From Teaching To Trucking - My Journey So Far

Very entertaining and suspenseful read :D I know I look forward to your next entry.

You will find that truckers come from all walks of life. There's even a thread in general forum for it like, "what did you do before", something like that.

Next weeks entry: "The Teacher Prepares...to become the student."

Nov 11th - One journey finally comes to an end. Today I walked out of school and said goodbye to teaching for good. Yes, I left on excellent terms and could go back tomorrow, but that is not who I am. Once I close a door, I see no sense in looking back or trying to return. So as of today, I am no longer a teacher.

It was a good day with lots of laughs, hugs, and of course, some heartfelt goodbyes. But never once have I had any doubt about this part of my journey. If anything, the sentiments of my former co-workers filled me with encouragement as they continued to let me know how happy they all were for me. I don't think I have been happier or more at peace at anytime in the last 10-12 years. The realization of the finality of today was there but seeing a better possible future has kept me focused.

Tomorrow is a day that I really can't do much CDL prep work although I would like to. I have a LONG list of things to do in order to close up my home and travel to MS. I received my confirmation letter with my bus ticket info today from Jim Palmer. It's hard to believe that this time next week I will be on that long, slow ride to Missoula - 50 hours to be exact. I've never taken the bus and from all accounts, I have heard that it is not ideal but it is all part of the adventure. I really want to savor the experience as you only get to be the newbie once most of the time. They say attitude is everything and I am looking at this as just those first steps into something that I hope will be as great as I imagine.

Tonight I have gathered all of my pertinent information - Social Security card, official Birth Certificate, blank checks for direct deposit, etc. In addition, I am breaking out the winter clothes that get such rare use in Florida as well as some items that can have me comfortable in warmer climates. So much to do and so little room for mistakes. Once I leave here, I really have to be prepared to not return until at least Feb or March.

The weekend will be busy closing down the apartment and then Sunday is all travel with two kittens included. What seemed like would take an eternity to get here has just suddenly happened almost over night. Next week will be all studying and practicing for the permit test and getting that pre-trip down. I may not post too many more times until early next week but at this point, it's all moving fast.

For those who are considering the career, I can offer you a few words of advice already. Start studying NOW! Don't wait, because plans can change and time goes very quickly. I'm looking forward to being the student soon. I've never even sat in a truck but I'm just anxious to get that part of the journey started. All good things to those who wait....

....and wait I shall. Thank you all for reading along. Love seeing the posts but it's also good to be able to go back and review what has happened in such a short time. I'm sure I will have tons of questions and I know that there are so many people here that are able and eager to help. I want to thank you all beforehand as I am sure I'm gonna need it!

Scott

Thank you for sharing! This is a great read and I'm happy to hear everything is working out. It is especially good for me because I am starting classes at JPT around December12th. I hope you get the time to do more updates during training. Thank you again and good luck!

Excellent reading. Thank you. There was alot i could relate to. And with Sue D. Burning out in the health field. My only regret is i didnt do this sooner. Being 61 years young.

Things are getting just a bit closer and so far, so good. Pets are now comfortable at my family's house and I am doing last minute things before heading out this weekend. It feels like this was a long time but has really moved much quicker that I thought.

Today, I stopped by Greyhound and picked up the bus ticket. Bus leaves at 6:20 am on Friday and I'm trying to get as many things done as possible. Now with the ticket in hand, that is one less thing to worry about. The 50 hour bus ride is going to be an experience - but I'm up for it!

I've practiced with the practice tests so many times that I am about sick of seeing the questions. Consistently, I am getting either perfect scores or maybe missing just a few, always within passing range though. Just want that part to be over and done with so that I can concentrate on the driving and backing. The permit test is going to be next Tuesday!

I was terrified of that pre-trip. It seemed like so much to learn and I was getting overwhelmed. However, over the last few days I broke it down and have been working on my 'imaginary' truck in the driveway. I watched the video created and supplied by my company and have burned the images of the parts into my head. I have said the pretrip from memory now dozens of times each day and it is flowing like water. Properly mounted and secure (at both ends), not cracked, bent, or broken, no abrasions, bulges, or cuts, measured with an air gauge, not leaking....these words are almost all I say every single hour of the day now and I haven't even been near a truck yet! But my plan is to know this like the back of my hand so that my biggest focus can truly be driving, shifting, and backing (as well as all the other things I don't know to expect!)

