A sobering moment ...

My travels the past couple of days took me in and out of New Mexico ... I was treated to Indian Culture (something I enjoyed) and exposed to the power of a semi (something I wish I did not experience) ... I witnessed two accidents both involving semi trucks and SUVs ... the SUVs suffered a lot of damage and one was rolled (I would be surprised if the driver survived) ... it re-enforced the respect I have for these large trucks.

Beautiful Big Sky Country

New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona have loads of beauty but dam it gets hot during the day. Who knew? With that said it is a treat to sit back at night and star gaze ... maybe a white water camping trip is in the near future?

Life is good

I am enjoying my current career choice ... it does have it cons tho. Can't wait until I own my own truck and select my loads. I love this country and most likely relocate to a northern state with mountains.

What I live by

A few things I live by ...

• You Have to Know BAD to Know Good. Some people can't appreciate Good until they experience Bad ... at the very least experiencing Bad helps you put Good into proper perspective. I usually smile at a person that tries to give me grief, they help me appreciate the good people in my life.
  
• If Someone Throws You a Ball You don't Have to Catch It. I try not to adopt other people's problems.
  
• Say It Out Loud. If it sounds like a great idea out loud then do it ... if it sounds stupid when you say it out loud then don't. For example, My team won lets celebrate!!! (Good) My team won lets celebrate by burning cars and throwing rocks. (Stupid)
  
• If It Does Not Matter 5 Years From Now it Does Not Matter. If it does not matter to me five years from now then I let it go ... if it does matter I fight.
  
• Know Your Strengths and Weakness ... Others Do.
  
• Surround Yourself with Good People. Good things happen when you are with good people ... bad things happen when you are with bad people.
• You Are 100% Responsible for Every Relationship You Are In.
• Respect Others ... even if they don't deserve it.

Ther are a few more but I can't remember them now.

Typical day for an OTR Driver

Because I know my mommy reads this ...

Here is a typical day for an OTR (Over The Road) Driver:

• Deliver load early ... you want to arrive as early as possible to make yourself available for the next load ... others like to take their time and experience more down time or less miles on their checks.
• Peaches for breakfast ... most mornings it is peaches for breakfast ... but a couple of times a week I will sneak in Steak and Eggs.
• Manage your time ... You want to be at certain places in certain times ... for example arriving at a truck stop (or a pickle park) after 19:00 is a bad idea ... spots fill up quickly so the later you arrive the less spots that are available.
• Networking ... I must receive 5-6 calls a day from friends and family ... friends (fellow truck drivers) want to share experiences or discuss issues and possible solutions.
• Free Food ... most truck stops have reward programs ... this morning I had steak and eggs and shower for free ... had to pay for my laundry.
• Con Artists ... always someone out here selling video cameras or cds.

Doms is going to Hawaii

And I am a little jealous. She travels a lot better then I do!

Swept Away

Friday night I shut it down early and watched the weather turn bad ... they were expecting hail, high winds and tornadoes ... scary when the truck and trailer bounce around sitting stay, did not want to run down the road in that weather.

Shuffled through KC

I run through KC this weekend ... that was great since it was Father's Day weekend. Got god food with good people ... and no Staci I do not expect certain dishes when I stop by but I do appreciate when you make them!

I am not a regular Dad ... I am a Cooool Dad!

Proud of my girl but she did remind me that she is a teenager and I am a dad ... point taken.

It is a small world after all

Traveling allows the mind to wonder ... some thoughts go to good people you called old friends. I found a few of them on Facebook ... who knew? It is a small world after all!!! Looking forward to reconnecting with them.

Proud Pappa

Proud of my girl. The little things add a smile to my face ... she has grown into a responsible young lady ... I like that! No matter where I go is she home to me.

Life is good

Miles are back ... my driver manager was busy the last two weeks covering more then one fleet ... now that he is back running one fleet I am seeing more miles!!!! He is a good project manager (trust me I know what bad managers look like) so it is nice to have him focused on one fleet again ... life is good!

I am running out of hours ... it is forcing me into a 34 hour restart ... this is a good thing. Going back to Colorado ... might do a 34 hour restart there ... I could pick worse places.

Skin and Bones

I am losing weight. I noticed my pants were a little loose but then I noticed my belt could not tighten anymore I got curious ... jumped on a scale to see, I lost a few pounds ... go figure. I try to watch what I eat ... and I don't eat a lot when I drive ... who knew canned peaches reduced one's waist?

More of the Same ...

More of the same but no one to blame!

Had another preplan taken from me ... Friday I was given a good run that would have kept me busy for the weekend ... Saturday the load was late coming into KC so they resigned it to a team truck to ensure that it arrived on time. I don't blame them and they even gave me another assignment with in the hour but it cut my miles in half. You can only do so many 34 hour restarts!!!

I had that happen a lot last week ... I am hoping this is unusual ... the first three week were great ... I was in the north western united states enjoying the miles and having a great time ... now I am waiting for normal to return. ;)

Home Time

Got to spend time with the family this week. Fun stuff. Even bought Chinese for the folks ... funny what you miss when you are on the road.

