Comments By J Johns

Friday, uneventful, just trying to flip our sleep schedule on it's head again. We also went to the Millenium building to pick up our Missouri hard-copy licenses but had to follow terrible directions from several people in a row to get there. I hope this isn't a recurring theme. Netflix & bed early.

Saturday, awake since 1am, ordered pizza from Dominoes. Goofed off, watched netflix, practiced our in-cab inspection, told ourselves it didn't matter so much if we passed this exam on the first try and earned the $250 bonuses just so long as we eventually did pass, then we napped briefly. We grabbed our high-viz vests & important documents & comdata/i.d.'s, waited for the 6am shuttle, then sat in a classroom of the Millenium building on the ground floor just off of the cafeteria until they locked the doors at 6:30am sharp. We filled out papers and handed over others as directed, took note of our place in the testing order, and listened carefully to directions. Soon we left, went back to that same shed next to the practice pad to wait for our turn, watched two classmates trifecta before us, then went on to perform the same feat ourselves! We passed! They took our 'trifecta pictures' then brought us into an office to explain our results and the things we could be doing better. We were sent to talk to Linda B. in the reefer operations center to get what was needed to get our CDL-A licenses. We caught a ride with the guy who passed the exam after us, and his PSD trainer. We arrived at the DMV with 30 seconds to spare before they locked the doors at noon sharp. Crowded, we had our paper licenses an hour & 72 dollars later. We went back to Linda with our ride, got hired on, and were given a free meal voucher. Hey there! She told us to come back on Monday to talk to to the man who would be finding us two trainers under the same fleet manager. We got & activated our new comdata i.d.'s, redeemed the meal voucher, got a couple of free 'prime' hats from the shop, bought a laminated motor-carrier's atlas, and went home to bed.

2.14.2016, Sunday 7pm, Pre-trip with Mr.L.D. mostly in the shed rather than at the truck, except when quizzing us. I evaluated as test-ready on my 2nd, 3rd, & 4th portions of the Pre-trip: coupling, trailer & lights. I had been evaluated as test-ready on the engine compartment early the previous week. Then Mr.D.B. drove us to the Sim lab for more practice. This was mine & my partner's most difficult evening, hands-down. I hit & killed a mostly-concealed running kid while I was going 4mph through a psychotically busy 4-way stop. Knowing better than to be flippant, I soberly admitted my mistake to our instructor so he could reset me to another scenario. Then when busily surrounded by *maddeningly stupid* drivers on the freeway I missed a low-clearance sign and scalped myself. Next, when having trouble down-shifting correctly, I started going too fast and nearly slid off of an iced-over suspension bridge without railings. My partner seems to have done none of those awful things, managing to drive safely the whole time, then had a devil of a time completing four 45° backs in a row.

2.15.2016, Monday 7pm, we practiced backing with Mr.T.W. We practiced all the maneuvers we had already done, again & again. Next, my third time driving, again with The One Whose Name Rhymes With Leprechaun. I'd like to say that I did better than ever but actually, the things that used to be small problems had become bigger problems and were holding me back enough to frustrate rather a lot. Lastly, we did more backing but with Mr.D.W. who taught us how to do an alley-dock. I did it without a lot of trouble on pad A.

2.16.2016, Tuesday 7pm, more Pre-trip with Mr.L.D. I evaluated as test-ready on the in-cab inspection. He gave me more advice on backing and some information about how the CDL testing will happen. I don't recall doing much else on this day and if I did then it's not in my notes.

2.17.2016, Wednesday 7pm, I did a full Pre-trip evaluation for test-readiness. I passed all on the first try including in-cab though I had to restart 4 times to be sure. I'd become frustrated just previous to this portion for an unrelated reason and my head wasn't in the game. It was a rough day. I don't recommend having bad days. Then I practiced alley-docking with Mr.T.W. on pad B with very mixed success which seems to be a theme among my classmates. Next, I did my driving evaluation with Leprechaun, got bogged down, stressed over little things, & did NOT pass. My little problems had become big stumbling blocks, so I begged him to let me take it for another spin and he agreed (RELIEF!). At some point on our drive he started calling out orders a little like a drill sargeant to help me practice my down-shifting, skip-shifting, & braking for stop signs & lights. It didn't solve my problem but then only I can do that. What it DID do was to illustrate for me how quickly I CAN do these things, when I'm responding appropriately. That was like knocking a hole in the hateful little mental-block wall I'd built. I later found an apt quote for the phenomenon: "your problem isn't the problem; your reaction is the problem". He might have said that same thing at the time, I can't quite remember. I worked with him right up until the end of class & was very grateful for the extra time.

