Comments By Phantom 850

Any new updates?

Actually, yes. I’m writing this update from the comfort of my lazyboy at home. After schooling and running the roads for two months I’ve made it home. I’m not done with my training yet, near as we figure I’ve got another 5-6 weeks before I’m on my own. My trainer was looking to get some home time so he dropped me off on the way, and he’ll pick me up on the way back. Our go home load was a voodoo load. First we were over gross and had to be reworked. Then we ran it across the shippers scale four times and it wouldn’t balance. It took three trips across a cat to get it right. Then 87 miles from my house it blows a tandem tire. Then my trainer text me today. He blew a drive tire that ate the mud flap, knocked a hole in the apron, and broke of a crossmember. Like I said. Voodoo load.

So, me and my trainer are driving down the highway and we see some kids waiting at a bus stop. Maybe half a dozen or so, and ever one of them is doing the arm pump. Now, I’ve had my CDL for three weeks, so I think I’m a big tough scary trucker, right? So what do I do? I reach over and blip the air horn for them. My trainer and I grinned for the next 100 miles. What those kids don’t know is that most of us get as big a kick out of it as they do. So that brought a topic to mind. Other than payday, what is your favorite part of driving a truck?

I have a vacation home a couple hours west of Marion in Franklin, NC. Way back up in the hills, and I’ve yet to see Bigfoot. Now, I’m from the Florida panhandle, (hence the 850) and when I was a kid my daddy swears he saw one on the Eglin AFB reservation. That guy liked to drink a lot though.

I've read every page of the thread, following along. At each click, I was ready to see what came next. This thread gave me some insight to how testing goes and the phases of training.

Glad I’m an entertaining read. As for the testing and training goes, it will depend on the company and state. Fun fact: I’m from Florida and now have a Missouri license. Once I get home I’ll have to change it over.

So I’m sitting in a truck stop just south of Chi Town because we’re way ahead of schedule. Got to stop at Iowa 80 in Walcott today. For all you other rookies or truck fans that haven’t been there, you owe it to yourself to go. It’s truck guy Valhalla. I guess I like torturing myself, seeing all the pretty stuff I’m not allowed to put on a company truck. Of to Cleveland in the AM to have lunch with my trainer/mentor/partner/buddy’s mother. Drop in Maryland on Saturday morning, then we’re going to try to swing back to Springfield, then hopefully on home.

As an elder millennial, (we were the first to embrace smartphones, but we remember rotary phones) I love tech. Automated transmissions are amazing, satellite radio is awesome, and DEF, well, I hate DEF. The trick is making tech “trucker proof”. Let’s be real people, we’re hard on stuff. What works in a soccer mom’s suv that does 10,000 miles a year isn’t going to hold up in a truck that does 120,000. If they can make it work, I’m all for it. However, the trap lies in people relying on it too much. All the tech in the world will never replace a good G.O.A.L. A lot of driver love the old school. I’m one of them. There’s nothing cooler than a W900 with an Easton tranny and 8 inch stacks. But you know what else is old school? Hard mounted cabs, no power steering, and optional front brakes. SD, I’m glad to have you here. Anyone that sparks intelligent debate is ok in my book. That being said, it’s a different world on the road. I know you realize that, you’re too smart not to.

I love technology. My house is loaded with smart home technology. Even my chicken house is smart. Trailers have added skirts and tails to get better mpg. Monitors for 4 wheelers to see ahead is an excellent idea. Another great idea is a camera that transmits to the driver, like RVs have.

Man, forget all this work talk. I wanna hear more about the smart chicken house.

Gonna try to get a quick update in while we’re waiting to get an air line changed. It’s been a busy couple of weeks. Springfield up to somewhere in Ohio. Then to Detroit to grab a load of tomatoes that came in from Canada to haul to Miami. (If someone can explain that I’ll buy you a cup of coffee.) Raced a hurricane because “Give it to the Florida boys. They’re used to that stuff.” Ran across the Glades to get orange juice to take to Phoenix. Run out to LA to get produce for Cheyenne. Finally 43,000 pounds of chicken feet (Yes, you read that right. Chicken feet.) to Portland Oregon where I sit now. The way we’re running, I should have my own truck in no time.

So after a day of paperwork, I’ll be off again with my trainer in a few minutes. 30,000 miles to go and I get my own truck. Since I’m technically still in training, I’ll keep updating this along the way so all my fans can phollow the phantom.

So they don't have training classes to go over the reading section?

Fun fact: Wilson sent me a link to Trucking Truth’s High Road CDL training program. That’s to that I passed, first time go.

Reading section? If I understand you correctly, then you mean classes for the permit test. No. You are expected to do your own studying on that. Follow the program here and you’ll be fine. I think some of the questions on the test had the exact same wording.

Phantom said

"Brad, whatever you do, please don’t drop the ban hammer. He amuses me."

Who's Brad?

Typing is an alien concept to me.