CRST - From Bus Ticket Email To Fully Employed(Hopefully)

Hey guys,,

These past 2 days were pretty uneventful. Saturday was a short day and we did alley-dock practice all day. I got it down pretty good, still some work to be done, but it's not bad. Sunday was the day off and outside of doing laundry it was just spent hanging out at the house and watching movies.

Today was pretty rough to start out. Went out for road training, we stopped for coffee at a gas station and I forgot to put sugar in my coffee(should've taken it as a sign for the day), I was the last one to drive and I just completely messed up my down shifting. I could NOT get my downshift from 6th to 4th or from 7th to 5th at all today. I don't know what was going on, but I was making first day mistakes which I shouldn't be making only a couple days from testing. The worst part was the not knowing where I was going wrong. Not knowing how to fix it was the most frustrating part. Hoping tomorrow is A LOT smoother. On another note, I am getting A LOT more confident in my alley-dock, I've gotten to the point where I can do it with only 2 pull-ups and 2 GOAL's which is point free in the test. As well my pre-trip incab this morning was spot on and I didn't miss a single thing, which I'm super stoked about. I find out when I'll be testing and where I'm going for orientation tomorrow as well.

We here's to another day of improvement and learning.

Be Safe.

P.S. Motivational quote: "The secret to change is to focus all your energy, not on fighting the old, but building the new." -Socrates.

Well just in case you're finding time to read the feedback to your odyssey... According two how it was for me at my school, which it sounds like from your own downshifting difficulty, maybe it was similar--just a certain individual truck that is tougher for you...I wonder if that's possible there, since you wrote that you didn't know what was going on? We had I guess 3 different makes of trucks, but even the same model of Freightliner varied some in their shifting between the basically identical trucks. (Due to previous student wear and tear, apparently.) So it was common to try to be sure to test in one's favorite truck, and to dread driving the more difficult ones. Many of us definitely noticed this to some extent, also with the length of the trailer for backing. If that might be the case for you, you too may be able to hone in on which one(s), assuming they're numbered ours were so you can easily tell em apart, find one tomorrow you're more "compatible with", and stick with that for your remaining training time and then your test. It definitely simplified things for me, which I needed! Finger's crossed for ya! --E.Z.

Apologies for the lack of posts these past few days. It's been a whirlwind of nerves going haywire on me. Today we tested for our CDL-A and......I passed!!

I was SUPER nervous about off-set and alley-dock...but I got through them and driving portion was a breeze. Now I'm waiting to take my written test(it's for the school and only has effect on your gpa). Then it'll be off to the DMV to get my full CDL.

MASSIVE load of pressure off my shoulders. Thank you to everyone here. You guys are fantastic.

Awesome news!!!

Great job!

Way to go, Optiman! Very much looking forward to hearing about what comes over your next weeks, especially since I might be going there soon myself. Got CDL and still looking for my exact next step...into a company to try teaming with. I find the 28 days (right?) OTR with a trainer daunting, but will do it if necessary...and probably not regret it. --E.Z.

So it's 5am Saturday morning, waiting for my 2 bunkmates to get up then I can finish packing my stuff and at 6am we're off to the airport to grab the rental car, then it's an 11 1/2hr drive to Dallas, Texas for orientation. We're there for 3-4 days and then we're off for 28days. These past 3 weeks have gone by so quick but I've learned SO much in that time that I'm amazed it was only in 3 weeks. SO stoked to see the next step.

Hey guys,

So, the drive down to orientation was fairly uneventful. Except for one small spot in Southern Colorado, we were just heading along when we get flahed by a big truck via his 4ways. Start to slow down, pay a little more attention, then we notice a dust storm ahead. Slow down a bit more....suddenly 0 visibility. We went from a few miles of visibility down to a few feet in front of the hood. It was pretty scary, had to dodge a couple cars but everyone made it through alright. After that it was pretty boring.

Orientation started yesterday and it was A LOT of paperwork. Good lunch though....instructor ordered chicken Alfredo with garlic bread for everyone. Not much else to say....so I'll leave it with a Stay Safe and Be Well.

Second day of orientation today. Some more training videos and paperwork. No physical agility test yet...but I'm not discounting it either. The first person from our class went out with his driver mentor today as well. Guessing the rest of us will be starting to filter out tomorrow and Thursday. The guy who left was also a housemate from school, it was really cool to see someone I met on my first day of arriving at school almost 4 weeks ago leave to go on his own journey and adventure. Realization is also setting in that I'll be leaving the new friends I've made, and lived with for close to a month now, here really soon. I'm also instinctually expecting something to happen and everything to come crashing down around me. As it has with almost everything I've attempted to pursue in my past. As my mom had told me, she didn't even think I would get on the bus TO school...so I've already exceeded expectations...even the ones *I've* set for myself....but now is not the time to be complacent.

I hope you all stay safe out there and here's to hoping I'm out there with you guys in the next couple days.

Great updates!

I kept in touch with 12 people I went to school with there in Keenesburg. After 12 months, only 4 were still driving. After the first 2 years, I'm the only one still driving.