Starting With Pride Transport SLC On 15 Feb 2021 Ask Away!

Still following; LOVE reading!

Re: The 'lady..' I'll be free to be 'trained' in January, when my kiddo hits 18, LoL.

(That's if Big Scott or PJ or PackRat don't take me on. . . . G'Town is too far, dang him!)

Then again, if Errol's schooling was close by... hmm! (I simply LOVE Amazon, haha!)

Seriously, I love following along, good sir. Verisimilitude, for sure!!!!

Keep on keeping on; you are such an inspiration!!!!

~ Anne ~

Still following; LOVE reading!

Re: The 'lady..' I'll be free to be 'trained' in January, when my kiddo hits 18, LoL.

(That's if Big Scott or PJ or PackRat don't take me on. . . . G'Town is too far, dang him!)

Then again, if Errol's schooling was close by... hmm! (I simply LOVE Amazon, haha!)

Seriously, I love following along, good sir. Verisimilitude, for sure!!!!

Keep on keeping on; you are such an inspiration!!!!

~ Anne ~

I don't know if I have enough knowledge to train you, but I'll give anyone a chance.

2nd shift in the books after my break. Hopefully now the VA can adv6my claim.

Did some math and we are averaging 5300+ miles a week and I have 25 hrs left before I return to SLC to phase up. We are working with dispatch and training to line it all up.

I have been offered a dedicated route btwn Denver and SoCal and after discussions and doing some analysis, I have accepted. Dispatcher that my trainer has will be my dispatcher as well, so that relationship is already established. I'm told I'll get 3k miles a week easy. Can't wait to get my own truck and get after it. After phase up next milestone is in August I'll be eligible for 401k enrollment.

I'll let you know when I head to SLC!

Great update!

A word of caution on this route. Road conditions and weather are on the upswing now, but in less than six months, the cold, snow, and ice return on that dedicated route. That sounds to me like a great Summer routine, though.

Great update!

A word of caution on this route. Road conditions and weather are on the upswing now, but in less than six months, the cold, snow, and ice return on that dedicated route. That sounds to me like a great Summer routine, though.

The wx was a big component of the analysis, as was the timing of me taking the route now. At least I have all summer to scope it out and find all the hidy-holes. But with everything its compromises and pros and cons. This route had a stop point along the 70 that's one hour from home so I'll be able to pop in for a 10 a few times a circuit for laundry and food replacement.

I just dropped a trailer at our dropyard in Southern Utah and since I'm stuck waiting until midnight for my next trailer to arrive I decided to calculate my hours.

It's official! I have hit my required 200 hrs of team driving.

I will drag this next load for 6 more hours back to Cali and then my trainer will offload and drop n hook a trailer in Ontario bound for SLC. Should be in the yard hopefully late Thursday to early Friday. After some sleep I'll be testing out for solo.

My routes dm is off with a family issue, so the trainer is going to help me get a load towards home. Then I can outfit my truck and get a 34, so I can start my route on Monday with a fresh clock.

The milestone of becoming a company driver vs a trainee is with my grasp. Funny thing is my mom is way more excited than anyone else and more than needs be. Lol but that's why moms are awesome. Here's a tip...

Call your mom, tell her you love her and thank her for just being Mom.

All things go well and the next entry will detail the testing and I'll change my status!

I just dropped a trailer at our dropyard in Southern Utah and since I'm stuck waiting until midnight for my next trailer to arrive I decided to calculate my hours.

It's official! I have hit my required 200 hrs of team driving.

I will drag this next load for 6 more hours back to Cali and then my trainer will offload and drop n hook a trailer in Ontario bound for SLC. Should be in the yard hopefully late Thursday to early Friday. After some sleep I'll be testing out for solo.

My routes dm is off with a family issue, so the trainer is going to help me get a load towards home. Then I can outfit my truck and get a 34, so I can start my route on Monday with a fresh clock.

The milestone of becoming a company driver vs a trainee is with my grasp. Funny thing is my mom is way more excited than anyone else and more than needs be. Lol but that's why moms are awesome. Here's a tip...

Call your mom, tell her you love her and thank her for just being Mom.

All things go well and the next entry will detail the testing and I'll change my status!

Awhhhh, what an EXCELLENT POST, good sir! Congrats, for sure. Best wishes on your 'testing out,' too!!!!

