Training Adventures with Sage in Cheyenne, WY

From what I hear, there is an individual at the port who seems to fail almost every student their first time. Don't know if that is true or not, but it's what I have heard. Plus some of these students are not what you would call the brightest. A bunch of them are felons that have their class paid for by the state to get them back working. Like Jynxx said in another thread on here, they don't take it seriously because it didn't cost them a dime to get in the school. I did get some assistance; Tuition assistance through the Military, but I had to come up with over $2k out of pocket to attend. Just having retired from the Military, this is my start at a new career, so I take it seriously and will hopefully find work before my terminal leave is up at the end of July.

Scheduled to do two shifts (8 hours) in the yard next week, and another four hour road drive.

 

As a matter of fact, I do not want OTR, and have been looking exclusivly at Oilfield work. I put in an App with High Desert Services out of Baggs who are looking for local (Cheyenne) drivers for water truck/winch truck. And am also looking at Missouri Basin, Haystacks, and Old West Oilfield Services out of Colorado. I just need to give them a call and see if they'll hire a new driver. Only downside is the lack of housing up there in ND, and the 500 mile drive to get back here on my days off.

A&W Water is another company, but I'm not sure if they actually have folks at their yard. Looks like they do frac tank movements based on them having a bunch lined up in the yard.

I have also sat down with a couple recruiters from Sanjel, but that is not exactly a driving job.

Oh, and I already have my CDL; there is a waver for Active Duty Military in that they don't have to do the skills testing if you have the right endorsements on your Military license, which I did, you just have to pass the written tests. I'm just waiting on my HAZMAT stuff to get back so I can go in and get that and the passenger endorsement put on. I'm basically in class for a refresher and to get some driving time because it's been a few years since I have driven.

 

Drives 2 & 3 down.
Did eight hours of straight-line, offsets, and 90 degree backing. Over and over and over and over and over....

Started with one truck and was happy with my backing performance, then they didn't want to send a crappy truck out on the road for one of our inexperienced students, so they took the truck I was driving and I got the crappy one for the other four hour shift. I finally got used to the difference in the way they steered and how the trailer tracked, but man it was probably painful to watch LOL.

 

I was driving in the yard for eight hours (about noon till 8:30pm)
Both of the trucks I drove yesterday were white. The frieghtliner is the crappy one with the bad fuel injector and crappy transmission. I don't really pay attention as to what make the the trucks are...I just drive them. The other white one (the one I had started my day on) went on the road about 4:30 and ended up staying down at Sapp Bros for the night to get fixed for something. I haven't driven the black one yet. Like I said, I'm not picky as to make of truck as long as they drive ok and are mechanically sound.

That being said; I got my TSA paperwork in the mail yesterday, and went to the DMV this morning to get my final license with XTP endorsements. They have a new rule (as of today) that you HAVE to show your birth certificate, passport, etc, to get issued a license. So I and a bunch of other folks had to make two trips there.

 

Drive 4: Another trip through downtown...during "Friday night in the Plaza" no less. It was getting crowded the first time through, but by the time we hit downtown the second time it was packed.

Went west out of town, then north on a county road and passed by the Wally-World distro center and kept on going until we hit dirt. About 6 miles on a dirt road and we hit Horse Creek road, then back over to Yellowstone. Then back through downtown and over to college. Took College east over to Campstool and made our way to Sapp Bros truckstop to take a short break. The other two trucks met us there and we chatted for a bit then I asked my Instructor if he wouldn't mind driving for a few minutes so I could get a feel for how it should be done. After that I realized my problem was too much clutch; just need to tap in in and not go as far as I had been.

Also got my first taste of floating for a bit, but went back to double clutching because that is what they expect us to do. A few trips around Lowes distro center and back over to Sapp bros, then headed back to the yard.

 

Oh, and while taking a break down at Sapp Bros, we watched a truck back into a spot and I thought to myself that I would get reprimanded by my instructor if I did what he was doing. He was backing to his drivers side, but he was riding the clutch and every time he would let off to continue to back the whole truck and trailer would shake pretty violently. The Instructors here make sure you let off the clutch while backing, sure the truck may surge at first but it will slow down to a nice backing pace after a second.

Next week I have drives 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. Four of them are on the range, but I'll see if I can get one changed to a road drive since I feel comfortable with my backing.

 

Drive 5 is done:
Four more ours of straight-line and 90 degree backing. I wanted to do some off-sets, but another student needs all the practice he can get on them so I just did a straight-line back, then came around and did a 90, rinse and repeat.

Also have a sit-down tonight with a person from a WY trucking company which does Oilfield work in WY/CO/NE. Wish me luck.