Comments By Troy V.

Not yet but Im sure I will at some point now that I will be out on my own. Looking forward to it.

Hey quick (dumb) question....did they **** test you again during upgrade. And its just a simulator test right?

And I missed if a wheel hub is leaking what can that cause. Choices were A) Wheel lock up, B) Fire, or C) Loss of traction. I put fire. was wheel lock up.

Wait, what?

Wheel lock up?

A leaking wheel hub will result in drips of oil getting into places it never should. A drop could get onto the hot brakes. Oil can easily catch on fire and is the #1 danger of leaking hub seals.

Wheel lock up? Yeah, I guess after the entire axle got incinerated by the fire...

This can't be right.

Thank you thats what I thought! I was just happy I only missed 2 so just said to hell with it. I know a leaking hub is bad anyway.

Hey quick (dumb) question....did they **** test you again during upgrade. And its just a simulator test right?

No **** test, It was a 30 question paper test. Some multiple choice, some true/false and some you had to write in the answers. I only missed 2. One I missed was where you can place things on the front windshield. I put 6 inches or less from the bottom but its from the top. And I missed if a wheel hub is leaking what can that cause. Choices were A) Wheel lock up, B) Fire, or C) Loss of traction. I put fire. It was wheel lock up.

The thing I noticed is from the research I did was there is always someone that will say something bad about a company because it didnt work out for them so they go on a tantrum about how bad they are blah blah blah. I got pretty lucky straight out of CDL School I landed a flatbed job with Modular Transportation out of Grand Rapids Michigan and they have been awesome. I also found some that said it was a dysfunctional company blah blah. I have been here about 2 months or so now and so far I have nothing but great things to say about them. The freight is there, the money will be good. I think its all personal preference. Pay might be low with those mega carriers but if you run for them Im sure you will make money. Im pretty new to all this but that is the impression I got. Drive safe out there.

Thanks! I will definitely keep you posted. Im sure you will definitely hear about how my first load goes lol.

Roger, I do feel like you're selling yourself short. I know this because this is the exact same mistake I made. Back when I started I was afraid to go to a Company Sponsored School because I doubted that I could learn to drive a truck with their fast paced programs. I mean, I in all honesty just didn't think I could do it.

So you know what I did?

I ran away from it. Just like you're doing right now.

Listen man, we've all been where you're at. Before trucking I never drove anything with a clutch pedal. I struggled a lot. And honestly, I almost broke two peoples necks while I was driving because I made the truck jump badly (I'm serious I had to sign paperwork and all that). But it all comes together eventually. Keep practicing it and one day you'll get into that truck and it'll just click.

You really are overthinking this and doubting yourself. There are millions of drivers in this world and they all learned. So why can't you?

Bet on yourself. Life isn't easy, and trucking is a pain in the ass in the beginning. But you'll never reach your goals if you don't take risks. Trucking is a risk. I wake up everyday and risk my life. Your instructor is risking his life by being in the truck with a rookie. Trucking is a risk.

When I thought about trucking I was living in an apartment with my wife. She lost her job and I was making 300$ per week. We weren't getting by and quickly sinking into even more debt. I couldn't go without a job, no one was hiring. I needed to work to make money. So what did I do? I quit my job and went on a bus ride to go to my first company. I wasn't getting anywhere - changes had to happen! I took the risk head on. Here I am with slightly over a year experience at the age of just 22.

So quit backing off because your struggling. You won't get anywhere. We all struggled and eventually we overcame the odds. Bet on yourself, study and envision yourself double clutching. You can do it I'm confident in you.

I been here for awhile. I've seen dozens of folks coming through here and it's always the same thing. I'm struggling with shifting. But every single time they have an "I Graduated" post a few weeks later. You're one of them who will succeed, quit doubting yourself!

Perfectly said! This man knows his stuff Roger! You CAN do it man!

Congrats Troy!!!! Glad for ya brother. Hope it all works out well for ya good buddy. Good luck and drive safe. And keep the pedal to the medal!!!!

Thanks man!

Good job Troy. I wish I could have been there more for you like the others have. But you did great! Remember to inspect your new truck with a toothpick. Do not miss any detail and write down any defects it has. Have everything repaired before you take off with it. Check permits, emergency equipment, chains, EVERYTHING. Be very thorough bud!

Good job!!!

Definitely will. When I get it they have a guy from the garage out there with me going over it 10x over they said lol. Because if I dont mark it down and for some reason if I end up leaving the company and something is wrong with it, like hitting something and not reporting then its coming out of my pocket. So any dent or scratch or crack will be put down for sure. Any leaks will be fixed before i even think of moving it outside of driving it to the Ryder to be fixed ( about 90% of our trucks are Ryder leased ) But thanks man. You helped in more ways then you think just from reading your journey here on the forum. Super excited and Super nervous at the same time.

This in a CMV or your personal vehicle? All I can think to say is make the phone calls to find out.

Do you know anyone that has a truck you can practice on? And thank you for telling me about the B trucks. Never knew that. Im still fairly new as well. It is definitely tricky. Have you tried to rev the rpms up to maybe 1600-1700 to give you a little more time to make the shift?