My Prime Orientation / PSD Experience

Day 25 continues

We bumped the dock at our shipper at 15:52 EST for a live load.

Plan now is to shutdown after loading for at least 8 hours until my trainer gets his hours back.

We are hoping to be ready to drive at 01:30 EST to make our 07:30 EST delivery in Hickory, NC. The 289 miles should take 5+ hrs barring any unforeseen road issues.

I know that my eLogs are all messed up after my trainer called the Logs Dept for a clarification. They are supposed to mirror my trainer’s Logs, which they don’t the way he has been logging me. I had started to say something early in our time together, but decided to hold my tongue. Oh well, will see if Logs Dept say anything to me or just to him.

Day 26 - 02/25/22; Day 13 OTR PSD

I started driving at 00:30 CST as planned. I drove until 03:20 CST to our scheduled fuel stop; 162 miles.

I’m still having trouble with drowsiness during these early morning nighttime drives. It seems to set in after ~1.5 hrs.

My trainer took over driving the remaining 127 miles at 03:51 CST. He arrived at our customer, MDI, in Hickory, NC at 06:04 CST. Our scheduled appointment was 06:30 CST, so all good.

We bump the dock for a live unload at 06:44 CST. The Lumpers get started at 08:40 CST.

We will go park at nearby Love’s after finishing here to shutdown for break and wait for next load assignment that should be routing us towards Springfield, MO.

Excellent rolling diary, Dennis! Lots of progress, KUDOS.

I’m still having trouble with drowsiness during these early morning nighttime drives. It seems to set in after ~1.5 hrs.

^^^ Have you tried chewing gum, preferably minty or cinnamon style? Life Savers wintergreens work, too. Secrets from my guy!

Wishing the best, always!

~ Anne ~

Ms Anne, thanks for the suggestions. I’ll try it.

Day 26 continues

The live unload ends at 10:10 CST. We then go park onsite to finish up paperwork. Plus our next load assignment comes in, so all new plan for rest of the day.

Our next load is a D&H pick up in Siler City, NC about 136 miles away this afternoon going to Joplin, MO for delivery on the 27th.

I start driving at 11:03 CST. We make a bio & food stop from 11:35-11:56 CST.

Continue on to get a trailer washout at Moxville, NC at 12:40-12:56 CST.

Drive on to Siler City arrive at customer at 14:27 CST. My trainer has me take care of checking in at Receiving. Instructed to drive to their trailer drop lot a few miles away to drop the trailer and Bobtail back to a parking area outside the plant until called that loaded trailer is ready.

At the drop lot, my trainer decided to guide me through a blindside back. There was a trailer on my blindside and clear on sight side.

The old security guard at the lot asked me “Why are you even attempting a blindside back? No body does that.” I said “Because my trainer is here and he is telling me to do it. No way otherwise.”

The big lesson from the back was to adjust my blindside mirror as I need to throughout the back to see what I am doing. Also to GOAL as needed.

I’m still reacting too soon to my anticipation of what the trailer will do.

After that fun, we have been parked waiting for the call to hook up our loaded trailer. It is currently 16:47 CST and counting.

Trainer will decide what we do after getting our load.

My total miles today so far are 304.

Day 26 wrap up

I crawled into the bunk to rest. The call came about 20:30 that the trailer was ready. Trainer told them we would get in the morning. Taking our break here for the night.

Day 27 - 02/26/22; Day 14 OTR PSD

After a nice 12 hrs on the CPAP , we were both rested and up on Saturday morning.

There was no traffic early Saturday morning on the street that I needed to do the 3 mph crawl on for ~200 ft to the chicken processing plant entrance.

I go to the driver window at Receiving/shipping to get our Prime trailer number.

We find the trailer and my trainer has me to back under it for the coupling for my first time. Feels like a big jerk with a loud bang. Then a pull test. All good.

I get out and complete the trailer coupling process and do a quick inspection of the trailer. All good.

My trainer slides the tandems after I take care of releasing the locking pins. I watch for the hole that he wants. Sometimes the locking pins won’t engage, so have to press the release again to get them to engage. I have asked him a couple times what his trick is to do this when he is solo. No straight answer yet. I know he doesn’t like getting in & out of the truck anymore than necessary. I know that he genuinely likes to train, but I think he also likes having his helpers on board.

I then crawl to the customer scale. We weigh just the steers first, then add the drives, then add the tandems. Can do simple subtractions to get the weights on the drives and tandems. Total weight ~76k and good on all axles.

Last step is Security guard look inside trailer. He then attaches the seal and I put on the Abloy lock.

Start driving at 07:09CST.

Stop at 12:20 CST for 30 min DOT break after 5h 11m drive line.

Start driving at 12:55 CST to our scheduled fuel stop in Nashville.

Arrive at our TA on I-24 at 17:06 CST. The plan had been to take our 10h break here, but no room at the Inn. So after fueling decide to go on down I-24W into Kentucky.

Nashville traffic at 17:00 on a Saturday night was bad. It was slowed down to a crawl in both directions. Turns out there was a NHL hockey game at Nissan Stadium, not far from the TA. Hockey fans were walking for blocks from their parking along the street we are on.