2.18.2016, Thursday 7pm, we did some backing practice with Mr.L.D. I nailed the alley-dock on pad B three times without problems. Then, another driving evaluation with Mr.Leprechaun AND PASSED! What an enormous load off my shoulders. Lastly, I went to do my backing evaluation with Mr.L.D. and did well on everything but alley-dock. I had just done that one 3 times!! Well it turns out the pad had become super slick with dew so that even he couldn't do it by the points. He called it good from the times I'd done it earlier. He sent us home, graduates of the program, to prepare ourselves for a Saturday morning test!

2.7.2016, Sunday 8pm, we arrived at the shed described to us despite unclear directions. The Prime shuttle (need your comdata i.d. to get on) from the Campus Inn took us to coordinates 37.2465351, -93.2266123, then we made our way through the building (need i.d.), up some exterior stairs, through rows of tractors, around a building and through a nearly-hidden gate to the shed at coordinates 37.2456356, -93.2295319. We learned that we were 1 hour late -- class is from 7pm to 7am, nevermind what anyone else says. They told us to dispose of the schedules we'd been given, because all we had to do was arrive at 7pm, stay with the group and we'd be told our every step before it needed to be made. Simple. This first class we worked on memorizing the pre-trip with Mr.D.W. People are testing out of this class all the time, and a little extra time is given to those nearly-there students, so don't complain about how slowly it goes at first, just use your time wisely to study the pre-trip THEIR way.

2.8.2016, Monday 7pm, more pre-trip study, this time with Mr.D.B. Engine compartment, coupling & trailer.

2.9.2016, Tuesday 7pm, backing practice with Mr.D.W in a lightweight tractor with a flatbed trailer. We learned straight-backing, then conventional (passenger-side) parallel backing. I can give you "the points" for for this exact equipment, if you're interested. I have them in my notes for each maneuver. Then I went driving for the very first time with The One Whose Name Rhymes With Leprechaun. It was nerve-wracking & completely thrilling. I learned A Lot! I'd include some of those notes but it could be a waste of your time because not everyone will be weak or ignorant in the ways that I [was/still am].

2.10.2016, Wednesday 7pm, my first in-cab inspection and air-brake test with Mr.D.B. I had to be guided through it completely. Next, we inspected the driver-side fuel area and lights then went to the Sim Lab for practice. YES, the Simulator isn't very much like driving a truck, but NO, it is not a complete waste of time. An example of a complete waste of time would be complaining when you could be learning. I got lucky -- my classmates weren't big on whining.

2.11.2016, Thursday 7pm, my second drive, this time with Mr.L.D. Once again, I learned a great deal all a once, and received more golden advice AS it was needed, to make the most sense to me. Lots of notes taken, none shared, haha. Next, more backing with Mr.D.W. We learned conventional (passenger-side) off-set backing, then practiced parallel and off-set backing to driver- & passenger-sides for the remainder of class.

2.12.2016, Fridayish midnight to 4am, Sim class with The One Whose Name Rhymes With Leprechaun. He was a nefarious little sprite, disguising himself as different vehicles (once as a police car) and tempted us to do irresponsible things.

2.13.2016, Saturdayish midnight to 4am, Sim class with Mr.T.W, Older Than All & Wiser Than Some, hahaha! He didn't torture us especially, and kept us after for some good career advice.

My partner & I may still be here tonight, but then again we may be called & picked up by our new trainers any minute.

Congratulating myself, I admit. We've been here since Feb 1st and love it.

My partner & I are staying at Prime's Campus Inn right now. We just passed our tests and received our paper CDL-A's, and can expect to be called any minute to separate for training -- for the first time, as it turns out, because we were invited to fill vacancies in a "local PSD" option which worked much like CDL night school for two weeks.

This is how I'm looking at it, and you might do the same: we'll get better training apart than we could have received together. We are learning to be successful in a dangerous & demanding industry, so one-on-one instruction is critical. As for the separation, many people have sacrificed more for less benefit and if we can keep this in perspective for a few months we'll be happily and profitably reunited before we know it. An added benefit is that we'll come back together with two different ways of doing every little thing, and so can pick & choose our 'best practices' going forward.

As for Orientation and all that follows, you'll do great if you keep a positive attitude and consistently deliver your best performance, earlier than asked. Forgive my lecturing :) it sounds like you two know what you're getting in to and will do well. Please ignore the nay-sayers.

Many fine specimens here at Prime this season. Great place.

I'll be following you here! And, as I'm testing soon and TNT-bound afterward, I'll be following you there as well.

I'd love to meet up with you, but will probably be out training for the job when you arrive and by the time you leave for the same. Still, wishing you all the best!

Joe L, I'll be wishing you luck come Monday morning! If I may suggest: try to do as much as you can, as soon as you can if you know that there's no reason not to. And do it with a great attitude, distancing yourself from pointless complaining! This is how my partner & I went about things, and it's been opening doors & making us friends since Feb 1st. I'm excited for you!