Seeking Home Run Info

Exposing myself to the truck would insure that the trailer does not roll away while I'm try to back under it? Hmmmm. I never tried that method. I wonder how that would go over in a truck stop. Just kidding. I'll stick with the rising sun and the dolphins.

 

Yes, the Home Run program is still going on with Schneider and judging by the fact that it took them over a week to find another driver for me to pod with (I finished orientation two weeks ago and start driving Wednesday) I would say they need more drivers in this program. Good luck. Twisted

 

Understood. I'll be leaving Charlotte on the 26th, also so maybe we'll run into each other somewhere. Look for the shiny top caused by a reversal of hair growth thus causing a white six inch ## manchu to grow off of the chin. I'll be traveling without the shell.
BTW, I looked up where you live on the map. You're not in the truckers atlas but I found you in an old AAA map. It must be drop dead gorgeous where you live and so close to Lake Huron. Also, while I do eat catfish, I enjoy a good fighting fish like a pike or sturgeon for catching. However, NC is probably best known for its salt water fishing like Blue Marlin. Anyway, if I do run into you (not literally, of course) I'd be honored to buy you a cup of coffee. Sorry, I'll be too broke to buy lunch this time out but I'm looking forward to getting back to work. Twisted

 

Well, I'm back home from my first two weeks out in the Home Run program. Went in and took the course on the new qual-com system which was an experience by itself. At one point, the instructor started three different sentences in a row without ever finishing one of them. He did this several times. Try learning from that. Kind of like having G.W. Bush on meth amphetamine for an instructor forgetting where he was in the middle of a sentence. Then I was given the keys and told to go drive a truck. So my first week was very rough and not very productive financially for me or the company. The course took about 2 to 2 1/2 hrs.
While fueling in Carlisle, I was lucky to catch the qual-com instructor there and in 15 minutes he helped me enormously but I still wasn't comfortable or confident with having full knowledge of everything it is capable of. Went out again and after still having some but not as many problems, my DBL wanted me to take the course over again. I agreed with her but asked if I could take it in Carlisle this time. Way too much time was being taken by myself trying to make sure I was doing things correctly and not enough driving was getting done. Went to Carlisle again and took the course again, this time lasting four hours, going over material that had never been discussed in the first class, and receiving literature on the subject that I had not been given the first time and having the same instructor that had helped me in Carlisle before. For me, this worked as I sometimes overcomplicate things too much anyway. Also, you could say I was being a highly excitable boy after having not driven for six months before coming to work for Schneider. I feel much better about things now and am confident that my next two weeks out will be good ones. And I am still impressed by how organized the whole Schneider procedure works. This Home Run program will work very well for me I do believe.
HOWEVER, (and this is for Big Cove) when they tell you not to put your complete faith in the navigational system, take it for the truth that it is and my experience with it can be your example. After leaving Carlisle and taking the qual-com course for the second time, on one of my trips I decided to try out the navigational system (something I had never had the opportunity to use before). To start with, the address I was given to my delivery was an address to the wrong warehouse. When I put that address into the navigational system, it sent me to the wrong gate, to the wrong warehouse where I was given the choice of going through that gate to turn around which was frowned upon by the guard at the wrong gate to the wrong warehouse but he allowed me to give it a try without an offer to assist in making sure I got through the gate safely. The other choice I had was to back out of the gate on the very busy two lane road and continue down the road past the gate and a sign saying NO TRUCKS! I chose the gate. WRONG! With an anchor fence that had overhanging barbed wire on my right and paying attention to that as well, I slid the left side of my trailer up against one of those little boxes with the push buttons on it that folks use to code entry into the gate and knocked it loose, but not off of the post it was on. THEN the guard offered assistance to stop traffic so I could back out onto the road and continue down past the sign saying NO TRUCKS about 1/4 mile where I found a nice baseball park with another sign saying NO TRUCK TURN AROUND. I now pass gas in ze face of ze NO TRUCKS sign and did a beautifully executed turn around in the baseball park, went back past the guard and around the warehouse to the correct gate where I pulled into line and waited for about fifteen minutes while foaming at the mouth until that guard told me I was at the WRONG WAREHOUSE! REALLY? IMAGINE THAT! And that the RIGHT WAREHOUSE was over 3 miles away. YEE HAW! Think I'll pull it out and pound it. I didn't use the navigational system to find that one. I followed another driver who said he was going over there anyway. Reported the push button box and haven't heard too much about it since. I have to say that I have used the navigational system since then and I think it's pretty cool for the most part. But I keep both eyes open when using it now. I probably should have known I couldn't make that gate but my seven months driving experience and six months unemployment showed through. Yes, I know I am not worthy but I don't give up easily either.
Slept hard when I got home yesterday and napped again for about 3 hours this afternoon so now I feel like kickin' ### and takin' names with several days to accomplish things for my wife and my home. All in all a memorable experience but a good one overall and I'm looking forward to a much better two weeks driving ahead. Talk to ya'll later, Twisted