Comments By Jessica A-M

Made it to Albuquerque New Mexico. I want to stress the importance of getting off the bus at your stops and walking around. Sitting in cramped space for hours is not going to be good and you should take leg stretching opportunities when you get them.

We stopped in Gallup New Mexico and it was kind of interesting. We stopped at a U Save truck stop. Right across the street were Love's and TA. Later down the road were 4 hotel chains built right next to each other. Talk about rough competition.

Get use to being stuck in the sitting position lol.. I drove 7 hours straight without stopping one time cuz the time frame was tight.. Only had 7 minutes to spare when we arrived at the consignee

The sitting isn't the problem, it's the fact that I have zero leg room. My knees are pressed into the back of the seat and have been for almost a day now. I asked them to please adjust the seats since the wheelchair got off a while ago. I've been half sitting in the aisle. Horrid.

As far as pickpockets, pick a city and you're going to see one. We had a girl's phone stolen on a bus from her seat and no one got off the bus so the thief just stayed on the bus and they never found it.

Keep your belongings close is what I'm getting at.

I still haven't met anyone going to training too. I figure I'll probably see some in Oklahoma which is my next destination. Texas sunrises are pretty. The only upside to the desert.

Made it to Albuquerque New Mexico. I want to stress the importance of getting off the bus at your stops and walking around. Sitting in cramped space for hours is not going to be good and you should take leg stretching opportunities when you get them.

We stopped in Gallup New Mexico and it was kind of interesting. We stopped at a U Save truck stop. Right across the street were Love's and TA. Later down the road were 4 hotel chains built right next to each other. Talk about rough competition.

Lucky you. I was supposed to be going to prime for school that day as well but it got passed back for some various reasons to next month. Mabey You got the spot I opened up. O and by the way I have taken that same bus trip across the Midwest you are describing. Beautiful.

By the off chance you end up in Dallas be alert. Pickpockets ,thieves, scammers. It's best not to leave the station. But if you do you'll have a good story probably.

I was scheduled for this date in the second week of August. The trip has been pretty. One of the nicest sunsets I've seen was tonight in Arizona.

I'm having serious leg room problems though. If you have long legs and are going on a long trip like this, make sure you are near the front of the line and pick an aisle seat.

I did see some Joshua Trees but, I was making a joke about cacti. I've never seen one in person before.

I made it to Phoenix Arizona on time. Now I'm boarded and heading towards Flagstaff AZ and on to Albuquerque New Mexico.

I saw these weird trees in Arizona. They didn't have leaves and had all these spines on them.

Saw some really interesting graffiti in Los Angeles. Thought I was going to melt in Blythe California but the road beat me to it.

I've only seen 2 Prime trucks so far (not that I have been entirely awake the whole time). I have seen tons of Swift, a handful of Knight, a large assortment of O/O and Lease.

A couple tips for surviving the Greyhound. Do not pack important papers or fragile things in the luggage that you plan on going under the bus. I've seen my luggage thrown, dropped, "nudged" by someone's foot, and once dropped in water. Luckily it's all clothes sealed in space bags.

If you have a long ride, pack deodorant and at least a spare shirt in your carry on.

Do not engage the crazies more than you have to. Seriously.

Be courteous and polite to your bus driver, they'll appreciate it mostly.

Don't leave your phone or wallet anywhere that someone can get to.

Drink water.

We just left Sacramento California over an hour and a half late and my next transfer is in Los Angeles. At this rate I might be getting to Prime later Monday instead of early Sunday.

It's been interesting. We had one guy sneak on the bus and he probably would have been able to stay if he hadn't been loudly spitting on the floor.

Another guy opened a large bottle of alcohol at a stop, drank it all on the bus over the course of a couple hours and then grabbed a woman around the neck with his arm. The sheriff had to be called and he was removed.

One highlight was stopping at a Pilot for lunch and seeing all the truck drivers milling around with their headsets and such. Hearing the call that there was no wait for a shower. It got me all excited. Soon I'll be one of those people.

Bus tickets in hand. Finishing my packing. I'll be on the first bus tomorrow morning at 7:15AM. I'll arrive in Springfield, MO at 11:20PM on Sunday. It's going to be an interesting trip. So far I've signed paperwork allowing a physical and some orientation paperwork with a general welcome and some pages telling me what to bring.

I've studied between the High Road Training Program, Oregon CDL manual, and some various long online practice tests. I'll finish the HRTP parts I need before Tuesday.

I also have a full print out of Daniel B.'s Prime pre trip (it took 22 double sided pages).

My wallet was stolen 2 days before I moved my things to my mom's but MO DMV has nothing about needing a valid ID or SSC. And, the recruiter said it would all be fine. I have a temporary state issued license. I'll probably update my trip on Sunday in order to conserve battery. If anyone else is going, see you there!

I'll be in Springmo come Monday to start orientation. I would love to say hi to some TT folks.

I was born in 1991! And I thought I was old...

I was born in 1990. You're making me feel old.

Just remember that there are a lot of companies that do not allow dogs under any circumstances. So you may want to check ahead of time with the companies you are looking at. While service animals are protected under law that law does not supersede a company policy about no dogs. If a company does have a "No dog policy in trucks" and then you go to work there you will not be allowed to have ANY animal with you on a truck.

Are you sure about that because service dogs are used for medical reasons so if you require one for medical reasons the company can't not hire you or fire you for using it and thus have to allow it because of the whole anti discrimination laws which include medical reasons.

i may be wrong though.

Many of the medical reasons that a service dog would be used for would disqualify someone from obtaining their CDL anyways. Seizure disorders, sight, hearing, extreme blood sugar shifts, psychotic episode disorders, mental diseases. If someone needs a true service dog, it's not for something benign.