Strange Week

Usually an Over The Road truck driver has 2 or 3 loads a week ... so far I have touched 7 loads and had 4 preplans removed ... it has been a crazy week. Right now I am out of hours for the day but the shipper has yet to make his load available ... I let support know I can't pick it up tonight ... hope it works out.

They party with out me!

I requested home time so I can make my brother's b-day party ... going to miss the party this Wednesday ... if everything went right today I would have been able to make it ... that is to bad, it would have been fun to see everyone.

Shut Down in Iowa

I am shut down in Iowa, this is the bad side of trucking but I am not complaining ... they have kept me running since I started with only a few off days ... something I like. I had a load that I was going to pick up Friday night and run this weekend ... the shipper canceled the load so I was left high and dry ... I will get paid for driving to the shipper but that is it.

It is always best to have a load for the weekend by Thursday night ... trying to get a load on the weekend is harder because your normal contacts have the weekend off ... so it looks like I will be sitting here for a while.

Still happy with my career change ;) Time to grab some grub at this truck stop!

Good Food with Good People

I have always enjoyed a good thick steak and asked for access to my parents grill when I came and visited Monday night ... my father bought a good ole thick Rib Eye and it was delicious!!! Only thing missing was hash brown casserole and texas toast but I am not complaining.

It was fun seeing the family too ... good people and a pleasure to be around.

Salt Lake City?

I am leaning towards working out of the Salt Lake City terminal. I have yet to see it all but I enjoy that part of the country the most. It will also give me a chance to move in and out of Canada. We will see ... I am giving myself 6 months before I make any commitment.

Nebraska Blows

A lot of high winds in Nebraska ... that surprised me! This place blows!!!

Steak Diner

Looking forward to a nice steak diner with the family tomorrow. My load runs through KC and I get a chance to stop by and say hi. Should be fun.

I am simple people

I love the travel ... so far I have seen a wide range of places and enjoyed them all ... but I enjoy the BIG SKY COUNTRY the most. I know people that would prefer Vegas, Nv over Great Falls, Mt but I am not one of them ... give me a simple diner with grounded people and mountains for miles.

Vegas is Vegas

Vegas was a good time but dam there are a lot of beggers there. Started the day with a lady asking for a few coins to get gas ... then I witness an older gentleman try to get cash off his credit card (he did not have the balance to do it), another wanted money to help off set the costs of replacing his tire, etc etc etc.

Other then the beggers, Vegas is great. I enjoyed Prime Rib at a discount price and love the environment ... but I would not want to stay ... give me snow topped mountains anyday.

Enjoying the Travel

I was wondering if I would enjoy traveling so much ... I needed to make a career change for a wide variety of reasons but when I decided to go into trucking I knew it would an adventure ... so far I am enjoying the "loads" I have delivered and most of people I have met ... but the states of Co, Wy, Ut, Id, Wa, and Mt are beautiful ... I have seen them before but it is nice to revisit this area. When I become an Owner Operator I will be able to stay at the state parks and visit these areas with a little more leisure.

I posted a picture but to be honest it is not even close to being the best view available ... a little hard to capture the true beauty when you are headed down hill trying to maintain control of your vehicle.


Car Wash, Chinese Food and Casino

Cracks me up how many mini casinos are in Mt ... every truck stop has one ... you can get your car washed, have Chinese food and gamble ... I lost $10 on video poker ... call me a sucker!

Big Sky Country

A lot of sky out here ... Wy, Ut, Mt, Wa are all beautiful!!! I pulled over and talk to a local guy that likes to fish or some travelers that rented a RV for a few weeks but I never take a picture when I am there ... so here is another photo from the cab ...

Rocky Mountain High - Denver

I made it to Denver with no issues ... raining so hard I can not see the mountains from here ... sad really ... I hope to get a better view of this county side when I head north for Billings, Mt and then head west toward Spokane, Wa ... looking forward to it!

Cold Peaches

I love peaches with a slight chill on them ... just saying.

Hitting the Road

Went through a few more days of testing before I got my truck ... it was time consuming but at least I am on the road!! During our road test it started to rain ... it rained hard, to the point were another driver lost control of the truck while we were driving down the highway ... that will wake you up!

Got my truck and a load ... no issues making delivery on time ... was a little nervous because I was delayed 30 minutes due to a random PreTrip Inspection ... driver were not happy and backed up five to six deep ... I got lucky and did not have to wait as long.

Only issue was a driver that decided to sleep in his truck while hooked to the trailer I was assigned to ... had to wake him to get him to move ... he was not happy. ; )

Newer but Smaller Truck

I got a newer truck then expected with low miles but the truck is a super single instead of a true double ... it is a little smaller (not by much) but only has one sleeper ... that cuts into storage and only allows one to sleep at a time. Hoping to take my daughter on the road ... it will be a little tougher now.

Farmers Burning Grass, Training, and Stuff

I noticed a lot of things in the past few weeks ... one is farmer's burning their fields. I asked around and I was told they burn the fields to kill weeds ... clearly these guys are much smarter them I am but who knew a little grass fire was a good thing?

I also noticed farmers are the hardest working people in America ... not uncommon to see tractor after tractor working the fields 1:00 in the morning.

Another Change in my End of Training Scheduled Date?

