Outsourced IT Nerd ... now a CDL Student

I've just finished my training month with Roehl and it's nearly time to get back to the truck after 5 days off. It's parked at a nearby Love's. My "new" truck is a '12 International ProStar+ with 340k on the clock. She runs great (except for the a/c and Auto[not]Start, which will be fixed on my next outing) and my first solo load to home was ...err... eventful.

Ain't she a beaut!



The 700 miles from/thru Atlanta was a lot more fun alone than the 6,000+ miles I drove with my A##Hat trainer. The folks at Roehl could not have been a nicer bunch of guys and gals. Orientation week ran like a well greased fifth wheel and the resort in Appleton could not have been better. I had very little problems with my health and it seemed that my fitness level came up a dozen notches that week. They fed us well, pushed us hard, routed out a couple of guys and gave a realistic introduction to our expectations. The mix of guys in the class was good too; we had some fun, worked with each other to get tasks done, compared notes, coached each other and I made a lifelong friend. I couldn't have asked for much more.

As I said, my driver trainer was not the most effective teacher, but he did have me do almost all of the driving. Seemed he was pushing me hard just to make some miles and the extra 50 bucks a day. The first day I drove 275, second was 458 and my all-time best was 566. It went on for 16 days and I finally had to contact my Fleet Mgr to get me out of it. The trainer was always either on the phone yelling and cussing at his kids and wife or playing in an online team gaming tourmanent (sic). For backing he'd get out of the truck and instruct me on every little twitch and I got to telling him to just be quiet and let me do it. He never got the point on that. Well, enuf on that ... I'm so over him. I passed the TestOut with no problems and was assigned my truck by 9 am that first morning.

So, I got my truck in Ellenwood, GA ... SE side of Atlanta. After my inspection, a list went to the shop and they spent two days patching 'er up. I met some great guys and had some lively conversations. Learned more about the truck and driving in those two days than I did with the trainer. Several have called since to see how it's going and to let me know that they really, really do want to help me along.

Pretty Wife somehow came up with enough $$ to start equipping the truck. I now have a 12v cooler, new TV, our old GameCube, DVD player, lots of food and drinks and a pile of clean undies. I am due back at the truck tomorrow (Friday) morning at 7 am when I'll get a load and make a plan. I joined the National Fleet and will be on 11-14 and 4 days hometime.

Really, absolutely loving this new life!

 

Updating this with good news.

The '12 International gave me some trouble. Nothing wrong with drive-ability or reliability, but the AutoStart system was a problem from the beginning. Common problem with these ProStars and the replacement system is well over 5 grand. So I had six weeks of iffy sleeper air conditioning with the last six of no sleeper air. Not so nice that night in Jacksonville when it was 105 at sunset.

Last Thursday they replaced that truck with a brand-spankin-new '15 Freightliner Cascadia condo model. Not gonna team but I have expressed interest in being a driver trainer when my six months is up.

Lovin this truck a ton! I only put 750 miles on it so far and am on hometime now so not much to say except that it's like living in someone else's dream.