Wow...been a long time...

Damn...I have been a slacker when it comes to updating this. A lot has happened since I last posted...I finished training and started out as a company driver, I was assigned a lightweight 2010 Peterbilt 380 and I named her Belle.

I only lasted a month as a company driver, in a lightweight. A lightweight truck has a small sleeper and no storage space and being out on the road for 30 days at a time...well...it gets very uncomfortable. Belle was a good truck, I had no problems out of her and she pulled heavier loads like she was pulling a light one. I also did not like the fact that I was forced to go places that I did not want to go. The pay sucked. I was at one shipper with a bunch of lease guys, we all had the same load going 2 blocks...literally...down the street...I got paid 18 cents for that load...they got paid $1400. That was when I decided to form a company and lease a truck.

Texas Native Trucking, LLC was formed in Missouri on April 12, 2012. I leased a 2010 Peterbilt 387...I figured what the hell, Peterbilt is a Texas manufactured truck, (manufactured in Denton, Texas for those of you who did not know that.) And I had such good luck with Belle. I named the new truck Jade.

Full size condo sleeper...she is nice. The first month of leasing my own truck and having the freedom to pick and choose where I go and what loads I take has been rewarding. The second month not so great...broke down twice and was down for a week each time. The third month is not looking any better have been broke down 3 times and am sitting in Ardmore, Oklahoma right now...waiting...talked to Fleet Manager and told him that something needed to be done about this truck and we are in the process of seeing about getting a different one...will try to update more as this progresses.

Would I trade my new career choice? No! The only drawback to this lifestyle is that I am not home much and I do miss my family...but when I am running the roads and delivering loads and not broke down, the money is good and I am seeing parts of the USA that I never would have gotten to see otherwise and I am having a blast.

Until next time friends...keep the rubber side down, the shiny side up and the hammer down.

Sitting...

Well sitting at the yard is difficult for me...I have one more night for the compliance check and should be back on the road tomorrow sometime...talked to trainer and he is 460 miles out, but probably won't make it into Springfield today due to not having enough hours to run.


The difficult part about being on the yard is listening to these "Super Truckers" bitch and whine about the company...I told one today who was a lease driver that bought his truck and is becoming an Owner/Operator for the company, I believe its called Logistical, not sure,  that if he was so damn unhappy and bitching about everything, why not go some where else. He didn't have anything to say, so I told him that he needed to Shut the F#@k up and stop talking his trash around all the Students that were listening to his every word like it was gospel. These students come here to obtain their CDL and learn to drive, they don't need to hear negative BS about a company that can't be backed up...just someone who is unhappy but takes that leap to own your own truck and still bitch about how unfair you are treated...well lets look at how unfair...don't get miles, but you got enough and paid off a truck...don't go fast enough...but you paid off a truck and leased it back to the same company that your bitching about...Drivers for this company suck...Oh but guess what? Your staying and leasing your truck back them...hmmmm...Shut the F#@k up, douche bag!

Rant over...some people will never be happy. I like it here and have been treated very fair. Ready to get on with it!

Been a while....

It has been a few days since I updated this blog. Things are running as smooth as they can. We have been plagued with truck issues. In the almost month I have been in training I have only gotten about 10,000 of the 40,000 miles I need to go solo. My trainer is alright...he is young and I believe that I am his first trainee. But all in all he is an alright co-driver and is teaching me what I need to know.

I am sitting in the company motel for 7 days...My own fault...I have been disqualified to drive until I can get in compliance with my CPAP machine...It is a set back...but I think a good one...because I was getting to the point of reaching my limit with being around someone for so long in such a small environment. 7 days of vegging out to re-find my center is a good thing.

Here are a few photos of my travels:
                                                               

New Hampshire Exit Sign...Lol

                                                                         

Hudson River

To the Bat Cave...Kraft Caves in Springfield, Mo.

                                                                              

Arizona Rest Area

Arizona Sunrise

Cold Arrival in Maine, Just outside of Lewiston

Just some of the amenities at the Springfield Terminal....

Done with orientation.....

Well...I am done with my 3 day orientation and am headed out today with a trainer for a few weeks. I have to say that everyone has been professional and courteous. A very big difference compared to Stevens Transport. I look forward to going out and getting this done. Will update as I am able.

