Profile For Brandon

25k miles later, and here I am. It's been long and tough, but fun. I'm taking a driving assessment Monday, followed by a short class Tuesday, and by Wednesday at the latest, I should be on my team truck. My chosen teammate is still finishing up his trainer miles, so I'll be going solo for a couple of weeks.

I've come a long way, I'm proud of myself for making it this far. Time to run 30,000 miles, and then I am considered a full-time company man.

Nice choice! Best of luck with your CDL test.

I'm a Wilson employee, currently 15k miles deep into my OTR training, and loving it a lot.

If you have any questions about their training, feel free to DM me. 👍🏼

Yesterday, I drove about 500 mi from Georgia to Virginia. Got to experience some steep grades during the day and night. It's treacherous but I handle it really well, I think. Man, cruising through these beautiful locations in a truck is an indescribably feeling. This is exactly what I signed up for.

Brandon Z.

Welp, I'm now on the road! Picking up my first load in Monmouth, IL. Currently waiting on the shipper, just chilling at the Love's with my trainer. He let me use one of his shower credits and I feel like a million bucks.

Brandon Z.

Congratulations! Here's to a safe million miles ahead of you. Let us know how things go.

Any updates?

Sorry! Hasn't been much of a diary, has it? My mind has been on the prize, and frankly, I forgot to keep y'all updated. My apologies!

Drum roll please...

I succeeded! I passed my CDL exam! Looks like there's gonna be another trucker on the road, guys. And he can't wait to start shuffling loads all over the country.

I'll make a long story short, mostly because I've got a day of paperwork ahead of me here...

Almost a full month ago, I posted my last entry while en route to Springfield, MO. It feels like forever-ago. I have now drunk enough coffee to fill a pool, and delivered enough loads of cheese to feed a city. I'm truly spoiled by my hotel's 24/7 on-demand Folger's. I was always a Maxwell House kinda guy, but I have developed a taste for this stuff now. I'll miss the coffee almost as much as I miss my classmates, once I'm OTR.

As for my class: I'm not even a super sentimental guy, but I really hate and love to see them go. We truly were a really tight bunch, keeping each other sharp through study sessions, and encouraging one another to succeed. We would organize dinners to commemorate each milestone. We took a trip to see Downtown Springfield together, just because we wanted to. They were all such good people, from young to old, and we got along so well and shared a lot of laughs. I knew I was lucky, because some of the other classes to either side of us had people who were butting heads, I noticed. But not us. The roads are really getting a whole load of quality drivers this week.

The training is pretty much exactly what I expected. The people down at Wilson were phenomenal to me. My recruiter stuck with me and gave me the encouragement I needed. (Bradley, my man, you are an amazing recruiter!) For once, I'm actually excited to start working.

And the CDL test itself went very well, despite my worry. I scored almost perfectly, I'm told.

Well, my roommate unfortunately did not make the cut 😕, and since the training pad is getting re-sealed and -striped this weekend, leaving the terminal closed, I really and truly have the room and weekend to myself. I almost don't know what to do with myself (besides the aforementioned paperwork). Since me and my roommate (who I really liked a lot, thank goodness) were scheduled last to test, and he flew out this AM, that means I'm the only one left hanging around the hotel from my class. Everyone else is already OTR with their trainers, or getting their home time to collect their gear and see loved ones. But I don't mind it. In fact, I am kinda enjoying the peace and quiet, while it lasts. I might even do a little sightseeing, who knows?

Tomorrow I'll focus on learning my Qualcomm, trip planning, state laws, stuff like that. I've been reading up a lot on HOS this entire time, so I feel like I've really got that down for the most part.

Come Monday, the terminal will reopen, and I'll be able to meet my fleet manager and hopefully get some details about my trainer and a timeline of events to come.

Thanks again for the encouragement and advice, guys. It's paid in spades so far.

I'll keep you updated as time and energy permit.

Brandon Z.

Flights got delayed by about 6 hours. I'm gonna have to squeeze in a nap on the plane, and sleep as soon as I unpack. Big day tomorrow.

Welp, it's time to fly.

Last Monday I aced my CLP. I missed the solar eclipse, but I'm not too beat up about it (it was obstructed by clouds in my area, anyway).

Bush Country, I can't thank you enough for that tip. That part was, by far, the toughest part of the test. Oh the minutiae!

To make a long story short, I'm all set to fly out to Missouri on Sunday morning for 3 weeks of CDL training. I'm really looking forward to the accelerated, hands-on style they tout. I am pretty much all ready and packed. I'm ecstatic.

My recruiter deserves a huge amount of thanks from me. He has been nothing but helpful since the beginning. Everyone I've spoken to from Wilson seemed to be absolute professionals and told me they're excited to meet me. Talk about a warm welcome before I've even set foot in their door. 😄

Seriously, I'm so grateful for this career opportunity, and for things to finally be moving. I'll keep updating periodically, as my thoughts rise to the surface.

If anyone knows any can't-miss food in Springfield, let me know.

One part of the Texas CDL Manual that is not covered in the High Road program is on Section 14. Be sure to familiarize yourself with that and you shouldn't have a problem getting your CLP. It will be the first section on the test, and if you flunk that you cannot go on to the other sections.

Much appreciated! I went ahead and read the section.

Just checked back in and I was thrilled to see I had responses! And thoughtful, helpful ones at that!

Thanks Zen, and thanks Raymond! I can't thank you enough for taking the time to respond with the encouraging advice and feedback. I'm soaking it up like a sponge. This is the type of advice I needed most.

So it's the 1st of the month; my wife and I went on a hike today, since our days off coincided. I'm trying to squeeze in a lot of time with her before I zip off to CDL training. She's such a strong woman, and I'm excited but nervous nevertheless to leave her. Sometimes it seems like she's more excited than I am for the change. That girl keeps me going.

I aced my physical last week, and some time this week will need to be my CPL test. I feel confident about that dang test. I've been studying and restudying, as I write this post.

Really not too worried, I'm guessing I can get 90-100% if practice tests are good indicators. So I'm supplementing study with other useful stuff, e.g. signage (who knew there were so many different signs? lol)

Again, thank you for taking the time to respond. I'll keep this journal updated. Hopefully it'll be something I can look back at and feel proud about the journey.

Brandon Z.