Profile For Michael K.

Hey everyone, see the new post that I just made for an update...I get a week off then I start driving with an instructor this coming Friday.

And the Ford Ranger that I got from my friend is a 5-speed on the floor, now dont ya know....so I'm even getting a little practice in, double-clutching, so that my instructor won't yell at me.

Oh, and several drivers that I've talked to out at United Warehouse (where the driving school is at) have said "don't worry about double-clutching, most of us just float the gears in the real world." Anyone tell me just what that means, because they say it like I'm supposed to know, but then can't explain it to me, which is absolutely no help at all!!!!

Later, Mike

Wow. I know that I said that I was going to keep you guys (and gals, too!) updated as I went through school, and my intentions were the best, but boy oh boy did I almost bite off more than I could chew.

I got a bicycle, rode it for two weeks, then a friend of mine msgd me on facebook that he had a '90 Ford Ranger that he'd let me have for the price of the two new mud tires on the back. And I don't have to pay him back any time soon, so now I have a vehicle, making it ALOT easier on my sleep time.

I'm working full-time, on 3rd shift, as a maintenance tech at a place that makes glass windows from plate. Real interesting, but the shift was tearing me up for the last couple of days. It'll get better now that at least some money is coming in.

And now to the crowning achievement, credit for which I just have to say must go to this site and the High Road CDL Training Materials. This last Tuesday, I took my final exam (bookwork only) and scored a 91% !!!!! Thanks, Brett, I've mentioned your site to everyone that I've seen up in class.

Now that that's over, I have 5 weeks of driving with an instructor, and then down to the DMV to take my driving test. I've been practicing alot on the simulator, as much time as I could get, and I think I'll do ok. I'm painfully aware that the simulator is NOT like the real thing, but this last monday I ran the entire "course" of road driving, in Reverse, and I think I've finally got the hang of it. "If it's going to the left, steer to the left, same for the right." After about 20 miles in reverse, I think I can actually do it in a rig. Without hitting anything or anybody. But that first time I'm going to be a little nervous, lol.

I only have internet when visiting mcdonalds or briefly at school, but I will TRY to let everyone know what I'm doing now that the "worst" is over (PLEASE, don't anyone say that it gets worse from here ).

Thanks again to Mr. Brett for his excellent course, of which I still probably could use to do the pre-trip inspection study with, but I've been working on that, too, and I think I've got it mostly down, it really is just a matter of a little memorization.

Sincerely, Mike Kashkin Salina (Wichita Truck Driving School), Kansas

Please wish me luck, I really need to find a night job and it's going to be tough enough as it is, if anyone has any ideas feel free to post them I don't know how to private message on here yet

and stay off that end of Broadway at night...too early in your new career to find out there are Lot Lizards there as well.

I did notice that there are a TON of trucking companies up around 37th to 45th street, many more than I could count. And, in just Saturdays' paper there were like 7 or 8 driving jobs listed, I imagine that there will be alot more in the Sunday paper.

Wow! Best of luck to ya! I like what I'm hearing from you - it sounds like you've got what it takes to make this work. If your wife is supportive then you've got a big step out of the way already. Keep us posted, we always enjoy hearing how it's going for those out there trying to break in to the business.

The wife is supportive, but lonely, I keep telling her that this is NOT what it's going to be like when I'm out on the road, because as of right now, I can't really go home on the weekends until I find a part time job, whereas once I get hired I should be able to see here every now and then, not like now.

But yeah, I'm going to keep a daily diary of everything that happens while in school, maybe someone else who is thinking of going to school will find some use in all of this mess of words. I'm sure that I'll have all kinds of interesting things to write about once my classes start on Monday. HEY!!!! That's tomorrow morning! :)

Man, good luck to ya!!!

Wow, you're staying in a rescue mission? And the schooling is 10 weeks and you have little or no money to get by on?

Man, that's rough! Thank God you're former military so you have the character and resilience to endure that kind of challenge. We're definitely pullin for ya! It's going to take some grit and determination to get through it and we all respect you for that!

Oh, and to private message someone just click on their name anywhere you see it and it will take you to their profile. You'll see a link on their profile to send a private message.

Thanks for the kind words Brett. Nice to know that you guys are all thinking about me. I got determination coming out of my ears, and the way this Kansas wind has been blowing, way more than enough grit in my teeth to grind corn into cornmeal.

Which is something else I'd like to mention here, all of you coming through the Flint Hills of Kansas on I-70 east of Kansas City, and probably all the way to Goodland, Kansas, watch out for those southerly gusts of wind, they've been really strong the last 4 or 5 days!!!!

