Trans Am Still

Today marks my two year anniversary into this trucking adventure. Two years ago today I got on a plane in Bangkok, Thailand to fly to Des Moines, IA so I could take a bus to Ottumwa and start my CDL school. Started CDL school in Nov 2012, finished in Dec, started with TransAm in January 2013.

For the 7 years I was in Asia, the only vehicle I drove was a 125cc Honda Wave motorbike. The first vehicle I drove back in the States was an 18 wheeler, big rig. What a long strange trip it has been!

 

Wow, passport! Has it really been two years? You have done well! Congrats!

I can't remember the names of the little towns right now but the King picked up furniture and upholstery fabric in Mississippi before, jaso. It wasn't that bad but it was two pick ups kind of in the middle of nowhere. Time consuming and hard to find a place to park. You would also be about 240 miles from Red Bay and the dog food place.

 

We have talked a lot about the lack of good training but never really discussed what we would consider good training by a starter company. What would be your suggestions?

Mine would be to screen the trainers better, to require that they have more than 3 months experience and because backing seems to be the number one fear factor with new drivers, a trainer should have a certain level of backing skills.
Years ago TransAm required that a student have so many hours of logged driving time while out with a trainer. I believe it was 120. The King's first trainer taught him what NOT to do, but his second trainer was a company guy with 3 years experience and he was wonderful. He did his best to pass on all of the tricks and tips that he could, taught the King many tips on backing skills and how to live OTR. He was absolutely a blessing to us.

jaso, you remind me of him in so many ways. I always feel good about it when you have a student with you because I know you are doing your best to give them a good start.

 

To go along with what Pete said, that is really important since a lot of people don't seem to have the common sense to figure it out by themselves it seems.

Trainers should have over a year's experience.

My first trainer was horrible, even though he was the trainer of the year at the company. lol

Second trainer was amazing.

 

I believe trainers should be state qualified or federal qualified and that they have to be up to certain standards or they lose their qualifications. Cranky is right, there is a need to teach manners out here. Too many me first people now. I also think the CDL for interstate travel should be done on a federal standard so there is one uniform test to pass and qualify and you can move around the country with out having to retest(certain states require that). I know my last sentence will get some of you riled up but it would go a long way to training new drivers right.

 

Excellent points Jaso and Cranky has said the same. The "me first" mentality has to go. Selfish gets you killed out here or thrown in jail, if not by a vehicle, then somebody elses gun.

 

All excellent suggestions on trainers! Now what about student drivers? Should there be a minimum number of logged driving hours behind the wheel before they are turned loose solo? What skills should they have acquired by the time they return to the yard? (Other than the driving, backing, etiquette and respect) Should there be standard testing when they get back to the yard before they get their own truck?
Should drivers be required to have a certain number of months experience before a company is allowed to lease them a truck?

We're making a list here guys and we are going to develop our own standards and recommendations for training ......and then I may have to start putting my "pocket monster" skills to work!

 

Thanks for the anniversary well wishes.

I have posted many low times, maybe it is time to post a highlight from the last two years. Since we are talking about Jaso in Mississippi it made me think back to a time when I first started with TransAm, on an early solo trip in super rural Mississippi.

I was driving a two lane highway, reduced speed coming into a small town. I don't remember the name of the town or more likely, I never knew it. I call it a town, just a small group of houses and SOME paved streets and SOME paved sidewalks. Seemed to be overwhelmingly an Afro-American population.

As I pulled away from the lone stop sign, up the street, mid block a group of 5 or 6 young, pretty, black women begin to cross the street in front of me. Woman, not kids, maybe in their 20s, too old to do what they did next. I slowed to a crawl to let them comfortably cross. As the last of the woman hit the sidewalk on the other side of the street, one of the first on the sidewalk began to make the fist pull down motion to encourage me to honk the truck horn. The other woman joined her, they where all signaling for me to honk the horn. It was mid day, not bedtime hours, so I let them have a few solid blasts of the highway horn.

Woooooooooooooooooooo! it was New Year's eve on the sidewalk. They started jumping around and dancing, celebrating that they got this random trucker to honk the horn for them. In reply, I began acting like I was dancing in the truck's driver's seat. They saw this and they where NOT going to be outdone. They started to really throw down, turned it up to 11 dancing up a blue streak. I cranked my head around to watch as I pulled away, laughing and smiling at their joyful sprit. They say in small towns, you have to make your own fun. These girls where good at it.

Just a moment in time but a highlight none the less. To see America, the great and small of it is why I returned from Asia to drive a truck. I left that no name small Mississippi town better off then when I came in to it.