I'm Going Off To Roehl 'cause I Need To Train!

Yes, I sang the title of your post😁

Then you're doing it right!!!!

Today we were grounded. No live driving. I did do some backing. Golly am I rusty!!! I'm so used to looking over my shoulder. I'll get there. It'll come back to me. Like y'all say, practice practice practice. doing well with my training book and trying to remember all the proper verbage for pre trips.

Properly attached, not damaged, not leaking...

Today we drove on the road around Marshfield. I forgot to mention that we've had about 8 inches of snow in the last 48 hours. I'm really glad that i'm getting the opportunity to learn driving in the snow and slush. i think that even if i don't see snow, it will still make me a better driver having that in my toolkit.

ON THE ROAD!!!!! WOOOOOO!!!!

we started backing as well. it was difficult at first, but my instructor hopped in and showed me a few tricks. it clicked. i did pretty well straight backing.

tomorrow we're going over the company app and discussing life on the road. half day. my goal is to finish my training book this weekend. that will give me a little more time at night. Still working on pretripping and verbage. properly mounted, not damaged, not leaking... oi.

well, i've been doing pretty well, i think. not amazing. not the worst. i'm average. and i think that's just fine. i dont need to be "top of the class". i'm not that arrogant. i just want to pass and set myself up for success when i'm solo.

anyhow, i hope you're all having a great day and making great miles.

Ok. Training rant. I am not the type to complain and moan, but if someone reading this post is coming to Roehl, I think this is good to know.

Breakfast is served at 6 Monday through Friday. You can grab a cup of coffee, a bowl of cereal, a slice of danish, a bagel with cream cheese, or a couple muffin bites. The usual hotel breakfast (continental) is served at 6:30 daily.

But you should be showing up to class at 6:15 to get the keys to the truck and start pre-tripping. That means you should leave the hotel at 6... On Saturday there is no cold breakfast at 6. Hotel continental is at 6:30. But class starts at 6:45...

You can get a small quick breakfast in on most mornings. In the snow, you're not getting breakfast. On Saturday, you're not getting breakfast.

Lunches are provided. They're pretty good! Make sure to specify whether you'd like chips (homemade! Quite good) or a cup of fruit. Fruit cup is small...

You will not get a drink. There are vending machines and a water fountain.

Saturday has come and gone. We trained on Roehl's app and discussed the path to success. I was surprised with how many people want to lease or owner operate. I just shook my head. I tried to explain to my roommate that leasing a truck might not be financially as great as it might seem. But his family has done trucking for years, and he's got support and every other thing we always hear...

Sunday. Breakfast!!! I'm sitting in the restaurant enjoying my coffee and a bowl of pretty good oatmeal. Ahhhh...

My brain is SSSSSOOOOOOOOOOO glad to have a day off. I don't have proof, but I imagine that the instructors see a big improvement on the second Monday of class. So nice to relax.

Did some book work last night. I'll finish it today. That's one less thing on my mind. Then it's force-feed myself pre-trip for the next week or two until I am reciting it in my sleep. I have the engine bay and steering system down. This week I'd like to have all the external pretrip memorized. Then week three I can concentrate on in cab and brake test.

We were sitting in class yesterday while some of the 4th week guys were testing. 3 came back in after failing. We had week one and two together. That's 23 students and the instructors. When they came in after failing, the instructor discussed why they failed in front of the class. I felt so bad for those guys! They're already upset and embarrassed. Not sure if they will get another shot or just owe Roehl for training. Now this man wants to know why they failed and discuss it in front of 23 strangers. Yes, I see that it's a "training opportunity" for the earlier week students. Honestly though, it didn't feel necessary. It felt awkward.

Today is my first full day off. I'm glad I worked my rear end off last week to get ahead in the book. It makes it easier to enjoy today.

It's odd to think that in six weeks I'll be issued my own truck. Talk about motivation! I keep telling myself to give this everything I can and I will be rewarded with the best trainer. I can shine for my trainer and they'll give me the bestest shiniest newestest truck in the fleet. Is it TRUE? probably not, but it's MOTIVATING!

Anyway, I'm done with my breakfast and am moving on to other things now. I hope that all of you have a great day today. Do something kind for someone. Put a little something in the "kharma jar."

First day of week 2.

Worst day so far. Really, really bad. Backing went well. I'm getting back into old habits and becoming fairly confident backing.

On the road is different. I am not at all confident. I feel like I can't relax and am pushing myself too hard. I want it SO BADLY that I can't relax and just DRIVE THE DAMN TRUCK! bah.

I've been beating myself up since we got back to the hotel. I don't want to distract anyone who is considering this, but GOD ALMIGHTY today sucked.

The good news is that tomorrow has to be better. This WILL click. I WILL put together the puzzle and drive like a pro. I understand that it doesn't come quickly, but it feels like this should be falling in place more easily.

I understand the theory and know what SHOULD BE happening, but my mind just disconnects from my body and everything just goes down hill.

Any tips, tricks, or helpful hints?

Have you gotten yourself a toy tractor and trailer rig yet? Don’t laugh! If you can get one of the larger ones of at least 1/24 scale, you’d be surprised backing it and watching it work. Same thing goes for it moving forwards and around corners. Another thing you may try is dragging a broom behind you and noticing how much extra distance it takes rounding a corner without it hitting anything, just like a 53 foot box trailer behind your cab. “Rome wasn’t built in a day”. Truckers are born,either—they’re made through constant practice, attention to details, and using their head. You’ll get it!

Difficult to offer advice without details of why your day sucked...

A couple of thoughts...

- don’t beat yourself up. You’ve never done this before. Try to be on an even keel; not letting the highs getting you too high, and the lows getting you too low. You will have good days and bad, learn from it and move in, not dwelling on any mistakes to the point it distracts from your focus.

- you never truly relax out here. Must always be aware of the situation, the surroundings and prepared for the unexpected.

Hope today is a better day for you.

Today I got to the tractor and asked if I could drive first. Everyone was fine with that and when we got on the road I asked that they keep quiet in the back. Everyone understood and they were quite accommodating. It went well at first, but as it went on, the chatterbox couldn't contain himself. He's the "here's what you should have done..." type. Well intentioned, but annoying. So then I started going down hill. I redeemed it, and today was way better than yesterday. Smoother shifts, less grinding. More concentrated. That really helped.

PackRat, I do NOT have a toy combo. I know what your talking about and agree with you. That would be a good training tool.

G-Town, I beat myself up yesterday because it was the low point of steep grade. Hopefully, I can just roll out of this valley and carry momentum into the next uphill. :)

I know I'm working myself up and overwhelming my own mind. I know that one of these days, I'll settle in and nail the drive, but until then, I suffer the slings and arrows...

My instructor gave me some good feedback and told me he noticed improvement today. That was good to hear.

I hope that everyone is having a good day today. Thanks for tuning in.

Today

Rough. Had a bad day. Shifting is all wrong. Finished my drive strong. Instructor informed me that I am no longer allowed to drive on the street until I can get better at shifting. I'm in pretty low spirits today. I'm afraid this is the beginning if the end. I understand what to do. I know the science, but when I get on the road, it all goes out the window. I just can't seem to get it to click. Maybe I'm overthinking, or not listening. Maybe I just need to relax and let this settle in. I dunno.

Maybe the peanut gallery is talking while you are driving and distracting you?

You need to breathe and think. you can do this. i did.