Beginning Company Sponsored Training With Roehl

Thanks guys, much appreciated. Well it's official. I passed this morning. The shop guys were great. They had my truck waiting for me and gave me a thorough briefing on it. I got my first load this afternoon. Pickup time was 1700 hrs in Atlanta. I left early cause I know how traffic is. I didn't hit any and got to my appt. plenty early. The guys were great. I got backed in and loaded before my appt time and hit the road. Headed to lemont IL and it doesn't deliver until monday morning. I will stop at our Gary In terminal for fuel and a shower.

That's awesome man! Out there doing it for real!

Stay safe out there!

Great stuff PJ!

Glad all is going well. Gotta be a great feeling to finally put your stuff in your own truck

Woody

Brett thanks I could not have done any of this without all the help I received from everyone here. I even told my trainers about the site, and they seemed happy to hear there was a great site available. Thanks again for making this all happen.

Woody your right it was awesome setting my stuff in my truck....

I'm sitting at a TA in indy watching it snow....lol... It's supposed to clear by morning according to the local news.

Congratulations PJ. I'm glad to hear you are on your own. It's a long journey to get to this point. I hope our paths cross one day.

Thanks Richard. Well guys it's been a busy few days. I made it out of Indy went to our Gary terminal on Sunday to fuel and wait to deliver. Worked out ok. I got a shower, did laundry, and got to see Shawn for a bit. Shawn was my very first otr trainer. He wanted to see the truck they issued me. He was a bit jeaoulos i got a goid one. He was happy everything worked out for me. He showed me a few things on the truck pc to make my life a little easier. I found I could not find my fuel card. Oh crap. After looking everywhere i went into maintance and admitted i either lost or misplaced it beyond hope. They issued me another no problem. The guy handed it to me and asked if I remembered how to change the pin. I told him I had my chest sheet. I changed the pin and it went fine. I figured I was good to go. The terminal parking was filling up fast. I decided to fuel on the way out on monday morning. I got a preplan for another load. I looked it over and did the math. Was going to take 16 hours to make the delivery time. Oops. I sent in a message to call me I had a couple questions before I confirmed. 2 hours later I get a call. I explained the timing issue. The dispatcher then asked what the problem was. I was shocked and didn't really know how to respond. But it slipped out anyway. I simply responded it was the governments fault I couldn't make the delivery time. He put me on hold and then told me the delivery had a window between 0530-1230. That made all the difference in the world. Had they gave me that info this whole conversation would never had happened. I confirmed the load. I got up early to pretrip and fuel. My nice new card didn't work. I called maintance and they said it was never activated and I would have to wait till 0800 hrs. Well crap. I got to deliver at 0530 and pickup at 0800 hrs. In Chicago. I had enough fuel to make it to both stops. I sent in a message I would return to the terminal after both stops and get fuel. I called in at my pickup and they got it straigtened out. I went in and fueled. I had an 1/8 of a tank left. No problem. Both customers were happy so life is good. I hit the road headed for Springfield Tn. I was thrilled. Heading out of the snow and ice. I made it to my delivery at 0730 hrs and checked in. The lady was very nice. She had me drop it in an area that was wide open, and hook to my empty in the same area. I thought to myself this was too easy. I got outta there and they gave me a load that picked up right next door. Wow how easy can this get. Well I drove over and found the shipping office. Went in and it was preloaded. The lady was very nice and told me to drive around to the side lot and drop my empty. Cool no sweat right. How hard can that be, espically after my last experience. So I drive around to the side lot. I saw it was very tight in there. There were teailers parked at an angle, and it was opposite the angle frim pulling in. Damn. I looked a hole over. I had a whopping two to choose from. I of course picked what looked like the easier of the two. It took me an hour to get that trailer in that hole. A yard dog came by and told me he couldn't believe I did that. He said the lot is much fuller than normal but he was impressed I even got it. I found my load pretripped that trailer and got out of there. Oh and this is a high value load with a bunch of additional rules to follow. Headed to Salem Va with it. I ran till I got tired and within a couple hrs of hitting my 14 hr clock and stopped for the night. I am 4 hrs away and dont deliver till 1700 hrs. I asked if they could try and get me in earler but my dispatcher only replied, "that cons doesn't normally change appt's". I felt this was a bit vague on his part so I sent him a message that I understood, and I was fine with the orginal delivery time, that i was only thinking about keeping rolling if it was possible that I had wnough hours to get me to this weekend when I will be off for 5 days. He never responded. I don't have a preplan yet either so we'll see. The way the timing has been so far I have time for 1 load to the south to be home on time. Merry Christmas to everyone.

That's good info PJ. I have heard that a lot of this will be "learn as you go" at the school of hard knocks. My instructor has told me repeatedly that I only need to remember three things: don't hit anything, don't spill anything, and don't be late. It sounds like things are going good for you.

PJ, I've just read you post from beginning to end, sounds like you have had a good experience.

I'm in week 3 of my private school training, 5 to go, with a 2 week break.

I had my physical for Roehl today and hopefully will start orientation Feb 10 in Atlanta. Looking forward to it.

Papa Jim

Richard it sure is learn as you go for a lot of stuff. Also remember to communicate with dispatch. Things will go wrong, that's just life. But tell them what's going on and it's then up to them to figure things out. They are in offices and much easier than you trying to do it. Jim glad to hear. Frank and George in Atlanta are very good. You'll have fun while learning.

Damn I re read my last post. Spelling on a phone leaves a lot to be desired. I picked up a small inverter to charge the laptop so all is good.

