And We're Off!
Topic 13809 | Page 7
Oh, and approaching Albuquerque in the dark of night is a memory that never leaves a truck drivers memory - it is one of my favorite sights from the road.
Way to go!
I remember the first time I saw Alburquerque in the night... coming down into Alb was really cool. never forget it.
I don't know about you guys but I thought Las Cruces was prettier than Albuquerque. Congratulations and good luck ChickieMonster. It's a fun ride out here
Well yesterday was a long day. I drove from Tucumpari NM to Arkansas (I can't remember the name of the town now). We stopped in Amarillo to pick up our load. Amarillo was pretty cool! I saw the Big Texan, home of the 72 oz steak (always wanted to go there!) and the Cadillac Ranch (where the cars are buried in the ground sticking up). OKC was a little terrifying with all the curves but I survived. And I did my first long stretch of night driving. Which I have to say I loved! Turned on some classic rock and cruised. Except Arkansas surprised me with its curves. I've been driving flat, straight roads for what seems like days and all of a sudden I'm back in the Ozarks! Only about 3 hours from my house as a matter of fact. We are headed to Albertsville Alabama and hopefully they will take us early. Otherwise we are parking over night at the reciever.
So far I have drove in 11 states, 10 of which I have never been in. Out of all of it, I think Arizona has been my favorite. the landscape changes so dramatically and everything seems huge and vast and endless, even the sky. It was so beautiful and I am still in awe!
I'm not driving today because we don't have too far to go and my trainer feels like driving. Which is cool by me. I can sightsee and maybe watch some tv and maybe clean up the truck some.
I was worried about having trouble sleeping on the road before I started. I've been an insomniac all my life and have taken various different meds. I went off everything before I started CDL school and switched to melatonin. The first few days out here I had a rough time adjusting but the last two nights I haven't even taken any meds and been asleep before my head hit the pillow! And sleeping great too!
Just as a side note: I thought it was spring! Everywhere I have been I have had to wear my hoodie outside. Even in "sunny" California it was chilly (and cloudy, I was rather disappointed with your weather CA!).
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
SAP:
Substance Abuse Professional
The Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) is a person who evaluates employees who have violated a DOT drug and alcohol program regulation and makes recommendations concerning education, treatment, follow-up testing, and aftercare.
I figured out how to post photos! Thanks Errol!
This is me with our old Freightshaker at school. The day before I took my test!
In Utah. My first glimpse of the Rocky Mountains!
At the shipper in California watching a storm roll in.
Albuquerque at night.
And my favorite: crazy California people! This guy walked by us while we were being unloaded in El Monte. Yes that is his dog in the stroller! We were dying laughing!
Shipper:
The customer who is shipping the freight. This is where the driver will pick up a load and then deliver it to the receiver or consignee.
I figured out how to post photos! Thanks Errol!
This is me with our old Freightshaker at school. The day before I took my test!
In Utah. My first glimpse of the Rocky Mountains!
At the shipper in California watching a storm roll in.
Albuquerque at night.
And my favorite: crazy California people! This guy walked by us while we were being unloaded in El Monte. Yes that is his dog in the stroller! We were dying laughing!
Being from Nor-Cal for 25yrs of my life, I'll just say this..
WELCOME TO CA! lol
Shipper:
The customer who is shipping the freight. This is where the driver will pick up a load and then deliver it to the receiver or consignee.
If you want to see crazy you really need to spend an afternoon at Venice Beach. LOL!
This is my favorite post, keep the posts coming!!
It's been a very uneventful day. I've discovered that Alabama is actually very scenic.
Well we made it to our reciever around 7. According to our load info, they have overnight parking. So we pull into the lot and I go to the guard shack to check in and ask where the parking is. Apparently you can't park on the lot until after midnight... This is backwoods Alabama. There are no truck stops for miles! So our options were a gravel lot with no lighting or bathrooms back the way we came or a Kmart less than a mile down the road. Guess which one we picked? There are about half a dozen others trucks here. I'm glad we stayed here because I was able to restock my Tylenol and get some Waffle House across the street instead of another bologna sandwich.
I got some really cool pictures today of the NASA space center in Huntsville AL! I took a field trip there when I was a kid and loved it! I'll post them later.
Tomorrow we find out if we are going to get a load headed back to Kansas. If we take the shortest route to get there, it will go right by my front door!
DWI:
Driving While Intoxicated
Thanks to Brett for sharing my stories on Facebook! If I can help just one person on their journey, then it is all worth it!
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GJ Chickie, can't wait to see pics of your new truck :)
BMI:
Body mass index (BMI)
BMI is a formula that uses weight and height to estimate body fat. For most people, BMI provides a reasonable estimate of body fat. The BMI's biggest weakness is that it doesn't consider individual factors such as bone or muscle mass. BMI may:
It's quite common, especially for men, to fall into the "overweight" category if you happen to be stronger than average. If you're pretty strong but in good shape then pay no attention.