CDL In Hand; Waiting For OTR Trainer

Oh, all arrangements have been made, and I will start driving with my OTR trainer on Monday.

Irish Mike I am REALLY proud of you ...

Thanks! Really, thanks a lot.

(Though "knocking it out of the park" is a little over-the-top: I'm competent, and getting more confident. ;)

Oh, all the arrangements have been made and I will begin driving with my OTR-trainer Monday 10/28.

Good luck on your start tomorrow. Listen, watch, learn, and apply.

Yes and dont be afraid to reach out to Driver management if you need to express concerns but ALWAYS try to reason things out with your trainer first. A lesson I learned the hard way.

Good luck on your start tomorrow. Listen, watch, learn, and apply.

Well thats great! You worked hard for it! Im here at Pam getting trained at C1 in Indianapolis, Indiana. They want a year and thats fair.

So have you found a company to hire you?

Roehl hired me and trained me.

Unless I really screw up [& get screamed at by Ed] and get fired, (perish the thought,) I plan on sticking with them for at least the 15-month contract I committed to when I was hired, probably longer.

(Ed on backing, "Stop thinking, just move. If the trailer's going the right direction, fine; if not -- fix it. There's no thinking required!")

THIS!! I love this! I'm in my 4th week of a 7-week community college program. It sounds like I'm just like you as far as having nerve issues regarding being around other people, strangers, etc (sixteen years as a work-at-home medical transcriptionist and generally shy)... I'm going to think of this quote tomorrow when I'm working on my 90 again.

(Ed on backing, "Stop thinking, just move. If the trailer's going the right direction, fine; if not -- fix it. There's no thinking required!")

THIS!! I love this! ... I'm going to think of this quote tomorrow when I'm working on my 90 again.

I hope it helps ... and it's pretty much the same thing my trainer says: "I see where you're screwing up on your backing, you slow down or stop. If you stop - you're thinking, and screwing up. Keep it moving, adjust as you're moving."

My first week on the road is under my belt.

An online 'friend' asked "How was your first week on the road?"

I said "educational ... and exhausting 😄"

Another 'friend' asked, "Also fun?"

My reply is pasted here as an update:

I don't know that "fun" would be accurate ;)

after all, it was hard work ... but definitely a week of "firsts"

first night/first week of sleeping in a truck

first time showering at a truck stop

first week or driving a truck (hundreds of miles a day)

and probably a dozen other little "firsts"

(like the 4 or 5 "firsts" just in this sentence: receiving and delivering [multiple products] to warehouses and receiving bills-of-lading)

I'm getting better, (more confident,) at the truck driving part;

keeping the truck centered in the lane, applying the engine brake efficiently, passing efficiently, operating the many little unique controls properly, trusting the truck's built-in controls, etc etc

learning about the paperwork, the computer log, and route & time planning, about trucker etiquette and protocol ... in both driving and socially. Also, getting to know, and gaining even more respect, for my trainer and truckers generally. Etc, etc, etc ;)

You said:

I hope it helps ... and it's pretty much the same thing my trainer says: "I see where you're screwing up on your backing, you slow down or stop. If you stop - you're thinking, and screwing up. Keep it moving, adjust as you're moving."

It's the "keep moving, adjust as you're moving" part I will need to work on. I end up feeling like I don't have enough room - I'll end up early most every time. Two more weeks, and testing on the 27th... I'm gonna try to "keep moving" - Thanks, Mikehttps://www.truckingtruth.com/truckers-forum/Topic-26821/Page-2/cdl-in-hand-waiting-for-otr-trainer!