Comments By Pepper

Glad to see things are looking up for you Pepper. My fiance and I just got accepted to the school in Laredo and will be attending starting April 13th. I do have question though, for you or anyone:

Do you go OTR for CDL training, or is it all on site? Just curious to know how much cash to bring on hand to the school. I know we have the 10km company training wit a trainer and then we will be able to team together.

If you are a new student, you will be in classroom for the first week while you get your permits test completed. Then, you will go on the range for the first few days. After that, you will split your days between range and road. Current time from start to stop (if you pass all of the permit tests on the first go) is about a month.

After that, you go through orientation, which is about a week or so. After that, you will be matched with a trainer. I absolutely would bring money. Although meals are provided at school and at the hotel, you will quickly grow weary of Mexican food. Additionally, you will need money for laundry ($2.00 to wash, $1.00 to dry for each 30 minutes)

You will need money for detergent, toiletries, snacks, cigarettes if you smoke, etc.

If you are driving down, bring a coffee maker. The hotel does not have them. Bring coffee for said coffee maker. Coffee cups as well.

Here are some things I have purchased down here that I wish I would have brought from home:

Bandannas. The sun down here is pretty intense, but more importantly, the dust on the range will have you coughing and wheezing.

Sunblock. Don't think you will need it? Enjoy the sunburn. You will be standing outside on the range between your turn driving for 4 hours of the day.

Gloves. You will be messing around on stuff on the truck, and you will need them.

Boots. I brought one pair, but I wish that I had brought another as well for the ability to rotate between them every other day.

Long shorts. You can wear shorts, so long as they are not Daisy Dukes. Anything that ends around knee length is acceptable.

There is a Wal-Mart and a dollar store within a 5 minute walk from here. An H-E-B grocery store is a short shuttle ride away. You have a mini refrigerator in your room.

A lot of people have been purchasing vitamins and aspirin at the store. If you take those or any other medications, bring enough to get you through about 2 months of taking them.

There is a beautiful swimming pool, 2 hot tubs and 2 cold tubs. Bring your swimming stuff because it is really awesome!

Most everyone here is really nice and friendly. There are exceptions, of course, but we are a very nice and good group of people, the instructors are really nice as well, and I am really lucky to be here. I know that you and your fiance will do well as long as you study your CDL manual now, take the tests on this website now and learn the pre-trip and the 4 step now. That will make everything a lot easier!

Here in Laredo, we get a pre-trip handout.

TGIF!

What a week! We lost another instructor on Friday, but we got a new one as well earlier in the week. I have not worked with our new instructor, yet, but we are all sort of shell shocked at losing another instructor. The week has been really just "wow". Our driving time has been cut, has gone up and gone down, but I am still pushing through.

I am still having issues with my shifting, but I am convinced that if I were to have a truck alone for a couple of hours, I would get it. We can't always get what we want, so I will keep on shuffling on.

I was sick in class on Wednesday, so I didn't get to drive, but I did get to observe and it was AWESOME to see some of the people in action, doing their thing and getting it all together to get their CDL.

One of my favorite people took their CDL test this week and they did not pass, which was really sad. She was really discouraged, but now she seems to be pulling herself up by her bootstraps and doing what it takes to get ready for her test, which is scheduled for the middle of April. My test is on the 7th. I went to the dollar store, got a calendar and counted off the days until my test. Each day, I will write in the calendar what I mastered and what I need to work on so that I have a goal and success place I can look at and make sure that I am meeting those goals. I think that will help me a good deal.

Thank each and every one of you for your support, guidance, friendship and everything. I could not have made it this far without the site, the encouragement and everything else. I know that I will get it, it is just taking me a little longer than most. That's okay.

On the campus today, a lady crossed over to us and spoke to the ladies that were waiting to go to the range. She said "Look. I know it is hard. I know that it is tedious some days. Don't give up on yourself. You are doing this for you. You are doing this for your life, your future and your ability to bring home a good paycheck. If you can be patient, you can be successful." That made me feel so good, although at first, I was sort of just listening to her. The message is sinking in. The words of encouragement are getting into my brain. I will not give up!

All my best hugs!

Pepper

Tuesday.

Well, today was a hard day, we did city driving. Well, I was super happy yesterday, but today I got the gears worked out of me. I did not give up, I did not quit, but I sure worked for it. At the beginning, driving in the rain, in the city was really frustrating, but I just kept at it. I am sure envious of the people who are just getting it. Everyone keeps telling me to relax, that I am "too nervous", but that only makes me more nervous. That's okay. I know that they are trying to be helpful. I will keep plugging away until I get it nailed! :)

Last week and this week, the people who I have made good friends with are taking their road tests and getting things progressing towards their careers. I am really happy for them and I wish them the best. I am saying goodbye to my friends, but only after we exchange telephone numbers.