Start driving again at 17:30 with 1h 38m remaining on my 11 clock.

Stopped at 18:29 CST at a rest area just across Kentucky border with 39 min remaining on my drive clock.

Total miles today 551 in 10h 21m total drive line time, 53.25 mph avg. Two stretches of slowed down bumper to bumper traffic today.

Got out for a walk around the rest area in the cool 38F. Felt good to stretch my legs.

Highlights of my day was getting to blow the air horn 3 times. 1. A large crowd of Patriots on an I-40 overpass in light rain with their flags and waving at truckers. 2. An older lady gave us the arm pump. 3. A car full of girls heading into Nashville gave us the arm pump. We could hear them screaming after I gave them two toots of the horn.

We have about 451 miles to Joplin customer, that should take about 9 hrs total time tomorrow.

Really great updates, Dennis.

Looking good Dennis. Your diary is very detailed. Keep up the good work out there. You'll be solo in no time. Tomorrow, I head out with my trainer for the first time.

Day 28 - 02/27/22; Day 15 OTR PSD

Up at 07:15 CST.

I start driving at 07:59 CST.

Stopped at 10:31 CST for bio & food break on US 60W just into MO.

I start driving at 11:00 CST. Dang it! Missed my 30 min DoT break by 40 seconds. Dumb Rookie mistake not to check my time status first. I won’t have enough time left to make Joplin w/o a break later.

Stopped at 13:50 CST for 30 mins DOT break.

Start driving at 14:22 CST (32 mins)

Stop at 17:04 CST at Flying J on I-49S and 32 street in Joplin to fill reefer tank (1/2 full now) prior to our D&H at customer just down 32nd street.

Drive at 17:18 to customer. Not far.

Our lucky day. We get to drop the trailer where we are parked and the Yard Dog will move it.

Find an empty Prime trailer and I back under it to couple at 17:46 CST.

Driving at 17:55 CST back to the Flying J to park for the night.

Parked at 18:22 CST after backing practice (just hasn’t fully clicked yet in my head, maybe the practice pad will be easier).

Plan is to deadhead to Springfield in the morning. I notified Campus Inn desk that I’ll be there tomorrow needing a room.

Driving Lessons Learned today: 1. Rookie mistake with missing 30 min break by 40 seconds. Just because trainer said to leave whenever I was ready, I should have checked my clock. 2. Big Mistake that would be an auto fail on driving test. Had a tight sharp right hand turn on a downslope 3 way intersection. Only a yellow flashing caution light. I did not need to stop. There was a car on opposite direction waiting and a car in the left turn lane in direction of my turn. I proceeded to make my turn, but caused the car in turn lane to move out of way- obstructing traffic. Auto Fail. The correct maneuver would be to stop with my turn signal on, motion to the driver to make his left turn opening up my path to complete a squared off turn to get my tandems around the curb.

Highlight 1. Driving across first the Ohio River and then Mississippi River on old narrow bridges not designed for large trucks. This is on US 60W near Witcliff, KY crossing into MO, just north of the two mighty rivers convergence.

My total miles driven in 16-days has been 5,519. Daily avg = 345 miles and weekly avg = 2,414 miles.

Will be on the backing pad Monday & Tuesday nights preparing to test out this week.

Day 29 - 02/28/22; Day 17 OTR PSD

Up at 07:30 CST. Nice sunny 38F in Joplin.

Packed my bags to get off this truck later today.

About 08:15 CST informed that we are going to pick up a live load at Butterball Turkey in Carthage, MO (~11 miles away) to relay to another Prime driver in Springfield. That is how we got our first load back on 02/12/22. My trainer worked at this Butterball plant for 20 yrs before getting into trucking.

First step was filling the reefer fuel tank.

Then checked out the Blue Beacon next door for a trailer washout. The line was very long, so trainer decided to go to the big Petro at exit 4 on I-44 to try that truck wash. We get here and line isn’t any better, so here we sit.

However, the Freedom Convoy 2022 is passing through Joplin this morning. The exit overpass here and Petro is packed with people waving flags and vehicles with flags on them ready to join the convoy.

Not in a good position to get any photos yet. Maybe on way out from the trailer washout.

More later.

Day 29 continues

Finally got the trailer washout done. I drove to our customer in Carthage arrived at 12:14 CST.

Trainer had me to back into the dock for first time. Got it done. A little tense moment when I was telling my trainer that there was a canopy tent hazard in the way that the trailer was going to hit if I didn’t pull forward to make an adjustment. He kept telling me it wasn’t there because he couldn’t see it in the driver side mirror from passenger seat. I finally told him we both GOAL now. He had to admit that I was right. This guy is highly experienced, but he isn’t perfect.

I learned to apply light pressure against the dock before setting the tractor brake.

I drove 37 miles today.

Trainer is driving us to Springfield now.

The forward plan is to spend next 3 nights on backing pad and test on Thursday.

Tonight will be on Pad 1 from 19:00-21:00 and Pad 12 from 23:00-01:00.

He said that we wants me to chill out before starting pad work tonight to only focus on backing.