Profile For Yvonne S.

Yep, I get on the bus today to head out to Swift. It's been longer than I wanted, but there were problems with my move to another state. Not so much from Swift but from the new state wanting paperwork that their website never indicated and my having to order it.

I'm nervous and excited, and I can't wait to get to orientation Monday morning. :)

Well, I have everything but the actual CDL-A (have a learner's) and HAZMAT. The reason for that is technically because I have to wait to move and test for HAZMAT in my new state since it doesn't transfer, but I've been finding memorizing the rules for the various divisions and classes to be challenging.

Honestly, the rest seems to be easier once you get your hands on a rig. I remember feeling the same way when I was doing classroom work for my CDL-B. It didn't make much sense on paper, but once I was able to look at, touch, climb on and under an actual bus, it became more a matter of losing my voice before finishing doing the verbal pre-trip.

When you do study for the pre-trip, practice saying everything out loud because it can be hard to remember to verbalize an activity. This is how I failed my EMT practical the first time. I said "I'm putting this patient on oxygen." Okay, that's great! In the field, duh, I would have picked out a method and an amount to provide, but verbalizing that doesn't come naturally. So while I have never 'put someone on oxygen' without providing a delivery method and turning the O2 on, I failed to state the delivery method and dosage on my practical and automatically failed for not providing oxygen at the appropriate amount.

And I'm a talker. I can just imagine how much harder it must be for someone who is more reticent to speak.

With three girls, I'm sure the boys came(will come) around soon enough. :)

That really sucks. Honestly, that's what I'm most afraid of about this whole process. That I'll do everything I possibly can ahead of time and there and for some reason beyond my control, I'll still be sent home.

Dismissed by motion of the prosecution means your guilty? How? That doesn't even begin to make sense to me.

Yvonne

Thanks for the reassurance! It's just shocked me how many teachers and employers can't seem to grasp the basic concept that their students and employees are living creatures. :)

Not in general, just for wanting to drive a truck across country.

I have been driving a school bus as a substitute this year. I've really enjoyed this! I love being behind the wheel and snickering inside when someone says it makes them nervous to parallel park or back up their personal vehicle. On the outside, I just encourage them to practice more often if it makes them nervous. Same thing I suggest to other bus drivers.

I'm moving to SC at the end of this month. I'm finishing out the school year here. My hope is to be hired on by a company that will pay for schooling up front. I simply do not have the money for schooling otherwise. I have a CDL-A Learner's Permit and a CDL-B from my state plus all the endorsements I can get on one or the other other than HAZMAT which is not transferable so I will need to get fingerprinted and take the test once I'm down there.

I really would like to be OTR for at least a year, but if I can't get into a school, I'm going to have to take whatever work I can get in the meantime. My biggest concern is that I have a patchy work history. I was a stay at home mom for 7 years before I was diagnosed cancer six years ago and was able to beat it back, but my husband left me at the beginning of that time and left me with some large bills to. I probably should have declared bankruptcy, but I am a little stubborn about paying what is owed even when someone else incurred the debt in my name. When I was able to find work, I did and worked as a "customer service associate" (aka cashier) at a grocery store for a year and a half. At that point, I went back to school for awhile and then went on to get training as an EMT although I am not certified. Shortly after my classroom training was complete, I started training as a school bus driver. I've volunteered consistently over the years and run my property as a farm, homeschooled my children and run a couple of businesses, but...

It doesn't look good on paper. There are gaps. If you look at just "Employment History" and don't take into account my volunteer work and schooling, it looks like huge gaps. I'm worried. Of course, that may just be me. I like doing what I'm good at and if I'm not good at something, I work on it till I am. I'm really good at worrying.

So this weekend I'm packing and applying for every company paid training program I can find because I would much rather be packing my bags for school in a week than sitting somewhere else worrying and applying for less interesting careers.

Thanks for reading my not so short intro. :)

Yvonne

You were warned. If you're still reading, it's on your head.

Hi! So, I'm currently applying to companies that pay up front for schooling, and I have this concern.

There is a day or two each month where I will need to stop more frequently. NEED, not "oh, it would be nice to feel fresh" but more, "Let's stop now before there's a mess."

Most of the time, I can go all day no matter what I have to drink or how bouncy the road is. I've been blessed in that way or maybe it was all the cross-country road trips training me to ignore the matter. ;)

I don't see this as so much of an issue when I'm on my own, but I'm concerned this could cause issues with a trainer. Was this an issue for anybody else? Any suggestions on how to deal with it if it is? I certainly don't want to irritate my trainer any more than absolutely necessary!

Yvonne

P.S. I know this might sound like putting the cart before the horse seeing as how I'm not even in school yet, but I like to be prepared!

Ozzy, where are you moving in SC? I'm moving from Virginia to Lexington. :)

Yvonne

LOL I say the same thing. "Laugh at me all you want, but let's compare driving records and then we'll see who's the one laughing." "

I'm with you! My older brother was criticizing my driving with such anger that I pulled over and told him he could stop talking or get out of the vehicle one time. The hysterical part was that I was driving him somewhere because he'd had his license revoked.

Another thing to know is that Prime tests for sleep apnea if you're above a certain BMI (body mass index). Last I had heard, if you had a BMI of 39 or greater you will have to be tested. You can google "BMI Calculator" to determine what your BMI is. It's not a big deal if you have to be tested. In fact, if you have sleep apnea it will be a huge improvement in your life if it gets diagnosed and treated. So no big deal.

Do many companies test for sleep apnea?

Thanks!

Yvonne