COVENANT -- From a wife's perspective

Wow! I've read all your posts and there is some really great advice in them, especially the thing about the tandems. I'm going to copy and condense them all and email them to Redcoat. But I believe you all are right. This is something that Redcoat is just going to have to work out but still I think there is a lot of good info in your responses. Once he reads them, he'll at least have this stuff in his head to try as he keeps practicing. Too bad they don't have simulators like we did in the Air Force.

I found out that the yard where they were staying in Olive Branch was one owned by Star not too far off Exit 1 on Hwy 78. (Doesn't Covenant own Star??) They sat there a couple days waiting on a load and left last night for Atlanta and are now sitting again waiting for a load but I think they just got one over the qualcomm and Redcoat is waiting for his trainer to get back to the truck so they can get moving. Not only does his trainer have no amenities in his truck but the man apparently doesn't believe in cell phones either.

I managed to catch them in Olive Branch before they had to leave and the three of us went out for dinner. Redcoat's trainer told me that RC is actually doing OK with his backing and gets better and better the more he practices. He says RC is about where his other students usually are at this point in their training. So it's kind of weird to hear RC moaning about his trainer's lack of instruction and then hear his trainer saying that RC is doing pretty good for the length of time he's been driving. Hmmmmm.....

I do know that RC said his old trainer sat on his butt and watched while RC was practicing backing. He said at least this trainer stands to watch but to answer MT1's question RC's trainer is NOT in the truck nor is he on the step or walking near the door. According to RC he stands out in front of the tractor and watches and then walks up to critique him after a couple failed tries. So actually SOME kind of training is taking place -- just not the kind Redcoat is looking for. I think RC is looking for some kind of magic solution to the backing problem that will instantly make him good at it and it just boils down to patience, practice and working at it until the thing just happens.

Thanks for all the well wishes for my aunt. Her funeral is Friday and Saturday morning I'll be leaving for Birmingham to try to get some work in for the weekend. The territory where I'll be starting is in the "V" formed by I-65 and I-459 so I'll be running up and down that stretch of I-459 for the next several weeks. Then Tuesday I have to go to Memphis (as well as Redcoat) for his green card interview and then go with my mom on Wednesday for an important doctor's appointment. So as you can see, I'll be busy from now to next week so y'all don't think I've abandoned my thread. I'll check in and update when I can but in case you don't see me for a few days, that'll be why.

 

Hi everybody. It's been several days since I've posted and a busy week for me. I buried my aunt last Thursday -- very sad but my mom is taking it fairly well -- and then made the trip from Birmingham to Memphis for Redcoat's green card interview on Tuesday. That was an exercise in frustration. I've decided that the dudes in Homeland Security are very much like cops in that they have absolutely NO sense of humor and there must be a rule that doesn't allow them to make any small talk.

Anyway, again, I have to give Covenant their props for getting Redcoat to Memphis the day before so he wouldn't miss that appointment. They arrived at the Star yard in Olive Branch on Monday and I got up early on Tuesday for the 250 mile trip and picked RC up at the yard on the way.

Wednesday they left out for Atlanta and then from there to upstate New York. That's where they are now waiting for another load hopefully to Florida so RC's trainer can pick up his absentee ballot to vote. I say hopefully for the trainer, not for RC because RC is afraid that once they get in Florida they'll sit for days waiting for a load out.

RC's attitude has evolved from panic mode to sarcastic mode. He has gotten very cynical over these past few weeks in that he's just sick of the way the company treats their students and, of course, the low pay. So the sarcasm has taken over and although it's mostly funny, there is a sadness about it and a sense of resignation.

He's still working on the backing thing but he said that the information in Stranger's post was really helpful as well as some of the tips in the other posts. I'm sure he'll get it eventually.

One thing that has him a little confused is the training schedule. When he went to orientation he could have sworn that they said training would be 45 days. But his trainer is telling him that he needs 35 4-hour shifts. If anybody knows which it really is, I'd like to know.

Other from that, that's all my news so far. They are sitting and waiting somewhere around Buffalo, NY and hopefully they'll get something tomorrow to get some more miles in.

 

GuysLady which way did your hubby go? Did he stick with it or get out.

Anyway, Redcoat's disgust is mostly from his feeling like he doesn't matter to Covenant because he can be easily replaced. That plus all the usual aggravation that everybody in this career field seems to endure.....with the exception of those lucky enough to work for a company that actually takes their employees' moral into consideration.

I thought Redcoat was up near Buffalo but he was actually down at the bottom of the state near Binghamton. They left this afternoon for Harrisburg and are scheduled to pick up a load in the morning bound for Dallas. However, they are not going all the way to Dallas with it as they are making a trailer swap in Nashville. And then they wait for another load. Not sure what the logic of making a swap is.

Redcoat has decided that he can tolerate driving during the day well enough but he really detests driving at night because he can't see as far as he'd like to in order to stay within his comfort zone. He says it's very tiring driving at night because he's constantly on alert for hazards that he can't see.

That's all my news so far.

 

Hey AfterShock, how ya been?

Thanks for the comments. I've noticed that Redcoat's confidence is starting to come around. And I'm sure the night time thing will also work it's way out eventually just like you say. Better get a six-pack of Bud Ice ready for Redcoat when he makes it out to your way. Also Redcoat's English version of "I knew that was going to happen" is "I was just going to think that."

RC called me a little while ago and they are about an hour or two out of Nashville. He said after they turn the trailer over to the other driver, they will have a local run tomorrow. He said it pays different than OTR but he's not sure how they figure it out. The local is only 15 miles away. After that I'm guessing Covenant will probably see if they can get them something heading down to Florida so his trainer can pick up his voting ballot.

I'm with ya on finding a new company. Redcoat still wants to go with TMC as he talks to his friend every week and the dude loves it there. But he has to stick it out with Covenant until he can get enough time in to make the jump to TMC.

Other from that, I don't have any more news. Redcoat seems to be settling in to his training with the attitude of just getting it over with. It's too bad he can't go back with his old trainer because now that he's getting used to driving, his old trainer was getting the massive trips from Texas to California and back all the time so he was definitely getting the miles. With his new trainer, they seem to be doing more sitting between loads but that might just be my perception.