An office employee at Moberly is questioning the date my training officially ends ... they believe (and so do I) that it ends a few days earlier ... I believe the mix up was because of the day cab mentor I had for four days was not included in the original calculation ... but to be honest it does not bother me to stay here another four days ... can't wait to go solo tho!

A Truck Coming Soon

Just spoke to a friend going through the training process ... he is a few days ahead of me so he is in Edwardsville now ... he just finished his road test (told me it was a piece of cake) and was given a truck, same with another guy I know ... so it looks like I should have a truck waiting for me when I get there ... looking forward to it!!!

Stuff

I sold stuff at my parents garage sale only to buy stuff for my future truck. I have GPS, CB, cooler (with plug in), truck road maps, inverter, laptop, business software, etc etc etc. In the next few weeks I should have 99% of what I need to travel the roads ... my plan is to keep to the bare min and start saving like a crazy man by mid year.

GPS

The Magellan 4250 GPS I purchased works great (especially for the price I got it at!!!) ... only two flaws I have found so far:

1) The hands free blue tooth connection between it and my phone could be better but I think that can be fixed with better placement. Worked great in my car but the truck is a different story.

2) Traffic Updates does not seem to work in the country. Major cities are covered but I was hoping to see delays by an overturned chicken coupe!!!

Everything else is great! To many features to mention but some of the key features or toll avoidance, car restrictions, predictive text, easy call feature, voice guidance, and more.

Wind Farms and End of Training

Iowa has a huge wind farm near Dows ... we back haul eggs from that area on a regular basis but I have always been impressed with the large number of wind mills in Iowa ... who ever makes parts and service these wind farms are making a killing ... could be a good investment?

Dare ya to count the number of wind mills in the picture ... Click on image to enlarge


End of Training

My last day of training will be on the 28th. A little later then hoped but they wanted a full 42 days in the truck and my mentor takes every Wednesday off. I can wait four more days ... no worries there.

Houston we have a problem

We lost air pressure last night ... without air pressure we have no brakes ... the low pressure light came on and we were able to pull the truck over in time but we lost pressure quickly. It took 2.5 hours to get someone out and fix the problem ... of course it was a small valve that was easy to replace.

It made for an interesting night!

Update: We had our shop review the repairs and then hit the road ... it appears everything is in good working order ... fingers crossed!

Pay $2.04 locally or $2.25 down the road

During our break down we had a few hours to think and one thing that bothered me was the high price of fuel ($2.25) we paid in IL compared to the price of fuel we could have paid for at our local gas station ($2.04). After doing some cost analysts with known variables it was easy to see a huge savings for the Moberly Fleet (could be in the neighborhood of $120,000 a year) ... I sent them an email pointing out the savings, but I am sure I am missing something like a price contract with truck stops or something ... seems like a lot of money is wasted when the solution is across the street.

Update: They DO have a contract that gets them a better price on fuel ... I guess I am use to the smaller company I worked for, they had problems managing money but Swift had it covered

Grass Skirt Vacation

This week I found out my parents are headed to Hawaii ... that is great but my kid is going there on a field trip next year, yes she is going to Hawaii for a High School Field Trip ... everyone is going to Hawaii except me!!!

Weather conditions in Hawaii ... The Hawaiian Islands have a moderate tropical climate with gentle northeasterly tradewinds and warm Pacific waters almost year-round. Temperatures vary little from place to place, except at higher elevations (see "mountain conditions," below). The average annual temperature of 75 degrees Fahrenheit (23.9 degrees Celsius) fluctuates only a few degrees from summer (May through October) to winter (November through April).

Hawaiian waters are inviting year-round, averaging 74 degrees F (23 C) and reaching close to 80 degrees F (26 C) in the summer months. Surf conditions vary year-round according to seasonal storms in the Pacific.

I hope a sea turtle snatches one of their little toes!!!

But honestly I love the idea that they are headed t0 blue waters ... my folks earned a little relaxation time and Doms is good people.

Doms is headed to Hawaii with her classmates ... she has become a well traveled little girl ... Scotland, England, Middle Eastern Countries, St Johns, St Thomas, Mexico, Cancun, and a few more I am forgetting about. Good exposure to other people's culture (ask her about the naked guy leaning against the rock reading a book on the beach!).

Driver Shortage?

They have been running short of drivers ... not sure if it is the freight picking up or lack of available drivers but they have kept us busy ... this is a good thing especially for team drivers.

Picnic, Passport, Pizza, and End of Training

Looking forward to the family diner this Wednesday ... we plan on a picnic in a shelter at a lake ... give the kids a chance to feed the ducks and burn off some of that spring time young energy.

Moose Meat?

I got my passport the other day ... of course my photo ID looks like a mug shot ... I doubt they will let me cross the border with that photo id.

Breakfast Pizza? I am in Trouble!

Turns out that Caseys has breakfast pizza, WHO KNEW!!!! I walked in early this morning and noticed they had a few slices on display ... I joked around about serving pizza in the morning and they informed me it was sausage, cheese, and egg .... yum! This is going to kill my diet!!!

End of Training

Training will end around the 24th of April ... might be a day or so off but around that time frame ... soon after I should receive my tractor. Looking forward to calling that home.

