6/21/16 Is the beginning of my Schneider career!!!

I apologize. I was acting like a little girl. I was being sensitive after a crazy insane week. One more response to this nonsense and I'll move on.

I don't work for Walmart. Although I've heard that they're the best of the best. The elite. I believe that they have a uniform. It's provided. Schneider doesn't have a uniform. The comparison is irrelevant or a stretch. Schneider also doesn't pay like Walmart does (from what I hear it's good). When they start paying like Walmart I'll buy my own Walmart look-a-like uniform. You'll be so proud @Newbeav Newbie.....

@TennMan no he wasn't wearing his. I did make the comment that in the event a truck comes through the building it may be good not to have it on as the drivers probably looking for targets. I walked away but forgot something and in the time I came back in he had put his best on. It was quite funny seeing him the only DBL wearing it though. To me I would think it would be more beneficial for the policy to provide a number of neon shirts with a Schneider logo on it. I guess the vest is a cheaper way of a imaginative safety precaution. I get it. But I really don't get it. Rules a rule so I'll wear it.

Schneider messed up one last time for me today. But it worked to my benefit. My live unload was actually a drop and hook. The only downfall was I hadn't packed anything or gotten anything ready to leave the truck for the weekend so it was a little extra time I spent at the OC doing so. I had planned on doing while being unloaded during the down time. But no complaints. Big thank you to the goof offs in the office for that one!!! When the security guards told me there was no one there but him and he wasn't going to unload it but I was free to stay and wait till they get back on Monday I politely declined and got the newest empty I could find. I fueled up and parked (probably going to tick off a few of you other drivers here with this one) connected to my empty, purposely so that I didn't have to go on a scavenger hunt for one on Monday. My work order didn't say drop empty after I requested change so I'm hoping (but certainly not caring too much) it's alright. I then slipped into my birthday suit, wrapped my safety vest on like a diaper and put on my sandals and casually walked to my personal vehicle. As the gates opened I yelled "I'm free" as if I was leaving prison after a 20 year sentence. I'm hoping that along with my restart comes a clean slate of messed up situations for next week. I've got to figure out when I want to come home next. At the end of the month I want to take a 4 day weekend so I'm debating staying out for 3 weeks. I had posted before about making work an excuse to get out of spending that weekend with the in laws but the more I think about it it would be nice to get away with the kids. We'll see how next week goes and I'll talk to my DBL. I'm thinking that I'm grasping things pretty good, understanding that there is a lot more to learn, that I may be a good candidate for this HD account if my DBL thinks so. I tried to get some info on it but really didn't get any current people on the account to comment on another thread. Maybe it's just me but I think if I can predict a clerical error on trailers from the field before a DBL can see it after I explain it to him I may just be a little ahead of the game. I don't know. We'll see. Either way it's fine. I'd just like to get away from this 90 day DBL group. I feel like the hold music shouldn't be pop music and some outrageously enthusiastic woman telling me to do a daily inspection "to include your power" rather it should be circus music. Like when the 30 clowns come out of VW bug or something. It's more fitting.

But as I was gathering my stuff together to leave a guy who came here after me, but we went to the same school together, came in. He is basically 2 weeks behind me. Great learner. But a little slow to pick up. But really really works hard. We started up a conversation. I showed him the Transflo app. He didn't know to log his loads on his log section as well, so I showed him that. Good kid. But same thing I wasn't shown he wasn't. And I had thought that I just was shown so much that I forgot stuff. Which is still possible. So I don't know. Point being is coming in as a new driver thinking that your doing good or you know pretty much everything, you don't. Being out there and doing it and finding stuff out day by day is how you learn. It's a lot. It's a lot of responsibility. Before all of this I really took driving for granted. Not trucks but personal vehicles as well. My wife always worried about when our kids got to driving age. I didn't. I didn't see the issue. Being behind the wheel of a truck really opens your eyes to the real responsibility that driving in general is. It's not easy. It sounds easy. It's not. Trust me. New drivers, or aspiring drivers listen. Take this seriously. Go to a company that will challenge you to be safe. Require you to be safe. Have idiot drivers that complain about the safety of your tshirt. Ok not the last one. But honestly. Pay, in the beginning, is not important. It's tempting. But not important. The one thing I can certainly not complain about Schneider about is their safety, even if it may be a little overboard. They are DOT compliant. Do things to keep them happy. Have the EzPass that allows you to bypass almost all weigh stations. There are other companies that do this as well. Focus on them. Learn from them. Then if you can't get the money you want after a year go where is at. It seriously is important.

No more serious posts from now on. I promise.

 

For the last week, maybe longer, I'd been putting on my pants and belt. Most of my pants are 38 waist. I'm not sure if I'd mentioned this before but at my last 2 office jobs I had gained a lot of weight. Just shy of 300 lbs. I'm 6'4" so I can hide weight pretty well. But 2 years ago I had become sick. In and out of the Dr they had a hard time figuring it out. Well long story longer my blood sugar levels were real high and they said I was becoming diabetic. They put me on some medicine to lower my levels and told me to change my diet. Within 4 months I list some weight was back around 235. 14 years ago when I got married I was 220. Could eat anything and everything to stay there. And a 36 inch waist. So at 235 with all 38 inch waist pants they require a belt. When I started with Schneider they weighed me at 233. Last night I realized that I was on a new belt loop. The last one. And had been for a while not noticing. My wife suggested I weigh myself. I'm down to 219. And I had just ate.
So from someone that struggles with weight, it's very possible to manage on the road. Pack your own food and drinks. It's cheaper and easier in the long run. Less stops. Less money. Less temptation lol. I have water and those single packs of juice that I use. Don't taste as good as soda. Buy cheaper and close enough. Some are even energy type drinks with extra vitamins but I don't notice a difference. The only thing I buy in truck stops regularly is coffee. It's easy to save your money. Takes a little more planning and a couple trips to the truck the first day.