Starting Swift Academy in Lewiston Oct 10!!

Another day, another step closer. Mostly logs in the classroom today. I was glad to find that there's one or two other smart guys, and one other guy who knows a lot about trucking, so I let them talk as often as possible, relieving me of the duty of having all the answers. I couldn't help it sometimes though. Yes, I'm the know-it-all, but fortunately I know that also, and try hard to keep it in check. We all pass or fail on our own merits, and comparisons are useless.

I'm looking forward to getting out in the trucks tomorrow. By the end of the week we should be backing up properly and moving on to other stuff next week. I'll be especially glad to get out on the roads and see what that's really like.

Apparently I parked in a drop yard for some other company last night; two trucks came in and parked and got in their cars in the middle of the night, so I didn't get as much sleep as I wanted. Tonight I scoped out a spot behind some shipping containers and hope it's better.

That would be great! PM me if that works out for you.

 

Whoo!! We got to drive the trucks today. Much harder than driving my school bus, especially backing at an angle. The mirrors become mostly useless and you have to think twice, turn once. Then stop and correct it because you thought wrong!

Straight backing was a cinch (though not for everyone) and I was starting to get the hang of the alley dock when we quit. We have more than a week left of range practice though, so we should all get the hang of it soon. One person quit today so we have an even 12, and the instructors juggled trucks today to get us all the time we needed. They are quality people and it should all go well. Having a good attitude may not compensate for everything, but it's always enough to make the difference between a good experience and a bad one.

Nose away. I looked at the $500 and the lack of freedom (no car) and privacy (shared space) and decided I'm better off driving and sleeping in the back of my car. I've done lots of hiking and bicycle touring and have been sleeping on nothing but my camping mat for years, so buildings seem pretty superfluous to me. Just having a flat, covered space in my car without having to scout it, set it up and take it down seems pretty nice. I parked in the Swift yard the first night (when I arrived after midnight), but I like my current spot hidden behind nearby shipping containers better - less noise and lights. Thanks for the shower tip - I was about to need a clever idea, which I'm never short of.

I woke up with some cold-like symptoms this morning, but they didn't get any worse through the day, so I'm crossing my fingers for tomorrow. The instructors were all getting over colds when we started, so I really have to pump the fluids and rest well. Speaking of which, goodnight!