Posted: 4 years, 11 months ago
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Jim Palmer Wilson Logistics training Montana
I wont bore you with the day to day so I'll be back in a few weeks with an update once I'm back to the yard to take CDL test.
Cheers!
Posted: 4 years, 11 months ago
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Jim Palmer Wilson Logistics training Montana
My best bit of advise from my own experience
1) What could go wrong? This can be anything from bumping into a truck while backing into a truck stop to tire blow outs etc. Ask yourself all the time what can go wrong right now?
2) How can I prevent this from happening? Obviously for the backing bump you want to get out and look. For tire blow outs you can check your tire pressure every morning during your pre-trip, etc.
3) When should I do this? The answer here is always right now. Do you're pre-trips every day, even when you don't think you need them. Always get out and look when you have even the slightest question as to if you're gunna hit something. And even sometimes when you think you have it perfectly in there.
Damn great advice Matthew, thank you for taking the time to post that! Cheers, Kelly
Posted: 4 years, 11 months ago
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Jim Palmer Wilson Logistics training Montana
Day 6 So, I can fall asleep like a baby, which I did listening to classic rock...but staying asleep is a different story. Woke up at 3am ( the usual) and made my way out of my bunk at 3:30am. Was able to have my coffee and hang out in the drivers lounge and catch up on some emails. Now 6:50am and my trainer is still crashed out LOL. We'll figure out a routine for the next 3 weeks.
We did 262 miles to Idaho falls with some breaks in between to practice some backing. Nice to have the time to do that.
We stopped at Walmart, the funny thing about that is we took a wrong turn and ended up in the parking lot! Imagine that, an 80,000lb vehicle manuvering up the lane toward the store. Definitely some shocked looks on people's faces but all went well and got out of there with no issues.
Trainer is great, very patient and always looking for opportunities to educate me and guide me.
The shorter miles are good to get conditioned slowly as I usually jump in with both feet and I can see where that could be an issue out here trying to do too much to fast.
Tommorow should be 300+ to get to where we need to be for Monday delivery.
Thanks for tuning in and be safe out there.
Cheers!
Posted: 4 years, 11 months ago
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Jim Palmer Wilson Logistics training Montana
Hey Matthew, thanks for the info. They certainly made it sound like a rule but it's all good for now as Ed prefers to drive during the day. It will be interesting to see if we drive as a team as I progress. He told me that's something he typically does not do. I'm good either way as I've said, his house his rules.
Posted: 4 years, 11 months ago
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Jim Palmer Wilson Logistics training Montana
Day 5
Arrived this morning and was told I'm heading out today!! But as it goes, we are waiting on an empty trailer which there is one, but it has a tractor under it and the keys have gone missing, apparently a truck from someone that quit?! 😂
We will be heading to three forks Montana.
My instructor, Ed, has a bit of experience considering he's trained close to 200 students with only 1 that didn't pass CDL on the first try so I'd say I'm in good hands.
Picked up my first load after driving about 200 miles at a seed company. Pulled around and did a straight easy back, total weight 79,800lb. We did a cat scale being concerned we were over but the drive axles and the trailer axles came in only 40lb difference at 33880 and 33840 with steer axles at 12080 so nothing to do here!
Pretty damn awesome!
Now, welcome to the suck...our delivery is in Utah 500+ miles not due until Monday morning so what's that...ahhh.... 250ish miles a day. Needless to say Ed is a little peturbed wondering what dispatch was thinking, but what you gonna do?
Cheers, Kelly
Posted: 4 years, 12 months ago
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Jim Palmer Wilson Logistics training Montana
Day 4
We will be out road driving today, skip bobcat directly to 53' trailer! Holeeeee shiz. Also we will practice more backing.
Funny how when asked are there any volunteers? Everyone looks around, I swear I gave everyone else a chance when we were asked, "who wants to drive"? but my hand shot up first. Grabbed the keys to a Pete, did the pre-trip, hopped up in the cab and....the battery was dead! LOL It's all good, got some jumper cables on her and after a bit fired right up. Humm, now for a trailer, off we went to hook up to one so I got to do that also.
We hit it all, dirt road, skinny road, railroad tracks, stop signs, stop lights, traffic, freeway and back. It was awesome!! It wasn't as nerve wracking as I thot it would be.
Turning comes naturally to me and up shifting no problem, need to definitely work on the down shifting but that seems to be the norm. I find it way easier to float the gears but we can't do that for the CDL test. The clutches are so sensitive you can pretty much look like your clutching then just shift. We'll see when I get another opportunity. Also did some 90° backing but want to do more.
