Training at Crete

Thanks to everyone who watches this thread. This is meant to document my training experience and maybe give some insight to anyone thinking about becoming a trucker. I also appreciate any advice from others...but let's please keep it honest and constructive.
First off, let me just say that I started with absolutely no experience. I had only driven my uncle's standard truck once for about an hour when I was 17. I'm 31 now. I had only backed a small trailer (maybe a 10-footer) a few times. Like I said...no experience when I went into CDL school. I attended Central Tech Truck Driver Training in Drumright, OK. In my opinion, great school with awesome instructors and range. Really a good program. I did four and a half weeks with a max of two students per truck. Just a great experience. And I passed my CDL test on the first try.
Next I sat at home for a couple weeks before deciding to go with Crete. I went to a 4-day orientation in Lincoln, NE starting July 20, 2015. I left orientation with my trainer yesterday. He already had a load going from MO to OR. We drove on to Grand Island, NE where we stopped for the night.
Today, I started out by driving 336 miles west on I-80....not much action there but it gave me some time to get comfortable with the truck. My trainer took over at Cheyenne, WY and we drove on to Rawlins, WY. We are shut down here for the night. We plan to start early in the morning and get another 500 miles tomorrow. Maybe another 500 on Saturday and hopefully we can drop the load early sometime on Sunday. The original drop appointment is set for 12:30 pm local time Monday.
Let me also let you know that because I am a recent CDL grad, Crete set me for eight weeks of training. I'll be out for four weeks, take four days at home, and go out for another four weeks. My trainer also has home time during both of my four week sets...I'll spend three days in a hotel in his hometown while he is off.
Time to call the wife, get some food, and start thinking about bedding down.
Stay safe out there, drivers!

 

Thanks everyone! Today was great! Driving through Utah...it's so beautiful!!! We went a little less than the 500 we planned for today, but we stopped at Twin Falls, ID for the night. Waiting for a shower, then food and a phone call to the wife.
Fairly uneventful day other than the scenery. However, I did make a rookie mistake...pulled out from a fueling stop and missed my on-ramp. Lol. With no where to turn around I ended up taking the eastbound ramp. Thankfully we only had to go back about a mile and a half to the next exit. Could have been a lot worse. Moral of the story: read your signs and don't just follow the truck in front of you.
Stay safe out there, drivers!

 

Day 3...nice run today. My trainer stayed off the clock to get a 34-hr and I did around 560 today. That makes around 1250-1300 in my first three days. Not bad for a greenhorn, I guess.
Again, pretty uneventful, but then, we were just running right up I-84W. Rolled through a couple weigh stations with no problem. Uneventful...that is until we hit Portland. All of a sudden I missed a couple gears, got into that lovely stop-and-go on the freeway, then finally got to the TA. It's Sunday and about 2:00 in the afternoon local time and it's completely full. Go next door to the Love's...also full. Trainer made the executive decision to take some out-of-route miles to get to Jubitz. Anyone been here before? Pretty big place...heard it's been named world's classiest truck stop a few times. Anyway...long day and glad to be stopped for the night. Have less then 100 miles to the receiver and plenty of time in the morning. We are planning to get there early and hope they will get us unloaded before the appointment.
Stay safe out there, drivers!

 

Again...Stay safe out there, driver!