Milk Crates

I need milk crates!!! They appear to be a good way to organize your tools and paper work in the truck ... so if anyone knows where a few good milk crates are I would appreciate a heads up ... if not I can order some from a web site.

Busy Week

Based on the number of miles and freight we have run it is clear Walmart is doing GREAT! Maybe it is Easter that is behind the big push but it clear the past few weeks have been profitable for Walmart ... and profitable for anyone supplying product or services to Walmart. What recession?

Truck driving

Last year I knew I needed to make a career change, it was becoming clear the other company I worked for had no solid plans of growing and increasing its customer base ... I started to examine all my options and came up with a career in trucking. Living on the road is not for everyone, but I enjoy it ... once I get my own truck and my feet firmly grounded in the trucking industry is should get even better.

Quick math tells me it is a good way to save money too. You can easily spend $1,000 a month on home expenses (cable, water, gas, electric, lawn care, house payment, interest, insurance, taxes, etc etc etc) ... but that expense does not exist in trucking ... once some up front expenses are addressed trucking saves you 10s of thousands of dollars each year.

A couple of more weeks ...

In a couple of more weeks I will go back to Edwardsville, Ks and pick up MY tractor ... looking forward to going solo and running with my own truck. Six weeks with anyone has to be tough so my plan is to make it as easy as possible on my mentor in the next few weeks. I am sure he is tired of my sense of humor already.

Tools and such

I am compiling a list of tools needed ... it appears duck tape is a truckers friend ... last night a pigtail came lose and we lost all the lights to the trailer ... we secured the connection with ties and tape ... who knew?

Home cooking

I use to grill a lot and got a chance to grill some pork today ... Staci was kind enough to provide hashbrown casserole (thank you Staci) ... and we ate well at our weekly family gathering.

Gas milage

I ran a little experiment with my Jeep ... I reduced the speed I traveled by 5 miles an hour and increased my mph, I gained 75 miles extra in range, and only lose 10-15 minutes. It was worth the reduced speed.

Open Office

I have not played with every feature yet but this software package is comparable to MS Office 2007 ... where MS is $149 this one is free. One less thing I will have to purchase.

A credible rival to MS Office, OpenOffice.org includes powerful applications for making text documents, spreadsheets, presentations, diagrams, and databases, as well as HTML and XML documents. Not only does it let you edit basic documents, such as letters and faxes, it also handles equations and complex and multipart documents with bibliographies, reference tables, and indexes.

The interface is similar to that of MS Office, and even advanced Office users will find almost everything they're used to: templates, collaborative features (versions, recording changes), macros, and even a programming language. OOo, as it's known, lets you open and save documents in formats as diverse as MS Office formats, PDF, HTML, and XML. It can also import files from those formats, as well as WordPerfect and others. However, it normally saves files in the open-standard Oasis OpenDocument XML format, for maximum compatibility with other applications.

http://download.cnet.com/OpenOffice-org-Windows/3000-2064_4-10263109.html?tag=mncol&cdlPid=11002845

Santa's Helpers

Driving back from Macomb, IL I encountered some deer crossing the road ... usually not a big deal until you are driving an 18 wheeler while it is raining. My mentor just lay down to get some sleep and he awoke to me saying, "YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!" ... at first I saw one deer, then two, then five ... I slowed down and managed to split the middle of the group ... in the end, there were twelve santa's little helpers on or along the road and I missed them all!!!

Over and Out

My mentor likes a quite tractor when traveling ... not a huge deal unless there is bad weather or a fellow driver that wants to warn you about deer down the road! He is a different type of trucker.

Home Cooking

I miss some of my favorite dishes especially the ones that come off the grill ... man I could smoke a mean pork shoulder!

Log Cabin Living

I always wanted access to a log cabin by a lake ... my plan is to save enough money and locate a lake to build the cabin next to ... it will take a few years before I settle on a region, site, floor plan, and location ... my father suggested near a lake with good fishing ... I wonder why?

I might start with a smaller version then sell it and build another to suit my needs on the same piece of property 5-7 years later ... that is one way to reduce the cost of building the final log cabin ... or just use the simple design as a guest house and build the main living quarters on the same property ... we will see how it goes.

This design is missing a few things, like a fireplace or potbelly stove ... but it is a nice rough draft. But if you wanted to see a very simple design click on this youtube video. It is a missing a bathroom (that can be changed) but it would make a great guest house!

So far so good ...

Things look good so far ... I am enjoying my new career choice and I have appeared to found a spot with a solid company. So far so good ...

On the other side of the that coin: A trainee re-done Walmart's landscaping with his back tires ... who knew tree removal was part of his job requirement? I am sure he will get better.


GoodWill

I gave away most of my suits to Goodwill (kept a few for special occasions) ... I hope they find a good home.

Smelly Eggs

Who knew eggs smelled? We ran to Dows, Iowa today to pick up a trailer full of eggs ... the smell of county living is not for everyone!

Catching some zzzzzzz

After this Wednesday I should be moved out of the house and sleeping full time in the tractor. The sleeping arrangements are not that bad ... I can drive into town Wednesday morning to get some things done and then see the kid later that day. Life is good.