That is SO sweet, (and so true!) re: your mom. I talk to mine at least 3x a day, via prayer. I miss her dearly; you are blessed!

Will await the next BIG update!!!!

~ Anne ~

Well it's official I am a company man now.

Much like the military, my test day was an exercise in hurry up and wait. It was also filled with its share of challenges. Come closer dear reader and let me avail opon you my tale.

Showed at 0800 for my written test, proctor wasn't ready yet. So...I was told to go stash my shizz in my assigned truck. 3188 btw, she's a 2019 Cascadia. But she was dirty in n out and a dead battery to boot. Returning to the proctor with said discrepancies, he said to start the test and the crew would get on it.

45 minutes and headache later the written test is complete. Missed a few. Trip planning was old school. Not even a calculator allowed. As you can imagine I missed carrying a letter or dotting a number or some such algebraic nonsense. Also missed a couple of questions related to policies. But "C's" get degrees.

By this time I'm put on hold as the road test guy is busy, so I wait for an hour or so for him to un-busy and get us a truck and loaded trailer to test in. And here I thought I would be testing in my truck or another Cascadia like my trainer had. Nope, we grabbed a Pete and carried on smartly.

Road test was pretty straightforward. Pretrip was standard DOT fare excepting the reefer pretrip. It was part, test part guidance. But I'm not one to turn down a pro-tip. Completed the road test and I was told to work on my stopping distance behind vehicles at red lights. They want 2 car lengths. Ok fair enough. Then I was told I needed to use my Jakes more. Since the roadtrip was mostly in town I found that odd.

So we park and I'm off to find my truck and move in. Dm already has a load on me and I'm feeling pressure. Truck was hidden from me, joke on the new guy maybe. Ah who knows. I find her she's clean and fresh in n out and starts too! Time for inventory and initial inspection right?

Nope. I get called back to training and they apologetically tell me a big portion of the road test was missed. Imagine dear readers my inner monologue to this junction of the day. Well off we go to get a truck n trailer. Our HQ is in the crook of the I15 and I80 area, so we jump on the 80 head east for the mountain pass that borders SLC. Up the hill down, the hill, back to the yard. No mention of my Jake usage. Did you see the foreshadowing earlier?

So now its 5pm on Friday and the rats are scurrying from the ship. I'm in low blood sugar and sleep deprivation status as I was driving nothing but nights. So I grab chow and sort out what little gear I have in the truck and give the interior the fine tooth comb for the initial inspection. A shower and two turns around and it's 2300, rack time!

Up early Saturday to complete the inspection, get my inverter installed and a new safety inspection. Truck is in the shop as I type this. I have to be out of the yard by 1600 to grab my 1st solo load in Ogden to take to Hurricane and drop n hook head to Aurora Co.

So my 1st solo day was also challenging. 3188 was being cantankerous. After sitting unused for a few weeks I believe she became barn sour. Once the inverter was installed she said "nah-uh Eff-yoo!" The truck would flash the hazards once, the low beams once and then the high beams once and after a pause it would repeat. I never saw so many coveralled men gathered around one truck with such puzzled looks.

I gave up and let dispatch (my FM was out most of the week) know that it was unlikely I'd make my 1600 departure and opted to do my 34 in SLC. The weekend guys may not be the best at covering for a dedicated account, but who knows. After a glorious nap up in Pride's "quiet" lounge, the truck get fixed.

So I grabs me a trailer and wash it out. Pride pays the driver 10 smackers for such efforts. Then I hit the fuel island for a top off and then a pass through the wash rack, before I park for the night. Grabbed the shuttle van and went to Wally World for some essentials and called it a night.

Off before the sun to Ogden for a load of Hershey's candy. Love this place, they give 2 free candy bars to drivers. Then make time to Hurricane for a drop n hook headed to Denver. My regular FM is back Monday, so hopefully I will get a more definitive routine.

I guess for now my objective of becoming a truck driver is complete. If something unusual or a learning moment presents itself I'll post it here. If anyone drops in with questions, I will be checking in on this thread to answer. Thanks to all who have offered advice, encouragement and took the time to read my story.

See you on the black top, if you see me and 3188 make sure and wave or say hello.

Congratulations on a job well done.