Comments By Vicki M.

Ah so much fun. Y’all are in for some laughs! I was told to let dispatch know what empty I grabbed from the yard. I chose the trailer that I had tested out with. I parked it there. I sat in front of it for a 34…I hook up to it, let them know and then did my pretrip. Everything’s good. Get my assignment (deadhead to Lewiston, get a load, take it to Denver). Ok long deadhead but I’m good. Let’s go! Proceeded to put it in gear and can’t figure out why the trailer doesn’t want to go? And what the is that noise? Yep forgot to raise the landing gear. Good thing I only went a foot or so! Fixed that and off we go.

Did I mention it was raining? After I convinced myself I wouldn’t melt I figured it would be okay, but my new to me truck is as skittish as a cat that’s used up 8 lives. When you go up a hill, she likes to give you the alarm that you are following to closely. Too close to the road?? 8 of them going up Lewiston hill! She also likes to throw on the jake every time you approach a curve. The alarm that tells you something is on your blindside…well she turns it on for every tree and guard rail. Yeah she’s a cantankerous old biddy. Her good point is she doesn’t have a lane departure alert. But after 500 miles without it, she decided that it needs to be fixed. She’s older but gets the job done (kinda like me lol) Yes Anne I’ll take pics when it’s not raining and daylight lol

Don’t even get me started on my new GPS. She’s crazy. I’m an hour from our yard, have close to 2 hours of drive time, on a stretch of the 90 that’s pretty much deserted. She tells me there’s a 4 hour backup 2 miles ahead. There’s no exit so I just slow down, assuming there’s a pile up or a flipped truck or something. Nothing. There were 2 cops on the side of the road, but no debris, no flashy lights, nothing. Guess if she does that every time there’s a cop, it might come in handy lmao

Fun times. Let’s see what tomorrow brings!

I can honestly say that everyone at Wilson Missoula has been extremely easy to work with (except my first 2 trainers). It seems that they are definitely pulling for you to succeed. The only people that I know that didn’t make the cut quit themselves. That being said, you get 2 shots at your CLP, 2 shots at your CDL and learning the pretrip is totally on you. Those things can get you sent home

I went 3 weeks without pay. The first week was training in the yard and the second 2 was training before you get your CDL. The week after I began getting paid. The pay scale has changed so I am not sure what they pay for the first 10k miles (it was $600 a week when I started) but after that first 10k it’s $900 a week. Hope that helps!

And just like that, it’s over. In a good way. Today I tested out of training, got assigned my own truck and leave either Sunday or Monday for my solo week. Just need to concentrate on not hitting anything!

It’s been a marathon. 4 months. But I’m almost there!

Time for a long overdue update. I came back from my hometime and got on a new trainer’s truck. This man is a dream. Instead of being borderline abusive, he actually explains what I’m doing wrong and how to fix it. Our personalities mesh well and I have learned a ton that my prior trainers either didn’t do or didn’t teach me. It was worth sticking it out, though I do hope I have an opportunity to review my trainers. I know some companies do that. But on to bigger, better and brighter things!

This truck keeps rolling. One of the many reasons I haven’t updated in so long! No time lol Drive, learn, eat, sleep. My backing has improved exponentially, though I still struggle some, but my trainer is convinced that I am almost ready to go solo. I’ve got almost all my miles in and am looking forward to it. This trainer has rebuilt the confidence that the others tore away.

So in a nutshell, things are going well. Better than expected. I’ll be in my own truck soon. Looking forward to it with anticipation and a little trepidation lol.

I am getting a new trainer. The last one was a hothead with a very short fuse. I don't work well with that, I cannot learn anything when I am walking on egg shells trying not to make him mad. I did endure 2 weeks on his truck (3 if you count the week I spent in a hotel when he was on home time). He finally asked for me to be off his truck. He had no patience when it came to my backing difficulties...it was so bad that he was directing me into a spot and another trucker told him he was a real a**hole. That was when he decided I was off his truck. It was okay for me, I wanted off, but am too stubborn to contact anyone to get me moved. That being said, he taught me a lot more than his daughter did, and is probably a good trainer for people who can work under that kind of direction. I am not that person. When people start yelling or having temper tantrums (over anything, even if it isn't directed at me...yeah that happened too...), I walk away if I can, or I just ignore them. Neither works well in a training situation. Onward to the next and hopefully final trainer.