My mentor has trouble sleeping in the tractor when it is moving. I told him I did not feel comfortable driving as a team unless he was able to catch some sleep during our trips. He plans on sleeping tomorrow when I drive. I hope he does ... I would feel better about it.

Truck Stop

My mentor suggested we break at a truck stop ... first time since I have known him to make that suggestion. He walked in with me too ... not sure he is feeling ok.

It is Cold Outside!!!

The weather turned quickly around here but never became an issue ... we expected the worse and was happy to see our fears did not materialize. Feeling blessed!

Things to do!

I have a pretty good list of things to do (like getting HazMat endorsement, making sure the kid and I see make an eye appointment this summer, etc) but I realized I need to add letting "ALL" my friends know about my career change ... for that I am sorry. I have been so busy I failed to let them know ... trust me nothing personal, I am just not the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree.

Northern Lights

I spoke to a friend of mine that is based out of Wisconsin about Canadian runs ... he will look into it for me and I appreciate it ... I have done some research down here but I am limited ... plus he has a great personality and will be able to dig up the right contacts.

Look forward to northern lights.

Running as a Team Now

We are running as a team now ... the first phase of this training period ended yesterday ... drove for 7 hours and worked over 12 hours ... it was a good day.

Bad Weather Headed this Way

Several weather reports have us dealing with a rain/snow mix ... the worst type to drive in! Got our preplan and it looks like we will stay in Missouri today ... we are headed on a lot of short routes (Columbia) ... hope the roads are dry and safe.

MU Advances ... KU Nation Cries

MU advances in the dance which is great news for people around here ... never seen them so excited. But KU fans have no sense of humor ... relax kids, it is a just a game.

I am happy to see the Big 12 make a strong showing in the tournament ... a lot of strong teams came from this conference.

Go Tigers!!!

And she did not move ...

Got some positive feedback from my mentor yesterday ... he is eager to drive as a team and rack up some miles. He did provide some constructive feedback too ... like staying in the far edge of the lane when hitting curves ... he admitted my tires never left the pavement and stayed within the lines but he would like to see me stay away from the edge, he is right and the comments were appreciated.

He did say I was very good on safety issues which makes him feel more comfortable. Yesterday we made a tight left turn into a narrow side street ... I needed all my lane and a portion of the left turning lane to make this turn ... a lady had set up in the left turn lane and did not move ... since I was already committed to making the turn I went as far as I could and then stopped with my back trailer tires 5 feet from the front of her car ... she got the idea and backed up ... I was not going to run her over but I needed her to move too. Silly girl.

Tight space

Backed in one of the tightest spaces yet ... I am sure there are tighter areas to back into but this one was the tightest space I tired ... we did have to stop traffic so I could set up for the blind side 90 ... no damage and everything went smooth. Nice to know you can get in and out of tight areas quickly!!!!

This job is going to work out

I believe this job will work out. I was frustrated in the last job (did not like the direction the company was going in last year) and need a change of pace ... I think I found something I can be happy with for some time to come. Once I am debt free, I should be able to make my tractor feel like home (like satellite radio, satellite tv, mini refg, etc etc etc).

Weather is getting bad

Weather is getting bad in some parts of the US ... we should see some snow or freezing rain.

Bad Weather, Safety, Lane Changes, and Truck Stops

like my mentor ... he is good people but he did scare the ______ out of me! Last night a storm rolled in forcing us to stop and wait it out ... after the winds died down and the rain lighten up we both agreed to move on, that is when he drove though a second wave of hail, high winds, and heavy rain doing 60 mph ... the worst part was we were empty making us very light. I know he wanted to get to the dock early but we had 1.5 hours to meet a deadline and only had to travel 30 - 40 minutes to get there ... I am a wussy but I would have loved to see him slow down a bit when we hit that second wave. I told him safety was a concern of mine, I think he got my point.

Lane Changes

My mentor loves to change lanes ... if he sees a car, person, RV, cop, or a piece of trash on the side of the rode he will change lanes. I told him that changing lanes increases the chance I will hit something and I feel more comfortable staying in one lane ... after a short dialog he realized I was not going to budge.

Truck Stop

My current mentor does not like to pull into truck stops ... hell that is part of being a trucker!!! He prefers to find a small rest area and sleep out his required down time. I am missing out on a waitress named "Flo" serving me eggs/bacon/hash browns/burnt toast and listening to bad trucker stories!!!

So far I have slept at a Walmart, Rest Area, and the terminal. The only truck stop we pulled into was one I stopped at and he did not get out of the truck. I like the guy but he is not your typical trucker.

America Runs on Eggs!!!

I had no idea how many eggs are delivered on a daily basis. I run a reefer truck (that is a truck with climate control units for produce and frozen goods) and we are always loaded with eggs. Who knew?

Take a Hike!

Got some exercise in today ... not much but it was a nice day to go walking around. We stopped in Jacksonville, IL ... I love the small town people ... one old lady thanked me multiple times for opening a door for her, to sweet!

8.3 MPG

So far 8.3 miles per gallon is the best I can do ... not sure if that figure is based on my driving or total driving up to this point. I might try to reset that number and see what I come up with.

Edit: I got 8.9 mpg in the last two days ... the 8.3 included previous miles driven. Typical tractor gets 6-7 mpg so almost 9 mpg is good.

