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

07/07/2017:

More time waiting for a lead driver. I ended up obtaining one, however he was caught texting while driving and I thought that if this guy is supposed to be training people, he shouldnt be doing that so I requested another Lead Driver. I got one this afternoon. It turns out that it was someone I went through orientation with me and he was going to be a lease operator, however you had to be certified as a Lead Driver before leasing a truck. As soon as he was done with his Lead Driver certification class, we went to the airport to pick up a rental car so we could drive to the Carlisle PA terminal to get his truck. I drove us from Cedar Rapids, IA to the Pilot in Oakwood, IL. I had planned ro get us to the Petro in New Paris, OH, but I was too tired and so was my Lead Driver. One note here: I am NOT a Lease Operator nor am I EVER going to be a Lease Operator. I am starting out a company driver and I plan to stay one. Even though I am on a lease truck, I still get paid like a company driver. This closes this update.

*to

Another mistake by Android.

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.

*and

D*** you again Android!

Hey, glad to hear things are going well! I was starting to worry there for a minute. No news is not always good news in the beginning with a new company and all. Sounds like things are going great though!

Now I'm a bit surprised you were inspired by the scenery of the Ohio River and Louisville, but not I-15 in Utah??? That's one of the most beautiful stretches of highway in the entire country through there! Incredibly beautiful place.

07/17/2017, Day 8:

Today we started out in Burns, WY. I was able to complete my reset, however, my Lead Driver was unable to due to dispatch pressurin us with delivering this load. Now I have a FULL 70 and he is forced to run on recaps which as a TEAM we BOTH need a FULL 70 hour clock each. He drove us to a rest area a few miles south of Council Bluffs, IA where I took over and delivered the load. After that I had to spend half of my shift huntin down an empty trailer for our next load from Kansas City, KS to West Valley City, UT. I was exhausted after getting the load, however I got some great backin practice today and drove 460 miles. All in all a relatively good day considerin everything I had to deal with. I made it to a rest area in Gohener, NE on I-80 WB. Oh well, thats truckin. That closes this update.

07/18/2017, Day 9:

Today was a pretty eventful day. My Lead Driver got us to a truck parking area in central Wyoming. I don't remember the exact city, but I do know it was East of Rawlins, WY. There was a Conoco station across the street. I drove this load all the way to the final in West Valley City, UT. I thought I-15 was bad, I-80 in Eastern Utah is WORSE. It truly is hairpin county and switchback city. Anyway we delivered the load and we are gettin another load tomorrow in Clearfield, UT and its goin to Columbus, OH. For now we are restin up at the Love's in Salt Lake City. I did a 90 into an outside parking place here and nailed it with one pullup. Not to shabby for backin in the dark with very little light. That closes this update.

07/19/2017, Day 10:

Today was yet another good but crazy day. My Lead Driver drove us from Salt Lake City, UT to the shipper in Clearfield, UT, got the new load and then he continued on to Laramie, WY where I took over. I drove us all the way to the Love's in Shelby, IA about 30 miles East of Council Bluffs, IA. I was passin by mile marker 308 on I-80 EB in Nebraska where I saw a deer in the middle of the road. His hind end was in my lane. I slowed down to about 15 under the limit and smoothly went around him. I missed him by about 6 inches. We were lucky and so was the deer. LOL. I was scared but did not panic. My Lead Driver took over in Shelby, IA and is hopefully goin to go by Cedar Rapids at the Post Office so I can get my hard copy CDL and my UltraOne card. I'll let yall know how that goes. That closes this update.