He dropped me off in Missoula at the hotel on a Friday, and on Monday I went to the yard. Got some backing practice in, which is a huge plus. I was supposed to go on home time that Friday for a week...so I asked if I could just fly home for my home time. I would pay, I haven't been home in almost 3 months. Too long for those with a family and pets, IMHO. It worked out since they didn't have a trainer for me. So the guys at the yard took me back to the hotel, I packed up my stuff and jumped on a plane home. I will fly back to Missoula next Monday. The instructor at the yard offered to help me more on my backing, so I will do that until my next trainer is ready to pick me up. (See you soon, Bear lmao) I have loved being at home, but am now ready to get back out there. I won't be gone this long again.

So where it stands right now, I received my CDL on May 13. Today is July 8, and I JUST got my first 10k in. Between home time and short runs, it has taken a while. Hoping that my next trainers truck keeps moving. I want to be out there in my own truck, even though I know I am not ready yet. I just keep my eye on the prize and keep on truckin' lol

Time for another update. I have a new trainer. My last trainer traded me for another student. I was kind of glad until I found out I am now being trained by her father lol. Just my luck. But he has 20+ years of experience and has been teaching me a lot. Downside is that he had hometime coming up, so I am back in a hotel in Missoula. I’ve spent almost as much time here as I have in the truck. But I’ll keep my mouth shut. I’m going home the first week in July, even though my trainer(s) think that I should just suck it up and stay out. No way I’m spending another week in this hotel. I’ve earned my hometime and I haven’t been biome since the middle of April. He can suck it up and drive in the desert lol

Right now I’ve been working on learning the paperwork aspect and still working on backing. Not sure I’ll ever get good at it, but I keep trying. The rest is going well. Just gritting my teeth to get through training. It’s all I can do right now.

My trainer has been in hometime all week. I am sitting in a hotel in Missoula lol. Nothing to update. Same lovely trainer lol

Well, sheesh.. anything fun going on there?? I've not been on FB for quite sometime, but YOU are a celeb on there, haha!!

Hang in there Vicki. My suggestion is that you ride this out. I know it is tempting to want to strangle your trainer, or just beg the company to switch you to another. Remember that this is temporary. As long as you feel you are learning and progressing, you can endure the ridiculousness of your trainer. I had a crazy trainer. I still had a successful trucking career. The training is a drop in the bucket compared to the career. It may not be what you expected, but that's okay. You will learn a ton of things during your first year as a solo driver. Ride this out and keep looking forward to being on your own.

Well said, as always O/S.

~ Anne ~

Not much in Missoula but I did manage to get some shopping done. Ate at a few local restaurants. It’s been good. Tomorrow we ship out for a month so I stocked up. It’s hard to get her to stop anywhere except yards and rest areas. But I have everything and am good to go.

Hang in there Vicki. My suggestion is that you ride this out. I know it is tempting to want to strangle your trainer, or just beg the company to switch you to another. Remember that this is temporary. As long as you feel you are learning and progressing, you can endure the ridiculousness of your trainer. I had a crazy trainer. I still had a successful trucking career. The training is a drop in the bucket compared to the career. It may not be what you expected, but that's okay. You will learn a ton of things during your first year as a solo driver. Ride this out and keep looking forward to being on your own.

I’m hanging in there. I’ve already done a month with her. It could be a lot worse. She’s young and only has barely a year of experience. We are also very different people. But all in all, she’s not too bad. I won’t change because I do NOT want to set back my training any more than I have to. Next month she’s taking hometime and I am too. Because we live so far apart I’ll be home close to two weeks. So I break it up in pieces. Two weeks. Another 2 weeks. Hotel for 7 days. One month. Home for 2 weeks. Another couple weeks and I am done lol. I got this.

Finally a minute without driving or listening to my trainer. I don’t like her much. She’s a bit weird, possibly bipolar and definitely not cut out to train anybody in anything. I feel like I’m being trained by her dad by proxy. Every time I ask a question she calls her dad. But it could be worse and she’s a means to an end for me. I am beginning to think she might kick me off the truck lol. Honestly she only seems to be happy when she’s driving. We even went to dinner one night and she seemed unhappy. Whatever. Enough *****ing about her. Like I said, could be worse and I’ve had a career of keeping my thoughts to myself for over 30 years.

