C1 Driving Academy - Indianapolis, IN... Adventures With Swift
Topic 20696 | Page 6
Danielsahn...valuable lesson leaned here. Can completely relate.
Trip-planning for a Walmart driver includes knowing how-to safely and efficiently navigate from your first stop to your second, etc. Like a stopped watch; Navi-go is 100% right 2x per day on the Walmart account; from the DC to your first stop and from your last stop back to the DC. Other than learning all of the tricks getting into and out of a store, for me learning the myriad of routes between stores was the most difficult part of the Walmart account. In combination USE your Trip-Sheet directions and align with the Navi-Go route before you depart for the 2nd, 3rd or 4th stop. Until you "get-to-know" the routes, confirming with the Atlas is a very good and safe idea.
When I first began driving on the Walmart account I was in your exact predicament several times and like you was fortunate not to hit anything.
Quick question...did they send you to the Valley Stream NY store yet (LOL)? If they do, make sure your mentor is awake as you approach it. A major-league Sh**-Show especially on a Saturday morning during flea-market season.
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
G-Town asks:
Quick question...did they send you to the Valley Stream NY store yet (LOL)? If they do, make sure your mentor is awake as you approach it. A major-league Sh**-Show especially on a Saturday morning during flea-market season.
No they have not....... Yet. I have 4 new places loaded on me/us today, though. Waiting for my mentor to get back from his 34, so we can get rolling. 😊
G-Town asks:
Quick question...did they send you to the Valley Stream NY store yet (LOL)? If they do, make sure your mentor is awake as you approach it. A major-league Sh**-Show especially on a Saturday morning during flea-market season.
No they have not....... Yet. I have 4 new places loaded on me/us today, though. Waiting for my mentor to get back from his 34, so we can get rolling. 😊
How did that go Daniel? 4-stop reefer load is a big run with a lot of pallet moves.
Tomorrow should be an equally interesting day for me; Pre-planned on two, 3-stop loads; AM is FDD (225 miles), PM is Remix (dry) with a Nestle' Drop and Hook water load (210 miles) as the 3rd stop. Fortunately the second Remix stop is also a drop and hook. That alone can save upwards of 30 minutes. Long day though, likely encroaching on the 14. They key to getting this done under-the-wire is wasting zero time, "nail" every back, and make a really quick transition to the second load. Good money when this happens...really good.
Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
Drop And Hook:
Drop and hook means the driver will drop one trailer and hook to another one.
In order to speed up the pickup and delivery process a driver may be instructed to drop their empty trailer and hook to one that is already loaded, or drop their loaded trailer and hook to one that is already empty. That way the driver will not have to wait for a trailer to be loaded or unloaded.
11/09/17
Training Day FINISHED!! - Location - Newport, Maine
I have officially finished my 200th hour of Driving. By the time I shut down, I had 209 hours. Sitting here in the sleeper, I can't help but think all the way back to when I found this website. I am grateful for the knowledge, and instruction, I received from many people here, and will continue to receive.
Now we work on getting routed through the Syracuse Terminal , for my upgrade process.
G town said
G-Town asks:
No they have not....... Yet. I have 4 new places loaded on me/us today, though. Waiting for my mentor to get back from his 34, so we can get rolling. 😊
How did that go Daniel? 4-stop reefer load is a big run with a lot of pallet moves.
Tomorrow should be an equally interesting day for me; Pre-planned on two, 3-stop loads; AM is FDD (225 miles), PM is Remix (dry) with a Nestle' Drop and Hook water load (210 miles) as the 3rd stop. Fortunately the second Remix stop is also a drop and hook. That alone can save upwards of 30 minutes. Long day though, likely encroaching on the 14. They key to getting this done under-the-wire is wasting zero time, "nail" every back, and make a really quick transition to the second load. Good money when this happens...really good.
It was Watkins Glen, Elmira, Horseheads, and Painted Post.
I was able to turn it, creeping into the DC with 20 minutes left on my clock. We went to Norwalk, and I am SO GLAD he was driving. That Walmart has the craziest back I have seen so far.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
Drop And Hook:
Drop and hook means the driver will drop one trailer and hook to another one.
In order to speed up the pickup and delivery process a driver may be instructed to drop their empty trailer and hook to one that is already loaded, or drop their loaded trailer and hook to one that is already empty. That way the driver will not have to wait for a trailer to be loaded or unloaded.
Congratulations! Do you plan on sticking with Walmart, or something else?
Good luck!
Congratulations to you!
Congratulations! Do you plan on sticking with Walmart, or something else?
Good luck!
I plan on staying with Walmart, at this time. Staying here will give me some good winter driving experience, and give me a great foundation, if I decide to see what else is available to me, such as a more otr oriented dedicated account. Or what I have dubbed a "super regional." who knows? Even doing Walmart, and getting a random otr load going wherever and back, would be great. I know I just want to see more than this one little Region.
Regional:
Regional Route
Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
It has been a while.
I am closing this journal, as I prepare to start a new one. I hope that whoever reads this, takes a few good nuggets of knowledge and applies it to whichever path they choose. I can say so far, that I absolutely LOVE this job, and am ready for whatever it throws my way.
Thanks for reading.
OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
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10/29/2017
Training Day 22 Location - I90 sleeper berth
I have decided, that if I ever become a mentor/trainer, I will go Super Solo, if possible. Teaming is not to my liking.
Anyhoo, a couple days ago, I had the "privilege" to drive a road named Mossy Hill Lane
I just finished unloading at the Catskill, NY Walmart, and was leaving. I turned right, out of the lot to head back the way I came in, when "Becky" started swearing at me, telling me to turn around, so I got myself turned around and heading in the "right" direction, towards Old King Highway. I missed the turn, so there was an instant reroute, to take Mossy Hill Lane. Well, I have learned the real reason, not to trust the GPS lady. She is SADISTIC! It was very apparent that she took other unsuspecting drivers down that path of regret, too. I was her latest victim. I also had the last laugh, because I didn't hit anything! I made it through unscathed, but I think I aged an additional 30 years from the ordeal. My mentor has his first Grey hairs now, too. At first it was just a really hilly road, that during the day, in a car, would be a nice route to take. By the time I realized my mistake, it was too late, so I woke up my mentor, so he could share in the terror of being a passenger while I navigated that road from hell. There were 3 turns, that I was sure I wouldn't make it, going in. But I slowed down to a crawl and used every available millimeter of real estate. By the time we got back around to Old King Highway, my mentor just looked at me and said, "by the way, you should have just gone out the way you came in. By the way, Great job, I will yell at you later." he then went back to sleep. When we got back to the DC, and he shared the adventure with our terminal leader, and assured him that the only damage was to our psyche, he told us that I was the first person in 6 months not to hit anything on that road. He has been trying to get that route taken out of the system, ever since the 3rd victim got lured down that path.
On my way to Hudson, NH (current trip) on I495 I came across a very recent accident, a car was on its side, in flames, while 2 Truckers were seeing to the other car occupants, and several other motorists were directing traffic, one bruised up pretty badly. This was before any authorities arrived. It looked like it was a 2 car accident, since both trucks looked unscathed. We stopped briefly enough to hand out our extra case of water, and continued on. One of the people kept saying that Truckers are always so helpful.
For the most part, I am able to get in and out of my deliveries, reasonably quick. Not this trip. I was ready to unload the trailer myself. I just wanted to pull my hair out and scream. Some days just go bad. This was one of them.
Stay safe
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
Sleeper Berth:
The portion of the tractor behind the seats which acts as the "living space" for the driver. It generally contains a bed (or bunk beds), cabinets, lights, temperature control knobs, and 12 volt plugs for power.