Comments By HeavyHauler

Last march I drove 40 miles bobtail in Williston ND in a snow storm over snow packed frozen dirt roads to the well head to swap tractors so the other driver could go home the next day, I spent the next 7 days spending 12 hrs a day delivering Frac Gell from my tanker to the mixing truck. man camp and everything. made 2 trips up there last winter, flew up the first time, and rode back with the driver. 2nd trip helped drive up there (1100 miles) legal, air brake written passed. spent another 7 days onsite, after they were finished Frac ing the well and tearing down I called the company and said I quess I'm driving back (empty) . they asked if I was ok with that, I was , have spent many years on the road driving a smaller combination truck but thats another story,,, Turbo Dan

I've been to that miserable town. I did some "training" for the Corps up there between Minot and Williston. The Christmas of '03 it was -35 and -65 with the windshield factor in. Needless to say, we did not dare to venture outside for any reason. Don't care to ever experience that again.

I'll be on here as much as I can keeping you all informed. Im excited and nervous all at the same time. Im gonna have to try to meet up with ThinksTooMuch......if I can catch him.

I have decided that the best fit for me and my career is Schneider Tanker and Bulk-load. I had a phone interview this morning which lasted 1 hr and 15 minutes. After which she extended a conditional offer of employment.

The only thing holding me up is my knee brace. I am waiting for a waiver from their medical team on my knee brace. After that, I leave 03Dec2013 for Corapolis PA. I'm excited and a little nervous. But it will be one hell of an adventure.

Buy yourself a patella stabilizing knee brace online, or at a pharmacy, or wal-mart. I have had 2 knee surgeries. One major and one orthroscopic. I don't need my knee brace for many situations. But if I don't wear it when clutching, when I'm done driving, I will be limping like I need a cane. If I wear it and drive, then my knee feels fine. Its the support that will help you.

I took my test at 0830 this morning. So let me tell you about my day.

1. I arrived to school 10 minutes before my instructor at around 0530 to finish my 1hr of night driving. Both trucks had been towed overnight because the company attached to the school threw a sissy fit. AND THEY RENT THE BUILDING FROM THE SCHOOL!!!!!

2. I came outside from the DMV building to do my PTI and range skills test to find a container truck parked on the pad 3 feet from the alley dock. I completed my PTI and passed my alley dock. But the truck threw me off and I had to do a pull up and received 7 encroachment points. My examiner couldn't find the driver of the container truck.

3. The DMV range pad has a huge and I mean huge hole on the entrance. So deep that you will bottom out and the landing gear will catch it and dig under the concrete. It will cause damage. As we were trying to leave the pad she made me go off to the edge to avoid the hole and the container truck with the missing driver. The difference in the terrain caused my left side drive tires to raise completely off the ground and the differential wouldn't lock. My examiner called over my instructor and her boss. Her boss said to fail me because I displayed my lack of knowledge on what to do in the real world. This ****ed my instructor off because their pad and lack of maintenance caused the issue. He argued that this is a schools truck and that she called him over. After 15 minutes of them arguing, she finally left it in the hands of my examiner. My examiner said F*** it, get in the truck and lets get out of here. From there on I racked up a whopping 3pts. I grinded 8th, coasted during that time trying to find it, and ended up skipping 8th and going to 7th after failing to catch it. So 3 points is awe...... wait for it........some!!!!!

I am now a certified CDL-A holder with double/triples, and tanker endorsement.

I've got my pre trip down word for word. And the skills range wont be an issue. Just the driving portion. Ugh

Well, I take my CDL test tomorrow at 0830. I have got test anxiety like you wouldn't believe. Part of it is from all the horror stories we have been told about the Ladson DMV and how they fail students for non-failable offenses. Or the fact that they don't abide by the CDL Test administrative compliant according the rules and regulations set forth by the SCDOT. But I'm praying that I will pass. And if I get the Hawaiian lady, I will bring her a pineapple.

Honestly, I have to use a whole arsenal of tools to keep me from exploding. Everything from long deep breathes, thought training (flushing out the negative and replacing it with positive), walking away, going for a jog, and at times just screaming bloody freakin murder.

The hardest problem for me is just ignoring the rhetoric and stupidity that people more often then show choose to display. And the thing that ****es me off the most is someone telling me that I need to work on my anger issues and not be so ****ed off all the time. (which is hilarious, because a lot of the time I'm not). Or that PTSD is not a real "condition". They fail to recognize that PTSD is something that you just cant turn on or off like a light switch, or choose to not let it take over at times. And for me once I start, its damn near impossible for me to stop. I have to remove myself from the situation, do my techniques, and work it off.

I welcome anyone else who has PTSD on this sight to comment and offer other ways of coping with PTSD on the road. Ways that they have found helpful for them. And I promise that no one with judge you on this. Its strictly voluntary and only if you feel comfortable.

I HAVE PTSD AND ITS FOREVER A PART OF ME!!!!!

Brett, you are one surprising man. I have been dealing with this going on 7 years. I use to fly off the handle with extreme ease and ferocity. I have learned to adapt and over come the extreme challenges associated with PTSD. It has taken me years to get to the point of finally recognizing when I am beyond my limits, and when I am about to explode. I am still learning how to cope with stresses and relaxation techniques. This is now apart of me, and I can only get better from here on out. Its just that there are some people who deserve to be punched in their throats. But I refrain from doing that though. Thank you Brett for your wisdom and advise. Its greatly useful sir.

Sincerely,

Chris a.k.a. Deweykid

-------------deweykid, what school did they send you to and did you have to stay 24/5. thats the way Extramile in bishopville works,but then again they dont get paid till i'm working

I had the option of going to Palmetto Truck Driving or Miller-Motte Technical College. They are both 160+ hr curriculum's and both are in North Charleston. They both give you a certificate of completion after you complete your training and obtain 160+ hrs in the areas required. 50 hrs classroom, 50 hrs range, 20 hrs driving, (3 hrs night) and 40 hrs behind the wheel observation.

I live in town so I didn't have to stay 24/5. I get $10.00 a day for gas and job assistants through the school and the SC WORKS. Although I recently heard that SCWIA isn't sending people to Palmetto because they are under investigation. For What? We dont know. But I did my research of the two schools and I found that Miller-Motte was a better fit for me.