We had a week from Hades. First thing that happened was my trainer was driving, a car cut in front of her and we had a HARD brake. There was no avoiding it honestly. When we got to the receiver we had dumped the load. Had a nice meeting with safety. AND to top things off , when she was telling her dad about it, he was trying to figure out how I caused it. Yeah gotta watch my wagon in more ways than one here. She did man up and take the blame. So after we get a trailer there, same day, we are taking it to some Coke place in Portland. Of course, we NEVER follow what the gps says. We NEVER figure it out on our own. We ALWAYS have her dad on the phone giving us directions. So this time he gave us the WRONG directions and we ended up in old downtown Portland. Narrow roads. Sharp corners. Cars parked on either side. 53ft trailer, 14ft high. That was fun. I survived and didn’t hit anything. Finally she let me follow the GPS and we found the right place. But the ONLY street into it was closed from construction. We continued up the street while she called the receiver. It was a 4 lane road with a 20 mile an hour speed limit. And overhanging trees. She told me to get in the right lane. I mentioned the trees and she said just get over you CANNOT be in the left hand lane... so I did. Hit a limb and destroyed the corner of the trailer. Went back to the Portland yard and got a new trailer. Avoided the safety guy who was still stacking our dumped load. Called the receiver, turns out they’ll move the cones for you to get in. She alley docked the truck and clipped a tree. It was narrow. I went back to driving and she asked me to pull over, so I did. She decided I wasn’t far enough over (on a one lane road mind you) so I moved over a little. She wanted more and I clipped another tree. Sorry Portland, we are hell on your trees.

The rest of the week was uneventful. I am just hoping to not die or kill someone before training is over. At this point I cannot wait to get my own truck and make my own mistakes without my trainer, but I still need to learn more. Just wish I had someone with more experience.

Always thinking & wondering about you, m'lady!

Anything 'new?' Same 'rad' trainer?!?!? Miss your updates! (This happened quick, eh?)

~ Anne ~

My trainer has been in hometime all week. I am sitting in a hotel in Missoula lol. Nothing to update. Same lovely trainer lol

Finally a minute without driving or listening to my trainer. I don’t like her much. She’s a bit weird, possibly bipolar and definitely not cut out to train anybody in anything. I feel like I’m being trained by her dad by proxy. Every time I ask a question she calls her dad. But it could be worse and she’s a means to an end for me. I am beginning to think she might kick me off the truck lol. Honestly she only seems to be happy when she’s driving. We even went to dinner one night and she seemed unhappy. Whatever. Enough *****ing about her. Like I said, could be worse and I’ve had a career of keeping my thoughts to myself for over 30 years.

We had a week from Hades. First thing that happened was my trainer was driving, a car cut in front of her and we had a HARD brake. There was no avoiding it honestly. When we got to the receiver we had dumped the load. Had a nice meeting with safety. AND to top things off , when she was telling her dad about it, he was trying to figure out how I caused it. Yeah gotta watch my wagon in more ways than one here. She did man up and take the blame. So after we get a trailer there, same day, we are taking it to some Coke place in Portland. Of course, we NEVER follow what the gps says. We NEVER figure it out on our own. We ALWAYS have her dad on the phone giving us directions. So this time he gave us the WRONG directions and we ended up in old downtown Portland. Narrow roads. Sharp corners. Cars parked on either side. 53ft trailer, 14ft high. That was fun. I survived and didn’t hit anything. Finally she let me follow the GPS and we found the right place. But the ONLY street into it was closed from construction. We continued up the street while she called the receiver. It was a 4 lane road with a 20 mile an hour speed limit. And overhanging trees. She told me to get in the right lane. I mentioned the trees and she said just get over you CANNOT be in the left hand lane... so I did. Hit a limb and destroyed the corner of the trailer. Went back to the Portland yard and got a new trailer. Avoided the safety guy who was still stacking our dumped load. Called the receiver, turns out they’ll move the cones for you to get in. She alley docked the truck and clipped a tree. It was narrow. I went back to driving and she asked me to pull over, so I did. She decided I wasn’t far enough over (on a one lane road mind you) so I moved over a little. She wanted more and I clipped another tree. Sorry Portland, we are hell on your trees.

The rest of the week was uneventful. I am just hoping to not die or kill someone before training is over. At this point I cannot wait to get my own truck and make my own mistakes without my trainer, but I still need to learn more. Just wish I had someone with more experience.