I'll keep you posted but my next stop is the Greyhound station. One step closer and it is almost here!

Sounds like you've got a pretty good game plan and have been studying hard :D It's definitely a lot to remember. You'll be amazed that years, decades even from now you will still remember these things well enough to pass again. It's all important. Before you know it school will be over and you'll be on your way CDL in hand onto the next adventure... :D

A 50 hour ride? Ughh. The seats are uncomfortable at best, or were for me anyway. If you get "lucky" maybe the wifi on your bus will be working. They will also have plug in household type outlets so have a charger handy.

If you have never ridden on a grey dog, just know that if you have to change busses, transfer your own luggage to make sure your bags arrive with you without getting misplaced. I had no shame in letting the driver(s) know I had never been on a bus and they were very helpful in keeping me from getting too confused. The seats are small and rows jammed tight. Im 5'8" and my knees were constantly jammed up against the seat in front of me. A "bad" tip: try to get a row to yourself. Lol. This is quite shameful on my part, but i was advised to put my carryon in the seat beside me and to appear to be asleep when new passengers boarded. It worked and i could at least sit sideways to give my knees a break. Yes it was an ******* move on my part. The very last row in the bus generally has a little more room and 3 - 4 seats side by side. The onboard restroom really isn't that bad either and is in the back.

The pretrip is indeed a lot of repetition. For instance the axles.. you know one, you know all of them with only very minor differences and it appears you have the lingo down. Missing any brake components or messing up on any part of the brake tests on your incab is an automatic fail so as soon as you get near a truck, memorize that incab procedure and dont change the order of anything. LABs. Leaks, Alarms, Brakes.. in that order. Everyone I know who failed their pretrip messed up on the brake testing. In my state, you do your incab first and if you pass, you are allowed to proceed to the outside of the truck to pretrip that.

Am loving hearing about your experience thus far. Keep it coming because this is good stuff.

Thanks Sue, been watching this youtube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kM4ezAFQZNo and it's gotten boring and I watch with disinterest. A light bulb went off when you said AUTOMATIC FAIL so I did get back to it right away. It's the Expert Driving School Channel and it is excellent. By the time I get to school and learn their way, I'll be an expert.

Last night before the new adventure truly begins...

Today, I learned how to ranger roll all my clothes. I won't say that I perfected it but I did pretty darn good on it for the first time. The bag I had was definitely over the carry on weight limit so I decided to add one additional bag to the journey. I am glad that I did as I really needed that little extra. I still packed light and efficient, but that second bag made a big difference.

The bus leaves early in the morning and is not in the best part of town (are they ever?!). I am packed and now ready to unwind so that I can get to bed early. 4:45am is a pretty unusual wake up time for me normally but I imagine that after driving a while, that will just be part of the norm.

I'm nervous about many things, but I have put in the study time for the permit and the pre trip. I certainly hope that I am prepared enough for this week but will be using the long bus trip to review and just drill it into my head. Looks like I have a class of possibly 4-5 to start with but won't know until Monday or maybe Sunday night. I have all my paperwork packed and easy to get to - now it's just the long trip out there.

I've never been on a bus before but I have heard some horror stories from others. It's all in how you look at it so I say let's get this show on the road. Hard to imagine that this all seemed such a long way off just a few weeks ago. Looking forward to it all and ready to embrace that brisk, cold weather.

I may update you all from the road over the weekend. The real fun is about to begin!

Ok, I've made it to Montana! School begins tomorrow and I am ready. Have met two others in my class and they are really awesome - it's gonna be a great week. My iPad is dying so I will keep this short. I do want to give a little info on that 50 hour bus ride - just a preview for now though - I'm glad it's over!

Getting tired and I want to review some more before bed. Gonna be an early morning! I am officially changing my profile status finally!