Keep the rubber side down, and the shiny side up, Mike

Please wish me luck, I really need to find a night job and it's going to be tough enough as it is, if anyone has any ideas feel free to post them I don't know how to private message on here yet

and stay off that end of Broadway at night...too early in your new career to find out there are Lot Lizards there as well.

Unless they're going to pay ME, I'm not going to worry about them. I'll have to walk 4 miles from school back to the Mission after I get out at 5 pm, I'm not going to be in any kind of a mood to go horizontal boppin', anyway, but thanks for the advice, I did notice that that part of town looked a little on the seedy side, to put it tactfully.

Hello, All;

Just a quick update...

Took the Greyhound bus from Salina, Ks, to wichita on Friday morning

was supposed to leave at 0320 am, had electrical problems, helped the driver troubleshoot it down to one of the switches he had to push up on his dashboard, didn't seem to be doing what it should, FINALLY got out of salina at 0620am, into wichita, found the city bus terminal within two blocks of the greyhound terminal, applied for a 2nd shift position at a temp agency and will get the job if I can come up with transportation (no car down here, spun a rod bearing in the van....geez, what a great time for this to happen, right?)

Took the city bus to 37th and broadway, then walked two miles with tote bag and laptop case in sunny weather (95 degrees or so, now I'm having some fun), made it to the school, filled out app, ran MVR (clean record, whoo-hoo!!!), school will be 10 weeks for me instead of 5 so that the VA can pay for all of it instead of only half, but same tuition price, so I'll come out ahead about 300 dollars or so.

Am staying at the Union Rescue mission for the time being until I can find 2nd shift employment for after school.

And no, it's not going to be easy for me, but I'm telling folks that I'm too dumb to quit, and too stupid to fall over dead, so I might as well get up in the morning and go to school, LOL

cant wait to start on monday, they were really impressed with what I'd already learned from Brett's course (somebody keep a close eye on the size of his head after comments like that hee hee), said that with a little more work that the Pre-trip inspection and the HazMat section should be no problem for me since it looked like I had a good handle on the rest of all of the other modules.

Please wish me luck, I really need to find a night job and it's going to be tough enough as it is, if anyone has any ideas feel free to post them I don't know how to private message on here yet

Typing fast on this library computer because I only have sixty minutes, still trying to get ahold of wife on facebook, everyone have a great day, I'll post when I get the chance, but will keep a diary of every day from school

Mike

Good Luck, Michael....I'm glad the VA was able to help you !!! Its great to be able to go to a CDL school and not have to pay for it, or spend the next year driving for a company to pay them back. not alot of people are aware that the VA has this benefit for their veterans....I'm glad you were able to take advantage of it. I think you'll have internet where ever your staying for your school. If your gonna stay at home and go to school, check out the library, they all have free internet. Keep us updated if you can.....no go do what you have to do to get you out on the road. Its adventure time !!!

Well, they're not paying for ALL of it, I'm going to be out of pocket for about 1400 dollars or so, but I've already spoken with them about financing the rest of it, and they've got me scheduled for my DOT physical for this coming monday at 8:00 am, I'm pretty excited about the whole deal, can't wait to get down to wichita and get started though - Mike

Hello everyone! I got in touch with a Veterans Representative who sent me to the VRAP program (Veterans Retraining Assistance Program), and will be enrolling in the Wichita Truck Driving School this coming monday. Wish me luck, I studied hard on Brett's materials, checked out books from the library, passed all of the sample tests in the book, and I'm going. See you on the road!

PS: I'll try to leave updates as I go through school, but I finally lost my internet, couldn't pay the AT&T bill, so I will only be able to see replies to my posts if I go to the library.

Sincererly, and much hopeful, Mike Kashkin Salina, Kansas

I almost did it with this load. It is over 45,000 pounds.

First weigh...Steer = 11,160 Drives=35,000 Tandems=32,900

Reweigh....Steer=11,300 Drives=33,200 Tandems=34,620

Second Reweigh...Steer=11,540 Drives=34,100 Tandems=33,440

I decided that it was good enough. If I adjusted it again, I wod probably be overweight on the trailer tandems. Luckily, all the scales were closed.

Dave

Hey Dave, I'm still going thru Brett's course, but could you just briefly explain about the three weights that you quoted above? I've wondered how they weighed you, you know, all the axles and stuff, guess this is just ANOTHER thing I didn't know about and still have to learn...Mike