The ride along is still a thing. Very important to the company and cultUte. It seems silly to be excited about it, but everyone in my class (the most recent one) and those over talked to from previous classes enjoyed the experience and most (if not all) were humbled by how hard these folks work. Get ready to work hard on that day. You'll be given a full set up for clothes (pants, shirt, jacket, hat) but be ready for the cold. The southerners of the class wore a thermal layer and did well while us northerners did without. It's completely personal and depends on the route you get assigned morning of.
Hit me up of any new hires have any Qs and I'll do my best to help. But beware: It's my first real airline gig, so...
Any word on your hotel location?