Training Is Going Well!

Topic 14834 | Page 1

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Miss Miyoshi's Comment
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So, I forget how long I've been out here. Three weeks already since my last update? I think? In that time I've literally been from one coast to the other multiple times. My trainer, Paige, is great. She's so patient with me. My floating is getting a little better, and I've had a few opportunities to back into spaces, although not amazingly well. I'm glad in those instances there was nothing around me! But I eventually got it. Just need more practice, of course. But Paige did tell me that I'll likely fare better with an automatic when I get my own truck. I'm thinking she is absolutely correct, and I look forward to hopefully getting one. I've also done a couple of couplings/uncouplings and basic fifth wheel maintenance, as well as learned how to set tandems (still learning the why) and how to change a rear tractor light. I'm also doing a lot of shipper/receiver interaction, and I'm enjoying learning all I can about that. Hours of service and how to most efficiently use my time is still a learning process.

*Incidental things I've learned since my last update:

*Sapp Bros stops have bidets. LUXURY!

*I see the sunset and sunrise every drive shift and it's really the best thing ever.

*Every major trucking route is a construction zone. Every.Faking.One.

*Lightning bug season means in about half an hour of driving your windshield will look like a glowing mini cosmos. It's awesome.

*Cooking on the truck with our Aroma 3 in 1 cooker is the best thing ever.

*I've never seen an armadillo in my life, but I must have seen 10 dead ones in a single night.

*Sapp Bros and Loves are my favorite truck stops so far.

*Don't try to park at a rest stop after 8pm. Just don't do it. Ever.

*Besides normal toiletries and caffeine, two things I can't live without are foot spray and flushable wipes.

*Audible is the best thing ever and I love it so much. Music can sometimes lull me. Audio books are a great way to be entertained while still being engaged with your surroundings.

I also left my cell phone in the ladies room at one of our driver change/bathroom stops. Stupid of me. Wasn't located, and while I got everything sorted with my phone company within half an hour, not having a phone, GPS, my audiobooks, etc. was super weird and lonely. Now I know how old school truckers must have felt. It made the job infinitely more lonely and isolating, even with my trainer being with me. Luckily I am in our Salt Lake City terminal and awaiting delivery of my new phone.

That's about it for now. I had a few more witty things to add to my incidentals list but I forgot them. Old age.....

Talk again soon, and stay safe out there!

Shipper:

The customer who is shipping the freight. This is where the driver will pick up a load and then deliver it to the receiver or consignee.

Terminal:

A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.

Tandems:

Tandem Axles

A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".

Tandem:

Tandem Axles

A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".

SAP:

Substance Abuse Professional

The Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) is a person who evaluates employees who have violated a DOT drug and alcohol program regulation and makes recommendations concerning education, treatment, follow-up testing, and aftercare.

HOS:

Hours Of Service

HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.

OWI:

Operating While Intoxicated

Brett Aquila's Comment
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Awesome update and glad to hear things are going well out there!

not having a phone, GPS, my audiobooks, etc. was super weird and lonely. Now I know how old school truckers must have felt. It made the job infinitely more lonely and isolating, even with my trainer being with me

Fortunately for me I was always a loner so I've heard of loneliness but have rarely experienced it. However, not having the Internet, Qualcomm , GPS, and cell phones made navigating the country infinitely more difficult. Next time you're downtown in a major city, imagine what it was like if you had gotten bad directions and were lost. You had to find a place to park (good luck!) and walk to a payphone with your notepad and pen hoping you could call the customer and find someone who knew the directions from wherever the heck you were at the moment. It went badly most of the time.

Turn off your cell phone, GPS, and Qualcomm. Imagine having to stop somewhere every time you needed to contact dispatch, knowing you would sit on hold for 25 minutes each time. Seriously, 25 minutes was the average hold time for each phone call. Do everything with a pen, a notepad, and the Rand McNally atlas. That's it. That's your entire toolset.

We didn't think much of it because we had never had GPS, Internet, cell phones, or Qualcomm. But once you've used those tools it would make going back to the old days quite difficult to bear.

Qualcomm:

Omnitracs (a.k.a. Qualcomm) is a satellite-based messaging system with built-in GPS capabilities built by Qualcomm. It has a small computer screen and keyboard and is tied into the truck’s computer. It allows trucking companies to track where the driver is at, monitor the truck, and send and receive messages with the driver – similar to email.

HOS:

Hours Of Service

HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.

OWI:

Operating While Intoxicated

G-Town's Comment
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Good for you Miss Miyoshi! You are learning quickly there are basically two seasons in trucking, Winter and Construction Season. Thanks for checking in and safe travels.

Mr. T's Comment
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Great update! Glad to hear from you & glad everything is going well! Stay safe!

Windfish's Comment
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Good for you Miss Miyoshi! You are learning quickly there are basically two seasons in trucking, Winter and Construction Season. Thanks for checking in and safe travels.

I was visiting South Dakota a few years ago and I was telling a guy about how we talk about the weather in Texas (if you don't like the weather, just wait 15 minutes). He described weather in South Dakota the exact same as you.

Sam the Wrestler's Comment
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Happy things are going mostly great.

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