Application was just accepeted for PRIME. Start orientation January

Yes. Do get your permit before coming as it will be lot I'd stress off of you. Now you so have to transfer your permit to Missouri it only cost 7.50. Im on my way to paducah Kentucky and will post an update once we are done with this load.

 

Hello everyone, sorry for the lack of updates, been busy.

Overall its been a week now since ive been with my trainer i have yet ran a full "shift/route" by my self my trainer normally starts it off then hands it over to me. Starting tomorrow I'm doing the full route. Its been a rough week, working the walmart dedicated run has been running us hard which is a good thing. My trainer is pretty awesome and is doing a good job. We started working on backing a couple days ago and apparently i did a good job as all my trainer is doing is talking to his buddies and family on how i did an offset, allley dock etc perfectly without messing up. I go my upshifting down pack my downshifting has gotten a lot better over the course of the week, Sometimes i do have a hard time finding the correct gear then i realize either my rpms are to low or i'm trying to go into to low of a gear/incorrect gear but with my trainers help it has improved.

I've made a few mistakes with turning, almost curbed my steer tire coming out of a sams club as i didn't start turning till it was to late thankfully there was literally no traffic and i was able to backup a little bit and correct my self. Some times i'm wanting to take turns at intersections a little to fast but i know what i did wrong and correct it my self the next time.

My instructor doesn't raise his voice and if he does its only when i'm doing something that can in danger either of our lives which has only once(was at to high of a speed when about to turn on an off ramp..

Overall I'm loving this, loving seeing different places, meeting different people.

The walmart dedicated run is pretty easy, I used to work for walmart for 3 years and used to unload the same loads i deliver now so my trainer i loving the fact that i know the paperwork as he is new to the new dedicated run. We are usually back at the DC everynight, Last night we stayed at a walmart in Paducah(sp) Kentucky, it was a two stop load at paducah wal,art and sams, after second stop we got an 04 stop for the tyson(ibg i think is the actual name) in Tennessee not sure of the city, was a FUN time getting in there literally no room to move to park the trailer my trainer did it. The yard jockey was parking trailers for K&M i think they're called and all you heard was the metal of the trailer scrapping down the side of another trailer. Oh and the place smelled terrible.

I have to say this though, the passenger seat in the truck SUCKS. IT literally basically sucks the energy out of me when i'm sitting in it and all i want to do is to fall asleep even when I'm studying the pretrip etc.

Overall good progress as been made, theres still some work that needs done in some area. I spoke with my fleet manager today and apparently there was a letter from the DMV there, with my permission he opened it and read it to me and apparently they never received the tanker endorsement test results from OHIO, I'm not sure why or for what reason it may be as i do have the tanker endorsement on my permit, he said he would get back with me when ever he finds anything out.

Weather has thankfully been okay, Was in indiana on a country road with some rain and heavy dense fog driving and couldnt see more then 10 feet in front of me, that was interesting. As we were leaving kentucky today i was supposed to the drive but it started snowing and was coming down fast and hard and roads were slicked, my instructor made the decision to drive instead of me which made me happy as even he was sliding when coming to a stop, we saw a few cars spin out and slide off the road, was pretty insane.

We are supposed to be heading back out tomorrow either late afternoon or early evening but only time will tell what we get dispatched. We do mostly night driving which is nice as if i mess up i don't have to worry about any traffic usually to correct my self etc. I've only curbed the trailer once! Instructor said it was fine as it was not avoidable, it was at a sams club in Ferguson, MO the truck route the curve is so tight even after i swinged it as wide as i could back right tire of the trailer still hit the curbed, no damage thankfully.
On a side note the unloaders at the sam's club there had some interesting stories to tell about the riots.. One walmart we went to the manager there used to work at the walmart in Ferguson that was raided by rioters, no wonder she transferred.

Other then that hasn't been a problem. Its about to warm up here to high 40's WAY!!!!!

I'm looking forward to the next coming weeks, I'll try to keep yall updated as much as i can may be a couple days in between updates.

On a side note my instructor is a total comic book geek(he said it himself) and we have a lot of in common, met a few other drivers at the same dc who love comic books to and the like and we all have a good conversation, one of them let me see inside of his freightliner lightweight HOLY CRAP THERE IS NO ROOM IN THERE. The other one has a international light weight but was in the shop so i couldn't see inside.

Good night everyone, take care I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Thanks,
Justin

 

Not much more has changed since last update I'm doing more driving full shifts/routes now we are currently on our reset our clocks ran out. We are in Kentucky I believe fulton. My instructor is at home spending time with his wife, I don't mind he took us all out to eat tonight and then took me to his place h would let me sleep there but their spare bedroom his storage ATM as his wife just got out of open heart surgery a few weeks ago so they moved things to make it easier on her so I'm in the truck parked at a Walmart not even 5 miles from his house. I don't mind I get the truck to my self and what not. Tomorrow I'm having dinner and lunch with them he's coming over in the morning and we are going to work on pretty trips which I have down pretty good and the in cab suspect I on and brake test the wording is messing me up. Overall driving has gotten a lot better. Downshifting is no longer a problem and my speed for turns have gotten a lot better. I'm doing all the backing now I'm getting good at it but sometimes I'm turning the wheel to much and its messing me up. I did a blindside offset today that was not fun as I couldn't see anything but I did goal and I got it on the dock..
.. But when I loose sight and can't see where I'm backing I start to freak out LOL especially since I was backing into a spot where one side was concrete wall and other was a trailer. Other then that it hasn't been to bad out here I'm loving to be driving more now so I can get better at it. Drove through the mountains the other night I didn't like that part HAHA. As I said I'll try to keep y'all updated.
Trainer is going to see if he's able to take me TNT with him once I get my CDL and stay with Walmart dedicated due to his wife's condition. He thinks I should go Walmart dedicated once I'm done with training since I already know all the paperwork for it and its easy. Well I'm heading to bed take care folks. Until next time see ya.
Justin

 

We are leaving out at 2am have to be back at olney DC by 8 for a load today he came over and we did pretrip and in cab inspection and break tests etc for about 4 hours today since we had the time then went over to his house and spent time with his family had dinner then watched Gotham right now I'm listening to Sirius radio while cleaning up the truck up some then I'm going to sleep for a bit. Been a long day take care folks.