Millis Transfer - Hamilton, OH... Here I Go

Well after 2 months of waiting and a mild issue with my BP, it's time to get my list and check it twice. I'm heading to Hamilton, OH tomorrow the 24th to start training with MTI on the 25th. I'm surprisingly more nervous that I anticipated at this point. Won't be my first time behind the wheel, but it will be my first time in more than a decade.

Will also be my first time being away from the entire family for an extended period. Millis sounds like a solid company with an excellent training program, so I'm sure I'll be just fine.

I will try to keep this updated as much as possible, but I'm not taking a laptop, so posts might be short since they will be from a phone while in the first part of my training. Will probably post more on the weekends as I only live 30 minutes from the hotel, so I plan to return home on the weekends that I can.

Thank you everyone who's posted on these forums as reading them inspired me to keep pushing even when things weren't looking great.

Josh

Congratulations Josh! We are very excited for you!

Day -1

Got everything loaded up and packed. Now I sit here in a hotel off I75 in southern Ohio.

So many emotions, nervous, excitement, sadness. Just as many thoughts. I know I can do this, I've done it before, but doubts always find a way.

I'll definitely keep this update with the soon to be roller-coaster of training..

Josh

Day -1

Got everything loaded up and packed. Now I sit here in a hotel off I75 in southern Ohio.

So many emotions, nervous, excitement, sadness. Just as many thoughts. I know I can do this, I've done it before, but doubts always find a way.

I'll definitely keep this update with the soon to be roller-coaster of training..

Josh

Welcome to Ohio ~!!

I'll be following your journey, as well. Congrats ~!!

~ Anne ~

Sorry for the delay reporting back, not much for phone posting, but I figure I can post a brief update and expand thins weekend.

Day 1

Lots of paperwork, policies, procedures, etc. Also took the whiz quiz. There's 6 in the class and Bill, the instructor, is full of great stories. Put everyone at ease.

Unfortunately I found out that the manual training trucks were put out to pasture in November, so it's 100% auto now. I was looking forward to testing my muscle memory on the shifting.

Day 2

Worked on hours of service, map reading and route planning. Definitely rang a bell, though there are quite a few changes from 2004.

Tomorrow brings the infamous Millis 500, marking my first time in a truck in almost two decades. I can hardly wait.

I'll try to update a little more often going forward, but no promises.

Josh

Ok well the updates didn't work out as well as I'd hoped, but I'm home for the weekend and back at a pc so here we go:

Day 3 - Wednesday, January 27, 2021

Today was the Millis 500, or an apparently abbreviated version. Bill said he usually has 1 day running bobtail and one hooked to an empty, however, since Millis has retired his babies and given him 2 autos to train in, we spent the morning bobtailing and the afternoon hauling air around the terminal.

It felt like an old glove, I got behind the wheel and everything felt like I was just in the seat yesterday. Day flew by since it's was an all driving day. I also forgot the joys of paper logs, but I remembered them well enough to help others when needed. Got out of training for the day at around 1630 and headed back to the hotel.

Day 4 - Thursday, January 28, 2021

This was a full classroom day, pretrip was a large focus of the day. It's changed a bit from when I did it last, but still in the ballpark of what I remember. I never really understood the need to memorize it, I can't imagine a situation that I couldn't use a checklist or app to guide through it.

Additionally we watch lots of those ever enjoyable J J Keller videos, real enthralling material that stuff. Not much to report on other that we got our logons, so everyone passed the drug screen. Got out at 1630 again and back to the hotel.

Day 5 - Friday, January 29, 2021

Had to be in today at 0600 for a pretrip demonstration from Bill. Thankfully he pulled the truck and trailer into the garage so it was nice and toasty. After about an hour and a half of that, we were shown how to use the scale at the Trenton yard then off to learn the straight line back and coupling/uncoupling.

Straight line backing came back almost immediately, so it felt like I was doing it on intuition vs looking at the mirror and having to decide how to correct. Was helping the others apply what they had been told, and by mid day all but one had it down to an acceptable level for the first day.

Coupling wasn't bad either other than some growing pains from the auto, made worse by not having creep mode. First time I got under the trailer a bit too soft and the locking jaw didn't engage, I knew it and pulled out and hit it a bit harder and got it to lock. Worse problems to have than hitting too softly, but now I know to but some oomph into that. Second and beyond went great, and I wasn't really coached or even watched, so I'll take that as a compliment and keep moving.

After lunch it was more straight line backing and a rerunning of the Millis 500 with trailer. By the end of the day everyone was doing the backing acceptably, and we were cut loose at 1500. Back to the hotel, pack up the laundry and headed the 35 minutes home. Monday, we are back at it and starting the other backing maneuvers.

I'll post more as I get time and remember to.

Josh

Great updates, Josh.

Thank god the newer trucks have auto creep. My 17 didnt and I set my camera off at least 50 times backing under a trailer.