One of my classmates who was my first "neighbor" when I got here took his CDL yesterday and he did not pass the test. He was really devastated and today he asked the instructors if he could take today off. I hope that he does get the rest he needs, and I also hope that he does not give up.

Another lady, who I only got to know for a short while was sent home yesterday because she cannot pass her physical. She was a really sweet, down to earth lady and I am sure that she will do well in whatever she chooses to do. There was a driver a few weeks ago who was sent home because of his high blood pressure. He came back this week and he passed his physical today, so I was super happy for him and I look forward to having time in class with him. Others have been coming in with huge smiling faces and I am so happy and excited for them all.

Tomorrow would have been the day that I was to take my CDL test, but as I saw today, I am not ready for it yet. Hopefully, the time that I am still here will allow me to get the skills that I need to nail the CDL and then the Celadon road test.

All the best,

Pepper

Good for you Pepper sounds like things are really starting to click.

Thanks, Brian, I think that they finally are, too! :)

What a wow week last week was. Really busy!

I was struggling with my gears, and this past week was really hard. On Friday, I told my trainer when he suggested I switch driving early with someone, "I am not getting up from here. I don't care if I grind it 'til I find it, I don't care if I bawl like a calf looking for her mother, I am going to nail this thing if it kills me." He said "Okay. Let's see how that works out for you. Let's get this thing nailed."

I said "awesome." (Even though I didn't feel awesome.) Then I did it. I fought it out with that darn shifter. All the way from 1st to 8th, I scratched. He didn't say anything. Then I smoothed out. Then I scratched between 8th down to 1st until I started floating gears. Nailed it good enough for as hard as I was trying. I was all "tears going down my face", but I did not give up. Hell, no. I have worked too hard to get to that point, and I knew it was on the edge of "clicking" for me. My time ran out, and we had to switch. This weekend, I had a great weekend.

Today, the beginning of my 5th week, I got to go out on the road. Got in the drivers' seat, adjusted everything, made a couple of jokes about hoping that my gearing was getting better. Then I drove. I drove on the little service road that we drive on. Then, my instructor saw me dropping gears in place and he said "Go ahead and get on the highway up there on the ramp." My heart was in my throat, but I put on my turn signal and merged with traffic. Shuffling gears, not scratching a single one on the up. I felt so good. My teacher said "Damn, girl! Where have you BEEN?" I was smiling from ear to ear so hard my cheeks still are sore. He said to not go past the speed limit. I laughed (yep, I laughed!) because with the governor, there was no way that we were going to come anywhere close to the speed limit of 75, and we even chatted. Yes. I was talking and driving and looking at stuff and taking it all in. It was AWESOME!!!!!! I was on the highway, y'all! (I-35-it's on maps and has exits and everything!)

I DID scratch once. Downshifting, I was coming from 9th to 8th, and I scratched. I gave it some fuel and guided her right into gear.

My teacher looked at me and said "Excellent work!" I have worked so hard towards this day!!!!! My instructor was SO NICE. When I got done with my turn driving, I smiled so big and I said "So. How'd I do?" He said "You did great! That is a huge improvement from what it was like the last time we were in the truck together." I was just beaming.

We came back to the yard with someone else driving, and I got off that truck walking on a cloud. I was SO happy! Now, I hope I can keep up the momentum!

Hugs and Hugs!

Pepper

Sorry that I have not been on here, I have been super busy.

Anyway, last week was really busy. Two of our four road and range instructors are no longer with us as of Friday. So, now, everything is a bit cramped and pushed as we all have to share the time between the two remaining instructors and the classroom instructor.

I got my progress evaluation, and my CDL date has been moved back from the 18th, which is next Wednesday, to the 7th, which is (unfortunately) the next test date that was available with the Laredo test center. I was a lot sad and grumpy about that, but I am okay with it now.

I am doing a lot better with my gears in terms of shifting, but I am not anywhere near flawless. The tip from y'all of not dropping the clutch to the floor has been really helpful.

New people are coming and going, and a lot of refreshers who are here for a short time come and go. It is exciting to see them, because I know that one day, I will be up and down the road like they are!

The weather here continues to be fickle, but that is okay. There is a Goodwill across the highway that is walking distance, and I have made good use of them for my "fashion needs!" (LOL)

Anyway, I have to go for now, I have 10 minutes to go and get breakfast and then get ready for school.

Hugs!

