[coolhandluke]

Hi,i thought everyone would like a litte first hand info from a Maverick student.Right now, i am in Paragould,Arkansas,my trainers hometown,getting ready to start my on the road training tomarrow mourning.Ok,here is what to expect.Bye the way i came here as a person with a CDL but with VERY LIMITED EXPERIENCE. Everyone arrives in North Little Rock on a Sat. Everyone stays at the Maverick hotel on the maverick yard.Everyone will have a roomate.The rooms have two double beds,two desks and a shower,sink,etc. The tv is in the lobby as is the laundry machines.Sunday you will start early and basicly do paperwork,learn about Maverick,do introductions,meet the instructors etc..If i remember correctly on mon. you will,again,be in class all day,more paperwork,watching viedos,etc.On Tue.,you will ,again,meet in the orientation building for drug test,phiscal,and agility test and ,i forgot,interviews. Alright,first you will have a piss test,then you will have your blood pressure checked,then you will have a 2 min turn and cough physical.After this you will go to an interview.Basically,this is just a question/anwser thing.They also see if everything your recruiter told you was honest.They are VERY,VERY concerned and try very hard to be upfront and honest with everyone.If there was any half truths they will do whatever it takes to fix it. After this, you will take the legendary agility test.What ever you have read in the past forget it THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU WILL DO.First,every one is in one room seated at the tables.There is two women and on man.The two women go from person to person. They tell you,for example,to put your arms at a 90 degree angle then the push down LIGHTLY while you resest.Then the man makes you stand up and you just bend forward,backwards,then side to side.Again no big deal AT ALL. After this you go into another room.You lay on a mat face down,put your hands behind your head and lift your chest off the ground for like 1 min.Then you do a simple step up step down test for 2 min.NO YOU DO NOT WEAR ANY KIND OF HEART MONITER OR ANYTHING. After this you pick up a box over your head with maybe 30-40 lbs in it.Then you will pick up a milkcrate with weights in it.Believe me this is no big deal AT ALL.Then you go outside and pick up a tarp and put it on top of a trailer three times.The tarp weighs maybe 60 lbs. After this you get on top of a trailer and have to climb on top of a box 5'6" high.You can put a tarp down as a step up. you can also grab the straps that are holding it down.Then you walk across a beam placed on the ground and finally climb into and out of a truck.NOW get this there was a 100lbs women and a 310 lbs man in our class NO ONE FAILED ANYTHING.tHE ONLY thing that gets people is blood pressure.This HASto be lower than 140/90.DONT WORRY if you fail all they want is for you to go home see your doctor get on meds then the welcome you back.I have high blood pressure and am on meds.I checked this out BEFORE i left realized i had high blood pressure and got on meds.The rest of the week is logs,mapreading,qualcom,benefits,simple driving tests,backing,90 degree backing,parallel parking,ect... If you have trouble with any of this,which alot of us did,they will work with you till you get it.Finally,on the second week you will go through securement training followed by two days in Fort Smith Ark. And last on Fri you will here from your trainer and be on the road with him for up to 6 weeks.Once he lets you go you test out get your 07 freightliner and go.Oh yea EVERYONE WILL GET AN AUTOMATIC TRUCK the sticks are being fased out. Again all new students will get an automatic truck Maverick will no longer have sticks.All Maverick trucks are 3 years or newer PERIOD. Well i hope this helps i will be available to anwser questions every weekend when im home......later

[abc123]

interesting , im looking into them, post how it goes for you

[BMcClain67]

Thank you for the info. I am starting with maverick this comeing weekend.

[mudflap276]

the automatics will take them off of my list of potential employers

[coolhandluke]

concerning the automatics,check out the freightliner website.The trucks are autos BUT they can also be manual 10 speed.The only difference is you shift by using a shifter on the steering column.The autos WILL help in case you dont now try spending 3 hours in 95 degee heat ,in long pants long sleave shirt,boots,hardhad,and gloves slinging 120 lbs. lumber tarps,canvas tarps,using chains,straps,boards,etc.. When your done you are soaked in sweat,dirty as hell,and then have to drive 500 miles.I live in Atlanta,has anyone ever driven in Atl. around 5 oclock??? It is unbelieveable!!!! Stop go,stop go,for ,sometimes,hours!! Autos are great. While everyone is shifting up, down,up down, im sipping a coke and relaxing.

[Smokeeater]

I can see where the autoshift would have its advantages in that bumper to bumper business. Though you make loading a cattle pot almost sound more pleasant, if not quicker lol !!! :lol:

[mudflap276]

i had one when i started with tmc. one of the old freightshakers. i had an issue where it would not go into drive from park and i had to turn the truck off for a few minutes to get it to reset or what ever it did. after that, i dont want any. but it does help in traffic.

[omapilot]

Thank you for that post! Best of luck with Maverick! Look forward to the updates from the road.

[oilburner]

Great post,and good reading. I have thought about giving maverick a call, since I'm only 60 miles fron there little rock yard, and this is just one more thing to consider. Thanks

[hansman]

coolhand
Let me know how everything goes...I`m going to be starting cdl training with Maverick in a few weeks.
Thanks for the info.