Show Me State

With this mentor we have a 4 state region we travel ... Missouri, Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan. I drove the state of Missouri today ... from south (Salem, Mo) to north (Kirksville, Mo) and a few stops in between. Yesterday was a long day but I feel refreshed ... we met at 8:00, hit the road around 10:30, and came back at midnight ... long day but all is good.

EDIT: We also travel to Iowa and Wisconsin.

Less then $5 a Day

I was able to eat 4 meals (sandwiches) plus snacks (sunflower seeds) for $5 yesterday ... I had budget $20 a day for food, shower and misc so I am way ahead of my projected expenses ... wonder how long that will last?

I brought Vitamins to help out. Now I need to find a way to exercise more.

2007 Volvo

The newer Volvo's are nice ... I drove and slept in one yesterday and it was comfortable. Easy ride and the sleeper is not that bad. Life is good.

Mentor

My current mentor is good people. I am sure in 6 weeks we will drive each nuts but for now I am happy with the set up ... I could have gotten the Smelly Truck Driver Guy!!!! He is a clean freak so I hope I don't do something that drive him nuts.

Found One

They found a mentor for me ... that is great news since I had a female driver approach me last week willing to training me for OTR ... glad that part is over. The only draw back of the mentor they offered me is the limited area in which he travels ... but he seems like a nice guy and in the end it should work out.

Moose Meat Anyone?

Swift is looking for people to travel in and out of Canada ... I would love to cross the border ... I am going to set things in motion and see what happens.

My Mother is a Sexist

When I told her that my mentor could be a female she had a classic old school reaction ... I guess the girls can't each the boys ... it was funny, my mother is a sexist!!!

Feeling Better

The meds have helped out a lot ... I went from barely able to breathe to feeling close to 100% ... gives you a better appreciation for the simple things in life.

No Mentor Yet

I don't have a mentor yet but they did assign me a local driver so I can start my road training. Looking forward to an OTR Driver so I can see the country.

No mentor yet ... that might be a good thing!

Finished orientation and ready to hit the road ... during orientation management told the class everyone had a mentor and would be on the road Wednesday night or Thursday morning ... but a few of us were left waiting for our mentors (mine was located in California). It is no-one's fault ... our driver manager quit last week leaving Swift short staffed ... they were (and still are) scrambling to get us on the road.

The game plan is for me to drive locally until an Over The Road (OTR) mentor is available ... that might be a good thing ... I know the streets in this area very well and it would allow me to focus on driving. You have have to be aware of 25 different variables while you drive a truck (like weather, road conditions, construction, traffic patterns, the four wheeled drivers, gauges, height/weight restrictions, state laws, fuel, time constraints, proper paper work, etc etc etc)

Received my Company Card

I have a company debit card for fueling and misc ... it is crazy the amount of money they spend on diesel ... a truck can hold 250 gallons of fuel and has the range of 1,700 miles. That gets expensive when you fill it up a few times a week.

Doms is a Four Wheeler

Doms passed her driver's road test today ... she is now a four wheeler!

No Doggies Allowed!

Swift changed a rule that banned pets from their trucks ... I guess the expense to clean the trucks was a little high. The truckers that already had pets get to keep their doggies.

Looks like I will hit the road this week

Started my orientation started today ... everything went well ... little worried about the drug test because of the meds the doctor has me on but another guy has the same concern about the same meds.

Hit the Road Jack

It now looks like we will hit the road this week. Multiple sources told the group that mentors have been lined up and we should be ready to hit the road Wednesday night or Thursday morning. This is great news ... I heard horror stories about waiting weeks for a mentor ... it appears those stories are not true.

He is good people

In the past few weeks I have made a few good friends ... stories have circulated about who passed and failed or which ones have struggled ... most of the failures did not come as a surprise (received text from one of them that failed today) ... then I got a call from a close friend that failed his road test (needed for his CDL) ... it turns out a yellow grand am pulled out in front of him during his test, but because he was forced (and the other car was forced) to make a move to avoid hitting each other he received an automatic fail.

The worst part about this automatic fail is he can not take the test for another seven days ... which means he will miss a bi-weekly orientation, he was scheduled for one this Monday. He was a roommate of mine in Tenn so I know all about his family and his struggles/challenges ... we both are looking to get behind the wheel and make some money ... there is not a more likeable guy at there, you can't help but pull for him.

No question he will do will in this field ... he just got unlucky. I think I am more pissed off then he is!!!

Good luck bud.


I am getting better

To my suprise I am feeling better. The meds are working ... I still need rest but I can breathe and preform simple tasks now ... before I could not walk across the room without getting winded. Looking forward to 100% recovery!!!

2 Days of Bed Rest .... Yea Me

I have been feeling under the weather (on and off) for 3 weeks now ... normally it is because I hang around heavy smokers and once I get a few hours of clean air I feel better, not this time. It got bad enough that I went to see a doctor, he tested for Strep Throat and Bronchitis ... I have both, I knew something was kicking my butt!

He ordered a few meds and suggested I get 2 days of bed rest ... which sucks because this is the weekend I have my daughter ... I miss that kid, she is good people. I called her and told her what was going on ... she understood but sounded disappointed too.

