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!

Elog:

Electronic Onboard Recorder

Electronic Logbook

A device which records the amount of time a vehicle has been driven. If the vehicle is not being driven, the operator will manually input whether or not he/she is on duty or not.

Elogs:

Electronic Onboard Recorder

Electronic Logbook

A device which records the amount of time a vehicle has been driven. If the vehicle is not being driven, the operator will manually input whether or not he/she is on duty or not.

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.

OTR:

Over The Road

OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.

Qualcomm:

Omnitracs (a.k.a. Qualcomm) is a satellite-based messaging system with built-in GPS capabilities built by Qualcomm. It has a small computer screen and keyboard and is tied into the truck’s computer. It allows trucking companies to track where the driver is at, monitor the truck, and send and receive messages with the driver – similar to email.

Fm:

Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager

The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.

HOS:

Hours Of Service

HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.

OOS:

When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

APUs:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

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!

Glad to hear things are working out.

Great post. Wish y'all the best

W Werner is the orientation still in Dallas? Or is there other sites?

They do orientation at all of their terminals. If Dallas is the closest terminal to where you are, then that is where you will go to orientation.

W Werner is the orientation still in Dallas? Or is there other sites?

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.

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.

I had trouble too when I was teaming with my trainer. It's like trying to sleep on a trampoline!