CRST Expedited Trucking School And Training Program Cedar Rapids, IA. A (re) Training Diary By Millionmiler24

07/08/2017:

Continuation on journey to Carlisle, PA. I get a "Power Nap" at the Pilot in Oakwood, IL and then we continue on ro the Petro in New Paris, OH to spend the night. Since it would be Monday before we would have a load, we stopped here and got more sleep and rhen my Lead Driver drove us the rest of the way to Carlisle, PA later tonight. This closes out this update.

07/08/2017:

Continuation on journey to Carlisle, PA. I get a "Power Nap" at the Pilot in Oakwood, IL and then we continue on ro the Petro in New Paris, OH to spend the night. Since it would be Monday before we would have a load, we stopped here and got more sleep and rhen my Lead Driver drove us the rest of the way to Carlisle, PA later tonight. This closes out this update.

*got, *to, *then

God I can't stand typing on an Android phone.

07/09/2017:

We arrive at the terminal in Carlisle, PA and then get the truck. We do a thorough Pre Trip on it and discover it has some issues so we get it into the shop and they have it ready later that day. We sleep in the truck after my Lead Driver returns the rental and that closes out this update.

07/10/2017, Day 1 OFFICIALLY of training:

Today consists of most of the day runnin a local load to a receiver here in Carlisle that was relayed to the terminal. After that, we go get another load in Carlisle that is heading to Noblesville, IN. I drove this load today all the way to Cumberland, MD and boy was I EXHAUSTED after that. We both shut down until tomorrow.

07/11/2017, Day 2:

We wake up in Cumberland, MD at the Love's and continue on to Noblesville, IN. I get us to the TA in Eaton, OH and we get a MUCH NEEDED shower and then my Lead Driver takes over and we continue to Ingalls, IN at the Love's right there by the receiver since we don't have to be there til 0600 tomorrow.

07/12/2017, Day 3:

I start us off by delivering this load and there sure were some TIGHT turns there. Luckily I utilized what I had learned at NADTA and got through it. The back to the dock was a VERY EASY straight line right to our dock and we were unloaded and then we went to the YRC yard in Indianapolis and got a load going to Kansas City, MO. We then go to the Love's in Clayton, IN after we got that load because I was against my 14 and we needed fuel. Dispatch messages us and asks if we want to swap that load for someone's empty trailer and then deadhead to Louisville, KY to get a load that is a 2000 plus mile UPS load goin to Rialto, CA. I messaged them back and said we would surely be glad to do that and I thanked them for the great miles. We got the swap done and I made it as far as the Love's in Memphis, IN before runnin out of hours. At this point, my Lead Driver thinks I am good enough to run team. We let dispatch know and then we get some sleep. The reason my Lead Driver has not driven the last 3 days is because he has to be in the jump seat observing me and he has to log that "On Duty, Not Driving". That closes out this update.

07/13/2017, Day 4:

We wake up in Memphis, IN and do our Pre Trip and then head the rest of the way to the shipper in Louisville, KY. As I start drivin down I-65 in Southern Indiana and cross the Ohio River into Louisville, KY, as I look at the beautiful view, I realize why I love this job so much. I start hummin the Jurassic Park theme as we are crossing the bridge. This is right at sunrise. Indiana and Kentucky really did a great job fixin that bridge. Seein the Ohio River and its MAJESTY on one side and the BEAUTY of Downtown Louisville, KY on the other side, it makes me realize how TRULY beautiful this country really is. I REALLY wish I could have taken pictures but I was drivin. Anyway, I get the load and then make it as far as the Love's in Palestine, AR. We switch drivers and my Lead Driver takes it to a rest area in McLean, TX about 60 miles East of Amarillo, TX. This closes this update.

07/14/2017, Day 5:

I wake up and notice that my Lead Driver got us to a Rest Area in McLean, TX about 60 miles East of Amarillo, TX. I trip plan my day and I thought with the way I was feelin, I could possibly BREAK my all time MILEAGE record amd maybe have my first 700 plus mile day in a truck. I plan to get us to the Love's in Williams, AZ, however construction West of Albuquerque, NM thwarted that plan. I still made it to the Little America Truck Stop in Flagstaff, AZ. I made my 2nd longest mileage day of 663.2 miles and got a 9.3 MPG average on fuel. I still think that's a good day. This is proof that if conditions are OPTIMAL and the stars and planets align, anything great like this in truckin is possible. My Lead Driver took this load into Rialto, CA and delivered it and then deadheaded to the Riverside, CA terminal. That closes this update.

07/15/2017, Day 6:

We wake up at the Riverside, CA terminal and we have a load to Kansas City, KS. I drove it out of the h***hole that is Southern California through hairpin county and switchback city (as C. W. McCall said) called I-15 North all the way to Nephi, UT where my Lead Driver took over and he gets the load here to the TA here in Burns, WY not far from Cheyenne, WY. If yall are wonderin why we didn't take I-70 East through Colorado is because it is a CRST restricted route, plus its unsafe. This closes this update.

07/16/2017, Day 7:

We are at the TA here in Burns, WY waiting to complete a 34 hr reset to continue on this load to Kansas City, KS. We are just chillin in the truck. This closes this update.

P.S.:

I hopefully can continue updating yall once a week if I am near wifi and on a reset like I am now. I keep a trainin journal to write down my experiences until I can post them on here. Then I get rid of those excess pages once they are posted. That way I dont forget where I left off. I love and miss you all and please continue to stay safe out there at ALL TIMES!