Graduate Driving School: Check!

Jay just read that post and he too thought I sounded a little pompous. This from the man who indulges my every whim! So I will apologize once more for my tired brain and tiny keyboard. Or is it tiny brain and tired keyboard? IDK, I'm just done night driving so I'm gonna pack it in. I'll post again in a few days... any questions from you ladies? Have a blessed day! ~Jana~

I don't know how you folks post on kindles...and some use their phone...My old eyes can't do that...well..lets be honest...I've never been able to do little screens...lol. It doesn't matter how long you drive truck..there is always something else out there for you to learn. You will learn the tricks of the trade from drivers who have been around since dirt. And you'll learn some things by trial and error...just so the errors don't bend crack or dent anything . Enjoy your training !!!!

Upgraded and officially an EMPLOYED TRUCKER!

Man! The last two weeks have been crazy! But training is over, Jay and I both passed our tests and we are currently home for a 6 day grandkid hugging/kid kissing/tool gathering/clothes packing/laundry doing break. That means also that this post is being typed on my actual laptop :) Yay! I am still really grateful that we did winter training to start this adventure. As I've mentioned before, the weather has been an issue for nearly the entire 6 weeks we've been on the truck. Our company doesn't allow driving on snow or ice unless you are a "discretionary" driver (usually a trainer with over 3 years experience who has attended a special class). Our trainer has this and he drove over ice and snow to teach us. Even though the company doesn't allow it, he knows that at some point we're going to get caught in bad weather and need to get to a safe place to park. I saw a lot of trucks in the median and off the side in the berms and I want to avoid that bad day if possible! Having the driving skills and ability to stay calm and focused is key. I respect the drivers who's skills allow him to drive through and I humbly admit that it will be a while before I can safely do that.

Onto The Upgrade Test So we get to the south California operations center for our final test. I got up at the crack of dawn and did a full beauty routine including hair straightening. It is calming and familiar to put on eyeliner and mascara, when I feel pretty I feel confident. Jay and I made sure to eat a healthy but light breakfast and took a walk in the warm Cali sunshine. The day was long. We had videos and written tests. We did the Smith System Defensive Driving course for commercial drivers. We had a log book class and a lecture by the safety manager. It was late afternoon by the time we finished.

Just when we both were feeling pretty drained it was time to drive. Great. My mind was fuzzy. I had spent the entire day in a heightened state of anxiousness and testing stress. I was hungry. I was tired. Now I have to drive a 70 foot vehicle in L.A. rush hour freeway traffic while being side-seat evaluated by an examiner? I was just about to feel sorry for myself when my inner trucker spoke in my ear.

"Jana, what do you think most of your days are going to be like as a driver? Sunshine, open roads and polite four wheelers? Get a grip woman!" Geez, my inner trucker is kinda snarly sometimes, but she was right. These safety guys are wiley... they know what we need to prove. My examiner said " I know you're nervous. I'm not looking for perfection. I want to see awareness of surroundings, lane placement, traffic law obedience and down shifting. Don't break any rules and don't hit any curbs." It was all I could do to not hug him for understanding what I was thinking.

The freeway was pretty intense. I was focused. I avoided a crazy driver who passed on the right where there was no lane, I braked smoothly and well in advance according to the flow of traffic. I gave right-of-way to an emergency vehicle. In other words, I just did what I have been training for since October 2013! It was amazing. The surface streets were more challenging because of turns, turn lanes made for cars, pedestrians and the chance to hit a curb and fail, but I did it!

The really hard part was the alley dock test. By the time we both did our drive test and got back to the yard it was getting dark. We found that some yard dog had moved a bunch of trailers and blocked the testing area. The examiners scrambled to set up another alley dock elsewhere. We did panic a little. We had practiced intensively on the course every time we were in SoCal. I had points of reference for my setups, I knew where I needed to be to not hit a barrel! Dangit! Just then my inner trucker once again whispered in my ear... "Jana, what do you think your real alley docks are going to be like? All the same? All in daylight? All wide with pretty, perfectly painted stripes? Get a grip woman!".

