Do It Like Sonny Pruitt

^ chest

t h u m p i n g

^ chest

t h u m p i n g

Yes. Looks like the automatic potty-mouth detector detected something unintended. I am sure I didn't have a space between the t and h.

It's in most cases the opposite; the negative information is typically posted by a former disgruntled driver or something juicy overheard at the "truck stop water-cooler". And typically embellished for effect.

Yeah, I understand that. But still, when you start seeing the same couple of companies being mentioned over and over and over again, across different websites and in different contexts, but everyone coming to the same conclusion that that company (or companies) are terrible, then I think that might actually be more that just embellishment.

But, hey, that's just me, and I might be wrong.

Day 3.

More tests passed, combination vehicles, doubles & triples, tankers. More review for the CDL Permit test at the DMV tomorrow.

In general, I just want to say I'm very happy with my driving school. I've read some horror stories about some schools, however this has been a very positive experience so far, no complaints. Well, I say that

Today, we were watching safety videos made in 1989. That's 27 years. For some context, if I was watching a 27 year old movie in class when I was in high school in 1985, that would be a film made in 1958. I dunno, maybe the foundational principals of safety are eternal, never changing.

And, besides, those 1970s cabover's were SWEET!

But, again, that's just nitpicking.

I got a line on a company that's hiring, but they only deliver to the Western 11 states. I'm based in Vegas, so that would be cool. Or would it?

I mean, going OTR is kind of an opportunity of a lifetime, to see more of the USA in one or two years that most people ever see.

But, then, you're really not "seeing" it, are you, you're just driving through it. And seeing truck stops, mostly. So, staying in the Western 11 would be fine.

Or would it? What about getting all that experience of driving through so much different weather and different traffic conditions. I would be far more well rounded if I went for a company that drove through all the lower 48.

But, then, I'd probably get more home time with a local company.

Seriously, I can go back and forth like this all night. I'm a mess.

I'm going to go study for my DMV tests tomorrow, wish me luck.

Day 4 - Test Day.

Went over HazMat in the morning, then released at lunch to go to the DMV to take the written.

General Knowledge: Passed
Air Brakes: Passed
Combination: Passed
Doubles and Triples: Failed
Tanker: Passed

Oh well, the idea of driving a double or triple trailer at this point scares the bejeebus about of me anyway.

So, I got the permit, and brought a stack of backup paperwork to get the REAL ID Card. Whatever the hell that is.

A couple of guys in my class didn't make it, they'll go back tomorrow I guess.

One guy, NOT in my class I'll have you know, walked into the testing room, sat at the screen for about 3 minutes furiously punching answers, then yelled some obscenities at the screen, shared with the entire class that he failed again, punched the screen, more obscenities then stormed out.

Yeah, he's the one I want behind the wheel of a 70,000 lbs rig.

I'm glad this is over, if I'm honest. This was just beginning stress anyway, preparation stress. A stress taster spoon. I'm sure the actual driving test will be the Everlasting Gobstopper of stress.

I'm glad tomorrow is a day off. Have a great weekend, everyone.

Day 5 - Log Books and Trip Planning.

$80.00 for a road atlas, eh? No, the school isn't selling them, we were using ones from 2008. I saw the price on the back. I wonder if the price has gone up since then.

Everything is on a bigger scale with trucking. Vehicles are bigger, jobs are bigger, coffee mugs are bigger, road atlases are bigger. Danger is bigger. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the scale of the whole thing.

Trip planning seems both fairly straightforward and confusing at the same time. Lots of hours to keep track of, 11 hours, 14 hours, 70 hours. Lots of hours. I'm sure I'll get the hang of it soon. Same thing with log books.

Can anyone tell me the why drivers object to e-logs, because filling out all this stuff out by hand is a drag. I appreciate I need to know the mechanics behind the daily log, and I have no problems learning this decades old-school trucking tradition. I'm just curious.

We were supposed to have a recruiter from a major carrier come speak to us today, but they bailed. I guess they don't need drivers that bad. I wonder if I should take that as emblematic of how the company works.

More recruiters are scheduled throughout the week. I'll keep you posted.

The more I looked at the maps today, the more I wanted to get out onto the road. Learning about air brakes and weight restrictions is important and necessary and good, however seeing real destinations stirred something in me. Places I've only read about. Denver. Lubbock. New Orleans. Spokane. St. Louis. Can't wait.

Get in. Let's go. I'll drive.

Code Red wrote:

$80.00 for a road atlas, eh? No, the school isn't selling them, we were using ones from 2008. I saw the price on the back. I wonder if the price has gone up since then.

End of last year purchased a new 2016 Rand McNally Truckers Road Atlas from Amazon for $14.99. I buy a new one every other year. Truck stops will charge a much higher price...if you can, Amazon is a good bet for a good price on items like this.

