Category Archives: Great Stories

Testing Time For Orientation Has Arrived

Posted on August 1, 2011 by JakeCat22

The time for learning is over. Well, at least as far as learning for the purposes of orientation. It’s time for testing and (hopefully) graduating from orientation so we can continue onto the next phase of our training. Continue reading →

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The Meat And Potatoes Of Orientation

Posted on August 1, 2011 by JakeCat22

We’re in the meat & potatoes of orientation now where we’re doing a lot of driving, backing, and paperwork. This will really separate those who make it from those who won’t. Continue reading →

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Our First Day Driving

Posted on July 29, 2011 by JakeCat22

We got our first chance to drive the trucks today at company orientation and it went pretty well. But there are a lot of things we have to do differently than we learned in truck driving school and the classroom work is becoming information overload. Continue reading →

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Judgment Day At Orientation

Posted on July 28, 2011 by JakeCat22

Today was judgment day at orientation – the day students usually begin being sent home for various reasons. I was nervous, as was everyone, and was quite surprised at how it all turned out. Continue reading →

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Finding A Career I’m Passionate About

Posted on July 28, 2011 by TaoTrucker

The last time I posted, I had decided that I no longer would pursue Optometry school and had the inkling that truck driving might be the career for me. I started doing the research and talking to recruiters and here’s what I’ve found… Continue reading →

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On My Way To Orientation

Posted on July 25, 2011 by JakeCat22

It’s the start of my trucking career and after graduating truck driving school I’ve just arrived for orientation at my first truck driving job. Continue reading →

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Trucking Here I Come

Posted on July 25, 2011 by TawnyScrawnyLion

This is my very first blog and I have some people to thank and some motives to discuss. But here’s an introduction to who I am and why I’m here. Continue reading →

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The Weaving Driver

Posted on July 22, 2011 by Rhonda

A perfect day for a drive can turn ugly in a hurry, as was evidenced on this day when a driver came up from behind me weaving all over the road. Some action was definitely needed. Continue reading →

Posted in Great Stories, Stories of the Road, Women In Trucking | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Science of Truck Driving

Posted on July 18, 2011 by Philosopher Paul

From truck driving school to orientation to working with two different finishers and getting out on my own, I am not saying that I am anywhere close to understanding this complex science, but this familiarity was the place I was hoping to reach when I set out to become a truck driver in early April. I wanted to be alone and feel like I had some kind of base to work from. Now I am finally alone and I am very glad to be here. But there’s been a lot of tough lessons learned and near misses. Continue reading →

Posted in Advice and Opinions, Becoming A Truck Driver, Career Help, Tips, Advice, First Solo Months On The Road, Great Stories, Stories of the Road, truck driving lifestyle | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Beginnings

Posted on July 13, 2011 by TaoTrucker

A few weeks into the summer, after I finished my final exams, I decided that Optometry was definitely not for me and that truck driving might be a very palatable alternative. This is my story. Continue reading →

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My First Ever Solo Run!

Posted on June 27, 2011 by Philosopher Paul

I finished my training and finally got my own truck and off I went…solo for the first time in a big rig. I was nervous as can be but excited at the same time. This is how my solo career started out. Continue reading →

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My First Time Leasing A Truck – The Adventure Begins

Posted on June 7, 2011 by Corporal Clegg

I signed the lease agreement and headed out onto the highway for the first time as a lease driver. The mileage I was getting was hit and miss, and I wound up in a small wreck on top of that. Tough start. Continue reading →

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The Showdown With “The Colonel” – Handling My Trainer’s Tirades

Posted on June 2, 2011 by Philosopher Paul

3200 miles with colonel Kurtz and still going surprisingly well. I needed to keep things light with this guy because I still had two or three weeks left with him. When it seemed like he wasn’t going to let up on me, I knew we were going to have a showdown. Continue reading →

Posted in Advice and Opinions, Becoming A Truck Driver, Great Stories, On The Road In Training, Stories of the Road | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Dealing With Some Crazy Personalities During Training

Posted on May 24, 2011 by Philosopher Paul

I’ve been really happy with my fortune so far but the first day I met my finisher, I got a little concerned. The first thing he told me was “Forget everything you learned at your school.” And it got much crazier from there. Continue reading →

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One New Driver Sent Home, The Rest Of Us To The Skid Pad

Posted on May 19, 2011 by Philosopher Paul

One of the students was let go today because she just wasn’t safe when it came to handling a rig. The rest of us got to go on the skid pad and practice recovering from dangerous situations. Continue reading →

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