Watkins Shepard, Here I Come

Yup, that. Turns out a few of us are at the EconoLodge (which I was kinda forwarned, but didn't have any details on). We were loaned a vehicle to get out here, but someone came and took the keys, so I'm not sure how we're getting back tomorrow (er, today now). I could always walk the four miles, get in some exercise.

Met a few more people today... got a little overwhelmed and needed some alone time. Need to update my sig line again.

 

Thank you! It's the wonderful people like you that got me through all this. Just knowing that people were rooting for me (didn't have too much in the way of family/friends support off the boards) made a huge difference in getting back up over and over again.

If you don't mind me asking, retiring to or from trucking?

 

That was the part I really liked... double-clutching makes sense to me somehow and we had a Super-10 transmission, which I found really easy to learn. My first car was a stick, though, so I've been shifting all my driving life. Keep at... the nerves go away once you get in a little bit of practice time and realise that even if you miss a gear, it's ALWAYS fixable.

 

So, today was Big Orientation Day #1. I woke up way too early, eventually got up, dressed, and went down to breakfast. Adam was already downstairs eating and a husband/wife team going through orientation at Jim Palmer was there, too. I ate, then Adam asked about the shuttle to W/S. The lady at the front desk didn't seem to know anything about it, so we finally decided to walk the four miles (I was going to run later today anyway). Unfortunately, the residential area between here and the terminal was ALL FENCED IN with BARBED WIRE on top! We could not get through and eventually gave up and walked back. I called W/S and Kristy (recruiter) came out and picked us up. I might try again tomorrow (now today), just for the exercise. We'll see.

Once we got to the school, I found a seat in the classroom next to a total stranger who didn't seem too terribly talkative. The classroom was nearly full and one of the instructors had to go get two more chairs eventually. We did all the fun things, like signing receipts for all our books, getting our DL, soc security card, and medical card copied, and getting introduced. When Dick (manager) asked me who I was going to team with, the ribbing started. "Joe? Why do you want to team with him??" I don't mind the ribbing... in my family, if you're not being picked on, someone is mad at you.

Next thing we went over brakes, shifting (more ribbing for learning on a Super-10 transmission) and downhill/uphill shifting. Once again, the shifting makes sense to me, although I haven't tried the standard-10 yet. I don't so much like the idea of watching the tach for my rpms every time I shift, but hopefully I'll get the feel of it quickly and will be able to stop watching.

Things kinda blurred for a while in that fun way that long lectures do... the only things I remember really clearly is that Adam was talking over Kelby (the main trainer) and Kelby said, "It's much easier to understand when only one person is talking." Nothing; Adam keeps talking. Kelby repeats himself a little more loudly, looking right at Adam. Adam's still talking. Finally Kelby throws a pen at him and repeats himself again. Adam finally gets it and hushes.

At our break time, I stopped in to say hi to Mark Dodge. Joe has talked about him so much that I sort of feel obligated. There's once again the "You sure you want to team drive with him?" joking and a serious note that there might not be enough miles to team as flatbed. Apparently, Mark immediately Qualcomm'd Joe and passed it around the company, 'cause Joe said Troy brought it up later when he was giving Joe an update on a load. Too funny... at least, to my sleep-deprived brain.

In the afternoon, the class from last week is going out to do hill driving, so we're given the option to play with a truck in the yard or to do a bunch of videos we have to get done. Since four guys jump at the option to do the truck, I go for the videos for this first day. Four of us go in there... me, Adam, and some guys from Sac who are planning to team named Rick and Luke. I'm not sure I'll ever get straight which one is which, but they're both super-smart and it made watching the videos (and doing two of the open-book tests together) a lot more fun than doing them alone. We got one video (out of five) completely finished and started a second one, then were told to go back into the classroom. Time to cash our first t-cheks for our $100 per diem allowance-- money!

When we get back from cashing the t-cheks, the four of us were going to finish our second video, but another guy, Quentin, who is only doing a three-day orientation 'cause he's been driving for a while, is already starting the Hazmat video. Rather than sit around doing nothing, we go ahead and do the Hazmat video and tests (two of 'em). Although I don't have the Hazmat endorsement, it was kind of fun to learn to use the Hazardous Materials pocketbook.

After the video, I finally got to go to Target to pay my Target credit card (relief!) and buy some groceries. Rick and Luke went, too, since they just got in this morning. They are both geeks and longtime friends and have the same kind of sarcastic sense of humor that I do, so it was kinda fun. They dropped me off at the hotel, I ate dinner, and slept for four hours.

Now I'm going to get a quick bath and try to get back to sleep so I can wash, rinse and repeat in the morning. Being the only female isn't as awkward as I worried it might be. There is definitely a wide variety of guys here and, as usual, I find it easier to slip in with the guys than I would've with a roomful of girls. Tomorrow I'm getting into a truck, even if all I do is shift from second to third and back down. I want to practice the type of shifting that they want from us and see if I think it can become second nature easily or if I'll have to work at it.

Anyway, this is more than long enough. I need to update the blog Joe and I have and I'm working on a review for Friday, too. For the first time in a really long while, I'm feeling pretty optimistic and I'm looking forward to going into work. I think this trucking thing just might work...