My inner voice really is getting on my last nerve, but once again... she was right. Some shippers have lovely yards, some are so tight you have a hard time walking down the side of the trailer. Sometimes it's dark, stormy, sunny, pot hole laden, trashy, busy or confusing. You still have to get it in the door. I had to do this. We had a crowd of bored truckers who were over-nighting at the yard to add to the fun. Yay. An audience.

Jay did his maneuver with quite a few pull-ups because it was so tight. He did about 20 "get-out-and-looks". His little bald head was shiny with perspiration. I thought, if it was that hard for him I am in real trouble! He passed, recieved back slaps, hugs and handshakes from all the on-lookers. I shakily climbed in to take my turn. I brought the rig around and set it up. I did my hard right, hard left and a small right correction. I got out to do a look (or G.O.A.L). Somehow, by some freakish miracle or great training, the rear of the trailer was perfectly set up in the top of the alley! I did one short pull up and straight backed right in.

I heard cheering, my trucker audience and my man were all jumping and clapping. At that moment I became a bonafide professional driver... with a job. My inner voice whispered in my ear... "I knew you could do it". Ok, I kinda like her after all.

From following you and your other half...everyone who is going thru school and training should be jealous of your experience. You had probably the best trainer I have ever heard of. And you both took full advantage of it...and learned and asked questions, and learned.....

So I want to say CONGRATULATIONS JANABANANA and your other half !!!!!! Welcome to the world of trucking....now get out there and enjoy your ADVENTURE !!!!!!!! And don't think you get to leave here...cuz you don't...now we want to follow along with you as you continue on with your trucking career.....

And if oyu get up in the OR/WA are, you better be hollarin' at this woman.....I'll have something special for you two, when we meet up !!!

Thanks Starcar! I love being on here, so I'll stay put AND add a FaceBook page

I'm happy to share with others what Jay and I are doing. I want everyone to know that you CAN go from working in an office (like me) to being behind the wheel of a really big truck AND it pays well. There are so many places out there that I had never been, and now I have. I talk to other truckers all the time and pick their brains. So if someone has questions, ask me. If I don't know the answer I'll find it for you. for reading my posts!

Congratulations JanaBanana! I lurk around over here in the Ladies department every once in awhile just to see how you gals are doing. Very glad to see you've advanced to the next step in this career. I always tell people that this is where the real learning curve kicks in, but it sounds like you and your "inner trucker voice" are gonna do just fine. Keep it up, and let us know how things are going every now and then.

Thanks Old School, I really appreciate the support! I'm excited to be home but oddly, just antsy to get back to Southern Cali and get my truck! I did make a Facebook page to share photos on... so I'll be writing stories here and posting recipes and pictures over there. If you have any tips about anything, all I can say is... yes please!

The FaceBook link is https://www.facebook.com/drivenwomen.usa

It's just easier to share pictures and I have some really cool ones! Have a blessed day and thank you again for your kind words, I love it!

Woooohoooooo JanaBanana!!! Congratulations!! I have been wondering what you have been up to! I'll tell ya, knowing what I know now, I wish Jeff and I would have gone about this a little differently. He is still in training and I'm waiting.....patiently. Once he gets his time in and is qualified to be a certified trainer, then I'm going to school. So I'm jealous...lol

I copied/paste the link and I do not see your page on FB....Is that also the actual name of your page? I have been trying to find it.....H E L P please...lol

Thanks Spirit! The FB address is Mother Truckers, Professional Women Drivers. Don't laugh, I was tired and had a creative brain fart lol! I've got a lot of likes so far and will be adding content soon. Jay and I leave for southern Cali tonight. We are picking up an old truck that needs to go to Tennessee for trade in and we'll get our truck there. I am pretty excited!

Have a blessed evening <3

Jana...I think your FB page is wonderful !!!! I can't seem to learn how to download pics on TT...So now we can cruise to FB and put up pics...now someone can follow me while I build my custom trike !!! I'm gonna sell my Harley, and get a little more comfortable on the road...I'm to old to get road rash at this late date...lol.