Millie Training Institute Beginning Aug 24 Eden, NC

Just putting it out ther in case anyone one this forum is attending as well. Passed my states CDL permit and DOT physical and am finding this site awesome for info including finding Brett's Millis review when making my decision.

Gl to you, I'm in training now in ga.

Go check out my post I just made in general forum.

I have arrived at the Shayona Inn in Eden, NC. No roommate yet, room is what one can expect, does have a fridge and mic and coffee by the cup maker. Bonus is Wifi is good and the cable has HBO and Showtime! 😃

I have arrived at the Shayona Inn in Eden, NC. No roommate yet, room is what one can expect, does have a fridge and mic and coffee by the cup maker. Bonus is Wifi is good and the cable has HBO and Showtime! 😃

Keep us posted!

First two days done, all class room so far. Class is 6 total, with three trucks, we are all looking forward to tons of yard work tomorrow as we are getting behind the wheel and practicing shifting. The instructor is great, thorough but laid back attitude. That's all for now, have to hit the books and complete my homework (not much and it's not due until Friday but a little each night gets it done, easily).

Day 3 and the winner of the Millis 500 is??? Yes, that day has arrived, the whole class (all 6 of us) when round and round practicing our shifting for almost 7 hours! So with two to a truck, I figure I drove for 3 1/2 hours. great thing was they were three different trucks we rotated through, all with the same transmission, but still a different "feel" to the clutch and shifter, two day cabs and one sleeper. My legs are a Shakin' after I don't know hundreds of clutch depressions. Tomorrow we'll begin practicing on coupling/uncoupling and then driving with a trailer attached, today was all Bobtailing.

Day 4: today started off classroom up til lunch then, we hit the yard and took turns coupling and uncoupling trailers, then got to drive them around the course negotiating left and right turns. No cones hit! The sun and heat has wiped out, 90 degrees and no shade during the coupling part and one of three tractors A/C is out so we rotate every 30 minutes so no succumbs to heat stroke 😓

Day 5: Let's go backwards! All day straight line backing, two trucks this time between the 6 of us so not as many hours behind the wheel. All morning I was in the OTR truck as we call it because it has the sleeper cabin (set with five seats) and felt I had it down after 6 or 7 tries, watch my drift and making the right corrections as needed. After lunch, my group of three switch to the shorter day cab tractor and boy did it get going sideways fast, again after 4 or 5 tries I got that down and the two classmates who still weren't nailing it, got to try a lot for the last 1.5 hours solo. It's the weekend now, the week flew by, we have 4 more days of backing with a few hours classroom too until next Friday when we hit the road and start our street/hwy driving, everyone can't wait.

Day 6: Frustration has set in, all my backing skills have seem to be lost over the weekend and I can't seem to master a straight back anymore, let alone today's new maneuver, Offset backing. I seem to be the only one not getting the concept and feel very frustrated and angry with myself, two classmates not only got and then parrell parking but even started on their 90's and at the end of the day I still struggle with lining up to do a straight back and forget the offset, that's a complete joke at this point. My classmates are encouraging and our instructor is patient. I guess it the competitive nature of me that I Hate being last, don't necessarily have to be first, just not last!!! I was told to just forget today and we'll start off tomorrow fresh and put this horrid, debacle behind me. Here's hoping. 😤

Day 7: Oh how the worm has turned! All of yesterday's frustrations are gone, I am a backing machine. Once I got the keys of moving that box around from a YouTube video on offset backing I progressed right through that to parallel and blind side parallel all in one day! Tomorrow I'll start the 90 alley back and by the afternoon, knock on wood, I'll test out, and if everyone tests out (and we should) Thursday we'll hit the open road!