Application was just accepeted for PRIME. Start orientation January

Been getting some time on the pad, test out Saturday.

I set up my appointment for my sleep study the earliest they could get me in was Tuesday so have to wait around longer oh well..

Hoping to find a TNT trainer by then was thinking about trying to get a flatbed TNT so I can see the flatbed side of the company to see if I still want to go flatbed.

 

Just got back to the Campus Inn,
Today; Woke up at 5 am, 5 hours of sleep yay!, woke my trainer up at 5:50am, got some sweet tea, went to the terminal, had breakfast then around 7:30 - 8 we went over to the east training pad to meet up with another trainer. My trainer hasn't had a student in approx 3+ months so wasn't sure on how the new procedures were on the pad.

It was a great learning experience for all of us, I was working with the other instructors trainee both of us in the cab taking turns and helping each other out learning the maneuvers.

After learning the maneuvers everything is easy.

We ended up getting kicked of the pad due to another trainer's time was up for it, so we went grab lunch, around 2 we went back with the other instructor again and his student has now working on the alley dock, We were trying it the one instructors way and it wasn't working out so well, my instructor via a friend knew of a different way and that basically walks the trainer into the spot every time.

I didn't get a chance to do the alley dock that time. We went back to the terminal, grabbed dinner, around 5 we got a call from our Fleet Manager, Another instructor on our board student was testing out tomorrow, the student was having a hard time with majority of the backing maneuvers. My instructor and i went over to the east pad at 6, hooked up to the trailer and was helping the student out, my instructor out of the truck and my self in the truck with the student to help him out, We started with the basics, straight line back, he did okay a little to much play on the wheel(a bad habit i had before as well, i've now since broke it) then onto the offsets, he couldn't get the hang of it, he did okay but my instructor/and his was confusing us both so we did it their way. After he got it in box i said i wanted a shot, i did it the way we learned earlier today and got in there without as many steps to do it, the other student was outside of the truck so i told him to hop into the truck with me and i would show him how to do it, i told him what to look for in the mirrors etc, he got it. He moved onto the alley dock and with the help of both instructors he was able to get it in. That was the end of the night for them, It was my turn.

I impressed my instructor i guess as he got all happy and said i was his first student that was able to do the parallel parking maneuver the first time, isn't hard just exactly like the offset just a few extra steps added in. Then next was the alley dock, that wasn't so hard once i learned how to do it, After a couple times with help from the instructor to learn the maneuver i decided to basically tell him to be quite and let me do it and only tell me if i encroach as they would on the test since on the test i won't have anyone telling me to come back more etc.

Well apparently he was very happy, I started it, once i had my tandems in the box i used my get out and look and check to see if i was encroached and how much more room i had. I got back in the truck and proceeded to back it in and straighten out and got it in there in one shot.. He was very happy.

How ever i was still getting it in but having some issues. I/we decided to call it a night as i was exhausted a that point being up since 5am and little sleep, i was ready to call it a night.

Tomorrow we have the pad signed up from 8-10am and then 10-12 am. 4 hours total, will be doing everything then again while being rested and not tired. Practice makes perfect.

Tomorrow plan on doing lots of air brakes and in-cab pretrips, pad time, and all.

I'm sorry for the long winded post but figured i've been lacking updates so time for a big one

I have to retake my physical on wed after my sleep study (JOY JOY), have to get my blood pressure back down by them so i can pass it UGH. Hopefully if everything is according to plan my FM was lining up a TNT instructor for me which is awesome but i dislike it i'm not the sit and wait for someone to do something for me i rather be proactive and get out and meet and be social with people and to see if i can start building a relationship with one to see if we can stand each other for a few months.. Well apparently i was told that was a bad idea and just let my FM do it... UGH i dislike that but gotta do what i gotta do name of the game hurry up and wait right?

Good night folks, Tired, hungry and tired. Grabbing a shower then bed time for me.

 

Well some good news and bad. Good news is I passed my pretrip and backing. I would have passed my road test but I missed where I was supposed to go on a way and took it around the median island thing instead . I wouldnt have failed that but I had traffic behind me so I impeded traffic and that failed me. Other than that I had the offset to the right and blind parallel which I didn't practice more then a few times I encroached once on it and pulled up and got it in the box.

 

Thank you, Personally i was upset with my self as i knew the turn was coming up and i was already slowed down by the time i got to it to make the turn, how ever i got confused as it look as if it meant for traffic coming off of the road instead of going onto it, Oh well it happened. It was a good day and I already have a TNT guy lined up for me by my FM i've yet to meet him so we'll see how it goes.