Melton, Whatcher 20

We'll guess who in Tulsa until Monday. I was told to wait until Monday to go to body shop. Don't know who more upset me or the wife. I hope I can pick up good channels kin Tulsa. You guys stay safe.

 

The test is the Smith System. At orientation there was a few tests we didn't do but held on to them. It was that test. It's easy. If you get a chance do the online quizzes. Check you email for safety's emails and it will have the link. If not you'll have to do them when you get to Tulsa or Laredo. I will look for the email and pm you the link.

 

Floyd

You should have been driving all this time. My trainer drove the 1st day on his truck to show me things, after that it was all me the whole way, unless we were close to where we wanted to be and I was about to run out of hours, then he took over.

You will be asked to grade your trainer once you are off the truck. They will give you a survey type thing. Sucks that you didn't drive the whole time, it really helps get into the groove once you are all alone. Any questions about securement always ask. I usually will see other drivers and ask them, or call my trainer, before calling safety. Better to ask then drive down the road and something happen.

Also should have shown you QC. I was told to do everything by myself because they are supposed to try and get you ready when you are alone. How are you supposed to know what to do by just watching. My first week I kept forgetting about logging myself from on duty to off duty when securing of tarping. I made certain mistakes that I learned from by making them myself! Trainer would remind me after it happened. He also went over every macro in QC and explained them. Before I got off truck he had me tell him what each one is for, though most are pretty self explanatory.

Tests were pretty easy. You should be alright if you remember most of what orientation told you.

 

Another thing is once you get on your own you'll be amazed what you do know. Take your time think things through you'll be fine. I had a CRST truck run into my parked truck the 3rd day I was solo. That sucked but got through it. Enjoy the west coast you may not see it again for a while lol.

 

Somewhere on 44 in MO tonight. Stopped in Troy IL to let the dog out and Safety Sally was making his rounds. Pretty sure I pissed him off by giving him the same amount of respect that he gave me. When it came to the part of his speech where it goes something like "the rest of the trainers/blue knights aren't as nice as me, some of them are ########." I couldn't help but to laugh in his face. I've talked to a few blue knights and million milers and the all seemed like genuinely nice guys. They all told me there is that one guy that's an ######## tho. I think I found that guy today.

95% sure that he'll be calling his buddies in Tulsa about it Monday morning. I guess I'll find out when I get there.

Yea. It's been a bad day. In fact, bad year pretty much.

 

#### it's like that huh? I just keep Rollin with whatever life throws...

Hope all goes better for you. I'm in OKC 3 miles from customer. I've been thinking about heavy hauling or car hauling lately. Been talking to the guys I see doing it whenever I stop for the night. Of course I'll keep getting experience but I want to eventually branch off into something else. Just not sure what yet.

 

Thanks guys, it's reassuring to read this stuff, I consider myself a pretty smart guy and think that I'll be ok, but as you guys know, I know there will always be little things that will pass me by. Nice to know that I can post any question I may have here and that you guys will help the best way possible..the thing that I keep telling myself(just to simplify things) is that trucking is to drive from A to B the SAFEST way possible...today my "trainer" decided showed me macro13 finally after 3 weeks...lol and the funny thing is that I'm trying to think of what it was and can't seem to remember, I guess I'm so disgusted by all this that I stopped paying attention to what he says..I know it's not mush, but even the dashboard I've been trying to learn by myself, a few days ago I saw him playing with some buttons and asked what that was and responded that it was the jake-break and that he always kept it on High(whatever that means) and never elaborated on it..

I hope you guys don't mind too much, but I'll be posting a lot of questions on here and it's comforting to know that you will try to help as much as you can..

 

Jake brake cuts power to the engine. It effectively slows you down when you let off the accelerator. Very helpful on mountain passes, keeps you from lighting your brakes on fire. Of course you shouldn't be going that fast anyways, but it does slow you down without using your brakes. We have 3 stage jakes, low medium and high. If your in the right gear at the right speed, you can come down the longest, steepest mountain passes with your Jake on high and not touch the brake pedal once.

 

"Enjoy the west coast you may not see it again for a while" it's beautiful, but I'll be glad if I don't see the western states for a while...since I've been with this "Trainer"(I have to put this in quotes, cause he's hardly a trainer) all we've done is OK, CO, WY, NM, UT, MO, TX, AZ, CA and now OR and WA...I love the mountains and hate the flats, but driving a truck in them is terrifying..I've honestly been having nightmares shifting thru them especially in southern CO northern NM and now here in southern CA..It's looking like I'll be driving tomorrow(didn't drive today again) so I'll have the mountains to look forward to all the way up to Spokane. Another sleepless night..lol

 

I'd take the western states all year long. I'd rather drive over donner in the snow than drive thru NYC any day. I just spent what seems like a week up in the northeast. I ran out west for my first year and a half driving, that's where I'm at home.