May Trucking Starting Orientation 10/4/2016

Just a quick update. My FM called me today saying that I will be going to Nashville TN on Friday. Leaving Ohio round 11 am should get there around 1 am. Got a long bus ride ahead of me. So ready to get started feel like screaming just to get all this excitement outta me lol.

So I shipped out today on my way to NASHVILLE TN. Currently in Cincinnati OH have a 2 hour layover bummer. Spoke with my mentor today. Got some great news from him. He driving a 13-speed. I'm so glad to be able to learn with a manual. Initially when in orientation and doing road test and back in Gary IN they had all automatics. Nothing wrong with them but want to expand my experience with a manual for sure. I will be getting in really late around 1:55. Tomorrow will be the beginning of the hands on stage can't wait.

Day one of training After checking out from hotel (11 am) outta Nashville TN. Got picked up and taken to MTC yard. Trainer showed up around 2 pm. We picked up our load from yard and headed out. Trainer drive bout first 1 1/2 and then I took over the driving. Felt a bit rusty. Trainer drives a 13-speed. Had to learn few new things with the high and low switch. Have to get my downshifting better with this 13 speed. It's way different from what I learned in school on a 10-speed. I drive for about 4 hours covering 182 miles. We stopped in Mount Veron IL at pilot and shut it down for the night. Got to take a shower 🚿 first time at a fuel stop. Was. Wetter than what I was expecting. Pretty clean facility no complaints. Grabbed me something to eat and am now relaxing in my bunk. Got an early morning tomorrow heading out round 5:30 but it is a short day as we only need 97 to reach drop but our load not do until 8:30 Monday. So we will be watching them football 🏈 games tomorrow. First day training went well. I did stall on the exit ramp as it was an uphill exit and was letting up off the clutch to quickly. Overall I think I did well. Did t hit anything or anyone. Until tomorrow ✌🏻

Day 2 training Today was an easy day other than 2 problems we ran into. Reach pontoon beach IL around 7:30 am. We filled up on fuel, DEF and refer fuel. Parked and just kicked back. Load wasn't due until Monday at 8:30. Wish my trainer had let me back into parking spot. I'm sure I will get my fair share of backing soon enough. We were parked all day and around 18:00 the mgr from flying J comes to our truck saying we're parked in a handicapped spot. But there are no signs nor marking indicating this. They forced us to move. The lot was getting full but still had a few spots available. Trainer picked a spot and began backing in was very tight trucks on both sides and it was more of an alley dock u can say but not quite a 90 degree angle with the way he setup. After proceeding to back the mgr approached us again. Apologizing to us saying we're right it was handicapped and told us we can park we're every we liked. After that got a msg over the QC saying we was dealing loads with another MTC driver because she couldn't make her appt time. She finally reached us and we swapped trailers. Learned a few more things on the WC today and how to perform a live loaded call. Our load is due at 07:15 Monday. We will be heading out around 02:00 should get there by 06:00-0615. We have 256 miles to cover. Hopefully I get some more drive time. Trainer is bummed out his refrigerator stopped working and now all his meats in freezer are going to waste. I hope he cheers up by the morning.

Hey Sam, been reading your diary...good stuff so far.

One thing I want to point out, you need to be your own advocate when it comes to backing practice. I would not recommend going more than one day without at least one attempt. We have seen so many times a new driver being turned loose to solo status with only a handful of backing attempts during road training. This woefully prepares them to be an efficient professional driver. Although once solo you will be spending the better part of a year learning your craft, try to get you trainer to focus some time, at a minimum every other day, on backing.

To put this into perspective...the first year of my solo driving career I backed my truck over 1000 times. Granted that seemingly high number is a reflection of a Dedicated Account assignment delivering to Walmart Stores and SAMs' Club, point is eventually a new driver needs to be at least average at this skill. Once solo, the better you are at backing, the less stress you will endure plus you won't be wasting valuable drive time struggling with the basics. Influence him do his job and help you with backing. You'll thank me in about 3 months.

Good luck!

Glad to hear of your experience with May, Sam. They are one of the companies I am looking at after I get my CDL here in a couple of weeks. Search Youtube for The Red Head. He works for May and has given a pretty good impression of the company, which got me interested in them. Anxious to hear if your continued experience with them is the same as his.

Cheers.

Lee

Hey G-Town Thanks for your advice. Really appreciate it. My trainer is definitely taking care of business. I dnt do backing everyday but as u suggested every other day. Been stoping at company yards lately so I have been practicing more there when I have a bit of time

Hey Sam, been reading your diary...good stuff so far.

One thing I want to point out, you need to be your own advocate when it comes to backing practice. I would not recommend going more than one day without at least one attempt. We have seen so many times a new driver being turned loose to solo status with only a handful of backing attempts during road training. This woefully prepares them to be an efficient professional driver. Although once solo you will be spending the better part of a year learning your craft, try to get you trainer to focus some time, at a minimum every other day, on backing.

To put this into perspective...the first year of my solo driving career I backed my truck over 1000 times. Granted that seemingly high number is a reflection of a Dedicated Account assignment delivering to Walmart Stores and SAMs' Club, point is eventually a new driver needs to be at least average at this skill. Once solo, the better you are at backing, the less stress you will endure plus you won't be wasting valuable drive time struggling with the basics. Influence him do his job and help you with backing. You'll thank me in about 3 months.

Good luck!

Hey Chris Haven't seen any of his videos. MTC is a great company dnt have any complaints. Been in training a week so far. Also I'm not the complainer type. There are going to be things u might not like during your job when doing them but it's really not the companies fault. I haven't update my journal. But today's load we arrived at anheuiser Busch in Aurora, CO. at 5:50 delivery was at 6. Park at dock and its wasn't u til 11:30 that someone from company came and told us that the load need to be reworked some of it had shifted. Man was we stressing after that. Nothing fell over the pallets had cases of beer on them bout 26 pallets. But half of each pallets was on a bit of a lean. It's wasn't MTC fault can't be mad at them. This was a repowered load by the way. So we brought to company yard was gonna rework it with few other drivers. But the safety personnel here said to just fill out a macro that it was a damaged load. Things u will go through while being a driver but it's outta ur hands just gotta roll with the punches. Good luck with everything !✌🏻️

Glad to hear of your experience with May, Sam. They are one of the companies I am looking at after I get my CDL here in a couple of weeks. Search Youtube for The Red Head. He works for May and has given a pretty good impression of the company, which got me interested in them. Anxious to hear if your continued experience with them is the same as his.

Cheers.

Lee

Haven't checked in a while. Still doing my training. Been learning a lot of ups and downs that come with the territory. After our problematic load that was being delivery to anheusher Busch in Denver. We did a 34 hour reset and finally got a pre trip. We headed out bout 8:30 am pick up was only 10 minutes from the yard. Got to the shipper at 9:30. Pickup time was at 10 am. We sat there until bout 18:00 til we got a door and they finally loaded us. We stayed parked at the shipper no reason to move only had 2 hrs left on our day.

We headed out bout 5 am the following morning. This load we got was going to Milwaukee OR. TWO DAY TRIP. 1246 miles. I began each morning driving until our lunch. Felt great going thru different roads and conditions learning what to look for and expect. I drove thru cabbage mountain. That was a bit crazy climbing up all those mountains to eventually come down into a bunch of fog could barely see anything but made it down safely. Drove thru all them crazy turns going up the mountains. Definitely used that name brake. Made coming down much easier. We got redirect to the brooks Oregon yard because my trainer had a maintenance appointment