Pictures that I never got around to putting on here from training...

                                Twin Sisters on IH-80, which is two almost identical grades a few miles apart.

                                                                 Wyoming Sunset

                                                Sunrise from random Truck Stop in Utah

Day one...new company

Well here I am on day 1 of orientation...the treatment here is so far much better. The staff treat us like we are people and are professional and courteous. So far we are treated with the common respect every human should give another, instead of being talked down to and made to feel sub-human. I was thanked during my initial interview and told "we are glad to have you", what a concept. Passed my DOT physical...again. I will be here one day extra due to non-compliance with my CPAP machine...but all in all I am pretty happy here.

Tomorrow is a full day of orientation classes and then going to start the Passport and TWIC card process.

Arrived in Springfield.....

Hmmm....got here about 4pm and checked into the hotel...everyone that I have met is so professional...such a complete 180 from the other company. Was given a packet of paperwork to fill out for in the morning and talked to the simulator examiner...I will have to complete a simulator test tomorrow to see where my skill level is and where I need to be training wise...I am going to ask about the Flatbed division and see if I can get into that instead of refrigerated...could possibly mean more home time if I can get into the flatbeds.

Will update tomorrow on what happens and see if everyone remains professional :)

Leaving....

Well...I am on the dog headed to Springfield...will arrive at 3:30pm tomorrow...and thus beginning another chapter of my adventure.

And the adventure continues...

I leave tonight on a Greyhound Bus for Springfield, Mo. on the next chapter of this adventure.  I am going to another company...one that hopefully does not treat their new, inexperienced employees the way the last one did. For those of you that know me, know that I do not tolerate very much rude behavior from anyone...so I will not be sitting back taking the same crap I took with the last company without making myself heard a little bit more. So here we go...lets get this party started on a good note, my new company pays more to start out during training and after training...woohoo

Training Truck #339...The truck I passed my CDL test in.

Wading through the bovine fecal matter....

Well it has been awhile since I updated this blog...being on the road with a trainer that would not let me use my phone or plug my laptop into his precious inverter...is the only excuse that I have.  I have never in my years been treated so badly by a  "professional", to be ridiculed, belittled, cursed at and used  for 500+ miles a day just so he could get paid for my miles too and then say that I am costing him money. I hope that this is not the way they all are! My trainer ran red lights in NYC missing cars by inches, had road rage issues, falsified log books, would not shower and had many more issues...I was with the guy for 3 weeks and he took three showers. The truck reeked and was filthy...did I mention this guy stank? and training new students for the wrong reasons...money should never be the motivator when training rookies. I spent the first half of my life in a professional job field and was an instructor for many of those years, training rookies that had to make life and death decisions in a split second. The noble reason to train is to give the knowledge that you have to the inexperienced so that they may go into said profession being safe, courteous and knowing how to do his/her job right. NOT because you make more money.  

I so have the bug for over the road trucking...there were times when I had a good time with my previous trainer...not many...but enough to make me want to continue the path.

I will hopefully be able to keep this thing updated regularly this next trip ;)

Day nine...

Today was very nerve racking...being in the city on the road with other cars and trucks is a scary thing for someone that has not maneuvered a 53 foot trailer. It makes you think. Shifting gears while watching mirrors and the rear of that trailer, while watching cars...needless to say I was sweating like a whore in church. I was nervous...real nervous. I missed some gears...Out of the two things that's an automatic fail at DPS for a CDL license...number one is hitting a curb with the trailer tires...I was so nervous...I missed a gear before my turn and got my set up too short...I worked it out to where I did not run over the curb...I just grazed it with the right trailer tires. My instructor told me that I recovered very well from that and did not roll over the curb onto the sidewalk...but still would have been a fail. I did not hit another curb :-)  Tomorrow is gonna be a real fun day...we are going onto the interstate...YAY!!!!!!

Day eight...

Today we are on the skills course again with our trailers...what fun...still have not hit a barrel yet. I did however make my own way through them...ooops...instructor said you must be really lucky to get that trailer through there...I said, yeah, I was watching the rear of that trailer...I got this.  She just smiled and marked needs to watch gauges on my sheet ;-)

Tomorrow is driving in the city...watch out motoring public...here we come!

