Start CDL School For Stevens Transport Mon. 6/6/16 (Whew, Glad That One Is In That Date!!)

Well just read this entire thread was like a movie started off good then hit bottom with medical issues and two mods scolding you ( in my opinion unnecessary but whatever) and ended with you in your own truck. I glad to hear you are up and running and look forward to some more post based on your experience with Stevens.

Hey there DSTURB PRE-TRIP is very long over 100 parts to remember. When I was in school and the day was over we would line up the trucks and uncouple them then practice pre trip for the last 30 mins of the day. Dnt go by what other students are saying is the way to say it. The thing that helped me out is everything is property secured not damaged or broken or missing any parts for each respective part ur talking about. The thing to remember is if it holds fluids or air u add and is not leaking. For belts u add the belts have no more than 3/4 in play and are not cut or frayed. Keep repeating everyday and u will get more comfortable. When test day comes ask ur tester questions before beginning the pre trip. Can I bundle my brakes ? Can I say I will do this axle like I did this ? All these will help to cut ur time down but the key to do it when and if ur allowed to bundle things is u must get it correct on the first axle and not forget anything cause when u say I will do this axle like I did this and u had forgot something on first axle u lost double the points. Honestly I think the most important thing in pre trip is knowing the parts name and where it located the rest falls into place as to what u need to say for that particular part cause u repeats the same thing over and over except the part ur talking about changes. Good luck with school ! Whenever u get to the alley dock remember watch that trailer 😁😁👍🏻

Day 9 of Official Training

More road driving and offset backing today. Did better on the "Shifting Loop" as they call it. Upshifting is no problem as it came back right away, however, two gear drops downshifting is something I had never done before as I had never been trained to do it and was afraid of dropping the tranny out of the truck, when I was driving years ago. It is going well though, and I am not really having much trouble at all with it. Will occasionally forget for a moment what gear I am already in when figuring my drop, but hasn't been an issue so far. I'm just diggin' being back in a rig and operating it!!

The offrset backing is not hard at all, but today she was having us intentionally come out early and late so that we would have something to fix and get lined up with a "Snap" move. I used to do that at small docks without much extra room for the trucks. Never knew it had a name, just saw other drivers doing it when I first started and realized that it took very little space to get lined up that way. Also, when I asked her about the truck not coming around near as fast to the left as it does to the right, she told me with a smile,that these trucks are in the beginning training area on purpose, as they have "character" and if you can do it with these, then the good trucks you test with will be a breeze. Makes sense! (Character meaning that the trailers don't track real straight, lots of wear on various components, etc.) LOL

The only thing I am really worried about at all is the pre-trip inspection on test day. Every time we talk to another instructor, that person has a whole new take on things that must be included and things that we were told that they say, "Oh no, you don't say it like that" or "No, you don't need to mention that." I really wish that they would get together and decide on a uniform way that they expect us to verbalize it and what things they do and don't want to be included!! Some say that you need to give lots of detail, and others say things like, you only need three descriptors for each checked component, don't get hooked into a lot of detail or you'll skip something, etc.

Oh well, we have one more day of this and then we start alley dock and stuff on Thursday, supposedly.

Still having an absolute blast!!! Lovin' it!

DSTURBD

Hi there DSTURB CONGRATS!! Glad to read that u made it thru all the bumps in the road to becoming a solo driver. One thing I have learned from reading a lot of blogs from newbies is you must be able to have patience and tough skin to deal with all that will come your way and those who tick you off as you try to work professionally. Keep your head up! You might read I commented on a post u had from day 9 of ur school training started reading your blog yesterday on my bus ride home from my orientation. Waiting for a mentor to be available. I decided to send you a reply for help with Pretrip not knowing u had all ready finished school and begun orientation and training my apologies. Great blog! Definitely was a roller coaster of a ride. Good luck and be safe out there 👍🏻👍🏻✌🏼️

