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

07/24/2017, Day 15:

My Lead Driver gets a call at 0345 PDT this mornin saying our load is ready. I still have 2.5 hours left on my 14 so I get the load and drive it to the Walmart in Fairfield, CA where my Lead Driver takes over and then we stop at the Love's in Fernley, NV about 45 miles East of Donner Pass for a MUCH-NEEDED SHOWER. Then he proceeds on to the Pilot in Winnemucca, NV. I wake back up and find out that due to time constraints, this load will be rescued off of us and we will be gettin another load goin to York, PA with more time on it. Same miles roughly so thats cool. I am currently on a 34 hour reset because I only have 1:13 left on my 70. He is making me finish my reset so thats good. I was able to get my laundry done also. We are still here at the Pilot in Winnemucca, NV waiting for the load. That closes this update.

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.

Brett, I am a fan more of waterfront and riverfront views than mountain views. I do love all the scenery, especially the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. Thats some pretty country there. This ENTIRE country is a beautiful place to be. When you are trying to control a rig that is 40 tons and 70 plus ft long through hairpin county and switchback city that is MOST of Utah plus you are also tryin to keep the altitude from making you sick all at once its kinda hard to take in that scenery. I would love to see Vail and Aspen Colorado at some point in my life but I can't do elevations over 4000ft without getting sick UNLESS the elevation changes are not rapid. MINIMAL changes in elevation like in Wyoming and Utah even though they are above my danger zone levels I can stand because its not a rapid change. I can give my body a chance to get used to it. It was a massive bout of altitude sickness that almost killed me on Donner Pass when I worked for Werner. As long as the changes happen when I am asleep I am fine. If I wake up in that area, I just take it slow waking up so that my body can get used to it. When I was in truckin the first round I was OBSESSED with Florida. Thats why I chose Florida when I had to escape the abuse I was a victim of that led me to becoming homeless.

I am going to stick it out here at CRST at least through my new 1st year. I love CRST because if you don't feel safe to drive dispatch wont pressure you. Just when you are trying to get a reset in and a recap comes up at midnight. They pressure you to drive then IF and ONLY IF you feel SAFE to do so.

Every time I get a chance to reset somewhere with internet, I will keep you all updated. It would take something MASSIVELY BAD to get me to leave CRST. I am changin my life for the better by driving again. If I haven't said it enough I OWE you ALL a LEGENDARY THANKS for ALL of your support on here. I wouldn't be doing this if yall havent motivated me to. Thanks so much, I LOVE YOU ALL AND GOD BLESS YOU ALL. Until my next reset, Stay SAFE out there at ALL TIMES and remember: millionmiler24 LOVES YOU ALL!

Ok. Update for you all. The reset I mentioned above, I never got to complete it. Dispatch has been making us run on recaps so I have been so tired after each shift that I stopped keeping a journal so sorry about the lack of day to day updates. My lead driver took 48 at the house a few days ago so we got a reset in then but I have been so tired all I have cared about is getting rest. I do have a phone now through T-Mobile with unlimited 4G LTE internet. I was able to get that during his hometime. I am waiting for CRST to reimburse my motel for that time. If anyone has any questions about what has gone on with me lately please feel free to ask. We are in Fontana, CA waiting for our load to be ready. Then its more hard runnin. I am glad to make money but God I need a break.

Lol. JK. Anyway, my main focus is getting through my contract here at CRST and makin as much as I can. I will try to check in as often as I can but daily updates just aint gonna happen because we are on too many air freight time sensitive loads so we barely even find time to eat and shower and sleep much less play around on here. So daily updates can't happen, however I will still try to check in whenever I can. Just to let yall know: I still love yall and I think about yall occasionally. Trainin is still goin ok and I am still with CRST. Nothin has changed, at least nothin worth updatin anyway. Anyway until whenever I can again, stay safe out there.

Sounds great! Seems like you're totally back on track and all is well. Full steam ahead. Great job on sticking through the tough times and getting your trucking career back underway. Hell of a journey, eh?

Also glad to hear CRST is keeping you guys busy. That's fantastic. If you're trucking right, you're going to be tired pretty regularly. Otherwise you aren't working hard enough. Then when you get the chance you're supposed to go play so hard that you're happy to get back to work to recover from that!

