Profile For Lunchbox

Just finished up my time in a trainer's truck with Roehl and waiting to take my exam to be sent off as a rookie solo driver. Dropping a line here to let everyone know I am still alive and still moving forward with this lifestyle change. Will update as time allows.

Well, I got my CDL last Monday. A copy was sent to Safety the same day and after a week of waiting still no trainer. Wouldn't be a problem except for income. I have NO special requests and told them I would be willing to drive to whatever terminal they need me to if they will just put me in a truck. Frustrating to say the least. My FTM (Fleet Training Manager) has a bit of a memory issue and keeps forgetting to follow up with me. Sitting tight waiting but man I don't wanna get super rusty before jumping back into a truck (weekend rust was bad enough through GYCDL much less a week of sitting around). Maybe I am a bit impatient, but I just wanna be able to provide for my Family is all and I can't do that sitting at home.

I had my CDL test today, and all weekend long I was dreaming of pre-trips and Backing Maneuvers. I must have parallel parked a truck about 1000 times... Needless to say I passed today and got my Class A!!

Day 4:

Arrived at 0645 Pre-Trip @ 0700 Drove 50 Miles through city traffic and some highway mileage Took a break at QT after fueling up (15 Minutes) back to the yard Lunch @1200 Straight Line backing Break Straight line Backing and Offset Backing Post Trip Inspection and de-couple the trailer Left the Yard at 1730

Day 3:

PTI at 0800, left the yard for some bobtail driving and drove for about 2 hours working on shifting and situational awareness. Got back to the yard at 1000 and finished up some safety videos. Took a break and came back to grade the JJ Keller quizzes. out of all the questions in the 33 chapters I only missed 19, which is pretty good since there are a total of 495 questions to answer.

Broke for lunch at 1200 and came back at 1300. Coupled the loaded trailer and headed out for another hour and a half of driving. THAT was an experience. Turning for the first time with a 53' trailer is insane. The ride was much smoother though with the weight in the back, up and down shifting was much smoother with the gravity effect you get pulling a Trailer. I bumped one curb while turning today out of about 15 or 16 turns we made. The instructor said that was less than he expected and told me not to worry about it that much. He seems surprised that I am catching on so quickly. I told it was simply that I was truly listening to what he was saying and not just hearing it.

1430 we got back to the yard and took a 15 minute break, grabbed some water and then worked on straight backs. I was quite crooked the first few times, but after about 4 or 5 attempts with help I was able to start putting it in the hole pretty consistently. For my final back the instructor had me back the ENTIRE length of the yard into the spot and gave me NO HELP. I parked it perfectly straight and got some unexpected praise even from the student who is finishing up his 3rd week. Class is going well and I am getting plenty of time behind the wheel.

Day 2:

Arrive at 0645, filled out lunch order and then proceeded to finish up my J.J. Keller book questions (have all the chapters done now). After that, we went out and did a full pre-trip inspection on the truck. I am still working off the checklist but didn't need to look at it for a few of the items needed to check. After our pre-trips we went out for a ride with a student and instructor for the class that started two weeks ago. I was able to watch the student and see what i have to look forward to when my time comes (he was pulling a "loaded" trailer while we were out).

Got back to the yard at 1130 and the instructors left to get our lunches so we worked on studying the pre-trip checklist until they got back. Lunch at 1200 (like clockwork I am told).

At 1230 we finished lunch and got our logs caught back up, I was brought out to watch the others do some backing while my instructor explained some of the theory behind what they were doing and how things should line up. Once the backing was done we went back out for another ride with the loaded trailor. My instructor had to go with another previous student to do his driving test, so when we got back to the yard I was told that the other instructor would take care of me for the rest of the day.

1445, we get back to the yard, uncouple the trailer and get back inside the cab. This time the instructor took the wheel and we headed back out onto the road. We went to a very large and empty parking lot where the instructor had me come up to the passenger seat and he explained what he was doing and the route we would be taking. At that point he unbuckled, got out and told me to take the reins.