09/17/16

Okay, not really sure just where to try to start, but here goes. Finished on the road training the day before yesterday. Got my last mountain in at about 9:30 in the morning and my hours were already complete by then. After that, we just finished the load and delivered. Then, we went to the yard as it was just about thirty minutes away. It was really weird as it seemed kind of anti-climatic. I expected to feel some kind of over-the-top excitement or euphoria, but it was more just part of the job and the current situation as it wound down to delivery and the "Empty at Destination" macro on the Qualcom. Don't get me wrong, I was very glad to have my training complete and get off of his truck with thoughts of getting my own truck. Also, I would never run team. I did that years ago for Motor Cargo, pulling doubles , and I will never, never do that again!! But it was kind of depressing logging out and leaving his truck. Does that seem weird? It does to me!! I had no storage space, the top bunk, and nothing that will make living out of my tractor pleasant and comfortable, and there is simply not enough room for two people!!!! So just why was I so torn to be leaving his truck?!?!? The only thing that I can think of is that after having such a "Freddy Krueger" nightmare of a trainer the first time around, it was kind of difficult to actually leave the great trainer I had after that. Also, I'm sure that there is some part of the "Uh oh, now it's all on me and I'm not sure I'm ready." complex going on.

I am now at home in Yuma, CO staying in my favorite motel (remember, I let my rental house go as I knew that I wouldn't be home for about three months when I left for CDL school). I have an entire week, but I still feel this immediacy of having to get things done right away, even though I am supposed to be relaxing. That is a very unsettling feeling!! I went and got my mail today and there was about five pounds of it. My meds from the VA were there which was great (no more $200 for 14 pills instead of $5 for a sixty day supply). I need to sit down and make lists of things to accomplish while I am here as I have the time to get things done, unless I fritter around and don't get organized right away.

At this point, I am really in a quandry. I know the things I need to get done, and I know that I am supposed to relax and re-energize, but it seems like that is the the last thing that will happen. I just hope that I will wake up with a more settled mind in the morning. It is really amazing how the "on-the-road progression of one objective to the next and get them done" mentality takes over and makes it hard to think in any other way. I need to make lists of things I will need to have when I head out with my own truck, and intend to hit Walmart and get everything taken care of. I have to wonder, just how many things will I forget?!?!?!?

I have a master plan!!!! Tomorrow is Sunday and is for nothing but football!!!!!!!! (I was raised on TV and even though I haven't experienced any withdrawals through all of this, I am cognizant of all of my favorite shows that I am missing!!!) If an entire day of football doesn't clear my mind as to getting other things done in the next few days, then I am in trouble!!

All in all, I am very glad to have my training complete and am very glad to get my own tractor and get it set up to live in. I just hope that I get lucky and get a fairly new one and don't have to jump on a plane to go recover an abandoned one as my tractor!!!!

Not really sure where to go from here, if you have questions, please reply and ask them and I will do my best to answer them.

Don't get me wrong, I am still very much enjoying this and can't wait for it to progress further!!!!

DSTURBD

10/8/16

Okay, I'm sitting in Lexington NE, waiting for my second load to be loaded. It is a drop and hook , but I am early so it has not been loaded yet. That's okay as I get a little down-time to arrange stuff in my tractor and actually do my trip plan before I head out for a change. This one is temporary though. They said that I will have it for about thirty days and then get the one I will have for the long term. This one is a T-700 and it's a great truck, but it's no T-680 which is what I am used to driving. The extra cab space up front is nice, but it is short on much needed amenities such as multiple 12 volt outlets (both switched and non-switched) and the newer style storage cabinets and table. I am really missing the table right now as I sit and try to type this!!!!!! But, I have gotten ahead of myself here...

My first load as a solo driver went exactly by the numbers...started off great. I was right up against the end of my 11 hour clock when my nav system decided to route me through a ritzy sub-division the last couple of miles (I think she musta had a stroke or something!!). Fired up my other nav system and got back on track. Got there and shut down for the night with 4 minutes left on my clock!!! Delivered the next morning and was in and out in less than 90 minutes!!!! Score a victory and on-time delivery for the noob rookie solo driver!!

