Millis OTR journal

It's hit or miss sleeping up top while moving. If I'm tired enough and the roads aren't terrible, I can get a little, but it's no rem sleep, that's for sure. Like sleeping with one eye open in an earthquake and a hurricane.

 

Fork that team driving business, no way I could stomach that. I got into trucking to be alone; this is my last attempt at trying to participate in society before I wall myself into a mountain retreat deep in the backwoods of Alaska with my guns and dogs, never to be heard from again, a la Ruby Ridge.

After this experience, I'm positive I'll never be down for teaming. I might consider training, if only to displace some of the bad trainers out there, but I'm still very much on the fence about that one. Even then, I'll be the pickiest SOB out there - I'm not in this for the money.

 

My dad teamed for 8 yrs after being solo for 18....has told me on numerous occasions to never do it. Part of the reason I'm still yet to sleep while a student is driving. My students sleep when I drive but I dont make their entire sleep happen when i drive. Sometimes we will shutdown for minimum 4hrs before i start driving but thats on rare occasions. Usually its more like 6hrs then i drive for 4hrs while they sleep then they run their hours. Doing it like this we can easily get 3500+ miles a week thats plenty. I dont need another 1000miles each wk by sleeping when they drive lol

 

Thats UnAmerican lol

 

Quite alright @Steelersjunkie
I’m just catching up on the forum. Finally got Miss Emily back about an hour ago. Was starting to feel like Martin Sheen in the opening scene of “Apocolypse Now”.

Spoke with William earlier today and told him I’d be ready in the morning. He said Wade was sending bobtails down to Terra Haute to pick up a new batch of trailers. Met a Millis regional driver today in for work on his truck, that’s where he was headed. Said most likey dispatch will send me to Lapel for a glass load after that.

Regardless, it’s been a crappy last two weeks work wise. Good thing is I’ve gotten to spend time with all 3 of my sisters. Mama and Daddy are gone, there’s just the 4 of us left. Thank goodness for my meager savings. And thank goodness I am working.

 

I’m still catching up and I have my comments on our training program.
@Steelersjunkie , you have a throat punch coming ole buddy. Lol,,,,,,

 

Ok, caught up FWIW.
@keen98 youre next on my bucket list of peeps to meet. I figure we’re gonna mix like peas and carrots or we’re gonna mix like ammonia and chlorine. Hahaha,,,, the pleasure would be mine Sir.

Sort of hurts my heart to hear of the trainer hurt you guys have been having. Ive been following @Steelersjunkie for a couple years now and his experience with his trainer almost made me ditch Millis,,,, but I wanted to drive this pretty truck I’m driving now. I ended up with 2 trainers. Millis used to have a program where you did your 15k, then did another week with a “finisher” trainer. The Finisher was another experienced driver that you teamed with for a week to more or less decide if you were ready for your own ship.

I’m a Richfield “Jamie” grad. I’m from Perry Ga (that’s another story) and got assigned a trainer from very close to my home town. My trainer and I talked and I thought how fn cool? Turns out he and I probably played football against one another in high school. Little did I know this guy was a total FN jerk. I think I intimidated him as I was driving trucks on the farm at 14 years old. He kicked me off his truck for a mistake I made. Had a meeting in Richfield with him, Jamie and Greg. Jamie went to bat for me. Greg gave me another chance. I finished out with Rodney Rupnick from the BRF area.
What’s funny,,,, my first trainer and I are great friends now, we bs once a week.

New drivers, trainees, stick with it if you can. But,,,, you don’t have to put up with bs from your trainer. If you don’t feel like you’re getting the training you need, call your class instructor followed by a call to Greg.

As stated by a few drivers here, your training will actually begin when you get your own 175,000 dollar truck. Pressure? F yeah but you can handle it. ^5

 

Lol I feel blessed that my trainer doesn’t stink and doesn’t weight 400lbs. Guess he is a keeper.

Anyway like to thank @Steelersjunkie for sacrificing over an hour of his time today. Outside of Millis people he is the only other professional I have had the pleasure of talking with about trucking. For me the conversation flew by and I should have taped it because he had a lot to say about the industry.

Anyway thanks SJ feel better about my choice and path. Never had any doubts but you definitely opened my eyes and spurred me on to getting as much out training as I can.