Location:
tacoma, WA
Driving Status:
Rookie Team Driver
Social Link:
I earned my CDL in July of 2015. My husband and I have been married for 3 years and he is retiring from his Teamster job with Ruan in March. We plan on Team Driving, and I am super excited about this grand adventure we are about to embark upon!!!
Posted: 8 years, 6 months ago
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Six week update with Werner!!!
Great to hear from you - that's a great post, very entertaining!
I hope you can get to the point where Norm can rest a little better, it sounds like he's working two full time jobs just trying to keep up with you! He's a good man!
He is a wonderful husband and awesome partner!! And yes he is burning the candle at both ends... For both our sakes I hope he can sleep while I drive. I struggled the first few days to sleep... When your in the bunk it feels like every pot hole and bump is ten feet deep.
Posted: 8 years, 6 months ago
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Six week update with Werner!!!
It's been six weeks and it feels like a year!!! So team driving with my husband who is also my trainer.... KILL HIM.... DIVORCE HIM.... RUN OVER HIM.... Just a few thoughts that go through my head daily. On the other hand.... HE IS AMAZING.... HOW DID HE BACK THAT IN.... GOD I LOVE HIM.... Also run through my head, so it's all good I think. In my research prior to this endeavor I read that team driving with your significant other can be the worst or the best of times and I AGREE!!!! I'm high strung easily excited intense quick fuse and generally a " pistol" as my husband describes me. He is calm, steady laid back patient and long suffering!! Luckily we laugh... A LOT .... At each other and whatever predicament we are in at the moment. We are also really goal oriented and focused on achieving the plans we set before we agreed to go OTR together.... That helps when things get dicey and one of us starts thinking surely there's easier ways to make money and achieve our goals!!
So driving for Werner has been good. I have nothing to compare it to and can only say we have been treated well. Our FM has been patient with us and seems like he knows what he is doing. Our load assignments were fairly short easy routes the first week then progressively longer as the weeks go on. I had oral surgery scheduled two weeks in, couldn't be helped but he got us routed home in time and I was impressed. Our Qualcomm rarely goes off unless it's a load assignment or change, meaning we are not micromanaged. We plan our own trip, breaks and fuel stops... There's a booklet of approved fuel stations we choose from but when and where is up to us. My one and only real complaint .... Wish they had inverters or APUs.... But I've adapted and Norm only cares because I care!!
The driving has been great. My first few days I was a wreck, the fog line seemed to mysteriously move left whenever I drove. I flinched every time another rig passed me and road construction signs sent a shiver of fear through my whole body..... Driving between the traffic cones or barrels had me clenched up in knots so tight that I felt my abs getting firmer after the first week, SWEET!!! Speaking of road construction, do they measure the lane to ensure a semi can actually pass through?????!!!
I refused to do any backing the first week.... Moving forward safely seemed the higher priority, to me anyway. I'm sure our Elogs looked ridiculous, what with me making him jump into the driver seat at every cons or shipper. Luckily Werner requires trainees to stair step their driving n on duty hours and I decided that I didn't need to be super trucker trainee. I'm truly fortunate that my trainer is highly invested in my SUCCESS and getting those miles in weren't the high priority.... I worked up the courage to do my first backing at a shipper early in the second week. We discovered something that neither of us knew going in.... Norm is AWFUL HORRIBLE TERRIBLE NO GOOD at teaching backing manueavers!!!! He can do it blindfolded one arm tied up and psychedelic lights n music blaring but for the life of us, he can't explain it to me. This is bad. Many foul words were expelled during these "teaching" moments...by both parties. Finally one day I said ... Please shut up and get out of my way.... After 15-20 mins I managed a 45 on my own. So we have agreed that letting me fight it out on my own is preferable to his conflicting directions and my short fuse being lit!!
We have gotten into a rhythm now, I wouldn't say it's true team driving yet... More like Solo plus plus!! I average 400-450 miles a day, and feel good with that for now. Norm has trouble sleeping when I'm driving... No CLUE why?? But hopefully that gets better.
