News

Road scholars – Watkins and Shepard Trucking trains, then employs fleet of drivers

If the nomadic life of a cross-country truck driver appeals to you but you don’t have any experience in navigating a big rig, a driving school in Missoula will teach you how to become a professional driver.

By MICK HOLIEN of the Missoulian

Watkins and Shepard Trucking Inc. not only will train you how to drive a tractor-trailer – the company will hire you upon completion of the four-week driving school.

The only company-run driving school in the state, the Watkins and Shepard school also trains drivers to hit the road independently.

Other private truck driving schools teach the basics and then offer job placement assistance while most other out-of-state company programs train driver teams.

"What we do is a little unique," said Mark Dodge, director of the company’s training. "I’m not sure there’s another school in the United States that sends people out by themselves."

The school consists of about 100 hours of classroom work in such things as shifting, backing, downhill operation and winter driving. Students also spend numerous hours on how to complete the horde of federal paperwork that’s also a prime requirement of the job.

Additionally, students spend 1,000 to 3,000 miles on the road with an instructor and other students.

But students say there’s far more to the school than classroom work and driving during school hours.

There’s homework, so to speak, spending night-time hours driving and backing the company’s equipment in and around the yard on Highway 10, west of Missoula International Airport. Students are given the keys to the equipment which is available to them on premises 24 hours a day.

"It allows them to get that independent practice," said Dodge. "They can back all night if they want."

And it’s not just practice that keeps students putting in long hours.

"Class may end at 5 but there are many times we’re up to 11 o’clock at night doing our paperwork," said Anita Green of Wallace, Idaho.

Students start in a tractor on the third day of class and soon start pulling an empty trailer down the road with an instructor and other students aboard.

"Now both of them learn something and it keeps them interactive," said Robin Diamond, one of four instructors. "They learn from what I tell that person. That’s one of the things we like to do is get that person sitting in the bunk involved in the training."

Just hooking up the tractor to the trailer and navigating down the road can be a daunting experience – but students say it’s also an adrenaline rush.

"I don’t have a word to explain what it felt like the first time I starting dragging a 53-foot trailer around behind me," said Scott Wilke, during a break in the school last week. "It’s still kind of overwhelming."

"Intimidating," added Green. "As long as I don’t have to back up, hey, I’m fine. Forward you know."

Another student quickly joked: "The first rule about backing up (is) don’t."

The truck-driving industry has been facing a national shortage of drivers for several years – and that shortage sometimes means it’s tough to recruit students for the school.

"One month you can’t get anybody in the door and the next month you’re full," said Diamond. "You never know."

Class size is structured for about eight students, although the school has trained as many as 11 and as few as one. About 90 percent to 95 percent of students are from Montana.

Few students drop out of the program, something that instructors attribute to work done by the company’s recruiting department, which screens applicants. Few fail to be hired if they pass the course.

"We believe we can appeal to their intellect, give them the foundation to operate these vehicles – not just driving them but operating them and managing them – and giving them the foundation for success," said Turner. "We do believe we do it from a different perspective. I think we do a good job teaching them how to be successful."

"We have a real high percentage of success," said Diamond.

For his part, Diamond is convinced he’s got one of the best deals in the company.

"As far as the salaried people I think I probably have the best job," he said. "I get to go drive a little bit. I meet a lot of people. I’m out in the fresh air part of the day. It’s a pretty good setup."

Women make up some eight percent to 10 percent of students.

"They fit in nicely in a typically male-dominated industry," said Macon Turner, the company’s driver-operations director, about female drivers. "You have to be self-assured and very comfortable with yourself because of the long period of time you’re by yourself."

"We’ve just got people from all walks of life," he said. "We get such a breath of occupational backgrounds and some (different) sociological backgrounds. It’s interesting."

"You have to be able to navigate into a strange city so if you’re scared of driving your car in a strange city then maybe it’s not the place for you," added Dodge. "You don’t want to get lost with 70 feet of rig. And that’s probably the biggest fear even the experienced guys have – getting lost in a big city and getting themselves in a bad situation."

Students enrolled in the school have a variety of reasons why they chose truck driving for a potential occupation.

Scott Wilke, a former heavy equipment operator, switched to truck driving for stability.

"It’s not seasonal. This is a year-around job," he said. "I’m still young enough that I can see the world and get paid to do it."

"After sitting on my butt as a computer operator and that seemingly going downhill I decided I wanted to get out," said Al Player, a former computer operator. "For me it’s great. I’m looking forward to seeing the country."

"I’ve been applying all over Montana and going up against thousands of people for one lousy job," said Jan Orndorff, who worked for Sirco Manufacturing in Missoula for 18 years before the company’s recent closure.

"I’m amazed at how much I’m learning and how much what I’m learning is contradictory to what I thought," he said. "I thought the actual handling of the truck would be more difficult and I guess I did characterize truckers as not being the swiftest guys in the world. These are all sharp people here. You have to be to do the paperwork."

All the students had praise for the school and their instructors.

"This is definitely the best school around," said John Macewicz. "The school is really accelerated too. It’s raised up a notch every day."

"Everything is built on what you’ve learned previously," added Allen Meadows. "Because of all the elements they add, they challenge you every day not just in what you learn in class but out on the road."

Last week students at the school had gone past the halfway mark, which included a day pulling a loaded trailer up and down Rogers Pass on Highway 200.

"I see that day as being a real critical confidence builder," said Dodge.

"That’s as big as you’ll see in the United States," he said in reference to the highway’s 8 percent, six-mile grade.

This week, students are headed to deliver actual loads to such places as Seattle, Denver and Calgary. They’ll be responsible not just for the load but also for the paperwork.

"That makes a big difference too because they see it all jell," he said. "For most of them it clicks right there."

For the instructors, seeing drivers they’ve trained succeeding at their job is both rewarding and satisfying, but as trainers they also recognize their responsibility.

"We have to make sure that we can all sleep at night," said Dodge. "In a lot of way it’s a $100,000 franchise."

Reporter Mick Holien can be reached at 523-5262 or at [email protected].

If you’re interested
If you’re 21 years or older, are drug-free, have a good driving record and can meet the other eligibility requirements, you can enroll in the Watkins and Shepard truck-driving course in Missoula for $500. The remaining balance of $1,700 can be paid with $50 payroll deductions over the next 34 weeks. For information about the school, call 1-800-548-8895 or 728-6121 and ask for Amy.

http://missoulian.com/articles/2003/10/14/business/business01.txt

Posted in:

Sorry, we couldn't find any posts. Please try a different search.

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.