What do you think when you see "Student Driver" on an 18 wheeler...

Day seven...

WooHoo...all skills course today...around the track with a 53 foot trailer and I did not hit a barrel once...I hit every upshift and every downshift smooth as butter...I am so stoked.

After lunch break onto the P. Parking course...I jump in the front seat with instructor first...I am gonna get this one...gotta get over the fear of it. I set it up pretty as a picture and am 6 inches from the curb with truck and trailer straight...instructor asked "have you done this before?" no sir, only a 14 foot trailer and an F-150...which is a hell of a lot different than a 53 foot trailer.

Back to DPS to take written tests...I am gonna make this my last trip here...I want the extra drive time. I take General Knowledge and pass it with a 98 and the dreaded Pre-Trip Inspection...Ha...I studied for it...passed with a 93...all is good today, over my fear of shifting, P. Parking and all my written DPS test done.

Day six...

Only half a day today, we are doing map reading and trip planning. All class room....blah

Get back to the hotel and have a new room mate. Another Georgian...don't know how I am gonna like this one... 

Day five...

Today is our first class test on what we have learned so far...pass it with a 95. More class room stuff until lunch.

After lunch we head to the skills course to learn parallel parking...WTF...I can barely P. park a car, much less a 60 foot truck and trailer. We are divided into teams of 10 and we get to it...we start and get through 4 people and its time to go to DPS to take written tests...damn it...I didn't get a chance to P.Park.

I take the Air Brakes test and pass it with a 92, take the Combination test and pass it with a 94, the clerk tells me I have time to take one more, so I take Pre-Trip Inspection...have not studied for this one but decide to take it anyway and see if I can pass it...nope, epic FAIL. got two more shots at it starting on Monday...no worries.

Back to the hotel...have the room to myself again tonight...they have not given me another roommate yet.

Day four...

We have to fill out background check forms for Canada to make sure we can cross the border. we are told we are required to get passports ASAP. Oh joy...that's about $170.00 I don't have. My roommate gets called into the directors office and comes out and gets his stuff and is gone...he was released for something in his background for Canada.

We go to the skills course...we are divided into 4 person teams and told to get into a truck, bobtail with no trailer, the instructor gets in the drivers seat and tells what we are gonna do and how to shift gears, she drives the track twice and gets out...we take turns...nervous as hell, this is not like driving grandma's Oldsmobile. I get in let out the clutch to take off in third gear, WTH in third gear and away I go...double clutch and I am in 4th no problems, double clutch and I can't hit 5th, stop back to 3rd and off again, double clutch and hit 4th, double clutch and hit 5th...awesome right? Time to downshift to 4th and can't do it...damn. Stop and start all over again, get the upshift perfect and grind on the downshift, but its there...need more practice getting the RPM's and speed just right. Moral of this story is...driving a big rig is NOT like driving a standard car or pick-up.

I am off to DPS to take my written test for my permit...pass with a 98...woohoo I now have a CDL learners permit, watch out. 

Day three...

Started raining about 3AM and still raining when I get to the school...the draw back to driving myself is that I have to park a ways from the building in the student lot. Got wet. After roll call, the assistant school directer calls me into his office and says the only thing wrong with you is that you have to have a sleep study to see if you have sleep apnea and you will be placed on medical hold until you decide if you are willing to take the sleep study and pass a skills test. I said well I can't go home so lets do the sleep study and show me the where to go for the skills test. he said after lunch I will come get you and we will make sure you can fit under the truck and can climb in and out of it with no problems.

Kind of bummed on the medical hold because I might have sleep apnea...but ok. 2PM the rest of the students get sent to DPS to start written tests to get their permits...I can't go because of the Medical hold. 3PM I go to take the skills test...climb in and out of the truck, crawl under it and out the other side...cleared from medical hold for 30 days until I graduate and do the sleep study...worse case scenario I take the test and am 4 days behind my graduating class in training on the road because they have to calibrate the CPAP...best case scenario, I don't have sleep apnea and I am one day behind my class for training!

roomie is on Med hold for high blood pressure...if he can get meds and lower it he will be taken off hold. After class I take him to a redi clinic and he gets meds...everything is groovy.