Progress

Personally I hope that I get to see everyone of you that is in this forum! You ladies and gentlemen are the greatest! Sometimes I feel like I should just give up this pipeline idea of mine, but then I read these encouraging post (not sugar coated, but straight up legit talk) and I get a renewed spirit! I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that when I am in training and away from home missing my daughter and grandson that you ALL will lift me up and help me keep going! Thanks to everyone! Kathy

After all of the websites I have scoured and yes there are tons this one is the only one that truly lead me down the right path. I am determined to do this no matter how difficult. I have finally figured out that every company is going to have a horror story because this is the INTERNET you get one driver who got fired and all of a sudden there are tons of stories.. If you need a little pep in yer step I am here for you!

Way to go man! You make me proud! I knew you could do this, all along I had faith in ya! So what's your next move?

Today we graduate...and PARTY! I plan to study this weekend and go for the HAZMAT next Monday or Tuesday (already have doubles/triples & tankers), then I put myself up on the auction block.

Was all set to go with one company I had a pre-hire from, but then I found out I'd have to bring the truck and trailer home if I ever wanted to get home! Don't know what I'd do with them...I live in the burbs, 2 miles from the nearest truck route, and their nearest terminal is 6 hours away.

Time to throw out some more bait, I suppose!

Congrats to you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WAY TO GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey Hamrhed, you need to figure out some way to go home with your truck because it is really going to limit your options if you can't do that. I don't know if any of these will work for you but I'll share some ideas I've seen people do in my town. There's a driver I know here who drops his trailer at a truck stop just outside of town and then drives his tractor to his house in his neighborhood. He's a single man so he doesn't have any one to come pick him up from the truck stop. You could leave the truck and trailer and have your wife come get you if that works for you. Another driver I know made some sort of arrangement with a friend of his who manages a convenience store in town and he parks his truck and trailer behind the store when he's on home time. And then I know another person who lets local truck drivers park their rigs behind his restaurant while they are here in town.

Any thing like this would have to be approved by your company and the place that you park the truck, but I just think you should think about different ways of doing something like this so that you are not so limited in your choices.

Best of luck to ya!

Old School, you really have some serious insight into this. I was speaking to the Instruction Program Mgr. at our grad party this a.m., and he gave me pretty much the same advice. Time to rethink and reconsider.

Thanks!

HOT DANG !!!!! and you were worried....

CONGRATS MR TRUCK DRIVER !!!! well...maybe not quite a truckdriver...but your closer !!!!!

HOT DANG !!!!! and you were worried....

Hey, Starcar! You know, renting that U-Haul trailer during spring break really helped with the fundamentals. Now, I just want to get out there and get at it before I go cold on everything I've learned!

I tell ya...I"d liked to have seen you dudes out there playin' demolition derby with your 4 wheeler draggin' a Uhaul....somebody shoulda taken some pic.... But when it came down to it...if it helped...then it was the right thing to do. When you get out there in a big truck, you will have days when backing is as easy as going forward, and then there will be days that even the word BACKING is foreign to your grey matter. And sorry to say, but this scenario will repeat itself throughout your entire career...There are days that when I sit down behind a steering wheel, I am a curse to myself and all other drivers on the road.... So take it situation by situation. Sit back and look it over, make your plan, then start doin the deed....SLOWLY...thats the tricky part. never hurry yourself, or let anyone else hurry you...its just you, the truck, the trailer, and that spot you wanna end up in. Stay safe and sane.

Yeah never ever let people hurry you a long while backing.

When I was a trainer I always got out of the truck while that student backed and I used a portable CB to talk to them that way they never had to take their eyes out of the mirrors. There have been times when doing a hard to hit dock that you have to block the street to do that I have had cops waiting to get by. I actually had a cop ask me while I was out letting a student back in as to why I did not just get in the truck and do it since it would be faster and I told him that the student had to learn. So he asked how long it would take. I told him a few moments at most. I wanted the student to take his time. Either the student takes a few minutes to back in safely or he hits something and shuts down the road for and hour or more to deal with accident reports. The cop went and sat in his car till we were done. Same goes for other truck drivers when backing into a space at a customer or truck stop. Don't get in a hurry. Make them wait.

When I land on my feet, I can only hope to get a trainer as helpful and solid in what he knows as you, Guy. Thanks for the post.

And, Starcar, yeah, I'm sure we looked like a couple of hillbillies out on a lark! But, there was this older gentleman in a pickup truck that drove over by us and gave us the benefit of his experience. He told us to try your trick; hands at the bottom of the wheel!