Starting orientation in Menasha, Wi on 4-4

What a world of difference a couple of days with a great mentor makes. He has just about broke most of my bad habits. And backing up has gotten easier. Took sunday off with no loads but plenty of chances to practice backing up in the gary terminal. Actually think if I can get my brain out of the way backing will get easier. As I call it chronic oversteerer when I back up but if I take my time and watch the trailer in not always try to get tractor under trailer. Lots of goofy backs in my mentors sears run. After a busy day today started at 1 am 418 miles later and 10 minutes left on the 14 got settled into a truckstop. Long run tomorrow or actually tonight 10 is up at 10:30. A hour to east st louis to pick up and deliver to fort wayne indiana. Should get 40 of my 50 done tomorrow. I would get more sleep if I wasn't so excited and if mentors phone would quit ringing because his other students are always calling, good to know I can always call when in trouble. Actually helped his latest student get to delivery sat. Would jhave been impossible to find otherwise and I got to drive in downtown chicago need a lot of patience there. All I can think of right now maybe catch a couple zzzzs before the next adventure.

 

Well it finally happened I had to use the automatic park button on the truck. Got myself frustrated and needed help. Overturning and indecision put me in a spot the sad part is I had it then the brains started fighting. The real sad part is I don't know which on was right today

 

Good finish to tuesday got 11 hours in driving. Puts me at 43 hours. Shoud get my 7 hours needed for the 50 then things should get interesting talking the Toro route. Should keeps us moving. I am though looking forward to seeing my family on sat sun or whenever we get home. That's all for now. Very rewarding experience so far with swift and my mentor. Looking forward to getting thrown at me after tomorrow.

 

Finally done with the 50 and we can team. Lookin forward to the challenge of running without my mentor helping as much and seeing what I can remember. I will be on a short leash for two days only have 12 hours tomorrow and get 5 back on friday. Got my mentor 2600 miles this week and we did not run sunday. He said that was a good week. Got to get some sleep 3am rise to finish this load

 

Finished my 50 wednesday. Thought they were taking it easy on us but halfway into return deadhead trip back we get our next load taken off of us and told to head from springfield illinois area to south bend indiana for a toro run from south bend to beatrix nebraska. The whole way from springfield when he wasn't sleeping he was putting time scenarios out there for me to think about so when I am driving down the road in my head I know if I can or cannot make the runs they send you. 1300 loaded and unloaded miles for the mentor. Worked as long as I could had to take a ten will finish the run this morning. And have just enough hours to complete the run from beatrix to lakeview minnesota and hopefully down time. I wanted to be run hard and it appears they will run us. Sleeping on a moving truck is a experience I hope ends soon that stinks. Overall my mentor is teaching me everything I need to know.

 

I like menasha it is small and personable. Didn't see the birthday or anniversary board though. Today was good ran myself out of hours. Get more back at midnight and can't run again until 3am. Nonstop running until hometime on sun depending on when we can bring last load to tomah. Looking forward to seeing my wife and kids soon. All for now need some sleep the wind wooped my butt today.

 

It happened again set up ok droped the trailer in the hole and then the mystical wrong way turn and nearly made a good situation bad. Figured it out all is good. Ten hours of driving in the books and another day of hours burned. Can't drive again until midnight and hopefully last load ready and we can boogie towards home with another potential 8 hour day heading into hometime. I believe 77 hours driving through today. Not a bad student average mentor says. In 11 days withtwo of those days with 0. Hoping to get done by may 14th but it will be a push. Either way mentor will ask for hometime a couple of days early so I can go with my family to root on my wife running her first marathon withteam in training for cancer research and in memory of lost friend. Cool that mentor would do that for me but after all this is almost 2 days straight of over 1000 miles

 

On a side note found some new 1/32 scale semis at a loves truckstop. Good price and rubber wheels so they can't hurt the wood floors at home. I can't be there everday like before but I still remember how to spoil them.