I have lots more to say but I'll save it for another day!!
Safe travels friends!
Posted: 8 years, 8 months ago
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Husband n Wife team.... Our saga to becoming drivers for Werner Enterprises
Congrats! Keep working hard and you'll do great! If you have any questions, particularly ones specific to Werner, feel free to ask and I'll gladly answer, assuming I know the answer! Lol.
Thank you very much!!! Our fleet manager seems great as well as the night shift dispatcher! Got another load to take to Oklahoma City .... We're cookin now!
Posted: 8 years, 8 months ago
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Husband n Wife team.... Our saga to becoming drivers for Werner Enterprises
Started our maiden voyage to NM from AZ last night around 1130pm. Got the load info at 7pm pre tripped n pre planned n hooked up empty by 930pm then sat at terminal till 1015pm waiting for the release of our empty trailer. Reminded me a lot of my Army days... Hurry up and wait!! Pulled over for the night around 330am... Bunk was .... Cozy... Good thing I like to spoon!! I drove all day, and it was glorious!!!! Taking our 30 now and ready to drop our first load. SUCESS!!
Posted: 8 years, 8 months ago
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Scared of becoming a truck driver. Please help me!
Sidebar: I love how threads with topics that have no real relevance to me personally can be filled with excellent information quite relevant!!
Posted: 8 years, 8 months ago
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Husband n Wife team.... Our saga to becoming drivers for Werner Enterprises
Your fleet manager usually won't work weekends, though they usually do a Saturday every so often. Dealing with the night and weekend people can be a real pain and it's not uncommon to have long hold times on nights and weekends because they run skeleton crews then. I try to avoid calling on weekends as much as possible.
Good to know! Is that also true for the Qualcomm communications?
Posted: 8 years, 8 months ago
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Husband n Wife team.... Our saga to becoming drivers for Werner Enterprises
I've been with them for a year now. The best advice I can give is just work hard, get your loads there on time, don't complain when you get the occasional crappy load. Be the person your fleet manager can depend on to get stuff done and not the person who's calls he/she dreads.
When you have a good relationship with your fleet manager, they will take care of you.
Great advice!! I'm confident we will do well. We aren't complainers and tend to roll with the program, understanding that crappy loads are part of the job.
I'm hoping it's just because of the holiday weekend but we have not been able to get a hold of the fleet manager. Have been on hold for over 45 mins on four separate attempts in the past two days. A little disconcerting!! Finally got myself logged in as a trainee on the Qualcomm today, so I know someone at headquarters is alive!! We will be ready to accept a load Monday so let's hope someone in our fleet support will answer the phone!! Lol
Posted: 8 years, 8 months ago
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I was recently diagnosed with sleep apnea and once I started my application blitz every single company wanted a copy of my sleep study and last 30 days compliance data from my cpap. Some wanted 90 days.
I suggest you see your primary care physician and have another sleep study done ASAP. I'll tell you right now, even with terrific insurance it's a pricey test!! However with your recent weigh loss you might be able to get away with a pulse oximetry test which is done at home, and considerabley less expensive. If you no longer have it then problem solved. If you end up doing the full study you will be issued a new machine with the data card and thus be able to prove compliance.
Just remember to factor in 2-3 months for the study to be scheduled and THEN another 2-3 months of compliance history into your job searching.
Good luck!
Posted: 8 years, 8 months ago
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Husband n Wife team.... Our saga to becoming drivers for Werner Enterprises
Ah ok, I've been at the Lithia springs terminal in Georgia this week.
Hi there! So how long have you been driving for Werner? Any words of advice?
Posted: 8 years, 6 months ago
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Metro pcs on the road
I have Verizon my husband has metro. I'm thrilled and pleased he is ****ed off and frustrated. 😂😂 outside of metropolitan areas rarely has service. He is going to switch to Verizon soon as we get into a city.