Stop back as often as you can. You know we want to hear how things are going for ya.

Sounds great! Seems like you're totally back on track and all is well. Full steam ahead. Great job on sticking through the tough times and getting your trucking career back underway. Hell of a journey, eh?

Also glad to hear CRST is keeping you guys busy. That's fantastic. If you're trucking right, you're going to be tired pretty regularly. Otherwise you aren't working hard enough. Then when you get the chance you're supposed to go play so hard that you're happy to get back to work to recover from that!

Stop back as often as you can. You know we want to hear how things are going for ya.

So far so good. I still believe every day is a good day. I still wish I could meet yall all in person. Especially you Brett and G-Town. I would love to buy yall lunch when I do.

07/25/2017-08/13/2017 Days 16-40?! I sure hope thats right.

The days add up to 42 actually however the 2 days my Lead Driver was on hometime do NOT count as part of my training days.

Anyway nothing much has happened that has been worth updating you all about within that timeframe. I made a separate thread on the General Discussion Forum if anything happened that was worth updating. Basically the same ol grind now....get loads, drive to shippers, obtain load, drive legendary miles for on time SAFE, and LEGAL delivery, Deliver loads, ATTEMPT to reset, rinse and repeat the cycle again. Same places. Within this timeframe they mostly kept us on I-80 except for when my Lead Driver went home for a couple of days. I dont know if they will keep me on I-80 or not when I upgrade to Co Driver status but wherever I am at in this beautiful country, it will be the same grind day in and day out (for me it will be mostly nights because thats what I prefer to drive). I dont really consider the work a grind, just the repetitive nature of it. Oh well, repetitive or not I still LOVE it so. I will not continue to update this diary unless something happens that is worth updating on here. I still love you all and please stay SAFE out there. I hope I can get to meet you all in person one day.

07/25/2017-08/13/2017 Days 16-40?! I sure hope thats right.

The days add up to 42 actually however the 2 days my Lead Driver was on hometime do NOT count as part of my training days.

Anyway nothing much has happened that has been worth updating you all about within that timeframe. I made a separate thread on the General Discussion Forum if anything happened that was worth updating. Basically the same ol grind now....get loads, drive to shippers, obtain load, drive legendary miles for on time SAFE, and LEGAL delivery, Deliver loads, ATTEMPT to reset, rinse and repeat the cycle again. Same places. Within this timeframe they mostly kept us on I-80 except for when my Lead Driver went home for a couple of days. I dont know if they will keep me on I-80 or not when I upgrade to Co Driver status but wherever I am at in this beautiful country, it will be the same grind day in and day out (for me it will be mostly nights because thats what I prefer to drive). I dont really consider the work a grind, just the repetitive nature of it. Oh well, repetitive or not I still LOVE it so. I will not continue to update this diary unless something happens that is worth updating on here. I still love you all and please stay SAFE out there. I hope I can get to meet you all in person one day.

Forgot to mention above: I would get my backin practices in at each shipper receiver and truck stop or rest area I would go to in/on my shift.

08/14/2017, Day 41:

Today was easy. I delivered our liad in Des Moines and then we went to drop an empty in North Liberty and then we bobtailed to Cedar Rapids to drop me off.

........

I am now able to finally report that as of 14:54 CDT today, I HAVE OFFICIALLY BEEN UPGRADED TO CO-DRIVER STATUS WITH CRST! I am SO BANANAS right now I am NUTS! Anyway, Brett or any Moderator: I am formally requesting to update my status on here to "Rookie Team Driver". Do I have y'alls permission to do so?

08/14/2017, Day 41:

Today was easy. I delivered our liad in Des Moines and then we went to drop an empty in North Liberty and then we bobtailed to Cedar Rapids to drop me off.

........

I am now able to finally report that as of 14:54 CDT today, I HAVE OFFICIALLY BEEN UPGRADED TO CO-DRIVER STATUS WITH CRST! I am SO BANANAS right now I am NUTS! Anyway, Brett or any Moderator: I am formally requesting to update my status on here to "Rookie Team Driver". Do I have y'alls permission to do so?

*load

D*** Android phones! LOL.

I know especially driving through that beautiful canyon through st george

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.