Watkins shepard

Yeah, I rode that bus schedule in here from Detroit, and it's not something I would recommend if you have the means to avoid it. It wasn't too bad when you were on the Greyhound buses until Fargo, ND. That was where I transferred to Rim Rock Trailways for the rest of the trip and you couldn't pay me to get on one of their buses again. Rude, unprofessional drivers. Old, filthy equipment. Never again! My running joke with one of the instructors here is that if I don't make, I'll find a job and stay in Missoula, 'cause I'm not riding the bus back to Detroit!!

 

Detroit Diesel is a marque of Daimler as well. Any Detroit Diesel engine with the designation MBE (i.e. MBE 4000 in the Cascadia) is a Mercedes engine.

Most of the traiining trucks we've used have been Freightliner Columbia's. For short periods we've used a couple Volvos and one Century S/T though.

You won't need thr crow bar here, but it might come in handy once you get your truck. It's for removing the bracing (dunnage) that may be used to brace palletized loads. If you don't have one already, just pick one up at Lowe's or Home Depot here in Missoula when you get towards the end of your training.

Still haven't seen the snow, but I'm sure it'll get here in time for the 11/26 class, lol.

 

I'm ready to start driving and get out there. I miss the road with my band and and driving a bus. I rode a big truck with my uncle a few times regional. Can't wait to get into school and find a decent company.

In fact, I'm gonna go get in my big pick up truck right now and drive to Houston or something, just for the hell of it!!!!

 

I am getting worried about our troops who went on the field trip, I thought they would of been back home by yesterday at the latest. I heard the weather down their route was Foggy and bad.

I am now looking for a flight out of here Laughlin/Bullhead Airport but finding it online has been fruitless.

Arkie

 

We are back! Well 2/3 of us anyway. It was a good trip and something I am very glad they do. You can't get experience in something unless you actually do it and we did pick up and deliver 2 loads. We all had loads to Salinas but then one of the three trucks got another load down to LA. Our truck and one other got loads to pick up in Santa Clara, delivering in Spokane. All in all we got about 15 hours of driving for each of the three students in the truck. Oh and by some miracle my truck ended up with JonDC70 and JohnnyPage in it. What were the chances of that happening? You will probably be reading their take on the trip soon.

Pretty much everything was covered in this trip. Trip planning, loading/Unloading, backing into docks, calling customers for directions, paperwork/logs, truck stops, weight stations and fueling. Oh don't let me forget trying to sleep in the bunk when someone is driving on hwy 680 in the bay area!!! OMG that road sucks. Actually trying to sleep when the truck is moving is hard to get used to. I think during this particular trip we got about 12 hours of good sleep in 3.5 days. Got in yesterday afternoon and tried but couldn't stay up after 7:30 pm.

The other truck should be in sometime today (Saturday) we'll see what adventures they have to talk about. It was a good trip and #### good experience.

Raak
AKA Jeff

 

Bought my ticket for the 24th for the same reasons, the price skyrockets on Sunday. You should probably try flying out of Vegas Arkie, my ticket was $230, I just checked again and they still have it for that price on Travelocity but the drawback is that its a 6:30 am flight as the price creeps up the later you go in the day. The tools and prybar I am leaving at home and will pick them up later, don't feel like lugging all that crap through an airport and will only be bringing the stuff they say you MUST have. Sal your job sounds like mine, I am one of the few people who are leaving by choice, makes for a really unhealthy work environment. Looking forward to some road time. Personally I am glad to be going to school once the snow hits. Best to get that icy mountain driving experience from the experts right off the bat, rather than on my own. Also, you can email the Montana MVD at mvd@mt.gov and request that a CDL Handbook be mailed to you. I requested this a week ago and still have not gotten mine, so I don't know if they actually follow through or not, but it'll be good to get a headstart on some of the bookwork. Nice that probably close to half the class is already getting familiar, the other half is gonna be like, "how do these guys already know each other and why do they call each other by funny names".

 

Go to this link and download it. I have it installed on my Laptop

http://www.doj.mt.gov/driving/forms/25-0300.pdf

Right now I am back to full time study of AZ Manual. Take my test Wed and if I screw up they said I can come back Thur. Then if I really screw up my last chance is Wed before I leave. I been taking the online test and missed 2 last time but my brain freezes up in the testing room, well it did for my ham lic 25 yrs ago.

Arkie

 

Putting more pressure on myself now because I decided to get airplane reservations from Las Vegas to Missoula

I will be driving into Vegas on the (23rd) the day before the flight because the plane (Allegiant Air) leaves at 8:25 AM and they want you there 2 and half hours early. Man I don't want to miss my flight and be stuck in the Thanksgiving Mad Rush on Sunday.

Find W/S Terminal and find a Cab to take me to some motel close to the airport so I can get a nites sleep. Rates are high on the weekend I already found out. maybe sleep in the airport terminal if I don't look like a Transcient. Ha.

So that will put me into Missoula at 11:30 Sat morning and plenty of time to relaxe for Monday morning class.

Gee I hope I don't get dropped before that, still waiting for student loan approval. I wanted that before I had to drive to vegas for my testing but they W/S told me I had to pass the testing before they submitted the loan.

No matter what I am flying to Missoula even if I don't make the class and talk right to the Horses Mouth and visit a friend of mine who lives there.

Arkie