added. The guys in front of me had one or two bags left on the table.
Then it was my turn, she put a few bags in, and I squatted down and lifted it twice, she added 20lbs, and I lifted it 2 more times, she added 20
more and I did it again, asked me if I wanted more, and I added a small 10lb one...and that's as far as I went. I still had a few left on the table, a couple of 20's and a couple of 10's.
Then I went out to lift the tarp on the trailer...well I was still a little tired
from lifting the box of weights, but I gave it a try. I lifted the tarp up to
the bumper, but I couldn't get it on the trailer. So, I sat down to take a rest. I asked the other lady if I could unroll it, and she said "any way you can get it up there"
So, I unrolled it half way, and got it up there one section at a time, took it down and did it again.
I did the trailer, and the box test, and the other tests with no problem.
Then that other lady called me back in and said that I could not qualify for the position, because I didn't lift enough weight.
Needless to say, I wasn't real happy.
So, I went out to the lounge, and was talking with a couple of other guys,
who also were disqualified. One guy missed it by 5lbs. According to him,
the qualifing weight that you had to lift was 140lbs. I was like... "Good grief!"...Why would you have to lift that much weight? Couldn't you get the forklift driver to help you with whatever it was?
Another guy, whom was a re-hire, he had worked there for 2 years, quit for a couple of years and came back was also disqualified, because that lady felt something in his knee that didn't feel right. He has to go get checked out by a doctor. He said he never had any knee trouble. He also said that they never this type of testing when he was there before; used to, all you had to take was a drug test, and you made it in. I asked him
if he ever had to lift anything that was 140lbs, and he said he didn't ever remember doing so.
So, after a long bus ride, I am home again trying to figure out what to do next. I need to find another job soon, before I forget what I've learned.
I'm going to research a few more companies. I'm still interested in flat bed, but I'm wondering if they are all going to be that way. I'm going to check into a few of the other types as well.
So....this is where I stand.

pronghornracer
_________________
"Art is making something out of nothing and
selling it"

 

Ridiculous! You'll never have to lift 140lbs by yourself. There's almost always going to be someone to help you out, and if not, use your head and invent a way. Once, I got loaded with a Lowe's SDC load out of Ennis, TX going to Rapid City, SD. One of those crazy loads with ladders and bundles of OSB and shed kits, etc.. Problem was I had to tarp the front of the load and the forklift guy had already taken off. No one to help. So, I did like you and just unrolled the 140 some-odd pound lumber tarp and shoved it up there bit by bit. Then I climbed up and spread it out, then very carefully climbed back down. Probably the hardest load I ever had to tarp, but I managed it, and I didn't have to lift 140lbs. Just 140lbs a couple pounds at a time! 8)

 

If you have to lift 140 lbs, then something is wrong. I understand the tarps can get mighty heavy when wet but asking someone to lift 140 lbs by themself is asking for someone or something to get hurt.