Driving OTR with US Xpress

Hello There.


I'm resisting comments on several of the previous posts in an effort to preserve the original intent of this thread.

So please, folks, positive posts only.

Thanks.



Training.................Let's see.


My first student/ friend, who waited 5 weeks for me to pick him up, after 60 hours BTW, decided truck driving (semi's) is not for him.

It was different than he expected. His previous experience with trucking was to get loaded up with his straight truck, handed a stack of invoices, make deliveries, and then come back to the terminal.

We pick up, we deliver, but there is a level of unpredictability in this end of the business that he was not expecting. Not knowing where you will be heading tomorrow is part of this life style, and for some, more than they bargained for.

I think the line in the sand for him was what occurred when we came back to GA for a quick HT. I had business matters to attend to that required a signature...........Isn't that why we invented faxes, scanners, notaries?.............ugh.

Anyway, we arrived in Ellenwood with a P & G load 1 day early. I tried to get a drop number for it, but they wanted me to just run it in and be done with it.....fine. We had an easy delivery appointment at the Publix DC in Dacula, GA the next day, so we spent the night at our homes, and the following morning, went up to the terminal, jumped in the truck, and delivered at Publix.

While we were waiting, and those of you who know, lumpers can make you wait.. a pre-assign came in, which was a live load in Atlanta (actually in the Austell area) and delivered in Oakwood, GA at 2000 the same day.

It's not that there was anything unusual about the load in itself, it was just not expected. Me, I just roll with it, and add that extra money into my piggy bank. But that load didn't sit well with my friend.

So he gracefully bowed out, and that's fine. But at least now he is fully aware of the commitment one must make to do this type of work.


Change in lifestyle?...............Yep.............no escape.


Anyway, I'm busy terrorizing student number 2. He's got 83 hours BTW and coming along fine.




It has offered me a chance to make an observation about new students when they first start shifting.



As we all know, standard shifting pattern resembles the letter "H" to an extent. Students seem to understand this...........at least I think.



Right up until they miss a gear.





My shifter pattern now resembles a pentagram.







Well, at least the range selector still works.






Thanks for reading.

-Wedge