Comments By JanaBanana

Thanks Old School, I really appreciate the support! I'm excited to be home but oddly, just antsy to get back to Southern Cali and get my truck! I did make a Facebook page to share photos on... so I'll be writing stories here and posting recipes and pictures over there. If you have any tips about anything, all I can say is... yes please!

The FaceBook link is https://www.facebook.com/drivenwomen.usa

It's just easier to share pictures and I have some really cool ones! Have a blessed day and thank you again for your kind words, I love it!

I posted today!

Thanks Starcar! I love being on here, so I'll stay put AND add a FaceBook page

I'm happy to share with others what Jay and I are doing. I want everyone to know that you CAN go from working in an office (like me) to being behind the wheel of a really big truck AND it pays well. There are so many places out there that I had never been, and now I have. I talk to other truckers all the time and pick their brains. So if someone has questions, ask me. If I don't know the answer I'll find it for you. for reading my posts!

Upgraded and officially an EMPLOYED TRUCKER!

Man! The last two weeks have been crazy! But training is over, Jay and I both passed our tests and we are currently home for a 6 day grandkid hugging/kid kissing/tool gathering/clothes packing/laundry doing break. That means also that this post is being typed on my actual laptop :) Yay! I am still really grateful that we did winter training to start this adventure. As I've mentioned before, the weather has been an issue for nearly the entire 6 weeks we've been on the truck. Our company doesn't allow driving on snow or ice unless you are a "discretionary" driver (usually a trainer with over 3 years experience who has attended a special class). Our trainer has this and he drove over ice and snow to teach us. Even though the company doesn't allow it, he knows that at some point we're going to get caught in bad weather and need to get to a safe place to park. I saw a lot of trucks in the median and off the side in the berms and I want to avoid that bad day if possible! Having the driving skills and ability to stay calm and focused is key. I respect the drivers who's skills allow him to drive through and I humbly admit that it will be a while before I can safely do that.

Onto The Upgrade Test So we get to the south California operations center for our final test. I got up at the crack of dawn and did a full beauty routine including hair straightening. It is calming and familiar to put on eyeliner and mascara, when I feel pretty I feel confident. Jay and I made sure to eat a healthy but light breakfast and took a walk in the warm Cali sunshine. The day was long. We had videos and written tests. We did the Smith System Defensive Driving course for commercial drivers. We had a log book class and a lecture by the safety manager. It was late afternoon by the time we finished.

Just when we both were feeling pretty drained it was time to drive. Great. My mind was fuzzy. I had spent the entire day in a heightened state of anxiousness and testing stress. I was hungry. I was tired. Now I have to drive a 70 foot vehicle in L.A. rush hour freeway traffic while being side-seat evaluated by an examiner? I was just about to feel sorry for myself when my inner trucker spoke in my ear.

"Jana, what do you think most of your days are going to be like as a driver? Sunshine, open roads and polite four wheelers? Get a grip woman!" Geez, my inner trucker is kinda snarly sometimes, but she was right. These safety guys are wiley... they know what we need to prove. My examiner said " I know you're nervous. I'm not looking for perfection. I want to see awareness of surroundings, lane placement, traffic law obedience and down shifting. Don't break any rules and don't hit any curbs." It was all I could do to not hug him for understanding what I was thinking.

The freeway was pretty intense. I was focused. I avoided a crazy driver who passed on the right where there was no lane, I braked smoothly and well in advance according to the flow of traffic. I gave right-of-way to an emergency vehicle. In other words, I just did what I have been training for since October 2013! It was amazing. The surface streets were more challenging because of turns, turn lanes made for cars, pedestrians and the chance to hit a curb and fail, but I did it!

The really hard part was the alley dock test. By the time we both did our drive test and got back to the yard it was getting dark. We found that some yard dog had moved a bunch of trailers and blocked the testing area. The examiners scrambled to set up another alley dock elsewhere. We did panic a little. We had practiced intensively on the course every time we were in SoCal. I had points of reference for my setups, I knew where I needed to be to not hit a barrel! Dangit! Just then my inner trucker once again whispered in my ear... "Jana, what do you think your real alley docks are going to be like? All the same? All in daylight? All wide with pretty, perfectly painted stripes? Get a grip woman!".

My inner voice really is getting on my last nerve, but once again... she was right. Some shippers have lovely yards, some are so tight you have a hard time walking down the side of the trailer. Sometimes it's dark, stormy, sunny, pot hole laden, trashy, busy or confusing. You still have to get it in the door. I had to do this. We had a crowd of bored truckers who were over-nighting at the yard to add to the fun. Yay. An audience.

Jay did his maneuver with quite a few pull-ups because it was so tight. He did about 20 "get-out-and-looks". His little bald head was shiny with perspiration. I thought, if it was that hard for him I am in real trouble! He passed, recieved back slaps, hugs and handshakes from all the on-lookers. I shakily climbed in to take my turn. I brought the rig around and set it up. I did my hard right, hard left and a small right correction. I got out to do a look (or G.O.A.L). Somehow, by some freakish miracle or great training, the rear of the trailer was perfectly set up in the top of the alley! I did one short pull up and straight backed right in.

I heard cheering, my trucker audience and my man were all jumping and clapping. At that moment I became a bonafide professional driver... with a job. My inner voice whispered in my ear... "I knew you could do it". Ok, I kinda like her after all.

