Profile For Brandon

Flights got delayed by about 6 hours. I'm gonna have to squeeze in a nap on the plane, and sleep as soon as I unpack. Big day tomorrow.

Welp, it's time to fly.

Last Monday I aced my CLP. I missed the solar eclipse, but I'm not too beat up about it (it was obstructed by clouds in my area, anyway).

Bush Country, I can't thank you enough for that tip. That part was, by far, the toughest part of the test. Oh the minutiae!

To make a long story short, I'm all set to fly out to Missouri on Sunday morning for 3 weeks of CDL training. I'm really looking forward to the accelerated, hands-on style they tout. I am pretty much all ready and packed. I'm ecstatic.

My recruiter deserves a huge amount of thanks from me. He has been nothing but helpful since the beginning. Everyone I've spoken to from Wilson seemed to be absolute professionals and told me they're excited to meet me. Talk about a warm welcome before I've even set foot in their door. 😄

Seriously, I'm so grateful for this career opportunity, and for things to finally be moving. I'll keep updating periodically, as my thoughts rise to the surface.

If anyone knows any can't-miss food in Springfield, let me know.

One part of the Texas CDL Manual that is not covered in the High Road program is on Section 14. Be sure to familiarize yourself with that and you shouldn't have a problem getting your CLP. It will be the first section on the test, and if you flunk that you cannot go on to the other sections.

Much appreciated! I went ahead and read the section.

Just checked back in and I was thrilled to see I had responses! And thoughtful, helpful ones at that!

Thanks Zen, and thanks Raymond! I can't thank you enough for taking the time to respond with the encouraging advice and feedback. I'm soaking it up like a sponge. This is the type of advice I needed most.

So it's the 1st of the month; my wife and I went on a hike today, since our days off coincided. I'm trying to squeeze in a lot of time with her before I zip off to CDL training. She's such a strong woman, and I'm excited but nervous nevertheless to leave her. Sometimes it seems like she's more excited than I am for the change. That girl keeps me going.

I aced my physical last week, and some time this week will need to be my CPL test. I feel confident about that dang test. I've been studying and restudying, as I write this post.

Really not too worried, I'm guessing I can get 90-100% if practice tests are good indicators. So I'm supplementing study with other useful stuff, e.g. signage (who knew there were so many different signs? lol)

Again, thank you for taking the time to respond. I'll keep this journal updated. Hopefully it'll be something I can look back at and feel proud about the journey.

Brandon Z.

Howdy, everyone. This will be my first post on the TT forum, so let me introduce myself:

My name is Brandon. I'm 30 years old, married to my wonderful wife, and live smack in the middle of good old Texas. I've been eager to earn my CDL and join a fleet for many years now. Retail management just doesn't cut it for me any more. Only now has life seemed to open up enough to allow me the opportunity to follow that dream. I was always that kid in the back seat of the family car, begging to hear that air horn. I enjoy driving. I enjoy logistics. I'm earnestly excited to get goin'!

After doing a bit of research, I decided to go with Wilson Logistics; they seem like a great fit for me, from everything I have seen. I've also decided to go with their CDL School program. They have a great facility in Springfield, MO, from everything I can tell. I've spoken with my recruiter, and getting my ducks in a row for the CLP test.

If the TT High Road training program is any indication of how well I'll do on the CLP itself, I'm golden. Still dilligently working through that material, however. I tend to throw myself into whatever it is that I'm doing, and I've been consuming nothing but trucking content for the last month. I don't just want to be prepared for class and my CDL test, I want to be overprepared. That way, I can better focus on recalling knowledge and practicing my actual driving skills. I know I can't possibly prepare for everything, but hopefully my scattershot approach will work out in the end. To be honest with you, the pre-trip (specifically, the engine compartment, suspension, and brakes) has been the steepest learning curve for me. I think I intuit the physics of the truck (tracking, backing, etc.) pretty well; but I guess we'll see when the time comes.

I plan on using this thread as a bit of a rookie's diary. My target, which I discussed with my recruiter, was to fly out around April 11. You can expect to see an update around then.

Thanks for reading! Really! I've been lurking for a few weeks, and you lot seem very friendly. I hope to get to know some of you here!

Brandon