Packing List for Students

Packed the minimal according to what they suggested. Only one question remains concerning truck stop showers. Packed the shower shoes and all the necessary toiletries and was wondering if they provide towels or is that up to the driver? Hey, no laughing..

 

Most truck stops provide towels but bring one anyway. no towels on. yard and the service plazas on the Indiana or Ohio (can't remember which) turnpike has free showers but again no towels. Also some shippers and recivers give drivers access to employee locker rooms which you can sneak a shower... those are usually gross and shower shoes are needed but a free shower is hard to pass up.

 

What's the average cost to shower etc at most truck stops, if they don't offer free showers?

 

TA and Petro is around $12 and Pilot may be the same. Loves is around $10. Get every loyalty card you can get your hands on. Ambest, TA/Petro, Flying J/Pilot, Loves ect ect. All of these and most of the No Names will give you a credit for a free shower if you buy 50 gallons of fuel.. Problem is you don't fuel every day and the TS you have a credit for may not be where you plan or have shut down at.

 

One of the recruiters that came to the school( one that had actually spent a fair amount of time on the road) told us that when he visited.

 

Oh.... also you can't stockpile credits. They vanish over time like some horrble video game of doom. Too dramatic? I don't know the exact time frame in which they fall off but it's about a week.

 

Didn't know that.

 

One of the first things you need to get when you are in training or preferably before are "rewards cards" from every truck stop chain that has them, even if it's a paper "punch out" like Wilco/Hess is. The deal as a student with a trainer is this (if it isn't make it so): "I shower. I shower frequently. I don't pay for a shower because we fuel and I'm part of this deal so I get a free shower too. We can fuel on your card and get a team shower - I don't care if you take yours or not, but I'm taking mine. Or we can fuel on mine and I'll get the shower credit. Either way; don't matter to me as long as I get a free shower when I want one." You should be able to get what they call a "team shower" (get that mind OUT of the gutter), which is one fueling but two separate showers; one for each of you. They dun 1 shower credit off whomever's card. What you do is fuel, swipe the rewards card. If each of you want a shower then whoever uses the card to order the shower at the fuel desk just tells the clerk it's a team shower and they dun 1 shower credit but give each of you a separate shower room.

So far, Love's has risen to the cream of the crop for driver rewards and are plowing some serious ground getting into TA/Petro and Pilot/Flying J's market share with the big carriers and getting onto their authorized fuel locations. With Love's the showers on your card never expire. They have levels for their point system. Base is a penny per gallon, 1 shower and 1 refill (you MUST pack a travel mug and thermos - always "refill" never use their cups; it's very important and you get a LOT of free drinks). Gold is 2 for 1 and platinum is 3 for 1 on points (to buy stuff - free money) and unlimited showers and refills; even if you didn't fuel that day. Plus, Love's gives you points on every in store purchase too, even cigarettes (free money on stuff you were going to buy anyway). The others don't (gallons of fuel points only) or only for selected merchandise they need to move.

Say I've been fueling mostly at Love's for the last 30 days (really, 1000 gallons doesn't take long at all to accumulate in 30 days - I burn about 100 gallons a day at around about 6.5 MPG, if I'm not then my DM and I are having a conversation because I'm not making miles LOL) and I'm platinum but my last fuel had to be at a Pilot or wherever but my trip plan has me taking my 10 at a Love's. I have a trainee. We down time at the Love's and he wants a shower (which I will strongly suggest even if we got one yesterday - they are as mentally refreshing as they are physically cleansing) or a drink, fill up his thermos - or travel mug and I give him my card. Or I just tell them I want a team shower if we are showering at the same time and give him my card for his free refills.

Now what I personally do about being fair with the points as a trainer, since we always using my card even when he is fueling - so I can stay platinum and keep showers and drinks unlimited, is buy him lunch or dinner at the restaurant sometimes. We stop at one that say has an Arby's. We both like Arby's. We are tired of scrounging from the cooler and cabinets so I ask: "You hungry? They got an Arby's. I'll buy." Then I use my points to buy us both a meal. Since most all my trainees (never been down with calling them students. They were students in school. They graduated and are now in training. I'm an OTR trainer, not a CDL instructor. I have trainees aspiring to level 2, not students in school. Some say semantics. I think it's an important differentiation, though. We want a higher level of driver but yet we tend to sort of put newcomers kinda down as second class with a "student" label while they are trying to develop skills to be full on solo qualified.) usually upgrade (some quit, some just aren't cut out for this, some I think bribed the DMV to get their CDL) and usually are financially challenged like we almost all were in the beginning; I'll buy them an upgrade gift of a brand new Rand McNally Laminated Deluxe Motor Carrier Atlas - with the points we earned together. Seems fair to me. Yeah, I bank a few points but they get benefit too so I figure I helped them keep clean, drinks and food, and an important tool when they upgrade so it all balances.

I'm not the only trainer that does this. There are lots and lots of us, and I'm not looking for a pat on the back. I don't need to blog to get self fulfillment. I'm quite comfortable in my own skin. That's just how I learned. A trainer trained me that way. I owe a debt to him and the Diesel Gods to pass it on. I repay it with each trainee that wants to take advantage of it. If you get a trainer that gives a hoot about you as a person, new and learning but a person at a crossroad in life and not an extra $350/ week; then getting a shower and food should be the least of your concerns. If not; trade up to one that does. Being a trainer means we help you learn not only how to pass the upgrade road test and be a safe professional driver specializing in large, heavy commercial motor vehicles operating OTR safely; but we help you learn how to live, survive and succeed OTR. It's not a job, it's a lifestyle and if done correctly a very fulfilling one. If done haphazard, without thought and on the fly, then you'll be in debt, broke and very unhappy (in worse shape than you started) before your first year is up.

That's what I have to say about that. For what it's worth.

 

Oh and one more "shower trick": That darned mandatory 30 minute break to reset the 8 hour clock is a great time to take your shower unless you are wanting that long, steaming "Hollywood Shower". Kill two birds with one stone and there's not usually a wait for a shower in mid-shift. Beginning and ending of the day is when most folks shower so very often there's a wait. The advantage to end of shift, though, is you can relax and take a nice long shower but if you do it mid-shift you need to get in, get clean, get out and go because even though you stopped the 8, 11 and 70 hour clocks going off for break - the 14 hour clock is still ticking and THAT'S the one that gets most folks in a pickle. Once you start it with your pre-trip, the only thing that stops that one is a full 10 hour break, well split breaking the sleeper can reset little bits but that's way too complicated to get into for this thread. But if you are just wanting to clean up and not lounge - the 30 minute break is a great time to do it. Plus you'll hit the rest of the shift refreshed and ready to go.

 

For the record as a solo driver platinum is hard to get. Simply at least for my company we don't go enough to one brand of truck stop. to make matters worse we get sent to regional or mom and pops too. So while I burn 400-500 gallons a week it's divided up amongst the companies. I usually get 3000-3500 miles in a week. But reguarding the points I too use them at the resturants. Usually can get a free meal once a week somtimes two if they are doing a double point promo.