Profile For Jim M.

I finished my two weeks orientation, load securement and driving training at the TMC training facility last Thursday, and have spent one week in my driver trainers truck. So far it has been great, no complaints or issues; all of the trainers and instructors were top notch. My trainer Mike is patient, knowledgeable, thorough and an overall nice guy (besides we listen to the same music and have many similar interests). Those make miles and hours seem to fly by.

There were 20 guys in my class to start, lost one fellow on day one, another by the end of week #1, and two more the following week. So the class was graduated with 16 new TMC "drivers-to-be"!

Three weeks down, a little over 2000 miles this week, and only four more weeks until I can test out, get my own "Black and Chrome" Pete, and head home to see my wife and daughters, man do I miss them!!

Drive safe all and take care...

Thanks Peter, I'll do my best!

Thank you Michael, and to you good sir!

No chin,

Melton was in the top five of picks for me as well. Their insurance wasn't really what I was looking for, but that was the only thing that kept me looking any further. TMC had everything I was looking for and offered an impressive training program, I had to go with my first choice.

Good luck to you in school and with your decision!

John,

Thank you. And good luck to you in your schooling.

Old School,

Thanks you. Yes I would look forward to meeting up with you any and every time!

Ernie,

Thank you sir! Yes I agree... now the real training begins!!

I passed my static course/road test portion of the CT State DMV exam this morning! I have officially completed my training at A.B. CDL Training and set to move on to TMC Transportation orientation on Monday June 23rd.

I am so excited to be done with the first phase of training to become a professional truck driver, and look forward with great anticipation for the next phase with the company that I feel represents the best fit for me and my family.

Be safe all, see you down the road...

Michael,

Thanks for the reply and most importantly the encouragement.

I was never looking for my hand to be held or for anyone to wipe my you know what, but all I can say is, I persevered!! I took the driving road/static test today and passed. So I am officially done with the class, I will go next week to get my certificate of completion. I am all set to start with TMC Transportation on Monday the 23rd of this month. As you indicated, it all worked out in the end because I kept my head down, my ears open my mind engaged and most importantly my mouth shut!!

For anyone who read along, albeit a short while, thank you for sharing this journey with me. I apologize if I haven't done so already to any and all of you for the negativity that was spilling from my fingertips with regards to the school I went to and the education I thought I was getting. Which as it turns out was precisely the reason I stopped recording in this journal because I felt the negativity was getting to me and rearing its ugly head on these pages. The only way I could prevent typing something disparaging mid-way through my training was to not type at all.

Be safe all,

Jim

Week Seven is complete. Lots of practice on the static course, all of the three maneuvers are coming pretty well for me I suppose. Not as much time on the road as I had hoped but that is coming along too. My official test day is Friday May 30th. Then I only have two weeks remaining, man how fast that went. I'll keep you posted as to my passing of the CDL practical/road exam.

A side-note for anyone that may read this:

Here is a sign that the trucking industry may have below-average workers in terms of initiative: Out of 6 students in my class, only two guys (me and my childhood friend) were the only ones to complete and turn in reading 36 chapters and answering a pre-test on the 23rd of May. One-third of the class!!! That is absolutely atrocious. How is it that folks can't put in the effort and still expect that they will shine, or even succeed?

This point has been brought up more than a few times on this site: you only get out of this what you put in, reap what you sow (if you will)! Sure they all have their reasons for not completing the "homework" and promise to have it done for Tuesday (off Monday for Memorial Day), why does anyone do that, if you are instructed to complete something why put it off and expect that the instructors will allow you another several days. Does this mentality show through from these same individuals who when asked by their DM's that a load must be delivered on X day at X time, they just can't do it, but can do it the following day?

Hard work, dedication, devotion, dependability, responsibility, a can-do, roll-up-your-sleeves, get-your-hands-dirty attitude. It's as if it doesn't exist anymore, or matter at all! Three of the four that did not turn in the assignments are former military, can you believe that?!! The two that did are also former military, at least those same qualities taught and encouraged by our armed forces aren't wasted on everyone!

I bring this up because of this result: we were all instructed to complete this work, and were further told that if the homework wasn't completed by that date you were not able to drive until the work was completed. The two people who were "punished", as it were, by not getting to drive on Friday (the 23rd), were the two people who actually di complete the homework!!! , me and my buddy! Does this crap make sense??

Anyway we both expressed our displeasure of this very thing to no avail, needless to say, I have an exam to pass, another 36 chapter test to do and a 50 question final exam to take, grab a certificate and head down the road to TMC Transportation (I'm pretty sure) and get some REAL Training!!! Only three weeks to go and this chapter will close.