Comments By Carter

Terry, wow! Lots of great info there, thank you very much. I am fortunate that I have a good trainer. He was very up front with me that he would push me hard because that is how he makes his money. He also laid down his "rules of the truck" which are just basically the way he wants things in his house. Kinda quirky, but this is his home, I'm just a guest so no big deal.

He actually gave me ear plugs and pointed out somefof what you mentioned (didn't think about the bouncing food thing though).

He definitely sings the praises of leasing, but I told him I wasn't interested and he let it go (I'm so glad I read these forums for the months before I started). One thing that I really give him credit for is that he shows me all of the tedious daily stuff that you need to do to succeed, or at least be organized and prepared and then lets me choose if I want to do it, or have him do it.

He is setting me up to succeed if I want to, but he isn't forcing it. As he says, "I already know how to do it and it doesn't bother me if you want me to, but you will wish you had made it a habit when you are all by yourself."

The schedule changes, sometimes I drive days, but mostly nights. It just depends on where we are and what our clocks look like. That, however, it's a completely different topic...

It's no problem at all. In fact, you should apply to as many as you can. Find the one that is the best for for you and offers the missy of what you need.

Think of this stage of the process as speed dating. Talk to as many as you can until you find one that strikes your fancy, then go out for a real date.

Terry, yes I had my cdl in hand. No shenanigans going on, I promise.

Every situation is different, but I strongly advise getting in front of it and letting your recruiter know. If you don't, it could be viewed as you trying to hide something.

Not sure how I managed to pooch that reply, but... Thanks to everyone that has commented. I really have learned a great deal from all of you. 6 string, I read your entire ltl thread and would have seriously considered that if I didn't live in the boonies and could have found someone to get on with.

The most difficult thing is that I miss my family. My trainer is on home time right now so I'm camping out at a flying j somewhere in Ohio and my wife is going out with friends and the kids are hanging out at home. Life has to go on for them while you're away, but it isn't always easy to watch.

If you can get past that and know that what you do is for everyone's benefit, it makes it worth it.

Daniel B, Jopa, Old School, 6 string and everyone else make it look easy to update here after a long day on the road. I'm still trying to figure out how to sleep during the day and drive all night while not committing hate crimes against people that cut in front of me in line when I'm trying to get coffee and a fuel receipt, but I well update as I can.

Thanks again to everyone.

Great post Carter! Thank you. Good timing for me. Be safe, and as a wise man once told me don't forget to enjoy yourself too.

Thanks Mikki. Congrats, by the way,on graduating. Hold on tight, it's a hell of a ride, but well worth it. I look forward to hearing about your first adventures.

OS, thank you very much! As with most people that have chimed in about you and your posts, you have taught me a great deal without even knowing it.

I have reached the point where passing (or getting passed by) another rig on the interstate doesn't bring on abject terror. Heck, I even did morning rush hour across the GW bridge to get to Long Island (did i mention that my trainer is Satan?).

Each time I reach a milestone, it just reminds me of how much more I have to learn...

Today's lesson, bobtailing in the snow on the interstate... not a whole lot of fun. Just sayin.

Thanks again, for ask of your insight.

You are absolutely correct Brett. These things (and much more) are discussed here, but you never really understand the true dimensions of it until you live it.

"Drive for 11 hours?!? That's no big deal, I do that all the time when we go to Florida for vacation; and I don't even need a break after 8 hours..." The funny thing is, the actual driving from a to b is actually the easiest part.

They say it is a 14 hour work day, and maybe itsis for some, but at this early stage of my development, I would hazard a guess that it is typically closer to 16+ and you should probably eat and shower occasionally as well ;-)

Sleep is definitely a "catch as catch can" sort of proposition at this point and don't even bother trying to schedule it.

Hello all. I have been hanging around this here site for the last 4 months, or so (in fact, the information I received here went a long way in helping me to decide to make this my new career), but I haven't really felt that I had a ton to share.

Well, I'm 2 weeks into my training with Prime and I now feel that I can add to the conversation. If you are looking at giving this truck driving thing a go, this could be your experience.

When they tell you you will be tired, they don't ever really paint the full picture. You will be "falling asleep at the urinal" tired. You will drive for 11 hours, learn how to fill out paperwork and logs for hours, try to cook and eat while your trainer is cruising down the road and then try to sleep as you get bounced around the cab and while your trainer does what they can to stay awake towards the second half of their shift. You will be miserable and question your decision at least daily. It will pass. You will learn how to adapt and how to find small moments to regain your sanity. Don't panic, but be prepared.

There is so much more to driving the truck then just shifting gears and backing up. If you don't have a well thought out plan clear in your head before you turn the key to start the trip; you are already sunk. I honestly thought that downshifting and alley docking would be my biggest challenges. Turns out, it is learning the 20 million little things that you need to do between point a and b that are the real killers (getting fuel the right way is actually something that can cause a brain cramp when you are tired and it is cold outside). It is completely and totally overwhelming, but it gets better; don't panic.

Your trainer will push you to your limits, smile and wave at them as they drive you past them kicking and screaming and then let you know that you are off to a good start, but now it is time to start working. You see, at least where I am, my trainer is a lease operator. I won't get into the positives or negatives of that here, but it is a pretty common scenario from what I understand. These guys want trainees, not because they love to train (though they very well might), but because a trainee keeps their wheels turning constantly, making them twice as much money. My trainer (you can refer to him as Satan, it's ok he doesn't mind) and I put in nearly 8000 miles last week, and we had to put a reset in there as well. They will ride you hard and squeeze every ounce of millage out of you that they can, because that is how they and their families eat. Don't get frustrated, it is just how it is, but you will learn more in 10 days than you did the entire time you were in school. And if your trainer is a good one (yes, Satan is a good trainer) they will prepare you for the things that a book, or YouTube video never will. No matter how much you hate this part of training, cherish it for the learning experience that it is. Don't leave any knowledge sitting on the table. As they squeeze you for miles, squeeze them for the tips that will help you survive. The good ones won't mind.

This is the most challenging thing I have ever done. It is harder than I could have ever imagined just reading these forums and it is more rewarding than I can say. I am proud to say that I am becoming a truck driver and if this career office guy can suck it up, you can too.

Looks great Brett, thanks for all of your hard work. I wish I had checked it sooner the other day, Daniel B was at our Salt Lake terminal at the same time I was, I coulda met the man, the myth, the legend...