Running With Watkins & Shepard

Well, after a long 7 months of research, a month OTR with a friend and selling my 4x4 to pay for CDL school, I've decided to run with W/S.

So I sit here anxious and nervously excited to start the 10 day orientation on Monday August 16 in Conover NC. I really can't wait to get going and this will be my journal of the experience.

Some folks here know me from ORG's "Help a Trucker wannabe out" thread. We went to school together in PA and are now venturing out in separate directions. He's running with Swift.

I've received so much great advice from the folks here and this will be my attempt to give a little back. So as I learn, I'll share. It's been a long road to this point but nothing compared to the road ahead.

I'd like to say a special thanks to CAGEtrucker for his great thread on his orientation experience with W/S. It really helped prepare me for what lies ahead. Thank You sir!

Let's get TRUCKING!

 

Thanks Warp and you're another one I should have mentioned in my opening post. (Was really tired last night...lol). But I've read your posts as well and they've been very helpful.

I'm really excited to join the W/S family and extremely grateful for the opportunity to prove myself worthy. It's going be a lot of fun to actually meet all you folks as time goes on and it's something I look forward to.

I know it will be a hit or miss thing but I'm sure over time we'll get the chance. Once I am driving, I'll be sure to post my 20 on that thread as I can. Internet will be a little lacking until I can get far enough ahead to both upgrade my ancient phone and plan and get a satellite card for my laptop. I know most, if not all truck stops have it but it's so darned expensive as my month OTR has shown me. But I'll endeavor to do my best as always.

I'm wondering if there's anyway I can get the hotel information in Conover from W/S so I can call them to see if there's a safe place to stow my laptop while at orientation. I really want to do a day by day account of my experience like CAGE did.

 

Well, today is D-day so to speak as it's my final day to get ready for leaving. So it's laundry (saved that for last minute so everything will be clean to start out with), final list check and packing and then by the Grace of God a final bike ride with a friend and her cousin and his wife. I just met her family last night. A nice surprise to see they ride and even nicer that they invited me to have dinner with them afterward.

I must say that this is a bitter sweet time for me. My folks who are very elderly have benefited from my loss of everything in a break up last August. I've been here since to help them out. My father has been in very poor health for many years (Chronic COPD) and on 24/7 O2 for the past 4 years.

So as they've helped me get back to my feet, I've helped them stay on theirs. I worry about leaving them but have talked with my brother and his wife and asked them to keep a close eye on them. They live about 40 miles away so they aren't here to do all things I've done around the house but at least they can hurry down in an emergency which, much to my dismay, can happen rather quickly and often these days.

Now my folks are tough old goats for sure and fighters to the core and tell me with a smile not to worry. Ummmm...yeah...right! But I know where my focus must be out there and that's where it will be. Still, in my heart, it will be a challenge to leave them for long periods.

 

Hi Blue Screen, (As an MCSE I understand that COMPLETELY...LOL)

That's what this thread is all about. To to do a day by day account of orientation and then my life on the road from there.

My very best wishes to you and your wife and I'll look forward to seeing you join W/S down the road. I'm sure you probably are already but my first piece of advice is to read as much of this forum as possible that applies to your goals, Ask LOTS of questions!! The folks here are simply great and you'll lean a LOT from them. I sure did!!

God Bless you both and keep you safe.

 

Well, it's Saturday night and I'll be heading out to the Sayreville NJ terminal at 6:30am. There I'll meet up with Vernnon (and a couple other guys I guess) at 8:00am to be taken to the Conover NC terminal and get settled in the hotel room.

I called the NC terminal and left a message on Tim's VM to see if I could get the number of the hotel so I could ask a few questions. First, do they have Internet and second, would there be a safe place to leave the laptop while I'm away in orientation. Unfortunately I didn't receive a call back. Not too surprised as it's Saturday and perhaps he wasn't there.

So, I'm still wondering if I should bring it or not. I want to for sure.

Me and a new friend went riding with her cousins today. It was a real blast and they're super nice folks. They insisted on taking me out to dinner to say goodbye and it lasted a tad longer than expected. So I'm a bit behind on getting everything 100% ready to go but it shouldn't be an issue.

I'll get up early (if I even sleep at all...just a touch wound up here) and get the rest of it put together. Really just a couple hand tools as most everything else is packed. Put the bike in the barn and cover it, load the car and I should be good to go.

My mom was rather sad this morning. My dad too and although he'd never show it, I could see it in his eyes. I'll miss them both big time as well. They keep asking what kind of schedule I'll have. You know, how long gone, how long back and as of yet, I really have no answer as I just don't know what to expect.

Anyway, I'm gonna relax now and think about the laptop. Knowing me, I'll wind up bringing it so I can update as I go. But if not, I'll make daily notes and just do it afterward.