Comments By DSTURBD

Thanks for the update.... Good to hear from you... Questions about Stevens

Are you mainly hitting distribution centers? How much city driving are you doing?

Yes, mostly distribution centers and not much city driving at all.....so far, ha ha.

10/25/16 again

Was just sitting here re-reading my last couple of posts to see if I forgot anything and realized that I should say something about the supporting staff that the drivers have here. I have already mentioned how great my D/M, Wendy, is but all of the rest more than deserve mention as well! The night dispatch guys go above and beyond to help out no matter what you need, large or small and are also very supportive. There have been a couple of times that I thought that I did something wrong or caused a problem. They were very calm and explained things and said that either I hadn't done anything wrong, or that it was something that happens a lot to new drivers and not to worry about it, just keep on doing what I'm doing as I'm doing great! The fuel department guys and all the rest are just the same way! They give exactly the right kind of support and help that keeps you wanting to do your best out here and feeling good about the job you are doing. I couldn't be happier with the way I am being treated as a dumb rookie employee here! Now, if we could just do something about that ignorant, arrogant cuss of a doctor, it would all be great, ha ha!!

Just livin' the dream!!!

DSTURBD

Awesome update. Now you are leaving all that past aggravation in the dust. Keep up the good work.

Thanks Scott! Yeah, there was quite a bit of aggravation at times there. Ha, ha. It's all good now, though. There are definitely challenges that come up on almost a daily basis (like getting lost when the Qualcomm nav lady has a brain fart with the directions), but those are just part of the job and to be expected. It wouldn't be as much fun without a challenge here and there! LOL

DSTURBD

10/25/16

Okay, I have some time to write, so I thought I'd do a quick update to the diary here. I'm sitting at the big "Alamo" Petro outside of Reno, NV finishing up a 34 to restart all of my clocks. Have been a little amazed at how quick you can run through 70 hours when your'e running hard. Of course you can still run on re-caps, but you never seem to get the full 11 hours back. It's always something like 8 1/2 or whatever. It still works though, more hours to run on.

I have completed about three weeks as a solo driver now and am having a blast!!!! I have seven loads under my belt now and they have been a pretty even mix of longer and shorter runs. It is really nice on those days that you can get up in the morning and know that you can just run for eleven hours, take your required breaks, and rack up the miles. The days that you are at shippers and/or receivers, of course you don't get as far. However, I do have to say that so far I haven't really been unnecessarily detained anywhere like with my first trainer.

I have a really great D/M, Wendy, and she is great at helping me out and gives lots of positive reinforcement and feedback. She gets my loads, tells me where I'm going, and I say, "Cool! I'm gone!" I feel like she really cares and does her best to get me really good loads. I did already get routed to NYC and I thought, "Wow, already?!? Oh well, might as well get it over with." However, I was almost there so early that they re-powered it to another driver in the area who was low on hours and could use the extra day to regain some. I was headed away from there with about 1500 miles racked up and never had to cross over into New York!! SCORE!!!!! I've gotten re-powered a couple of times now as I had extra time before the appointment by running hard right off the bat and getting most of the distance behind me right away. Works for me....rack up miles and not lose any time sitting at the dock!

Anyway, my clocks will reset at about 6:30 this evening and I should be gone again!! Gotta take a nap this afternoon!!

Still havin' a blast out here!!!

DSTURBD

Some of you are too nice. If anybody was treating me like that I would beat their A$$ back into last week. What is up with some of these Training horror stories. These Companies need to get a handle on things. I might understand if it was Jim Bob's Trucking with 3 trucks, but these are Big National Carriers!

My thoughts exactly. I dread running into my first trainer on the yard as I am afraid I will go to jail! He needs a serious beat-down and I would love to give it to him. The company was great about getting me off his truck right away though, and onto a truck with a great trainer and I am now solo and loving it!!! I did the same as you. I tried to just gut it out and get done, until he started saying that he wasn't going to sign off on my training anyway. At that point, I knew I was just wasting valuable time being on his truck.

Do NOT stay on that guy's truck!! You are doing yourself an injustice if you do as there are trainers out there who care and will make the whole thing fun and informative so you will have confidence when you get your truck.

DSTURBD

I'm so happy everything worked out for you in the long run! And I've made that drive between Aurora and Lexington a few times. But I usually pick up beer in Aurora and run it to Grand Island, then pick up at one of the meat houses in the area: Grand Island, Madison or Schuyler.

Well hey there Chickie!!! Been wondering about you! Yeah, I'm surprised that we don't do any beer loads.

DSTURBD

Load notice just came through!!! I'm gone again!!!!!!!!

DSTURBD

Hey Chickie...are you out there somewhere?!?!?

I miss your posts!

DSTURBD

10/8/16

Okay, I'm sitting in Lexington NE, waiting for my second load to be loaded. It is a drop and hook, but I am early so it has not been loaded yet. That's okay as I get a little down-time to arrange stuff in my tractor and actually do my trip plan before I head out for a change. This one is temporary though. They said that I will have it for about thirty days and then get the one I will have for the long term. This one is a T-700 and it's a great truck, but it's no T-680 which is what I am used to driving. The extra cab space up front is nice, but it is short on much needed amenities such as multiple 12 volt outlets (both switched and non-switched) and the newer style storage cabinets and table. I am really missing the table right now as I sit and try to type this!!!!!! But, I have gotten ahead of myself here...

My first load as a solo driver went exactly by the numbers...started off great. I was right up against the end of my 11 hour clock when my nav system decided to route me through a ritzy sub-division the last couple of miles (I think she musta had a stroke or something!!). Fired up my other nav system and got back on track. Got there and shut down for the night with 4 minutes left on my clock!!! Delivered the next morning and was in and out in less than 90 minutes!!!! Score a victory and on-time delivery for the noob rookie solo driver!!

Was waiting at a truck stop for my next load assignment and called my D/M to talk things over and she told me what the load was and that I would dead-head from Aurora, CO to Lexington, NE. She said not to wait for the Qualcom message and to go ahead and take off for here. Was just about to call the fuel department as I was getting down to about an eighth on the gauge when my fuel recommendations came through. Made a slight detour to the first one and was fat and happy with full tanks again. I got here last night, got my trailer washed out and dropped and back to the truck stop to wait and shut down with 1 minute left on mt 14 hour clock!!!!

So far, luck has been with me, but I'm really not comfortable cutting it that close on my clocks!!!! However, I guess it will show that I am out here to run, run, run, and get the job done safely and efficiently!! I already know what I will say if asked how I'm doing and how I like it. "I'm just out here having fun playing with my big truck amongst all of the other guys having fun playing with their big trucks!!!!" I really am, too. This is what I was working toward and why I got so frustrated at the set-backs. I already knew that I liked operating the equipment from 25 years ago, but now I don't have the family distractions and responsibilities and the equipment is soooo very much nicer!!! I am have an absolute blast!!!!

Women always say that guys never grow up, they just get bigger and more expensive toys. I am here to wholeheartedly be proof of that statement, ha ha.

Just livin' the dream!!!!!

DSTURBD

10/3/16

Well, finally got cleared off of med-hold today (yeah, I know, for the second time), got my new medical card and should get my truck sometime tomorrow. Can't wait to see what I draw. I am really hoping that I can stay in a KW T-680.Still have some items on my clearance sheet, but they shouldn't take long to take care of and then I will be ready to be dispatched on my first solo load!! Woohoo!!

DSTURBD