They bbq'd hamburgers, hotdogs and sausages for lunch so I'm pretty sure everyone had food coma this afternoon.
One of the guys is already going out. They have a run to deliver tomorrow morning in Denver, so Darwin took him out for a road practice since he hadn't done it yet, nothing like jumping into the fire to learn.
Cheers!
Posted: 4 years, 12 months ago
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Jim Palmer Wilson Logistics training Montana
Hey Chris, that sounds correct since wil-trans, Palmer, Wilson logistics are one in the same. No driving from 12am to 6am. However, I asked since I'm a morning person if I wanted to start at 3 or 4am was that ok? The answer was basically yes for 4am but a little him and haw about 3am. The impression I got is they don't want you starting at 10pm for example and driving through the night...training wheels, and getting acclimated.
I'm loving it and am impressed with Jim Palmer so I don't think you could go wrong.
Norwozzez
Also, my son is "C" seat if I am not mistaken, with Wil-Trans . I think he told me yesterday he can start driving at night. They were delivering fresh fruit from California to Chicago last night.
Anyway, thanks again.
Chris
Posted: 4 years, 12 months ago
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Jim Palmer Wilson Logistics training Montana
Day 3 04/03/2019
Van picked us up at 7am. This morning. So funny to arrive at 7:10 and still be sitting here an hour later... but it'll only be 20 minutes more. Haha. Ok, more time to review pretrip.
We signed our CDL school contract. Simply put, the cost is $3500 and at no time will $ be deducted from your pay. At 6 months $1750 is forgiven. At 12 months the remaining $1750 is forgiven. So stick around for a year and no cost to you. Even if you were to leave after 6 months, you'll only pay 1/2. Really very fair and one of the best agreements out there in my opinion, and a more than fair price for training when compared to others.
Overall so far, I am impressed. I like the small feel making it more personalized, you are you and not a number. Everyone is very friendly and encouraging.
The Wilson's (Father and son) we are told are very approachable and we are encouraged to stop in and say hi if they are here as they like to know there drivers.
More later as the day progresses.
About 1pm Darwin took us out for a pre-trip run through then into the truck to pull forward and straight back, then out to a 45 degree angle to back. Also had a student pull out to show the angle you'll want to take a picture of in your mind for the 90 degree back. I did all right as he helped me and wow, what a thrill! Oh yeah, the 2 students that had to still pass their permit test did it. We are still a group of 5.
And that concluded our day. Tomorrow out on the roads driving Cheers!
Posted: 4 years, 12 months ago
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Jim Palmer Wilson Logistics training Montana
Thanks Dave, that's some great stuff. Noticed that with Marc for sure. Haven't had much interaction with Darwin as he's doing onboarding. They must have drawn straws! 😂. That will change today since Marc is on vacation. Believe it will be Carina (spelling)? And Casey today.
Are you running regional or otr?
Cheers
Posted: 4 years, 11 months ago
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Jim Palmer Wilson Logistics training Montana
Ok, I'm back to recap 4/7 to 4/23 Montana to south of salt lake, back north of salt lake, then through again to drive across I80 and Nevada to the Bay Area. From there, Central California to southern California, to East of LA then up to Bellingham. Over to Wenatchee down to Redding CA to switch me into another trainer's truck as first trainer was heading to AZ for home time. From there up to Tacoma area the next morning for early delivery the next day. I drove the Majority of miles but trainer took over so we didn't run my 70hr clock out. We got to a Wilson yard with 20 minutes of drive time remaining which brings us to 04/18. 4/19 To Toledo Oregon, then down to Corning CA. Off at 5:30am to get down to Redlands CA then up to Barstow, CA for a 34 hr reset. New trainer had been on vacation so he was not going to pick up any hours at midnight. With that being done, we left at 4am Monday to get to Missoula by Noon Tuesday. Monday we split our 14 hour clock running the rest of California, through Nevada, Arizona, Utah and finishing in Idaho Falls for the night. We made our appointment window arriving at 10:30am for a live unload that took about 3 hours. After, we headed to the yard where I got to do a few 90 degree practice backs. I found out I would be testing the next morning, Wednesday, 4/24.
As a side note, the 34 reset wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The 1st night is a normal night so really it's only a day and the next night. I went on a 8.3 mile desert hikes enjoying the blue skies and sunshine and got to meet a desert turtle, pretty cool!
Not sure how to attach a photo so hopefully the below link will work.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/xY3TVVCJDThQkpT67
Cheers, Kelly