I have never been more nervous or excited in my entire life, but there I was, double clutching, shifting up, shifting down and did a pretty decent job. Decent enough in fact that after about 20 minutes of up-shifting, down-shifting and turning around, the instructor had me set the parking breaks and the other student took the wheel. We drove a few minutes and the Instructor said to go ahead and make an emergency stop, which he did, and told me to come back up into the driver seat. I then instructed to drive around a 1x2 block area (traffic was VERY light where we were) making stops, turns, up and down shifting (I was getting up to about 7th gear). BOY DID I START MAKING MISTAKES. There were plenty of times where I would grind the gears a bit and have to recover, bring the tractor to a complete stop to get it back into gear because I would miss the shift and get flustered, but overall the instructor said I actually did a brilliant job for my first time in a Truck. We agreed, though, that he would tell my instructor that I did Terribly and that he is going to have his hands full this month just to see how he reacted in the morning.

1715 we get back into the yard and do a post trip inspection, get our things together and head home. Overall, I have to say, it was a pretty amazing day. I did pretty well today and am confident that this is DEFINITELY something I can do. I have a lot to learn and freely admit that, in fact, that's part of the reason I wanted my instructor to be told that I didn't do as well as I actually did. I want to absorb as much information from these guys as possible while I have that resource close at hand. Class finished up at 1730 and we all headed out.

Day 2 is in the books and I am totally looking forward to Day 3.

Day 1:

Arrived at 0630, and filled out lunch request, I am indeed the only person for my training class (it's going to be a long 4 weeks). Did the Pre-Work Screening (blood pressure, resting heart rate, lift weights from waist to overhead, push 80 lbs, pull 100 lbs, squat and duck walk to the center line of the trailer behind the tandems and stay squatted for 20 seconds, then repeat). Gave the trainer my documents (medical cert card, long form, Social Security Card, CLP, and Birth Certificate.) After all of that I filled out my new hire paperwork and received FMCSR book, Haz Mat book, Truck Stop Directory, and JJ Keller Training manual. We watched 2 safety videos (construction zones and entering/exiting the truck/trailer safely).

After that we broke for lunch at 1200. After lunch we went over Hours of Service and filled out a paper log book.

Once we had the first day mapped out on the paper logs, I was treated to a 45 minute video on Pre-Trip Inspection (not being sarcastic as it was a detailed and very involved instruction of the full Pre-Trip Inspection explaining what to look for and why we look for it) I was then tasked with working through the JJ Keller book (Thank you High Road Training for preparing me) and was able to knock out the first 22 chapters worth of quizzes rather quickly.

To finish off the day, my Trainer and I went out to one of the Trucks and he had me read off the entire Pre-Trip Inspection while walking through it. This is where being the only student is both a blessing and curse, we don't have anyone else to split it up with so I will be in charge of the full pre-trip every time we go through it. Did a little bit of shifting Choreography and I was informed that tomorrow morning as soon as I get in at 0700 (I will of course be there by 0645) we will run through the Pre-Trip again and then head off to do some bobtail driving.

Class was dismissed at 1715 and what was a 40 minute drive to get there was an hour and a half to get home (due to rush hour Traffic here in the DFW area)

Starting out Dry Van National for a bit to get acclimated to the lifestyle but I am VERY interested in their Flatbed division. From what my trainer told me today it won't be hard to make the switch when I am ready.

Congrats Reaper!!!

Starting my Training for Roehl TOMORROW!!!! I am sooo excited as well as anxious (the true meaning of anxious btw). I will be sure to document everything when I get Home at night (the training terminal is about 34 miles from my house) and hopefully get some good feedback from the guys and gals here. As of Friday I was the only student signed up at the Dallas Terminal for training which can Definitely be a double edged sword. I won't have anyone else there to make mistakes I can learn from. It will all be on me. I should get PLENTY of time behind the wheel and be able to get things down before the driving test. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE HERE for all of your wisdom, questions, answers and banter as you have been an integral part in helping me do the research, learn a lot of the Theory (High Road Training Program) and the overall commitment needed to not only survive in this industry but to Thrive in it. I look forward to being able to help provide insight to others as well once I get rolling.

Again, Thank you Bret for creating this site. It is a beacon of light in a sea of darkness (the ONLY site that is 99% positive or constructive information in regards to researching companies, helping others to know what they are getting into, and what to expect in trucking.) Because of the WONDERFUL and INSIGHTFUL people here I am confident that this is a life-style that I am ready to start living and can be a part of.