I talked to Randy, for just a couple of minutes, when they stopped in Iowa so he could drive again. He said it was weird to sleep while the truck was moving, but he still has insomnia no matter what so it didn’t make much difference to him. They are on their way to Normal, Illinois, and they will be back in Salt Lake tomorrow night. He thinks they’re supposed to leave again the same night, but he’s not sure where. Apparently, his trainer has several regular runs (Illinois, Ohio and South Carolina), so they’re not doing just one thing over and over (that’s good).
A beautiful shot of the Utah scenery while cruising along as a truck driving student.
Long Days Driving For Low Pay
His trainer bought him breakfast and is talking about taking him out to dinner somewhere nice when they get back to Salt Lake. I hope he doesn’t expect Randy to reciprocate, because we can barely afford to feed ourselves on his tiny pay. Let me see, $61.43 for LONG work days…I understand why the training pay is low and I’m grateful for Randy’s opportunity, but we can’t afford to be very generous with other people right now. 
Well, I got another 1-minute call 11 hours later from the big truck stop in Iowa, after their trip to Illinois and back. Randy drove all day, while the trainer mostly slept and rested. He was tired, but very excited about how he backed up the trailer at the dock, unhooked it, backed up to a new one and hooked it up like he’d been doing it for 20 years! That’s nice, but I told him he needs to call me from the sleeper. Seriously, I know he’s busy but I just want 10-15 minutes out of every 24 hours…I don’t think that’s too much to ask, is it? The answer is no, and I got it!
Tougher Than I Thought
They saw a tire fly off a trailer in front of them today. And they are trying to keep it at 65 mph (or less, depending upon the speed limit). Apparently the trainer was going fast before and getting less than 5 mpg, and that’s not good. I asked lots of questions about how it is going, and I couldn’t get Randy to complain about anything. He’s tougher than I thought. 
When I asked if he missed me, he said, “yeah, I guess” and giggled at me. That’s what happens if he thinks someone else may be listening, he’s like 12.
Well, I know every day won’t go so smoothly, but I’m glad he’s getting some good ones to start out with.
Married Widows
I’ve heard people refer to trucker’s wives as “married widows”. I’m not even quite a “real” one yet, but that’s how it feels alright. 
When Randy called tonight, I was actually researching divorce stats for truckers. Did you know there’s a Frank Zappa song titled “Truck Driver Divorce”? Randy’s trainer is on his 4th marriage.
He called me from the trainer’s house, and they just had a nice meal and a shower and were getting ready to head out to South Carolina. The trainer told him this trip will have all the hard stuff for him to learn. It sounds like he’s had some of that already, and has dealt with lots of mountains. He told me about coming down the highest peak in Wyoming (5% grade) and he was SCARED. He had the jake on, and used the regular brakes too…I was worried about that, after reading how some O/O’s don’t want to wear out their brakes and go downhill incorrectly. And he’s been up and down the “Sisters” twice, with lots of road construction going on besides! Fun (not).
The trainer is amazed that Randy is averaging over 7 mpg, and said he’s never gotten that kind of mileage. Because, HELLO, the trainer drives fast!
Randy found out that his trainer won some kind of Highway Hero Award last March, for rescuing a little girl after her father (who died) had an accident in front of his truck. That’s nice, I like heroes.
Once again, I didn’t get to talk to Randy as long as I wanted to because every time another human being gets within earshot, he gets self-conscious and has to go. He really needs to get over that. Is it just me, or is that silly, after 29 years? continue to page 2 –>
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Hey, sounds like Randy is having a lot of fun and is learning a ton each day. That kind of intense learning is fatiguing and stressful, especially when you feel like you are constantly being analyzed and critiqued, etc. It’s tough.
As for the trainer taking “breaks” while Randy drives, one might try to view it all from another perspective. The trainer likely has a lot of experience and has seen many students at the wheel of “his” truck. He too, has a stake in how Randy performs, not to mention a lot to lose if the truck were to have, shall we say, an unfortunate “occurrence”. If the trainer wasn’t comfortable and confident, he likely wouldn’t be sleeping!
That being said, it is quite possible that the trainer is very satisfied with Randy’s progress and performance and is comfortable enough letting him have a little more “control” and “independence”. This is a normal part of any training and a natural progression for a student. That being to take on more and more with the goal being total freedom and the ever anticipated graduation to his own “BIG RIG”. A good trainer of any kind will gradually loosen the leash as he/she becomes more confident in the students ability. His relaxed demeanor also can help Randy to relax more himself and ultimately perform better and build his own confidence. The alternative is an overbearing, “nervous nellie” ballbuster with his hands having a white-knuckle death grip on the seats, looking like a deer that just step into the headlights. That type of trainer is counter-productive and doesn’t help anyone learn anything. In fact it can have a negative effect on the students progress and his intestines, causing many stops at the local store for Pepto and Tums!
He is likely doing just fine. So, try to relax so you’re not making those trips to the store for said supplies yourself “)
Just a thought “)
Keep up the great stories and updates!