Memoirs Of CDL Training Add A Lil OTR

I drove OTR approximately 1-1.5 yrs back in 2005-2006. I have thought about doing it again but personal "h$&l" is in the way right now. I would like to share my experiences! Rewind to early 2005. I attended Future Truckers of America in Asheboro, Nc on the workforce grant. ***I did pass VaDmv Cdl permit test before arriving.

Day one-2.5 hr drive to Asheboro in light snow. Showed up 7:10 to 16 people crowded around observing pre-trip. Welcomed, then teased until someone else messed up. (All in good fun)

Need a few to dust off the memory archives. I will be back. Memoirs of Burned out TruckerChef

I drove OTR approximately 1-1.5 yrs back in 2005-2006. I have thought about doing it again but personal "h$&l" is in the way right now. I would like to share my experiences! Rewind to early 2005. I attended Future Truckers of America in Asheboro, Nc on the workforce grant. ***I did pass VaDmv Cdl permit test before arriving.

Day one-2.5 hr drive to Asheboro in light snow. Showed up 7:10 to 16 people crowded around observing pre-trip. Welcomed, then teased until someone else messed up. (All in good fun)

Need a few to dust off the memory archives. I will be back. Memoirs of Burned out TruckerChef

We're waiting patiently!!!

~ Anne ~

I drove OTR approximately 1-1.5 yrs back in 2005-2006. I have thought about doing it again but personal "h$&l" is in the way right now. I would like to share my experiences! Rewind to early 2005. I attended Future Truckers of America in Asheboro, Nc on the workforce grant. ***I did pass VaDmv Cdl permit test before arriving.

Day one-2.5 hr drive to Asheboro in light snow. Showed up 7:10 to 16 people crowded around observing pre-trip. Welcomed, then teased until someone else messed up. (All in good fun)

Need a few to dust off the memory archives. I will be back. Memoirs of Burned out TruckerChef

Any thoughts of getting back in a truck?

I drove OTR approximately 1-1.5 yrs back in 2005-2006. I have thought about doing it again but personal "h$&l" is in the way right now. I would like to share my experiences! Rewind to early 2005. I attended Future Truckers of America in Asheboro, Nc on the workforce grant. ***I did pass VaDmv Cdl permit test before arriving.

Day one-2.5 hr drive to Asheboro in light snow. Showed up 7:10 to 16 people crowded around observing pre-trip. Welcomed, then teased until someone else messed up. (All in good fun)

Need a few to dust off the memory archives. I will be back. Memoirs of Burned out TruckerChef

Any thoughts of getting back in a truck?

Did you read the second sentence, Kerry?

I drove OTR approximately 1-1.5 yrs back in 2005-2006. I have thought about doing it again but personal "h$&l" is in the way right now. I would like to share my experiences! Rewind to early 2005. I attended Future Truckers of America in Asheboro, Nc on the workforce grant. ***I did pass VaDmv Cdl permit test before arriving.

Day one-2.5 hr drive to Asheboro in light snow. Showed up 7:10 to 16 people crowded around observing pre-trip. Welcomed, then teased until someone else messed up. (All in good fun)

Need a few to dust off the memory archives. I will be back. Memoirs of Burned out TruckerChef

Any thoughts of getting back in a truck?

Did you read the second sentence, Kerry?

Forgive me. I was reading and replying while out for a walk and must gave read right over that.

Okay round two. Future truckers at that time was a four week program w a majority of students on the workforce investment act. It was a little crowded and there were a few that should not have ever stepped foot in the place. Including one who was terrified of the truck. She prayed and cussed etc before climbing aboard, flipped out when it was her time to do pre-trip. And blamed it on the instructors. Long story short she got the boot prob 3 weeks after I graduated. I did ok at the school no real complaints. Enjoyed the instructors, especially Greg the night instructor. No one showed up to observe two nights in a row. He let me drive to Danville, Va and we took the testing route multiple times. I passed the test round one barely. The Dmv officer actually stopped me while backing and said "your nerves are going to fail you, relax for 5 min or so, you will be fine". Done deal. Passed! Off all the companies that sent a recruiter to the school, Stevens Transport for some reason was the only one that caught my eye. TMC sent a former student as did Western Express. I remember the poor guy from Western Exp took off the front end of a car pulling into the school. Okay rambling.

***Next Stop Stevens Transport*** --The dreaded bus ride--

Okay round two. Future truckers at that time was a four week program w a majority of students on the workforce investment act. It was a little crowded and there were a few that should not have ever stepped foot in the place. Including one who was terrified of the truck. She prayed and cussed etc before climbing aboard, flipped out when it was her time to do pre-trip. And blamed it on the instructors. Long story short she got the boot prob 3 weeks after I graduated. I did ok at the school no real complaints. Enjoyed the instructors, especially Greg the night instructor. No one showed up to observe two nights in a row. He let me drive to Danville, Va and we took the testing route multiple times. I passed the test round one barely. The Dmv officer actually stopped me while backing and said "your nerves are going to fail you, relax for 5 min or so, you will be fine". Done deal. Passed! Off all the companies that sent a recruiter to the school, Stevens Transport for some reason was the only one that caught my eye. TMC sent a former student as did Western Express. I remember the poor guy from Western Exp took off the front end of a car pulling into the school. Okay rambling.

