Watkins Shepard 30 day training as experienced by Warpdrvr

My last experience with the haz-mat endorsement is once you have it it doesn't mean you have it for life. The person has to take the haz-mat test every few years to keep the endorsement current. I got my haz on a Utah license and then had to take the haz-mat test again to transfer my cdl to Washington State. A surprise that was! When I quit otr my haz-mat expired and the only way to keep it current is to re-test. If I need it again I just need to read the book and take the test.

 

thats good to hear warpdrvr. cant wait to hear your story. and personally, i would go for the hazmat. ya it will cost you the extra money but what happens if some tanker company calls you and wants you to work for em? you already have it. you know what i meen?

 

Now, turn around and do it again in 10 hours....

 

Surprises me that you only saw 4 W/S trucks. I drive I-5 between Chehalis and Vancouver, WA (75 miles) several times a week and always see 3 or 4 trucks both ways. My son lives just a few blocks from the Vancouver terminal and I've stopped in there several times. I too am looking at going with W/S hopefully sometime in late spring or early summer. Got to get retired from my current job and find a place to live in the Vancouver area first. Maybe I'll run into you out there...

 

Warpdrvr, I didn't see rain until I drove on I-10 in the deep south. Rained so hard at times there was no spray from other rigs because the rain drops would pound it down.

 

Winter driving is a challenge and I'm sure its a big reason why many people quit trucking. DM's pressure to drive only to be stranded behind and other accidents for hours a few miles down the road. Not to mention putting life and equipment on the line.

The colder it is the better it can be because the snow is dry and doesn't melt then freeze to the road as much. Places such as Portland, OR can be horrible because they get the nice smooth ice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyfjZlOSq2A

 

Warpdrvr, I wish you the best of luck in you school and the new career. I am 50 and the last 30 years I have worked in the automotive manufacturing field(20yrs for GM and the last 10 for Ford). I have been downsized 3 times and decided to take my package and run. I decided to drive a truck since I have wanted to most of my adult life. I checked out all the training companies and decided not to start off in debt to a company. I found out that the State of Texas will pay for my training so that is the route I have taken. The local college offers a drivers training program that will last 6 weeks and I was told I would have 100 hours behind the wheel when finished and that they would help place me with a good company to work for. So Good luck and let us know how it is going.