Start at McElroy on Monday!

First, congrats! Second, if you've read through this thread, you already know that Monday will be a long, late day. Bring you some snacks. There's a vending machine, but why spend that kind of money, right. During lunch breaks they'll generally have someone drive y'all someplace. There a little convenience store/ restaurant two miles up the road, & let me just say -- GREAT hamburgers! Chicken's pretty good, too! But enough of that.

Folks there are all really nice, easy to get along with. Just listen, participate, soak up as much as you can. They'll be throwing lots of info at you in a short time. Nature of the beast. But if you miss something...don't understand something...just ask -- they'll clear it up. The instructors aren't trying to trip you up, but they are trying to find out who can cut it, & who can't. Keep in mind that on all the written tests you'll take (typically after watching a video or after a lot of discussion on a particular topic), answer every question...don't leave anything blank. They want to see at least some effort. Oh, & remember, everyone in your class will be being watched --- for attitude, courteousness, respectfulness, willingness to help, etc. Don't get me wrong. The instructors all have great senses of humor & want you to enjoy your time there, but they also take their jobs seriously.

Bottom line, just show up with the desire to learn AND --- this is important, too --- an attitude that you're GOING to do this! Heck, if I made it through, most anyone can!

 

Well, I'm relaxing in the rack of my assigned truck, stopped for the night, scheduled to pick up my first solo load as a driver tomorrow at 0800! It's a nice 2013 Pro Star, only slightly over 103k on the clock.

Will pick up this load of lumber, then drive a whopping 45 miles to get home for the weekend! Load is not to be delivered till Monday morning. Not a bad little way to close out training --- not that I'll ever actually be done with training, right?

If you happen to see McElroy truck #3292 out there, guys & gals, that'll be me, say "Hi" if ya see me!

 

Forgot to mention something that happened this past week that I thought was really cool. As you all know, Wednesday was the first official day of Spring --- my condolences to those of you being still pelted with that cold white stuff from the sky. (I'd type the actual word, but it's a four-letter word, & I know we've been encouraged to refrain from such vulgarity on the forum). But I digress...

Anywho, Wednesday a big grill showed up at the outside break area. A little later we could smell the wonderful aroma of burgers cooking. Turns out the owner of the company, Mr. J.C. McElroy, had decided to give us all a "First Day of Spring" cookout. It was for everyone there, all employees & students. As we trainees got closer to the kitchen where they were serving up the grub, there was Mr. McElroy standing at the door way, introducing himself (very humbly, I must add), asking each guy his name, where he was from, & then saying how glad he was to have the guy here. When several of us would head toward the door leading outside to the picnic tables, Mr. McElroy would go over & hold the door open for us, asking if we had everything we needed. All the while he was on a crutch due to a recent knee replacement surgery.

I was told later by one of our trainers that he does that sort of stuff a lot. I'm sure a few burgers & fixings is nothing to his pocketbook, but to me & several of the folks there (if not all), it spoke volumes.

 

Thanks, Rae. We see the owner around here all the time, always smiling & greeting folks while he's going to & from meetings. The man works, no doubt.

 

Wish you all the best, Lee! Hope everything with Howard goes extremely great for ya!