Heading for TMC..

Winter gear
-Toboggan
-Heavy cost
-insulated gloves
-insulated docks

5 tees
4 pair jeans
Pack of underwear
Pack of socks
2 pair gloves
Hoodie

-Sleeping bag
-Pillow

Take the pillow and the heavy coat and roll them into the sleeper bag for travel. Roll everything else up really tight and put them in a duffle. Not one of those wheeled hard bags. You’re going to have to sleep with your gear.
Put all your important gear in the duffle and keep it with you at all times.

I would recommend that you carry a blade, but if you’re going to the airport, you will lose it to TSA.

BTW, keep your business YOUR business. Gay straight married children political stance pedigree pets drama veteran vegan bad arse know-it-all whatever... no one needs to know.

Avoid the negative talk while in orientation. Avoid the village idiot. Do not make the office eye candy uncomfortable. They’re for the office jockeys only.

They’re going to give you a contact person with a phone number. If anything happens where you’re wanting off the truck and away from the trainer call this person BEFORE getting off, okay?

One more thing: when you go into a clinic for a DOT physical or a random drug and alcohol screening, once you go into the place and sign in, DO NOT for any reason go back outside. You will automatically fail the screen and will need to complete a Substance Abuse Program to ever again drive a commercial vehicle in North America.

Luck in battle.

 

Winter is coming. Socks. And more socks.

No seriously, socks. Lots of them.

 

Make sure your blood pressure is less then 140 and your eyes are 20/40 or better. And that you can pass a drug test. That's part of your medical exam for your medical card.

I'm not sure how it works in orientation. If you get sent home for whatever reason. Either orientation or trainer. Have the means to get yourself home. That should be the #1 top priority emergency kit. Too many people get left stranded from their job for any number of reasons. Being fired or kicked off or whatever.

And no one thinks about that thing.

 

Good leather gloves, 2 pair. Straps and bungees eat up gloves. Be ready to tarp everything, lol. Listen and learn, but dont take what they teach you as gospel. Figure out what works for you once you're out on your own.

A couple of cell phone charging cords, just in case.

Work shirts, jeans you dont mind getting dirty.

The trainer isn't your mentor, your friend, etc. He's just a dude teaching you a job. Don't be nervous like your coming into some noble highly respected career. Drivers get treated like crap alot, so get used to it.

 

Don’t walk on their grass.

 

TripleSix's advice is golden

 

It always is.

Ill add what works for me. Since winter is coming, definitely go with the insulated leather gloves. But a thin pair of leather gloves underneath will keep hands dry when the insulated gloves get wet. Wet gloves SUCK and your hands will just freeze to numbness insulated or not.

Wool socks. Half wool half cotton, or half poly. Full wool socks will itch.

Heavy on socks, lighter on underwear.

One large duffle bag + plus sleeping bag.

Several phone chargers, ive had a few just disappear on me never to be seen again. Truck stop chargers are marked up.

Entertainment, phone and tablet should be fine. Dont try to bring an Xbox until you get your own truck. Get a Netflix account and that should keep you occupied.

Long johns or fleece lined jeans. Think tough jeans and shirts. Delicate shirts and stretch jeans can tear get snagged on the trailer, etc.

And like Six said, avoid the trouble makers and drama queens. They will probably be sent home. Dont listen to the gossip, its always wrong. People will say this is better than that, my friend said so. Wrong. I'm amazed some of the assumptions people had about my division they got from other students. Its just completely made up bull. Then they get into a truck with me and learn it was all completely wrong.

 

Update?