I sat on the load it seemed like forever. I got it delivered on time no problem. I could have carried it piggy back in that time frame. Of course I arrived an hour early, they checked me in and let me sit till my appt. time. While I was waiting I got a preplan for my next load. I read it over and planned it out. It was a very tight window. Damn it's either feast or famine with my dispatcher. I figured I could deliver it with about 2 hours left on my clock at the time they wanted. Only 2 small or not so small issues. First, it picked up 56 miles from me. Through the VA mountains, at night, and if the current consignee held me up I could not make the appt. time to pickup. Kinda an issue. 2nd I had to go through Atlanta Ga. and they way I figured it would be about 3:30 in the afternoon. Traffic is terrible in Atlanta, espically at that hour. If I hit that paved parking lot disguised as a freeway I would run out of hours about 30-50 miles from the consignee. I didn't see this as a positive.

I contacted dispatch and told them of my concerns. They didn't seem like it was a big deal. After trading several messages they said "just get there when you can". Not exactly the answer I expected, but ok.

Well the live unload went as I expected. Held me up to the max they could without having to pay detention. I got out of there and got my directions to the next shipper. I hauled it over there as fast and safe as I could. I was scheduled for 2015 hrs. and rolled in at 2100. I thought everything considered that wasn't too bad. I checked in and the lady asked where I had been. I told her I got hung up at a delivery down the road, and I was sorry for being a bit late. She looked at me and said "a bit, you were scheduled for 1530". I again apologized and she gave me a dock assignment and said they would work me in. Needless to say I wasn't real thrilled with my dispatcher at the moment. He was off, so I had time to regroup my thoughts before I talked to him in the morning. I checked the time he sent me the preplan. It was 1657. 3 minutes before he was getting off. Hummmm. They got me loaded. I got my paperwork, and they had declared this one as a high value again. After the last one being dog food I was a bit curious. The bills said it was 7000 lbs of "Pillows". All I could do was laugh at that point. At least it was a light load. it was going to Marianna Fl.

Well I made it to Fl. and was 45 minutes early. It was a drop and hook. I actually got a new empty leaving there. Figures since I'm going home within a couple days. My dispatcher comes in shortly and I know he'll check my status. I got news for him today. I got a great reserved parking space at the local TA and if I don't see that computer light blinking for a few hours, oh well. I was beat when I got down here. I ate and got a shower and felt much better. They will hopefully find me a relay load from down here up to the terminal and then I'm taking it too the house for Christmas.

I just looked at my first week miles and it's just a hair over 2400. I think that ain't too bad for a brand new rookie....

I hope my ranting has been of some value to someone. It has at least at times been a release for me.

Hey ya'll. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. I haven't updated since, because I did make it home for Christmas. Just in time to wrap everything. Lol. My girlfriend said she didn't want me to feel left out.

Well I sat at the TA in Fl. all day. My dispatcher actually sent me a message at one point saying he had not forgot about me, he was working on something. I said ok. At 1600 he sent me a preplan. It picked up in 3 hrs in Al. and was a relay load to drop at our Atlanta yard. Yes I thought. Joe came through for me. Then I checked my drive time to the shipper. Damn it was at least 3 1/2 hrs. away. I let Joe know, and I got his now famous line. "get there as quick as you can". I think I'm going to have him a tshirt made with that on it.

I made the load and rolled into the yard at 0230 hrs. I was beat. I had 2 hrs. left on my clock, and I live 2 1/2 hrs away at best. Damn. I asked dispatch if I was clear to secure, and was told to ask again in the morning. You gotta love the after hours folks. I logged off for a 10 hr break to reset my clock. At 0730 hrs. I woke up and went up to the shop and took care of a few minor things, and went to get some coffee in the terminal. We were OUT. Damn. Joe came in and met me in the shop. He asked how things went. I told him fine. He looked at me and grinned. He asked if I was tired. I said nope, just waiting for my clock to reset so I could go home. He said as soon as it does, get outta here. He said he wanted to personally tell me I did very well and he was very pleased with my work, He said I through things at you that a lot of our experienced drivers would have freaked out with, but you handeled everything well, and most of all communicated with me. This meant a lot to me being the brand new guy.

While waiting for my 10 hr clock to reset I fell asleep. I woke up and when I saw the clock I about died. I was late. I should have been pulling into the house right now. Damn. I sent my girlfriend a message and apologized. I told her I was on my way now, and what had happened. She said it was ok, just get there safe.

I got home and was so happy to see her. It's been 2 months away from her and I have to admit I was miserable. Seeing her standing there when I got out of this truck meant the world to me at that moment. We spent 4 great days together and had a great Christmas.

I had agreed to start early on the 26th. I was due to start at 3 pm, but told Joe I would start as early as 7 am if it helped. He called me on Christmas eve and had me a load. It picked up 47 miles from the house at 8 am on the 26th. Then I looked at the delivery. Damn, it was 6 am the next morning. Another load that was impossible to make on time. I called and told him what was going on. He said he expected the call. He's learning me pretty well. He asked if I could go out earlier. I reminded him I was already starting early, and my short time with my girl was important to me. He said he understood. Just get there when you can please was the response. He told me things are kinda messed up right now with the holidays, and we just had to do our best.

Well I told my girl what had happened. She actually convinced me to go out early and handle the load the right way, and she was good with it. She is such a great lady. So I decided she was right. I went to leave and my tractor was stuck in the yard. It had rained and I failed to realize it was going to get stuck. Well I tried everything to get it out and to no avail. I finally called in and the company sent a wrecker to winch me out. I was very upset with myself to say the least. Got it out, and on my way. The guy with the wrecker said I was the 5th person in the same boat this week. He said the rain came in so fast it just took everyone by surprise. He said he had also mentioned that to the company guy that he talked to.

I spoke with my ftm about it and she said it was no problem, things happen. She told me to put it behind me, but not to park there again. I said yes ma'am.