Abilene Motor Express....A New Place To Call Home

My reply was tongue in cheek since she said "her drivers"... lol ... But ya, interesting.

 

My first trainer said "the best way to go backwards is spending more time going forwards".... Or something like that... LOL

Ya, I was only on that truck a week... Thankfully.

 

Unfortunately, as a trainer, I can tell you that if the trainer follows the training manual strictly, trainee backing is VERY limited. No backing practice at customer locations, etc. I just dont see the harm in practicing in an empty lot with noone around for us to get in the way of.

 

In that trainers defense, that saying is MOSTLY true. The main rule of backing is to not back if you don't have to. If there are pull through spots available, grab one of those, and not the blind site tight back between the two chromed out petes.

 

Then there is a problem in our training program... Backing is not hard but it is something that takes practice to get comfortable doing... If we, trainees, are going to be backing, solo, at customer lots in the very near future, we best be getting some true life practice during training while we have an experienced trainer to help us. And after we start to run "team" is a bit too late.

Just my .02 worth.

No offense to any of our trainers in the thread here... But it is a bit of a sore spot with me purely based on the training program I experienced.

Stay Safe,
MD

 

He wasn't talking about parking at a TS...

 

@KD5AXG

Guess I'm not done... LOL

Recently a very wise, and very old, driver here told me a story, mostly in jest... He said;

"Once I was on the yard and there were a few drivers on the patio moaning and groaning about life here at Abilene. I went in and got a load out to California and back. Upon my return from the California haul I came back to the patio only to find that same group of drivers still moaning and groaning."

You sir, with all due respect, find yourself "on the patio"... Is it "your fault", doesn't really matter... But you have three choices... Get off the patio, stay on the patio, or go to another patio.

I don't mean to sound blunt about that but it's true... You have trouble napping... Ok, I have made a few suggestions, a couple times... But instead you read it at "it's my fault?"... No, but choosing to stay on the patio is "your choice".

We say that you need to talk to some one... Even one of the Jones... Ok, you started that ball rolling, great... And got a QC msg and a shortened phone call... Is that "your fault", no... But staying on the patio is "your choice"... I can assure you that if most of the drivers here in this thread was hitting what you are hitting we would be responding to it differently than you are... Is that your fault... No, you are who you are... If you shy away from communications for whatever reason, and that is hard for you then it's going to be difficult here at Abilene. Is that "your fault", no but staying on the patio is "your choice" ...

As mentioned above, Abilene may not be a good fit for you... This "arm of trucking", as you called it, may not be a good fit for you... So we, respectfully, come back to three choices;

Get off the patio
Stay on the patio
Find another patio

Personally, I want you to succeed here...
But to be successful here; get off the patio.

May God Bless your choices.
Peace my friend.

 

So finally, after a week and a half, I finally get this freeloading, no driving SOB out of my truck. I can't believe it's taken me this long to finally get this fly out.

Chris and I have a long hard run ahead of us. Need to be in Hazleton Pa Monday at 3pm. Right now we are coming into Vegas. I decided to take this light load this way for s change of scenery, there's only so much I-40 I need in my life. More then likely he will be solo Tuesday/Wednesday. Then I'll stay out another week. Vacation on the 5th, Lesli and I are taking our daughter and grandson on a cruise.

 

Got a ld for Monday in Miami anybody know where I can park somewhat close down there?