My Swift Academy Journey. Will it be a swifty one or not?

In a bit, my mentor and I will pick up an empty trailer, go to the other side of Phoenix, near Skyharbor Airport, and swap it out for our loaded trailer than head off to El Paso. Woo Hoo!!!

 

1st day out. Drove 443 miles. We are parked at a Truck Stop about 20 miles from our delivery destination in the morning. Supposed to deliver in the morning and then pick up a load headed to Georgia. Overall good day. But (of course there has to be a but), as soon we get stopped, he goes to his bunk and goes to sleep. We haven't talked about any rules of his truck, I haven't been able to do any sprt of settling in. We just threw my duffle bag on the top bunk and we left. So, I'm having to rummage around in my duffle bag, in the dark, trying to find my shorts and stuff and now I to try and figure out how to sleep in a bunk that is about 2 feet shorter than it is already supposed to be because I have no idea where I can put my duffle bag or anything else. On top of this being my first night ever sleeping in a truck (it's running to keep the air going), and all that entails that is markedly different than 'normal' bedroom sleep. On top of it I'm jazzed about what I did today and have energy.
Anyway, I don't mean it to sound like I'm complaining. I do worry I won't get good and adequate sleep tonight. I also know that in time I'll sort through and adapt. Roght now I'm just wishing I didn't have to share my bunk with my duffle bag so I'd have enough room that my legs weren't cramped up.
Good Night!!!

 

Day 3. Drove 10 hours and 616 miles. After 3 days my total milage is just over 1400. Things going well, but not perfect. Regardless, I'm really enjoying the adventure and, well, so far so good on my hair-brained idea of becoming a truck driver ( Hey, I made maps for 22 years and fixed electronic stuff for 15 years before that. Becoming a truck driver isn't exactly a logic step from what I've done before).

 

Day 6. Stuck in Houston waiting for a load. I'm up to 2250 miles and have 'conquered' 2 big ##### bridges I had feared before. The one on I10 in Baton Rouge and the other on I10 outside Lake Charles. Both were done with light to moderate traffic and neither was the bug-a-boo I had feared. I've driven over these bridges in regular vehicles several times and thinking about driving them in a loaded rig, well, made me apprehensive. Fortunately, they were not anything like I feared. I just took them slow and easy (not too slow as to bacome a traffic menace).
Anyway, so far, so good. We dropped our trailer this morning. Unfortunately, they didn't have an empty for us, so we are currently bob-tailing it and parked at a Pilot off Loop 610 in the East side of Houston. I grew up in these parts. But, only when I was a kid and long before I drove anything but a bicycle. Moved away in the early 70's.
A bit ago, I was able to watch an experienced driver back into a tight spot and I was impressed and thankful to watch him. He just methodically walked his trailer where he needed it. He must have pulled up about 20 times getting it to where he wanted/needed it. He never got frustrated, never got in a hurry, just worked it in until it fit where and how he wanted it. Hope I can do it like that someday!!! Right Now, kind of hit or miss. I think my trainer and I are going to be specifically practicing different backs and such next week sometime. I did get kind of lucky dropping our trailer earlier today. I just happened to get it pretty close right out of the gate, so to speak, and it looked like I am much better than I actually am at this point. But, I'll take it!
Hope all are having a marvy time out there!!