Jay just read that post and he too thought I sounded a little pompous. This from the man who indulges my every whim! So I will apologize once more for my tired brain and tiny keyboard. Or is it tiny brain and tired keyboard? IDK, I'm just done night driving so I'm gonna pack it in. I'll post again in a few days... any questions from you ladies? Have a blessed day! ~Jana~

No Ma'am Miss Starcar, I would never judge anyone! I've seen my trainer have a bad day and I respect his skills so much! And I know it can happen to anyone and WILL happen to Jay and I. The spirit with which I wrote that post was to encourage students to be vigilant and to not let the ease of testing out fool them. Real world driving and school driving are very different, I'm preparing myself for that time while I have the resources. I hope to write with more clarity when I can go home and get laptop, using the Kindle is pretty sketchy and I lose my train of thought!

I don't have a problem shifting with boots on, but prefer to drive in comfy shoes too. My boots are water proof and warm for working outside the truck, They came in really handy the other day in Illinois where the temp was ZERO! The look pretty chic with my blue jeans too!

Nearing The End Of Training

It's the last day of 2013 and Jay and I are nearing the end of week 4, training. I have to admit that last week I was really nervous about testing out or "upgrading" as they call it at this company. This week, not so much! I can feel my confidence growing daily and I am sure I can pass the test. When we were in California last week, our trainer took us to the testing area and put us through our paces. I don't know about a lot of other companies, but upgrading here is kind of easy... although we did meet one girl who failed. Here's what we have to do: we have to drive in traffic, down shift from 10th to 6th, do a straightline backing and an alley dock. They give you 15 minutes to do the alley dock with unlimited "get out and looks" and unlimited pull ups. As for that girl who failed? She was extremely angry about it. I was thinking that if she couldn't do these simple tasks after 7 weeks of training then she is a dangerous driver and needs more school. I have seen people in lots that cannot back into a bay or parking space. My trainer has gotten out and directed drivers on several occasions so they wouldn't hit other trucks. It's shocking that some companies put these drivers out there with such low skills. They WILL be in an accident, it's just a matter of time. Here's what I am doing to not be that driver... I ask my trainer daily to let me do a manuever that I've seen. I drive every single minute that I can. If the trainer has a difficult task and says "do you want to do it?" I say yes. If I think I need to work on a skill, I let him know it. So when I test in 2 weeks, it WILL be super easy to pass. And the following week when I no longer have that teacher spotting me I'll know that I can do what the job requires and do it safely. To sum this up, my advice to you is don't take the easy road. The easy road won't teach you diddly! You'll look really pretty rolling along easy road too... until you get in a situation that requires more skills. So ask your CDL teachers and your trainer to challenge you. Some day you'll thank Mr Go be the top 1%! Happy New Year! ~Jana~

Thanks for your kind words Starcar! And a big hello and welcome to Freespirit :) I have four grandsons and 3 of them live near me.I too try to stay involved in their lives and help my daughter out as well. Freespirit, I can tell you that you're going to miss your little guy no matter what. I miss mine too, but I had to do this for me. It wasn't an easy decision.

I look at it like this... I worked really hard for many years to raise 4 kids. I was THE parent most of the time and the provider. I'm amazed at how awesome all my kids turned out since I was never home! I feel like this is my time for me, to have my adventure, make memories with Jay and make very good money too. I don't worry about not being with the boys every minute. I send them text messages, state magnets for their collection and letters. AND with the money I'm making I'll be able to help out financially and have my dream realized as well. I will tell you this, my favorite granny lived 2000 miles from me my whole life. I only met her in person a handful of times. But she made an effort to know me and was my constant penpal until she passed. I cherish her love to this day. so I know that all my grands will think of me as their favorite grandma, they will always know that they are loved no matter where I am!

I hope that helps you. Go and have a dream for you Spirit, if you find you can't be away from him then at least you tried something new! I'll write more in a few days, so much to share! Happy Monday and d Blessings to all!

End of week two!

Hi again everyone! I finally learned how to use the wifi from my cell phone to power the Kindle, so now new updates will be more regular.

Today is the first day of week three, and I actually lay in my bunk this morning giving myself a little pep talk. Two weeks on this truck just caught up with me emotionally I guess. I am a little homesick and longing for time to be a girl. My hair looks terrible. I asked for 20 minutes of restroom time the other day and did a quick makeup job before my shift. Jay, who is usually very sweet, tried to call me on it even though the trainer had said yes. That did NOT go in his favor! We were walking across the fueling lot toward our truck, he got a face full of my face. By the time we got to our truck I had tears and a very quiet fiance and trainer. I know we have to hurry because of Christmas and I pull my weight, believe me. So if I need a few moments to clean up you can bet I'm going to get them. Oh, and Jay has been even sweeter than usual :)

So about that pep talk... We each do an 8 hour drive and mine started in Texas at 3 a.m. today. This truck has not stopped rolling since we got on it. We're hitting all the crazy weather you've been hearing of and last night I had wind...crazy bad wind. I was so exhausted after 4 hours of keeping us upright. My arms were rubber! For the first time since I got here, I couldn't finish my shift. I had to wake up my trainer and he drove.

I went to sleep feeling a little defeated. There's an opinion some of the males have that the wife part of the team is there to just drive and the hubby does the hard parts like mountains and alley docking. I so want to be respected by my male peers. So every time we have a tight alley, I am going to do it. Blindside? I'm your gal. Stuck landing gear? Hand me my gloves sweety! I will not be that lady driver who is there to drive the straight parts, and I want all you ladies to do the same. Elevate your game, wear makeup, pink gloves, cute t-shirts... whatever. But be a driver first and foremost. That was me passing on my pep talk to you!

That's all for now, I'll post again soon. In the meantime here's me... keeping the shiny side up! Have a blessed day... ~Jana~