Off to bed ...

I forgot to mention ...

A couple of things I forgot to mention in past posts ...

Quitters Quit

One of the odd characters in Tenn mentioned he planned on quitting after the 7-8th day ... it pissed me off ... I confronted him about quitting, personally I did not care one way or the other but I did not want someone around that took time away from others ... I told him I wished him luck with either choice but if he planned on quitting to do it soon so he did not waste anyone else's time ... he did not mention quitting again.

I should keep my Mouth Shut

I have a habit of opening my trap when I should keep it shut. The last job I had I pulled the owner and his son into a meeting to talk about the lack of quality I have seen in the past couple of months ... I expected to talk about solutions but the owner's son changed the subject to hurt feelings ... it is their company, maybe feeling good is better then doing a good job? Clearly that was their take ... at least they were good for a laugh or two.

Looking forward to running solo

I am looking forward to getting out there on my own. A lot of good people have wished me luck and offered their assistance ... I appreciate the well wishes. Surprising enough the owner's son has yet to say one word to me ... I am sure I hurt his feelings more then once, it was nothing personal bud.

She kicked my butt

My brother bought a Wii ... I matched bowling skills with Doms and she kicked my butt!!! In fact my dad had a better score ... I am seeking a rematch to make things right ... I can't leave on that note.

I did out box my brother ... talk about a work out!!! Try three 3 minute rounds of shadow boxing ... tell me you will not get a little winded.

Passport and Endorsements

Now that I have my CDL I need to get my Passport (Canada and Mexico) and Endorsements (Hazmat, Tanker, Doubles, etc) ... the studying never ends! : )

Got my Passport photo taken ... I have yet to take a good picture!!! I plan on sending in my application this week for processing.

I might wait on the Hazmat endorsement ... it cost a little more then I thought ... I have 4-6 weeks before I am solo anyway ... I will wait until then.

Owner / Operator

Owning your truck looks very profitable (unless the truck breaks down) ... I have been asking a lot of questions involving ownership and so far I like the answers ... it will be 6-7 months before I seriously revisit this subject but making 120+ grand year (netting 75+ grand) sounds good to me.

End of Phase II

I now have a Class A license ... glad that is over. We are scheduled for processing on March 9th ... looking forward to the next phase ... bring on the road!!

CDL Road Test Tomorrow

I have a CDL road test tomorrow at 9:00am ... I should know the results by 11:00am ... I am a little nervous but I should pass.

Three Strikes and you are out!

A student failed to pass his CDL three times in a two week period ... now he has to pay a 3rd party roughly $400 to rent a truck just so he can try again ... he is a nice guy, I wish him luck.

Day One of Five

First day of my road training in Edwardsville, Ks went by fast ... I quickly realized I have a lot more to learn ... my training in Millington, Tn was only a starting point. It was a little overwhelming at first but I got the hang of it by the end of the day ... need to improve tho ... I have a CDL test scheduled for Friday.

Need to pass the CDL to make sure I catch the next orientation scheduled for March 9th.

Edwardsville Terminal

Got a small tour of the Edwardsville terminal ... tv area, cafe, game room, showers, etc ...

At home and rested

I passed all my testing in Millington, Tn ... still need to work on my shifting tho. Next phase is training in Edwardsville, KS for the next five days ... looking forward to it ... I need my monkey butt on the road!

Memphis/Millington, Tn

Left a lot of good people behind ... roommates were great, I enjoyed the trainer I had (straight shooting cowboy), and classmates were a solid group of people. Some stayed for another week of training ... most of them will move on ... some are realizing trucking might not be for them.

Rested and Relaxed

I was sick for most of the time in Tenn ... a few students were not in the best health and I caught what they had ... VERY happy to be home to get some rest and get healthy again ... I feel better already, other than a slight sinus issue, I feel fine!

On a lighter note

Something always happens ... here is a sample of what has happened the past couple of days.

He kicked his own butt!!!

One of our odd characters broke his nose against the truck's mirror ... the truck was NOT moving ... but somehow he managed to break his nose against a non-moving object ... go figure!

He Called me a Prick and then Changed the Answers to my Test

Another odd character managed to change my test after he requested to see the answers ... I had no issue letting him review my test since it was open book but he got a little nasty when I took my test back after he had 5 minutes to review it ... I laughed at him but we both know he was upset ... then when I sat back down he asked for it again ... no problems until he noticed differences between our tests ... he corrected one test and then thanked me ... I quickly noticed he changed my test and that is when I gave him my "Don't screw me over buddy!" speech.

I was polite but he got the message ... some people's kids!

Newbie is lost

A shuttle takes most of the students to class ... but some of us drive to class (it is only 3 miles round trip). I needed to go to Walmart one morning to get some meds for this cold I have ... I drove by a bunch of students waiting on the shuttle ... one student asked what I was doing and decided to go with me ... before I knew it another student was sitting in the back seat ... he was from Africa so his accent was thick ... I asked him if he needed a ride and told him we were stopping by Walmart first ... he liked the idea and off we go ... we quickly realized he needed to go to Memphis for his testing and was at the wrong hotel ... I told him I would drop him off once we finished with Walmart ... as soon as we arrived at Walmart I lost him ... no where to be found ... I told the other student he has 3 minutes and then we leave ... sure enough at 2.5 minutes he comes around the corner with a hand full of goodies ... I told him we needed to go so he could catch the bus to Memphis for the testing he was late too ... to this day I don't think he understood what was going on.

