WSE - from my point of view

yeah, I have the verizon wireless air card. I like it fine...works well in most all areas however they limit to 5GB. I still do some accounting work from the road and this isn't enough for me. I look for free wi-fi every where I stop...so that I can save my capacity for other times.

Do you know if they charge to hardwire into the IdleAire? I see that there is an ethernet jack on the unit.

 

I'm here...schedule has just been a little crazy...we are now motoring across Iowa headed for Norcross GA. Hopefully from there we will get a load to "somewhere" in NC where I GET MY TRUCK!!!!!!!!!! We were told yesterday that my truck is in NC but don't know where yet. FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!! And then will head home to JAX for some long overdue hometime with the family. Heck, I left home for orientation on November 8th.

We've been more busy because we've been teaming it a bit...we just dropped a load from Tunnel Hill GA in Eagan MN. I love the cold weather up here and the cool little towns in this area of MN. With the snow on the ground and the Christmas decorations around...man, it's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas (sorry, no "Happy Holidays" spoken here...with Christmas...there'd be no holiday.).

Luckily for me, safety decided that I didn't have to head back across the country to the Pacific NW before getting my own truck.

I'll have to say that I have really had a great time out here. When I get my schedule worked out and I start taking hometime about every 3 weeks...I think this will be a great time.

My biggest concern now is the Fleet Manager that I get...which will really make or break my time here at WSE. I wanted the one that my trainer has but he currently has a pool of 60 drivers and simply can't take more. The early indications are that I will get my trainer's 2nd recommendation. I'll be an easy driver for a fleet manager because I have always been one who is willing to do whatever it takes and I hope that will bode well with my FM. I hope he/she doesn't take that to the extreme though and take advantage of me and run me like a scalded dog. But, early on, I will try to do whatever I am asked to do just to build a good reputation with the Fleet Manager and their boss, MH.

More to follow.

 

Hey trunch...I learned to back trailers about 20 years ago when I worked on a woodyard of a large papermill in SE VA. Although, we were driving short little day cabs, the basics are the same. We were required to put those trailers in some pretty precarious places. We would try and see how fast we could back them and competed with each other as to how weel or badly we ended up WITHOUT pulling up.

So, when I got back in the seat during my commercial driving course and out here "in the real world", I haven't been too intimidated by backing. In fact, sometimes I am over-confident and make it a lot more difficult than it has to be...my biggest issue is that I don't always use all the space I have rather just use the space I THINK I need.

My biggest challenge has been in truck stops, when I pull along a row of trucks and then have to properly position myself to park in between two trucks in the line. I know it'll come...I just need more opportunities to perfect it. I think one advantage I'll have it that I am one of those who seeks to park as far away from the truck stop as I can...while it seems most people, like in shopping centers with cars, etc., they try to get as close to the door as they can. Not me...

 

Yeah, we just found out that my truck is currently parking at an International dealer in Raleigh NC...so, a wise man would assume that it is an International.

And that's okay by me...the turning radius is awesome on this truck and it's the same model that I did my commercial driving course in and it's what I am now. So, that will be a good transistion.