Comments By Mike D.

Other than a three year hiatus from 2012-2015, I was in the flooring business since 1992. An ugly divorce burned me out and I'm completing training with Millis Transfer to get my late in life career change going.

Millis is excellent, Prime has a great program as does Wilson Logistics.

Great stuff, thank all of you.

That's about 10 miles from the company I worked for before leaving for Millis a few weeks ago.

TaaaDaaa! Man, he's fast!

I'm going to get loaded at "U S Green Fiber" 615 Forrest Street.

I think I'll be there around 0930.

You can text me at the # on my bio if you like.

Yeah I thought being able to back up a big pickup with a 16ft car hauler would make me a natural. I was wrong.

Humbling experience

For the majority of people backing is the hardest part when they first start

Just make sure you’re looking at the correct points when backing.

So don’t forget to look at the ground where the tires are touching, not just the back of the trailer.

Oh I'm wanting it but it was postponed for the seventh time until November 18th, so...

But yeah, we only have two GOALS for testing but plenty of pull-ups, if necessary.

Thanks for the encouragement.

Mike D, dont worry too much about it. As long as you can do it well enough to pass your CDL test with DOT you are golde! and you get like 3 attempts at that I believe. If your school is like most you are doing all of your maneuvers with the tandems fully to the rear. In real life situations your tandems can be anywhere but are rarely all the way back and you will find backing as well as turning works different based in where the tandems are. After a while you just kind of get a feel for it based on trailer location and dont use the visual cues and distance measurements to back. Just remember, the best way to keep from backing into something is to G.O.A.L. multiple time as needed. Congrats on your 2nd chance, I wish I had found trucking before putting almost 18 years in with the Post Office as I hated that job but absolutely LOVE truck driving! As for the zoom divorce...CONGRATULATIONS...if you want it as I did when I got mine in 1996, CONDOLENCES to you if you weren't wanting it.

My first "I may not make it" moment, happened.

My 90 degree angle backing has been sporadic, at best. Everything else I'm doing well at.

Last Thursday and Friday I seemed to have it down but on Monday, I was all over the place. We had our practice test yesterday afternoon and I flubbed it, as well as one other student. We only have four students and one quit, yesterday.

One guy is 25 and a natural at backing up. He was exempt, yesterday.

So our trainer agreed to meet us this morning at 6:30, this morning, with one last chance to keep training.

First attempt I was off, but the second I corrected my mistake and dropped it in with no pull-ups and my hand was shook and I was told I made it.

Unfortunately I have a divorce by Zoom meeting at 9AM, today, so I'm unable to make the trip to Black River to meet everyone and that's a bummer and I wasn't able to stay and support my fellow classmate on his attempt but, I am beyond relieved.

I left a good paying and secure job for the chance to start a career late in life that I know I'll be happy with and trying to sleep last night while running the maneuver over and over in my head, well let's just say I got about four hours worth of sleep, at best.

I was thinking of all of the other recruiters I had spoken with and what I was going to say to them when I called them and told them "Hey, I was good enough at everything but the 90 degree and I'm close", etc.

Now, I'm beyond relieved and thankful for Millis giving me a second chance, because I really didn't want to work for anyone else.

Thanks Trucking Truth members for your positivity and all of the information I've gathered from reading the many informative posts and comments in this forum.

Hopefully I'll meet some of you on the road.

Excellent read.

Where are you training?

I start tomorrow. Going to the hotel this afternoon.

I'm with millis too. Went through their school and did a diary here as well. I graduated the school in Richfield Wi in march of 2019 and been solo since May of 2019.

If you got any questions let me know.

I start tomorrow. Going to the hotel this afternoon.

I'm with millis too. Went through their school and did a diary here as well. I graduated the school in Richfield Wi in march of 2019 and been solo since May of 2019.

If you got any questions let me know.

That's great to hear. I'm just trying to make it another week without getting kicked out of Millis and starting my career.

I've heard good things about H.O. Wolding.

Are you still with Millis? If so, what's your opinion after a year?

Thank you

Haya, Mike D. Not sure if you are addressing this to Kevin, or whom. Grumpy drives for H.O.Wolding and always has; haven't seen Kevin pretty much since that post; sorry!

Anne

Yep, still with Wolding, and couldn’t be happier.

I work my tail off when I want, and can take off when I want (unpaid), which is nice since my wife gets 4 weeks vacation.

The only negative is that my dispatcher, who I have had an awesome relationship with, is moving to load planner, but I’m sure my new one will be fine.

Im hourly so I tend to run my clock out with less miles than an OTR driver being paid mileage, but just did 2400 miles in 4 days. My last load brought me home yesterday and they asked if I wanted to head back out Monday. I said Saturday AM would be great, so as soon as my 34 is up Ill be rolling again.