Was waiting at a truck stop for my next load assignment and called my D/M to talk things over and she told me what the load was and that I would dead-head from Aurora, CO to Lexington, NE. She said not to wait for the Qualcom message and to go ahead and take off for here. Was just about to call the fuel department as I was getting down to about an eighth on the gauge when my fuel recommendations came through. Made a slight detour to the first one and was fat and happy with full tanks again. I got here last night, got my trailer washed out and dropped and back to the truck stop to wait and shut down with 1 minute left on mt 14 hour clock!!!!

So far, luck has been with me, but I'm really not comfortable cutting it that close on my clocks!!!! However, I guess it will show that I am out here to run, run, run, and get the job done safely and efficiently!! I already know what I will say if asked how I'm doing and how I like it. "I'm just out here having fun playing with my big truck amongst all of the other guys having fun playing with their big trucks!!!!" I really am, too. This is what I was working toward and why I got so frustrated at the set-backs. I already knew that I liked operating the equipment from 25 years ago, but now I don't have the family distractions and responsibilities and the equipment is soooo very much nicer!!! I am have an absolute blast!!!!

Women always say that guys never grow up, they just get bigger and more expensive toys. I am here to wholeheartedly be proof of that statement, ha ha.

Just livin' the dream!!!!!

DSTURBD

Lol. Yes we don't grow up. Enjoy your new toy. Congratulations. Hope we get a pic when you're in your long term one. Stay safe and keep us posted.

Load notice just came through!!! I'm gone again!!!!!!!!

DSTURBD

Have fun.

I'm so happy everything worked out for you in the long run! And I've made that drive between Aurora and Lexington a few times. But I usually pick up beer in Aurora and run it to Grand Island, then pick up at one of the meat houses in the area: Grand Island, Madison or Schuyler.

I'm so happy everything worked out for you in the long run! And I've made that drive between Aurora and Lexington a few times. But I usually pick up beer in Aurora and run it to Grand Island, then pick up at one of the meat houses in the area: Grand Island, Madison or Schuyler.

Well hey there Chickie!!! Been wondering about you! Yeah, I'm surprised that we don't do any beer loads.

DSTURBD

10/25/16

Okay, I have some time to write, so I thought I'd do a quick update to the diary here. I'm sitting at the big "Alamo" Petro outside of Reno, NV finishing up a 34 to restart all of my clocks. Have been a little amazed at how quick you can run through 70 hours when your'e running hard. Of course you can still run on re-caps, but you never seem to get the full 11 hours back. It's always something like 8 1/2 or whatever. It still works though, more hours to run on.

I have completed about three weeks as a solo driver now and am having a blast!!!! I have seven loads under my belt now and they have been a pretty even mix of longer and shorter runs. It is really nice on those days that you can get up in the morning and know that you can just run for eleven hours, take your required breaks, and rack up the miles. The days that you are at shippers and/or receivers, of course you don't get as far. However, I do have to say that so far I haven't really been unnecessarily detained anywhere like with my first trainer.

I have a really great D/M, Wendy, and she is great at helping me out and gives lots of positive reinforcement and feedback. She gets my loads, tells me where I'm going, and I say, "Cool! I'm gone!" I feel like she really cares and does her best to get me really good loads. I did already get routed to NYC and I thought, "Wow, already?!? Oh well, might as well get it over with." However, I was almost there so early that they re-powered it to another driver in the area who was low on hours and could use the extra day to regain some. I was headed away from there with about 1500 miles racked up and never had to cross over into New York!! SCORE!!!!! I've gotten re-powered a couple of times now as I had extra time before the appointment by running hard right off the bat and getting most of the distance behind me right away. Works for me....rack up miles and not lose any time sitting at the dock!

Anyway, my clocks will reset at about 6:30 this evening and I should be gone again!! Gotta take a nap this afternoon!!

Still havin' a blast out here!!!

DSTURBD