07/20/2017, Day 11:

Today was BY FAR the MOST INSANE day I think I have ever had in truckin. We started at a Love's in Western, IN (I don't remember the city). My Lead Driver got us there all the way there from the Love's in Shelby, IA. By the way, we were able to stop in Cedar Rapids and I now have my hard copy CDL and my UltraOne card. Are we noticing a trend here? My Lead Driver is OBSESSED with Love's. I am the same way with TA/PETRO also. Anyway, I drive to the final to deliver the load. I find out that it doesn't deliver until Monday July 24th at 23:59 local time on Columbus, OH. Dispatch didn't tell us that we were supposed to relay this load to a DROPYARD in Columbus, OH instead of taking the load to the final until I got to the final and found out they were closed. I got to the final and had to get turned around in a VERY TIGHT parking lot across the street. Anyway, we proceed onwards to the relay drop. On the way there, my Lead Driver's GPS which is a Rand McNally TND 530 LM that is way out of date on the map, it tries to turn me down a RESIDENTIAL STREET. I am like oh H*** NO! So I keep goin. Instead he couples it with Google maps GPS and we end up goin down a wild goose chase through the HEART of the BEAST that is Downtown Columbus, OH. We EVENTUALLY got there unscathed, however, I was p***** off the whole time however I maintained a PROFESSIONAL attitude the whole time. I thought oh well thats truckin for ya. Anyway we finally relay off this load and then BOBTAIL (At this point the sweetest word in the English Language) to our next shipper in Reynoldsburg, OH. We get there and get this load going to Hayward, CA. I finally got paid today so we go to the Walmart in Eaton, OH to do some shoppin. I stop us at the TA there in Eaton due to torrential rains and high winds. Plus we had a light load so those conditions were unsafe to continue on. My Lead Driver takes over there and takes us to the Walmart when it slacks up.I was glad my shift was over at that point. That closes this update.

07/21/2017, Day 12:

My Lead Driver got us from Eaton, OH at the TA to Woodhull, IL at the Pilot. We did our laundry and got a MUCH-NEEDED SHOWER. Then I took us all the way to the TA in Grand Island, NE. It was a great day. I rewarded myself with a new Garmin Dezl 770 LMTHD GPS and a new 2018 Rand McNally Deluxe Motor Carriers Laminated Road Atlas. I also ate at Country Pride for the first time since 2015. That closes out this update.

07/22/2017, Day 13:

My Lead Driver got us from Grand Island, NE to Rawlins, WY. We stopped at the Petro in Laramie, WY for breakfast. When I took over in Rawlins, WY and was driving through Salt Lake City, UT, my new Garmin went haywire so I took it to the TA in Tooele, UT and exchanged it for a Rand McNally TND 740 LM and it worked up until I stopped in Battle Mountain, NV and when I tweaked my settings and restarted it, it stopped responding so I meed to get it back to a TA and exchange it for a new one. I think the one I got was defective because the Rand McNally 740 is WAY better than the Garmin (when it worked) in my opinion. Anyway I drove today from Rawlins, WY to Battle Mountain, NV which was 595.3 miles. Not too bad if you ask me. That closes this update.

07/23/2017, Day 14:

I thought my Lead Driver would make it to the final of this load, however, he ran out of hours at the Walmart in Dixon, CA. I took this load to the final in Hayward, CA and let me tell ya: I ABSOLUTELY DESPISE driving in Northern California. As a matter of fact, I don't feel safe in California anywhere unless in the desert near Barstow. Anyway I delivered the load safely in Hayward, CA. I must say my Lead Driver is one AWESOME dude! He stayed up with me after his shift was done. Also last night, he took this load safely over Donner Pass which is the most deadly mountain pass outside of Colorado. This section of I-80 should also be a CRST restricted route just like I-70 West of Denver is in Colorado but it isn't. I should know about the dangers of Donner Pass from experience because I almost died on that pass when I still drove for Werner. The elevation changes way too rapidly. People who have problems with high altitude can't do Donner Pass. He even told me that when we get our next load which we are currently awaiting that load now (It should be ready at 0500 local time). We are gettin it in San Leandro, CA and taking it to Mechanicsburg, PA some 2.9K miles away from here, he would take it over Donner Pass because he didn't want me driving that pass. Thats good because of my experience I had at Werner, I don't feel safe on that pass. I am VERY LUCKY to have him for a Lead Driver. That closes this update.