You asked about e-logs and older/experienced truckers. I for one love electronic logs , it keeps track of everything, it's real-time, and I never need to waste valuable time trying to recapture my day "in writing". The only time I need to deal with the manual system is if my Qualcomm decides to take a prolonged nap, it's rare. Some of the old guard takes exception to e-logs because they would keep two books; one legal for DOT's eyes and one,... I think you can fill in the blanks.

End of last year purchased a new 2016 Rand McNally Truckers Road Atlas from Amazon for $14.99. I buy a new one every other year. Truck stops will charge a much higher price...if you can, Amazon is a good bet for a good price on items like this.

Good info, thanks for that. And, because I knew the "e" in e-logs meant electronic, I assumed that they would probably go out once in a while. Because, electronics. Which is why I'm not complaining about learning the manual logs, I figure I'll need to do them at some point.

Day 6 - More Trip Planning.

Because this is the 160 hour course, I'm assuming that they have to prove that the students have 160 hours of class time. That's 40 hours per week for 4 weeks. However, I'm pretty sure they don't have 40 hours of material this week. But they are required to keep us there for 40 hours.

That's not a class, that's a hostage situation.

The bright spot today was our first recruiter. She was a smartly dressed woman who worked for, oh, let's not call out names here, we'll say she worked for Big White Trucking. That could be several different carriers.

She began by spending a disproportionate amount of time going around the class asking for people's name, what they did before school, and why they wanted a job in transportation. With every response I am sure she was sizing up her potential client pool, but I felt the time could have been better spent promoting her company. Who knows, maybe she assumed that everyone knows who Big White Trucking is.

Once she got rolling, however, it was a fine presentation. Though she made the connection that Big White Trucking is like the WalMart of trucking. I know what she meant, but I'm not convinced that was the best analogy. Here's some of my other favorite quotes from her presentation:

"Yes, I'm aware of what people say about our company, but in terms of percentage, it really is just a small, vocal minority...."

"Our drivers love the driver facing cameras...."

And when asked if her company offers a sign on bonus, she replied, "Sign on bonus is a fancy terms carriers like to throw around...."

The actual nuts and bolts of the terms, truth be told, did not seem that bad. They do offer tuition reimbursement, the option to go either OTR or Regional , a pretty good medical plan, a clearly defined training program and not a horrible beginning pay rate.

I know what you are saying, "She is a RECRUITER! It's her JOB to make Big White Trucking look good." Which is a valid point. On the other hand, I actually know some people who love their job at WalMart. Truth, I do. Are there horror stories about working at Wally World? You betcha.

But I know people who love working there. I do.

So, who knows, I might actually look into joining the team. After all, I did take one of the pens she was giving away. I guess I owe them something, now.

I'll do some more research. More recruiters are coming this week as well. I'll keep you posted.

Day 6 - More Trip Planning.

Because this is the 160 hour course, I'm assuming that they have to prove that the students have 160 hours of class time. That's 40 hours per week for 4 weeks. However, I'm pretty sure they don't have 40 hours of material this week. But they are required to keep us there for 40 hours.

That's not a class, that's a hostage situation.

The bright spot today was our first recruiter. She was a smartly dressed woman who worked for, oh, let's not call out names here, we'll say she worked for Big White Trucking. That could be several different carriers.

She began by spending a disproportionate amount of time going around the class asking for people's name, what they did before school, and why they wanted a job in transportation. With every response I am sure she was sizing up her potential client pool, but I felt the time could have been better spent promoting her company. Who knows, maybe she assumed that everyone knows who Big White Trucking is.

Once she got rolling, however, it was a fine presentation. Though she made the connection that Big White Trucking is like the WalMart of trucking. I know what she meant, but I'm not convinced that was the best analogy. Here's some of my other favorite quotes from her presentation:

"Yes, I'm aware of what people say about our company, but in terms of percentage, it really is just a small, vocal minority...."

"Our drivers love the driver facing cameras...."

And when asked if her company offers a sign on bonus, she replied, "Sign on bonus is a fancy terms carriers like to throw around...."

The actual nuts and bolts of the terms, truth be told, did not seem that bad. They do offer tuition reimbursement, the option to go either OTR or Regional , a pretty good medical plan, a clearly defined training program and not a horrible beginning pay rate.

I know what you are saying, "She is a RECRUITER! It's her JOB to make Big White Trucking look good." Which is a valid point. On the other hand, I actually know some people who love their job at WalMart. Truth, I do. Are there horror stories about working at Wally World? You betcha.

But I know people who love working there. I do.

So, who knows, I might actually look into joining the team. After all, I did take one of the pens she was giving away. I guess I owe them something, now.

I'll do some more research. More recruiters are coming this week as well. I'll keep you posted.

Very entertaining Code Red. Seriously, you can write. Not only do I enjoy working for the Big White Company, but I also love delivering to Walmart as a dedicated driver. Best of both worlds... Good post!