Comments By ChickieMonster

It's possible, but don't count on it. Take the opportunity to have a conversation with your potential trainer and ask (politely) if they would let you use a small section of their fridge or cooler for some food.

But be prepared to adjust to not having any cooler space. And also to paying much higher prices for those types of foods at truck stops.

Take a little time to research some alternatives that don't require refrigeration and also things you can order at different fast food places that work with your food choices.

If you aren't a strict vegan, things will be a bit easier. If you are, well, things are going to be tough. The best advice I can give is do some homework.

Or Jim Palmer out of Missoula. Being part of the Prime family, they have access to yards all over the country.

So today I was trying to install a new editing program on my 2 year old laptop. It had already taken a nose dive once on me, and today it decided to do it again.

We had already filmed all our footage for the newest Top Ten list (which is up, by the way. Y'all check it out!) and I got the dreaded blue screen of death. Again. And there was no fixing it this time.

So....

We went to Walmart and bought a new computer.

2 years ago, a purchase like that would have been a several month process of saving and scrimping to find the money to do it.

But thanks to this job, which doesn't seem like a job most of the time, we were able to just go buy one!

When I say this job has changed our lives, I mean it. We went from living paycheck to paycheck, barely able to make the money last longer than the week, to being able to make large purchase without fretting for months over where the extra money would come from.

I don't run exceptionally hard. I average anywhere from 2400-3200 miles per week. With my husband being disabled, a 0700-0500 schedule works very well for us. Obviously, if a load calls for it we change things up, but 90% of the time dispatch works with me to keep us on the schedule. (Another reason I love my company).

But in spite of all that, I've been very successful here and wouldn't trade this life for anything!

And on a side note: my YouTube channel is slowly growing and I'm having an absolute BLAST making the videos! It's something we've always talked about doing since we started trucking and I'm very glad we did.

What's your story of how this job changed your life?

I've had Restless Leg Syndrome since I was 12 or 13. It's manageable with Advil, which interrupts the pain signals and over firing nerves long enough for you to relax. Mine is especially bad at night.

I used to take Requip for it. I don't believe it's on the prohibited med lists, so it is an option.

But what OS said also applies. Make sure your seat is in the proper position. I also find it helps to take a 10-15 minute walk shortly before bed to tire your legs out.

It's only Arkansas. Being based out of Little Rock, we all had to do the training and certification at orientation.

But all AR CDL holders must now do the certification. I believe Texas is trying to implement the same thing.

I already have a camera that is aimed down my blindside. It shows almost 90% of the right side. There is still a small blind spot, but it's much smaller than with mirrors.

Looks like someone beat you to the idea...

This kind of thing right here is exactly why I made a top Ten Tips for rookies.

Number 5 was "Be a Professional Driver". And number 2 was "Don't forget to pack your brain and common sense".

Those two tips alone could revolutionize not just rookies, but a solid third of the industry if they would just practice them!

I'd be running for the cab!! I think gators are cool and all, but I'm not about to go for a close encounter!

The best thing about our yards in Little Rock, Laredo, Garland and Hurricane Mills is the cheap or free laundry and showers. Plus at LR and Laredo we have a shuttle bus that will take us to Walmart, the post office, restaurants, the movies on the weekends, or a ton of other places!

Stock up on baby wipes. They are a truckers best friend on those days you just can't get a shower. Get the non scented ones and they can serve double duty for cleaning dishes and utensils. Walmart sells large boxes of them for around $14.

A good sturdy bag to carry your shower things in.

And put together a small tool kit. A simple set of wrenches, flat head screwdriver, wire cutters, and vise grips.

A $15-20 pair of heavy bolt cutters will save you a ton of time if you pull a box style trailer.

The newer KWs are full high rises but they go to drivers with seniority. Plus I don't think I'd go back to a KW anyway after falling in love with the handling of this ProStar.

You should try having two people's and a cat worth of stuff in a mid roof! Let me tell ya, it takes some creative Tetris-style organization.

I have one full sized cabinet that bulky stuff just kind of gets thrown in. 2 smaller cabinets that have kitchen and bathroom stuff in. 2 large 3 drawer units on either end of the top bunk for clothes, movies/games, and kitchen stuff. 1 smaller 3 drawer unit in the middle of the top bunk for small things like socks and undies and office supplies. And every available nook and cranny cubbyhole is stuffed with random junk.

Here is a link to ChickieMonster's YouTube Channel.

Hey thanks! I'm gonna link that in my bio for you guys.

Go to your channel on your computer. Try copying the link from the address bar and see if that works.

Nope didn't work. Maybe Brett can share some insight when he gets time.

Sooooo

I somehow managed to fix the computer!!!

The video dedicated to TT has been uploaded and I hope y'all like it!

I'm trying to put the link on here but it keeps saying it's not a valid page so IDK.

If you're subscribed, it should come straight to your email.

If you aren't, search "top ten tips for trainee truckers" on YouTube.

Of being sick and tired!

No, I'm actually really sick. Well, both of us are.

We left the house yesterday to deadhead 340 miles down to Arkansas to pick up a load going to Jersey for 0900 on the 6th.

They refused the trailer when we got there. Nothing I did or didn't do. They've actually been having to refuse a lot of our trailers for the same problem. Luckily, a shop down the road let me come in so they could fix it.

But ever since the day before we left the house, I've been feeling something coming on. I tried to counteract it with extra vitamins and keep going, but today was just not happening. I managed to at least get a few hundred miles down the road to our yard in Tennessee and sent our skeleton crew of dispatch saying "it just ain't happening. I can't do it. I need to park it and go pass out."

They haven't responded back yet, but hopefully I'll know something soon. Although, if they don't hurry up, I'm gonna be asleep!

It's a boot error. The only way to fix it is to boot the computer using the installation program loaded on a USB drive. Which of course I don't have.

If I had a second computer available, I could fix it like that. But I don't.

Buying another computer would actually be helpful. I can get a more powerful computer for the videos and editing, fix the older one and that becomes hubby's computer for his college classes.

But it might take us a few weeks to save up for.

Well guys I have bad news.

We spent all day Saturday working on two videos, got them all edited up and ready to upload

Then the laptop bit the dust! So it looks like I lost both videos plus all the footage from the TT dedicated video. I still have the footage for the cooking video but i won't be able to get it up until we get a new laptop.

I have absolutely NO IDEA what you guys are talking about. Is it just a Prime thing?

You guys are AWESOME! I just checked my Creator Studio and saw the huge jump in views and subscriptions, so right on!

The Top Ten video is being exported as we speak so it should hopefully be uploaded today.

If Brett is cool with it, I'll post the link here because I think I could definitely benefit some rookies who are with us.