My turn for orientation at Watkins & Shepard!!

DAY 1

Started off in classroom talking about shifting on level ground and hills, and yes, you can shift going down hills as others have said...We then learned a different way to shift and use RPMs and spent most of the day on the yard practicing that technique along with a small road run to see how we all could do...

Thankfully, they use the same truck I trained on so I was very comfortable from the start, just usual jitters with new instructor(Matt), but he is very cool and knowledgeable so I soaked in everything I could...

After school we all stayed(4 in class) and kept practicing in yard for a couple of hours then rode with a driver in his truck to walmart and am now in the hotel getting ready to study and memorize our Speed Matching chart(used in case you can't find a gear to help you back into gear using speed and rpms)...


Since Thanksgiving is around the corner it looks like we're going to have an accelerated orientation, which nobody complained about!...Every driver we spoke to has nothing but good things to say about the company, like AT and Chris have said, which seems very rare in the industry, happy to be here for sure!...

 

That's the key word, it really seems like that here!

We ALL have the Speed Matching Chart completely memorized already, I also fortunate to have 3 other guys in class that really want to be the best we can and help each other get there!!!!...Lovin' it!

 

Not that one LOL

It uses 4,6,8,10,15,20.........60mph and helps you find the right gear using speed and rpm...

 

4.6.8 etc. are mph...

 

I think we all will get to that point but till then, when they say, "learn this, it will help you", we say, "ok"...

 

Day 2

Spent the whole day on the road driving...Had some ups and downs, but with all the new techniques(and pulling 75,000lbs), it's to be expected, it's not like school was...We all stayed late, bobtailed around lot and walked back to the hotel...That was the whole day!...