The Road Toad's Travels

Sitting in Larado waiting for a load so figured this was a good time to start typing this up. Been planning on starting with an OTR trucking company for about a year now. After some research I decided to apply to Prime. It was the only application I filled out, figured if it didn't work out with Prime I could then move on to others.

About a month or so before my Orientation start date of Dec 13, 2011 I studied for my CDL permit. Filled out apps for my Passport and TWIC card and completed the process for those. I went to take my CDL permit test and added tanker, doubles/triples and HazMat to the list. That was a lot of tests to take at once, but at least they are all out of the way. Had to go to the DMV in the next town over to do the actual finger printing for the HazMat endorsement.

Before I left for Prime, I had my Passport, TWIC, CDL Permit and HazMat letter. My advice to others is to come with your CDL permit. It makes the process much smoother. The other stuff never came up and it didn't really matter to anyone that I had taken the time to have them done. I am glad I did them ahead of time, but I tend to over plan and try to be prepared for any contingency.

Dec 11, 2011 - Sunday
Arrived at Campus Inn, place is a bit junky but a clean bed is a clean bed. Got to my room and my roommate was already there, smoking like a chimney in a non-smoking room. I decided to pay for a private room, cost $126.70 and was well worth it for a last shot at privacy for a couple months.

Dec 12, 2011 - Monday
Wandered around the Millennium complex and then spend time making sure paperwork was filled out completely. Went to the driving simulator and ran all 7 of the into simulations.

Dec 13, 2011 - Tuesday
0700 - Orientation begins. BE ON TIME!!! A walk through of the paperwork and orientation process. Interview, which is a review of the paperwork and the all important $100 processing fee. The physical, pretty simple. Urine test for drugs and blood sugar, height/weight, lift 50 pounds, listen to 2 whispered words, read a wall chart and state colors seen. The doctor comes in, listens to breathing, checks ears/throat, makes you squat and duck walk, then the infamous "turn and cough". Done until 1600. Did lunch at Millennium. 1600 review of the CDL program. Dinner @ Millennium

Dec 14, 2011 - Wednesday
Here my orientation differed a little from others since I came with my CDL learners permit.
0730 - Meet at Millennium for hands on Pre-Trip Inspection class, only for CDL Permit holders.
1130 - Break for lunch
1230 - Test on the PTI then back to Campus Inn where they have moved a truck/trailer over for us to work on PTI.

Dec 15, 2011 - Thursday
More info sessions.
HazMat
Sexual Harassment
Health Insurance (pretty basic insurance but probably better than nothing)
Security/High Value procedures
Spent afternoon on PTI

Dec 16, 2011 - Friday
More PTI and PSD Briefings
Trainer assignments
Yet more PTI… (see a pattern here )

Dec 17, 2011 - Saturday
0630 @ Millennium for PSD meeting then to training pad for Official DMV Pre-Trip Inspection that will count towards your CDL.
Load coming in bound for Larado TX so doing laundry and packing to put gear on truck.
Trailer brakes bad so not leaving until morning, but spending nite on truck. Went to see if I could shift a truck in a nearby Industrial Park.

Dec 18, 2011 - Sunday
Trailer finally ready at 0840 and off to Larado with trainer driving. About 5 miles outside SpringMo he looks over at me and says "How do you feel?", I said "Fine", he says "Good, you're up." and pulls over to side of interstate and says, "All yours." Haha, trial by fire huh? Well, off we go and I drive from SpringMo to Texas via Hwy 69, lots of stop lights and small towns. Trainer takes over and drives us through Dallas and we hit a TS for our 10. In morning he drives us through Austin and San Antonio and then pulls over on side of interstate again… I drive to Larado. Drop off load a little after noon and told to BT to TS and wait for a load. No load by 2140 pm so we hit the sack.

Dec 20, 2011 - Tuesday
0740, still no load. Then QC message to transfer a trailer from one place to another in Larado, maybe 10 miles. More waiting. 1800 get a load of blackberries from Larado to Pennsylvania. I drive from Larado through San Antonio, Austun and Dallas.

Days are blurring together now haha. Getting a lot of hours in driving, having a lot of fun.

Spent the day driving in rain, and then into the night through Tennessee and up 81.

Dec 23, 2011 - Friday
Drove through Baltimore rush hour, made to receiver for 1600 appt. Deadheading to TS for 10, @ TA off 95 by Penn border for the night. Leaving in morning for NC for a Tyson load to Mich. Should get in a solid 10-11hr day tomorrow. Might be a sad to say but I'm having a lot of fun.

 

Sitting at TS in Michigan, have 3am appt to unload. No preplan for next load yet.

I got my permit in my home state of Virginia.

 

Yes, pulled over right there on the shoulder of the interstate.

At 80 + hours now, looking got a load back to springmo but trainer is planning on putting his truck in the shop so I'll have to use the pad truck to test out...