***Next Stop Stevens Transport*** --The dreaded bus ride--

I wanna hear the STEVENS TRANSPORT part !!!!

Maybe 'this guy' could learn from it ?!? Stevens Conundrum.

LoL !!!

~ Anne ~

On to the dreaded bus ride. 26 hours from Roanoke, Va to Mesquite, Tx. I boarded the nearly empty bus at 9:20 pm. Wow, this cool not too many people. Well by Knoxville it was packed. By then I had met Jeff from Wilkesboro who was also on his way to Stevens for orientation. This is around the time the fun began. -A loud raspy voiced girl and a just out of prison Eminem wanna-be fall in love. I will never forget this ride as long as I live. She had a pocketbook full of drugs she was offering to anyone in the vicinity. She and this guy I guess were a match made in heaven. They were both going south of Nashville. She to see her brother and he to..well I will reveal that momentarily. They were carrying on trying to get all of us toward the back to take pills (nope). They even had sex. Then came the "I think I love yous". Myself and Jeff from Wilkesboro were holding back our laughter. 15 minutes prior to there stop she asks why he was going to Nashville. He was going to take care of the dude who imprisoned him. Turns out it was her brother. Didn't phase her a bit. I am thinking "Mallory Knox" at this point. --Shanks, more pills, CRST Another group of just out of prison guys get on, these dudes were hilarious. Well this one quiet kid sells them some pills that turned out to be fake. Out comes a prison shank. It gets loud, the bus driver literally puts the group out on I-40. Kid stays on the bus. He tells us his story. Hes on his way to orientation w CRST. Which he pronounced Christ. Jeff bluntly tells him "You keep pulling that crap you will meet Christ real soon" Poor kid almost cried. He had no money for food etc. I think he may have had just a small backpack. We each bought him food at next two stops. Another on his way to Werner gave the kid some cash also. Kind of showed me Truckers look out for one another. By Dallas we had 4 Stevens and 2 Werners on the bus. CRST transferred somewhere. -Next up Stevens--

On to the dreaded bus ride. 26 hours from Roanoke, Va to Mesquite, Tx. I boarded the nearly empty bus at 9:20 pm. Wow, this cool not too many people. Well by Knoxville it was packed. By then I had met Jeff from Wilkesboro who was also on his way to Stevens for orientation. This is around the time the fun began. -A loud raspy voiced girl and a just out of prison Eminem wanna-be fall in love. I will never forget this ride as long as I live. She had a pocketbook full of drugs she was offering to anyone in the vicinity. She and this guy I guess were a match made in heaven. They were both going south of Nashville. She to see her brother and he to..well I will reveal that momentarily. They were carrying on trying to get all of us toward the back to take pills (nope). They even had sex. Then came the "I think I love yous". Myself and Jeff from Wilkesboro were holding back our laughter. 15 minutes prior to there stop she asks why he was going to Nashville. He was going to take care of the dude who imprisoned him. Turns out it was her brother. Didn't phase her a bit. I am thinking "Mallory Knox" at this point. --Shanks, more pills, CRST Another group of just out of prison guys get on, these dudes were hilarious. Well this one quiet kid sells them some pills that turned out to be fake. Out comes a prison shank. It gets loud, the bus driver literally puts the group out on I-40. Kid stays on the bus. He tells us his story. Hes on his way to orientation w CRST. Which he pronounced Christ. Jeff bluntly tells him "You keep pulling that crap you will meet Christ real soon" Poor kid almost cried. He had no money for food etc. I think he may have had just a small backpack. We each bought him food at next two stops. Another on his way to Werner gave the kid some cash also. Kind of showed me Truckers look out for one another. By Dallas we had 4 Stevens and 2 Werners on the bus. CRST transferred somewhere. -Next up Stevens--

Reminds me of getting out of prison back in 2019 after a brief parole violation. When I first got out on parole in 2013, there was nothing but guys just out of prison on the bus. In 2019, it was 1/2 ex-cons and 1/2 regular people. When the regular people found out that there were a bunch of released convicts on the bus, you could tell some felt a bit nervous. I sat next to a guy who was really damn cool about the whole thing. Oh, I was taking the bus to Dallas, also.

No sex and no drugs on my bus ride.

When I first started taking an interest in getting my CDL , I was working at a place called Massoud Furniture which is about a mile and a half from where I worked. I would often see the trucks marked "student driver" on Buchner Blvd when I would cross the street after getting off the city bus. Stevens Transport was the first company that I contacted and after the conversation with the recruiter it was at this point that I realized my entry into the trucking industry was not going to be easy at all. And the struggle continues.

Stevens Part One

Made it to the hotel around 10pm checked in, two to a room. If you dont sign the sheet every am/pm you may have to change rooms. Van picked us up for orientation around 7am. First day was paperwork. Physical was day 2. First two days a blur. I personally thought the class should have been split. Prob 40-50 people. Way too many when it was range time. I really didnt get to do much backing. Stevens really emphasizes safety. I enjoyed most of the classroom. Adrian Wheeler very thorough also willing to talk/teach one on one. One thing I thought funny was everytime someone new was to give a presentation they claimed to have" just came in off the road"! Stevens assigns you a driver counselor who assists u thru training. Not your dispatch. Orientation was non-eventful. There were a handful of mouthy troublemakers. Felt like High School at times. Next Up Jose my trainer