Pepper

Errol,

Thanks for the warm words of encouragement!

What a week this has been down here. I would have updated this entry, but I simply did not have time. By the time that we would get home in the evenings, get dinner, have a shower, it was time to go to bed! I am sticking by my statement here to people that it is better to get 8 hours of sleep for yourself rather than try to cram information in. It won't stick as well.

We have had unseasonably cold weather for down here. Today, it was one of the nicest days that we have had weather-wise, and everyone was really grateful for the break from the dreary cold that we have been experiencing.

It was a long week. The weather is really serving to affect our spirits, and then the week ended just in time.

I don't know what the coming week will bring, but I know that I am finally learning shifting/gearing patterns, and that is a huge blessing for me. I was getting worried about it. I am now officially less than 2 weeks away from my DPS test, and I will find out on Monday if the instructors feel that I am ready. (I expressed doubts and concern because if I am not ready, then I don't want to go out and take a test if I am going to fail it.) Parallel parking is still proving to be a huge challenge to me, but I am convinced that I will get it licked with proper training and time to perform the maneuver on the range.

The range is nice, it is where empties are stored for Celadon and their Mexico division, Jaguar. Because of that, as we are practicing our shifting up and down, we have to work around trailers, just like we would have to do in real life if we were hunting a trailer. A couple of us in my class have decided to give one another challenges, like assigning trailer numbers to find as we are grinding and finding gears. Hunting down a trailer can be a challenge, I have discovered.

The range is caliche, which is a mixture of rocks, gravel, sand and dirt. I was on "the track" as we call part of the range, happily bouncing around in 6th gear when one of the "backers" pulled out into my space. I was doing 15 miles per hour, and I had to do some really rapid downshifting while I was in a bobtail. I was so happy that I remembered how to downshift, I was grateful that it was only 15 mph, and I was thrilled that although I was scared when it was happening, no one except me knew that it happened! I know that 15 MPH seems slow, but on that bobtail right then, it seemed like 10,000,000 mph! But, now I know how to do that, I know now from personal experience how hard it is to stop a bobtail, and I know that my clutch IS my friend! I really feel good about this happening, to be honest, because now the steps are permanently engraved on some brain cells!

I wish I had more to report, but that is all I have for now.

Hugs,

Pepper

Day One

I went to the range this morning to go over my backing and my parallel parking. Straight backing, I thought I was doing pretty well until the trainer got up in the truck with me. I could not remember how to do anything! I hate that I got her and myself so frustrated. It was pretty miserable weather outside, and we were pretty miserable inside the cab, too.

After I did straight backing alone for a half hour, I went over to the parallel part of the range. You would have thought that I had Alzheimer's disease. I could not remember how to set the truck up from Friday. My instructor was really, really frustrated with me. I was pretty frustrated with me as well. I felt pretty stupid and I killed several innocent traffic cones. The same trainer was there and she said she was very, very frustrated with my progress. I was and am, too.

We got released from the trucks and had lunch----Finally. I felt like it was a gift from the gods. It didn't even matter what was served, I was glad to be out of the wet, the cold and the misery that I was feeling.

After lunch, we went out on the road. There were two drivers I was paired with, along with a different instructor that were all in the truck with me. The other two drivers are former CDL holders, and the first guy, his driving was beautiful to watch. The gears went beautifully up and down, and I really enjoyed being with him. The second driver was not feeling too well, and it was reflected in his driving. Then, there was me. Queen Graceless. I could not find a gear. I could not remember the shifting pattern. I could not get the clutch right. I could not remember to accelerate properly to gear down. It was really, really frustrating. We passed an 18 wheeler going the other way on the 2 lane road we were on and I scooted the truck and trailer as far over to the right as I could while staying on the road so that we didn't "swap paint". Success, finally, for me! I felt triumphant over such a little thing, but at that moment, I would have accepted the successful use of an ink pen as a source of encouragement!

I managed to get up to 50MPH on the access road in misting rain. (Speed limit 55). I felt really good about it, but I asked the instructor for my score when I got down from the truck today. Out of a possible 5, with 5 being the best, I made a 1. That's about my rating for the whole day, too. I thought that I would be getting better with time, but that does not seem to be the case. My test is on the 18th. I better somehow pick up the pace and get to learning or else I am going to fail my CDL exam. What I wouldn't give for a hug and a chance to get all of this knowledge knocked into my brain right now.

More later.

Pepper

Tap the clutch twice and don't use the full travel unless stopping. If you push the clutch in too far you start to engage the clutch brake and will grind gears. Just takes practice.

Thanks! I will keep that in mind!

Hugs,

Pepper