Diary of a New Swift Driver

By Thursday you will have driven the road test route so there will not be any surprises. You will do the air brake test but part of it will be verbal. The backing, parking is on the uphill street. Remember to use and cancel turn signals, go close to the speed limit and don't slow so early for stops and the off ramp that you impede traffic. Remember the two school zones if you go before 9am or after 2pm.

Like all the steps you've taken so far, the trepidation is far worse than the event. The DPS road test is easy and fun. The examiners are friendly and want to see that you can handle your equipment in a "safe and controlled manner." Good luck and huge congrats; you are almost there.
Frank

 

Yeah, good luck with that. Trucking companies don't pay a "wage." They pay cents per mile and the starting pay for a rookie is low, no matter what company you work for. It will improve over time, but you better stop thinking about cost-of-living increases...and getting 12-15 cpm more.

 

Ah I'm Franks Mentor and I only let him post on the net 15 minutes a day. Right now he is busy buffing my rims... It will be awhile because he has to mop the floors in my truck.... And do my laundry.. It's gonna snow up here tonight so he better hurry up or he will sleep outside..

 

Does he do windows too?

 

If you have McCain for road training you have no worries Thursday. Remember, a 70% is as good as 100%; your new CDL doesn't show any test scores.

I got on my mentor's truck in Laredo on the 8th. We repositioned an mt to El Paso and sat for a few days before we got a load to CA. That load changed into a t-call atlA. the Phoenix terminal where we sat for a few more days. For some reason there wasn't much freight.

Friday we got a load to Nogales, NM, drop and hook another load to Covington, OH where we arrived last night. We have an "appointment" for live unload at 7am then we pick up a load 50 miles north in Lima headin fr g

 

This thing won't let me edit from my phone.

...heading for LA. I'll have my 50 hours later this morning and we will run team. Its been a great time and I'm looking forward to more.
Frank

 

Ah hah. So that's what they're called in The Truck Driving World.

 

Anything over 70% is wasted energy.

 

anyone know how it is with 4 months driving.I drove last year for 4 months with a diffrent out fit had to quit,when I called they told me I would have to be with a mentor for a while.I exspected that.I guess my question is any idea what that is like or how long may be wrong place for the question.I am looking for true answers not the same old stay away or down talk I could get those same answers from evry out fit on the road just trying to get straight answers.