Training With Veriha Updates...
Topic 27082 | Page 1
Marc,
Great to see you out there driving, after all you've been through.
Does it feel good just to be behind the wheel?
Rob.
Great update!!! Keep at it one day at a time
Thanks Rob.
Does it feel good just to be behind the wheel?
Guessing that one is rhetorical! (My big ass grin should be visible pretty much anywhere)!
Told my trainer "if they weren't paying me to do this I'd probably be willing to pay them!"
Great update!!! Keep at it one day at a time
Thanks P.J.. As you know... that is how I try to roll! It's been working for 34 years with that "drug thing". No reason it can't work here!
Started @ 02:00. Backing, switching trailers/loads. D&H, live unload, unloading damage, drive to Sturtevant to drop damaged goods, another live load to drop. Trainer had to do last runs as we ran out of clocks and needed to make some time. He declared a "Big Day" - (I think that's the day cab 100 air mile HOS exception thing). Can't start tomorrow till 03:00. Exhausted and still smiling.
More excitement today but not really for "PUBLICation". Happy to share off-line / PM. (Nothing affecting moi)... just Trucking Karma stuff!
Tired. Still have a BAG - (Big Ass Grin)!
Day Cab:
A tractor which does not have a sleeper berth attached to it. Normally used for local routes where drivers go home every night.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
The more things change...
First week with "Home Daily" trainer Vance generally went very well.
We, of course, had our ups and downs.
Monday 02:00 we met at the truck (Masterfleet in Green Bay, WI). Put running lights on, 4-ways on, pre-tripped tractor. Tried to Safe Start. Batteries were dead (or at least low enough to not start). Apparently prior student had a habit of leaving accessory power on. Tried my personal charger / starter / air compressor - no go. 05:00 or so and a $700 / 4000-amp jump box later, Penske gets us going.
Grab a trailer, pretrip it, get a load, get fuel enroute (truck runs on CNG, (90% methane) - essentially cow farts!). Wind up dropping load at our yard in Sturtevant, WI, (my "home" terminal). Take an empty to Menards in Iron Ridge, WI and return to Masterfleet. Delivered it next day (remained coupled overnight). I will post data summary at end...
Most days similar. Tuesday we delivered to Menards in Escanaba, MI. Nice drive. P.U. a paper load nearby. Stop for fuel near Veriha HQ in Marinette, WI. Felt like a "triumphant return".
Combination of live loads and D&H. Working on backing, mostly 90's, Vance's way. Had a couple rocky attempts - me doing 45 setups by mistake (hadn't even been shown a 90 since CDL training/testing a year ago). Vance now understands how I learn and need to learn. I try to follow his instructions, interpret and communicate. I think we are pretty much on the same page now. He wants me to succeed and is doing everything he can to help. I need and want to succeed and am doing my best. My goal is just to be the best student (and driver) I can be. More on my communications with Vance in my backing posts...
Another day we had a live unload with some damaged goods. Went from Germantown, WI to Sturtevant yard to drop damaged goods.
Witnessed a "****y" vetran crash a bumper into a concrete block not checking his mirrors after bragging about his 16 accident free years with same employer. Trucking Karma is a *****!
Next morning we waited about 2.5 hours for a BOL to legally move a rejected load back to shipper. When the "right guy" finally arrives (about 07:300) he asks "Why are we keeping these Driver's waiting?" Took him about 10 minutes to get us original and return BOL's to "make the load legal".
Second visit to Menards (Iron Ridge, WI) I refer to Bob. "Who's Bob?" Vance asks. "The Guard." "How do you know that? "Dunno. Name tag? I asked and remembered?" "Hi Bob! How you doing today?" Added I have CRS Syndrome when Bob apologized for not knowing my name. Added I bet he had a few other drivers come and go since me a couple of days ago!
DAY MILES DRIVE OD TOTAL M 11/18 303.5 7.12 5.6 12.72 T 11/19 344.0 7.1 5 5.0 12.11 W 11/20 204.6 4.5 9.27 13.77 Th 11/21 358.5 7.75 4.3 12.05 F 11/22 249.9 5.9 6.5 12.4 TOTAL: 1460.5 32.38 30.67 63.05
At $500 training pay, gross works out to just under $8 / hour.
Not bad, considering I would have paid them!
Life is good!
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Shipper:
The customer who is shipping the freight. This is where the driver will pick up a load and then deliver it to the receiver or consignee.
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.
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
I'm glad it's going well! Remember to take your time and relax! My biggest problem is I hate having mlm people wait on me so I rush and that can lead to mistakes.
Are you going to be home daily or regional? I'm sure you said but I forgot
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.
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I'm currently on the road in trucking with Veriha Trucking
Day 3. Taking 30.
Drove 340 miles yesterday. Got to see Lake Superior. Was 2nd day with nice, newer trailer with pneumatic tandem release. Had to leave it today. So getting experience with both D&H and live loads.
Working on 90 and 45's. Yesterday drove into our HQ (just over a week after starting in class) felt great!
Watching how others are doing backs trying to learn as well...
More later!
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
Tandem:
Tandem Axles
A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".