Profile For Benjamin A.

Well I figured I would update everyone on my status. I'm currently about half way done with my 30,000 miles at Wilson Logistics. I was finally able to meet our very own Mountain Matt. Anne said it's been a while since I have been here which it has. I just came back from a few days home to pick up my CDL. Currently heading to Illinois to drop a load and then not sure where to then. I'll try to update more, it's just been a very busy last month and all the fun stuff.

Well this is my final update. I will try to update some at times. I officially passed my CDL exam. I will have my CDL in hand soon

I know that it has been a little while since I have posted any updates on myself. I made it through the first week and did my 2 weeks of training at the local Kraft plant in Springfield MO. Today 5-4-2022 I will be taking my test to get my CDL. It's been a journey this far. I will post more later today if I pass on my first try or if I will have to retake it again next week.

I unfortunately do know what happened to Archer. I was in my first week when he came back to test. I really don't want to say what happened with out his approval, but with me saying that I'm sure you can guess.☹️

Thanks, G-Town.

Matt thank you for reading my post it is greatly appreciated. I look forward to meeting you one day.

Week one of training in the Springfield underground on the kraft account is in the books.

The Lowdown:

My shift with my trainer is from 1800 H to 0400 H sometimes we quit at 0330 sometimes we stay until 0500 so 6 pm to 330am and most times we stay until 4 am.

We drive Westernstar Day cabs 5700s, not a fan, I much prefer the Cascadia Sleepers at the PAD.

My trainer is fantastic, I couldn't be happier he is patient and has me do the pre and post-trip in detail each shift, he is a great teacher and sets goals for me each shift with increasing time behind the wheel.

Monday:

basically did pre-trip and then observed from the passenger seat, I did get a lot of reps lowering and lifting the landing gear and glad-hands/power cable connects and disconnects and 360 walk around looking at the kingpin, cross members, trailer condition, seal, lights, landing gear arms/supports (pizza slices). The trailers at the yard and caves are old and only good for across-town runs and most of the landing gear mechanisms are beat to hell, more often than not it is difficult to engage the hi/low gears but I am getting better at. We haul about 10-14 trailers per shift between kraft Heinz and the caves so I get lots of practice..

Tuesday - Friday

Every day I drove a little more on our route, which is city driving and a 2 exit stint on the highway. I started backing one or two times Tuesday and by Friday was backing about half the time it is all alley docks usually between trailers with stone pillars in the caves. it is stressful but I am getting better the more I do it, I am very careful and listen to my trainer's instructions.

I have Saturday off and will return Sunday at 1800 H and was informed that since Sundays are usually more calm that I will be doing most if not all of the driving and backing.

I am driving almost 100% in the dark and am learning many valuable lessons about driving the trailer not the tractor. How to take right and left turns in traffic and control the CMV. The route encompasses both left and right turns, highway on and off-ramps, speed control, stop lights, stop signs, curves, and railroad crossing so basically a sampler of city driving. I enjoy highway driving the most this city at night is a little sketchy with drunks and sleepy 4 wheelers.

We mostly haul cheese rounds and at the end of the night, we haul one stinky reefer unit with dirty barrels to a cleaning facility the first time I opened it I almost puked with a nasty and foul gust of rotten cheese. Since I've been working/training at kraft I've been avoiding cheese in my meals lol.

The kraft yard is pretty busy with other Wilson trucks, OTR drivers, and yard trucks flying all over So I do some driving but no backing as off yet in the yard. All my backing and coupling are in the caves although I do pick up and drop trailers in the yard sometimes. I really enjoy the work and the learning process I feel that after one more week of training at kraft/caves and 2 days of pad practice I will be ready to go on the CDL test.

Does anyone know what happened to Archer ?!?!? I'd hate to hear he washed. (As in out; not a shower.)

These dedicated & detailed diary entries were so 'verisimilitude' for me!! ?!?!?

~ Anne ~

Well i have checked into the hotel, to start my training with Wilson Logistics. So far I will say that the few people that I have met have been great. I met one Lease Operator who was kind enough to show me the inside of his truck, so I could get a good idea of what to expect in the coming week. Things have changed a little bit with the hotel room. They now have you bunk with someone, so its no longer single occupancy, which doesn't bother me at all. This coming week for training its supposed to be raining and storming for the first 3 days, so i have went to Walmart and bought some rain gear. I will say that i am excited and nervous at the same time going into this journey. Once tomorrow is over and I do the one thing that I need to do tomorrow I will post my update, and will try to update as often as i can. Right now I'm just relaxing and going to start to study my 4 stage air brake script so I will be ready for the informal test on Wednesday. Thanks to everyone who has giving me advice along the way. I look forward to more helpful advice along this journey. Keep safe everyone

Ben A

Well everything is done. I'm now just waiting for April 11th to get here to start my training. They had me go and do my drug test today, which I'm not worried about at all. Next Saturday I should be checking in to the hotel and keep studying the pretrip inspection process to be able to get it down and memorized. Thanks for all the advice. I will be starting a new thread once I start out on my training. Mountain Matt, I hope to see you out on the road someday.

Well everything is set. I will be starting my CDL training on April 11th at Wilson Logistics in Springfield, MO. I want to say thanks to everyone for all the helpful advice. Once I start the training I will be making a training diary. I will keep people updated on the process it my training.

It's official. I now have my CDL permit and the DOT physical done. I have my permit in hand. Now I'm just waiting for my recruiter to call me back so we can get everything finalized and get a start date for me to start my training. I can't wait. Once I start training I will try to keep up with a daily diary. I'll keep this one short as future ones will be a little bit longer.

Ben

Thanks Archer. I'm looking at trying to start April 11th as that gives me time and my job time to replace me. It will take 2 people to just replace me at my current job. I will look forward to reading your training diary. I'm taking a quick break at work then back to it

Hello Benjamin

I'm here in Springfield, Mo, arrived last night. I begin training at Wilson Logistics on Monday morning.

I will update my Wilson diary post more often now that I'm here on the ground.

The recruiter and the staff have been wonderful so far and the hotel is more than decent.

The rooms are single occupancy which is great I'm sort of a loner and I like having my own space.

-Archer out

Hello Anne. Yeah it was Daniel that I meant. I need to get it printed off 5jat way I can study it really well. I want to be able to pass my pretrip and everything else, seeing that I am tired of working in a pizza kitchen stretching pizza dough and all the flour. This is a better way to support my family, as my fiancee is supportive of me doing it and I'd encouraging me every step of the way.

Well as of today I have passed all of my written tests to obtain my CDL permit. Early next week I will be going to get my DOT physical then off to get the permit that way I can get ready to start the next process and start the actual training. I plan on starting on April 11th. I have downloaded the pretrip from Brian, but was wondering if any current Wilson Logistics drivers have on from the company that I can download and study to get a good idea on it, to have things memorized by the time I actually start training. I will update more next week once I get the physical done and get my permit.

Benjamin (Ben)

Great news, Ben!

The pretrip from 'Brian,' or did you mean Daniel B.?

Mountain Matt used THAT ^^^ one to pass at Wilson; he took it to an office store and had it laminated and bound into a book. However, if you drop a line in HIS Wilson diary, you could ask him about a Wilson specific one. While there, look into his photo gallery, and you'll see the 'book' he made from Daniel's.

Best wishes, I'm following!

~ Anne ~