Finished my training and...

Been working the Cali n back route for the past week.. Ive learned soo much this past week, and my backing is getting pretty decent into these docs. Ive blasted out 15+ of my required 40 in a week alone, much fun..

I think I got luck, as my mentor is pretty cool, doesnt harp on little things, and takes his time to explain a mistake and asks me questions while we drive to see if im retaining any info he's been teaching me, great guy..

His tractor is a new Frieghtliner w/ 110K miles, real nice to shift and rides awesome.. Well I say awesome as I was used to the dump trucks we all trained on in the academy.. lol

I pretty much do all the driving to Cali, do 1 or two stops, then he takes over as I get a little tired from the 7 hour drive in. He finishes up the remaining stops and we head back towards the 10, then park and sleep. I then drive back to the Phx terminal, arrive around 1:30am..

First night sleeping in the truck was a killer, as I overheated and started to get ill, till he started the truck and blasted the AC... Screw the CA Idle laws, how can you sleep in a truck thats 120* and expect to get enough rest to be able to drive, not gonna happen here, Idle is a must. !

I have 10 or so hours left till my first 50hrs are up and we run as a team, then we should be heading up to Co, UT, NM, NV..and some Cali.. Time goes by fast when you have someone you get along with and when yer having a blast driving.. Love being a trucker !!

 

Just got back home from Tulare, Ca run. Longest Ive driven thus far. I did all the driving. Now I know I can do a full 11hr run, but I pulled over a few times to get coffee, stretch, etc.. I was dead tired once we got there, but I had a blast driving.

We stopped for fuel at the Fontana terminal around 10pm on our way back, wow, that place is small. We didnt go inside, as I just wanted to get back. We DID stop at the TA truck stop about a mile before Fontana, and I got a taste of lot lizard jumbo. That was pretty funny, made for some good convo on the way back.

I'm heading back to Palmdale, Ca tonight, just one stop there. I have 3 hours left till my 50 hours are up, so things are picking up, hour wise, then we should be heading out on longer runs.
I ran over the grapevine coming back yesterday, and was hovering around 45mph coming down the grade, and just as I did decent stab breaking getting back down to 38'ish I round the bend and there was Johnny Law pointing his radar at me, fweeew, but he did nail some o/o blasting by, bummer for him. They say 40mph there, they mean it.. lol

We did have one tragety on the I10 bout 20 out of Blyth.. Poor lil rabbit gave his life doing a tire inspection. Hats off to you lil one, may your new adventures steer you far from 18 wheels of justice !!

 

Will do.. I think you'll be way gone before I get back that way. We should be heading north now running team status.. Havent gotten load assignment for tonight, but we are almost sure it's up in Colorado.

Had a horrid drive the other night going thru palm springs area(wind tunnel). I dropped it down to 45mph and followed some other truck as we got shook all over the place. I swear the wind picked up a tire or two with them gusts of wind. Honestly the most intense experience thus far, and it sucked..

We stopped out at some Indian Casino lastnight to rest, eat and relax a bit. I had a $1 left over from dinner popped it in the machine and won $50. lol Sometimes it's nice to get out of the truck for a bit, huh..