Chicken Sounds GREAT!!!!

Feeling a little under the weather but wanting to do something special to celebrate the high test scores I went to KFC for diner ... order a 3 piece diner and took it the to apartment ... the third piece was one piece to many ... at midnight it found its way out of the stomach the same way it came in ... my roommates love me I am sure!

Test Results and ...

We got our tests results back and I had gotten 99% on Tuesday and 95% on Saturday ... it averaged 97% for all the tests ... I needed 80% to pass. No more class room studies ... the rest is range and road work ... thank God for that.

Still Sick

I am still under the weather ... I can't shake this bug ... to many roommates that are sick so I think we are passing it around ... fun stuff.

Under the Weather

I woke one morning feeling GREAT but my roommates were under the weather ... now I am feeling a little sick ... to many people under the same roof so I am not surprised. I have slight aches and pains ... plus I have lost some of my lunch but I think I will be ok ... I got some vitamin C ... lets hope that does the job!

End of First Week

Trainers are good but they have little time for the new recruits. We were told that they will spend 20% of their time with us this week and 80% next week ... a little nervous I am not getting enough time in the truck but I am sure it will all work out.

The week went fast. Loads of good people but there are a few characters. They have no clue this is also a job interview too ... some people's kids.

One guy broke his nose inspecting his truck. Still not sure how he did it but it is not pretty.

Testing this Sunday and Monday. So far the tests have been easy enough ... looking forward to finishing the training and hitting the road.


Doms Birthday

I will miss Doms b-day today ... I wish I was there to help her celebrate ... she is good people tho and understands ... love that kid!


Sunday, Sunday, Sunday

Tests today .... I am sure I passed everyone tho ... no worries there.

Still under the weather but a lot better then a few nights ago ... I think the Vitamin C helped!!

Had an 8 hour class today ... tomorrow will be 12 hours ... then back out on the range.

My Schedule for the next couple of weeks

Swift's training schedule has me coming home Saturday night on the 21th ... so I should be available for diner on the 22th ... it would be fun to catch up.

Tests ... tests ... and tests

We are taking tests now ... overloaded with info ... not one thing seems to tough to handle but the information is thrown your way at a quick pace. We have seen a few people leave the program already for failing to pass the tests.

One Double Clutching Shifting .....

Hitting the range tomorrow. The schedule will slow down a little and we can study for the next set of tests coming this Sunday. Looking forward to it!

Weather

The weather started nice with 70 degree over cast but it started to rain ... what are you going to do?

See you Feb 22

Alright I am going to study and sleep ... see you soon.

I Arrived in Tenn

I arrived in Tenn around 10:30pm with no issues ... hotel room is nice ... so far I have the room to myself (we will see how long that lasts) ... a traveling musical group is staying at the hotel (who knew fish could sing?) but if they keep singing all night long I might lose one of my boots up one of their _____ ; )

Arkansas Roads - Son of a _____

Up and down ... side to side ... blind curve here ... blind curve there. Who designed these roads? Stevie Wonder?

Calling it a Night

Going to shower and call it a night.

Ready ... Set ...

Got a call from my recruiter ... everything appears to be lined up and ready to go. Looking forward to it. I have been in contact with a few Swift drivers too ... 80% of them have positive things to say about the company ... one contact is in training now, he loves it ... he said the first few days are challenging but he is enjoying the experience.

Holiday Inn - Memphis, Tn

I am staying at the Holiday Inn in Memphis, Tn.

MEMPHIS-INTL AIRPORT
2240 DEMOCRAT RD.
MEMPHIS, TN 38132

Hotel Front Desk:
1-901-3321130

Hotel Fax:
1-901-3985206

Starting Out

Career Change

Two companies offer me a chance to train with them ... I selected Swift Transport since they are a large privately owned company. My training starts on Feb 9th in Tenn. Looking forward to it but I will miss my daughter's birthday. She is good people though, she understands. I am hoping we can spend a couple of weeks in the summer traveling ... fingers crossed.



A few things I need to do before the start of my training:

• Passed my DOT Physical Examine with flying colors ... was worried about my blood pressure but that was a non-issue after changing my morning diet (Lost 10+ points with oatmeal baby!!!) Had an issue producing a urine sample ... stage fright maybe? But after 20 minutes and a few glasses of water I delivered.
  
• Took my Class A written examine ... the tests were easy enough but a few others struggled with it which made me feel a little better since it was not TO easy. I have yet to take a good picture for my driver license ... looks more like a mug shot!
  
• Finished viewing Swift's training online modules. They were a little dry but full of valuable information.
  

Blogging

I plan to post pictures / videos and note things of interest for family and friends. I figured a common link instead of mass emails would be preferred. We will see.

This "blog" is in rough draft ... I will change the format and style later. ;)

And yes she is older now ...

And yes she is a little older now ... but the scared look in her younger pic fit the topic.