System Transport, Spokane Washington

Yep he is still doing the orientation. I have talked to a few others at the company and they all said he has been there forever. I finally got a trainer last night and he was totally awesome except for the fact he smokes. It wouldn't matter to me but I am severly allergic to cigarettes. All it took was one call to Curtis and he is bringing me back to spokane to go out with someone who doesn't smoke. I guess something got mixed up in the paperwork. It is all good though and am actually enjoying myself. I will probably be here all weekend though. Oh well I guess that is how the dice rolls.

 

I think I will be going to 48 state and canada otr flatbead....at least for now. I would like to go into heavy haul after a few months or even over to TWT refer to see how i like it. That is one of the things I like about this company is that they have those different divisions to work in...and i essentially don't have to move companys and go through another orientation(other than a refresher course if i go with TWT or JJW). I have been in the hotel all weekend but i should be going out with a new trainer tomorrow. I just want to get moving.....i don't think I have sat around this much in many years.

 

I finally got on the road with my trainer. The load we got was a load to Maryland. So far we have made it to West Virginia. I so far have driven through snow, ice, wind, freezing rain, and mountain passes.....all within my first three days of real driving.....and all of this in an old pete 379 with a 13 speed.....way different than what i am used to. I guess being "baptized by fire" is the best way to go. The trainer is an owner op. Nice guy but I have learned he hates it when I grind gears and miss shift(unfortunately his truck is not the easiest to drive).

 

His name is Greg. I says he has been with the company for about 20 plus years. I seem to shift alright except when i gotta downshift going up hill....with the upper split gears i keep forgetting to bring the revs up after taking it outta gear. I am getting better but i still gotta a ways to go till i am good at it. Did you hear about all the road closures the other night in the north. We were on 94E heading toward St. Paul, MN and both 94 and 90 were both closed off and on in the Dakotas. Boy was that a mess....hundreds of trucks with nowhere to go except the few truckstops off the road. They were simply parked everywhere. Anyways were arrived in MD today and deliver to the port tomorrow. We don't have another load yet planned so we might be sitting or deadheading somewhere.