My Training Diary....

Other stuff, but that's enough for now. Own your training Victor. It's your time, make the most of it.

G-town... You ROCK!

You're information and experience, shared here, is so helpful.

Thank you

Other stuff, but that's enough for now. Own your training Victor. It's your time, make the most of it.

G-town... You ROCK!

You're information and experience, shared here, is so helpful.

Thank you

I appreciate that Sir. Glad it's helpful for you. Good luck today.

Thanks G-Town! Yesterday was the first day that I used the CAT Scale and I found out something, we may have had a load at 40,381 lbs, but the whole truck altogether is 75,381 lbs! You are absolutely right G-Town it was a hand full .

So an update, my mentor was very proud of me when I drove 10 1/2 hours yesterday and 575 miles with it loaded! I felt so accomplished. I am already falling in love with this career choice and life style! The scenery was breath taking, no really it was! Pennsylvania is more beautiful than I thought.

This is a lot of fun!!

Hi Victor,

I have been following your training entries here lately and it seems like you are having a blast in your new endeavor. I'm currently preparing to go to CDL training on May 1st.

Thank you for your comment on PA being beautiful, I was born and raised here and always felt this was one of the most most beautiful states having already traveled about half the country. The mountains here can be a handful in the winter, especially some of the 2 lane state roads lol.

If your ever on state route 322 headed east from State College, there is a section there called Seven Mountains, that decent is no joke, especially in a loaded rig. I've never driven a semi down that mountain, but have driven it in my personal car for many years in all kinds of weather. Fun times!

Keep up the good work and attitude! God bless you sir.

Bill

Victor wrote:

The scenery was breath taking, no really it was! Pennsylvania is more beautiful than I thought.

I agree. Born and raised in PA, I too enjoy and appreciate the scenery surrounding the Interstates. My favorite is the Deleware Water Gap on I-80 near the PA and NJ border. North Western NJ is also appealing. The fall color is striking.

Glad you are enjoying yourself. Be safe!

G-Town I haven't seen that but I am sure I will.

Bill thanks for those compliments. I was born there in P.A. and lived 5 of my first years there before going to Colorado, Springs, Colorado. I was there for 3 years and then came back to P.A. where stayed for 3 more years and then moved to Virginia where I have lived ever since 11 years old. Quite a lot of adventures when I was young lol.

Ok, so an update, we picked up a load in Scranton, P.A. which was a load of fish heading to a pet food receiver in Concord, Kansas. We got started down the road and I looked at the reefers digital screen and it had an error code. I told my mentor and we stopped and looked at it and it was a code for low coolant. So then we pull in to this one T.A. and got weighed and got the Thermal King filled up. It took us quite a while. We then go from there and eventually stopped at a Petro at exit 10 in Ohio which was only 10 miles away from Indiana. Well I got up, and was doing my pretrip when all of the sudden a tire looked odd and then it dawned on me that our front most super single tire on our trailer on The passenger side had lost almost ALL of its tread. How? I have no clue cause when I was driving and had it had no problem at all and it was not like that when we left the last reciever. . So we were stuck at the Petro shop for literally all day. Well they got it fixed at like 6:00 in the evening. We could have chosen NOT to drive and put it off. But I wasn't feeling tired or about to give up on gettijng the load there on time.

Well, I got a lot of night driving with this 75,381 lb. beast as I drove 8 straight hours and parked at another Petro to take my 30 min. break. At the point though I was so tired that I just allowed my mentor to drive cause it wouldn't have been safe for me to have driven anymore. But the good news it paid off!!!! We got there earlier than when we moved up our delivery date .

We got unloaded hooked back up to the trailer and then went to Walmart and got some much needed amenities and then left. There is where we also ate breakfast.

We then left and got to our next shipper early and sat here ever since 3:30ish. We are taking this load of eggs to Nevada somewhere from Missouri! 1600 miles and then we are headed from there to southern California! This is about the most exciting career I have ever gotten into and I believe this is quite possibly where I am supposed to be as a blue collar laborer and I am happy right here. But I am going to work hard and keep bettering my self.

I am getting a lot better at sleeping in a moving truck. My word I did not know when but it sure is happening now lol.

Well that's all for Now! God bless you all and I will keep you all posted .

Well I got my first at the receiver back In! I did good but my mentor wanted me to get out and look a little more. I can definitely tell you that it is hard to be away from family around times like Easter and not being able to spend time with them. I do miss the eastern side for the greener lands but I absolutely love the open west and land around here in Nevada. I am not sure where I would want to move it I had a choice.

Reading signs and backing are my stumbling areas right now. Hope I do soon.

Victor,

Glad to hear that you did well backing into the receiver. I can completely understand how hard it is being away from family during times like Easter.

A few years ago I was in Santa Rosa, CA for a project I was working on and was there over Easter. It was hard being away from my little ones, but it's a sacrifice some of us have to make to provide for the ones we care about.

I also hear you on the openness of the west. I lived in Las Vegas briefly and was amazed at the vastness of the night sky. Really makes you feel small. Have you noticed your depth perception being way off? For instance a mountain or some other land feature will appear to be perhaps a mile or so away, when in reality its about 10 miles away! I never got used to that.

Happy Resurrection Sunday!

Victor, I feel your pain, about being away from family. I'm pretty far away from home, in a hotel room, contemplating my Happy Resurrection Sunday... so far what I've come up with is I'll go for a long walk, pass by a Wally*World and buy a few dinner items, and treat myself to a decent coffee at the nearest City Brew, a competitor of Starbucks. If the families clear out of the hotel today maybe I can enjoy the hot tub downstairs in solitude. The great thing about having a loving family (one of the many great things) is that you know you've got people who care about you and who are always thinking about your comfort and safety while you are away. And boy will they be happy to see you when you go back for a visit! Congratulations on the backing... with time and opportunity you'll just keep getting better at it.

I also hear you on the openness of the west. I lived in Las Vegas briefly and was amazed at the vastness of the night sky. Really makes you feel small. Have you noticed your depth perception being way off? For instance a mountain or some other land feature will appear to be perhaps a mile or so away, when in reality its about 10 miles away! I never got used to that.

Happy Resurrection Sunday!

RD, no doubt. I'm in Montana, "the Big Sky state," and it seems that when I look out the window or into the horizon, sky is all I see. There are snow-capped mountains in the distance, but I've been told they are about 45 mins. away; don't look that far off. If I had a means to get there I'd like to see them closer up. Well, Happy Resurrection Day to you as well.

Thank you all for your comforting words and Happy Resurrection day to you too. I hear nothing worth doing is ever this hard so I need to stand strong in the Lord and believe that my family will be ok when I come back.

Yes I have experienced were I could look at a mountain and it is seriously close at least at a glance.

So an update, I have done several back ups and the best one I have done yet was the yesterday, when I backed up in a crowed shipper. I am doing good according to my mentor, but I keep beating myself for the little mistakes like missing a turn or sign or simply not paying attention as much as I should. Everything that Brett and the other moderators have said I would feel I am feeling and have felt right now and before. But this is the first time in over a year that my savings account is over $1000. God is good and I have to remain strong in Him.

I love trucking though because I get to see so many amazing scenery and things being hauled. I love driving that big rig.

I hope I run into G-town, and the other swifties on here.

We are stuck on I-70 because of a blizzard towards Denver, Colorado.

I will be driving on the flatbed side of Swift and I hear there is maybe 200 there and we get to go 68 mph.

Well that's all for now! Will update.