Memoirs Of CDL Training Add A Lil OTR

Actually I don't remember the load, it was out of Chattanooga. Kraft I believe. When the officer pointed it out to me I was just waiting to hear "you must have drugs lets unload and find them"! I had a similar incident coming out of Nogales while driving for Cooke. Border Patrol and myself thought I gained an extra passenger among the lettuce I was hauling.

Actually I don't remember the load, it was out of Chattanooga. Kraft I believe. When the officer pointed it out to me I was just waiting to hear "you must have drugs lets unload and find them"! I had a similar incident coming out of Nogales while driving for Cooke. Border Patrol and myself thought I gained an extra passenger among the lettuce I was hauling.

Dogs DO like cheese products, as well...hahaha!

My dude hauls boxes to Chewy, and oftentimes comes home with treats; and DANG if our pittie... doesn't smell it !!! LoLoL..

Now, who was the lettuce passenger ?!?!? Rabbit? Goat? (IDMtnGal used to travel, with!) ... ?!?

That's actually a riot, good sir!

~ Anne ~

Apparently some illegals had been hiding in some produce loads coming out of Nogales. The dog stopped on a crate and sat there for a second sniffing extra hard. Funny thing about that story, on my first bus ride to Stevens somewhere in Arkansas I got to talking to this kid heading home from his stint in the Army. He was hoping to go Homeland Security or Border Patrol. Same guy. He was working Nogales area. Rookie I guess. About a year had passed. His co-worker and I assume Commanding Officer grew up near my hometown, his sister had taken piano lessons from my stepmother. Tiny lil world we live in. My last ride for Stevens next up.

I left California heading east in I-80. I remember feeling a little off. Something not right. I made it across Nevada and decided to get some food at a TA and rest awhile. I had plenty of time on the load so if I chose to shut down for the day, no big deal. I ate and took a nap. Next thing I know I hear "Driver driver are you ok?" I came to(I guess) and was standing behind a Schneider truck six trucks down from mine. Trying to play it off I said "yea man whats up"? He proceeds to tell me I stepped down from my cab and just stood behind the pumpkin. Staring at the ground. I had no idea what was happening. He told me I should message disp and give them a heads up. He talked to me for a few and I went to bed. I got up a lil before dawn. Checked my truck/trailer and was getting ready to leave when the driver from nite before approached asking me if I was ok. He talked to me for a few and took off down the road. I went into truck stop for a few drinks etc then hit the road. A few hours down the road I hear over the CB "Stevens! Stevens! Wtf are you doing? Stevens!" I realize its me they are yelling at. I look in my mirrors and notice two trucks are flanking me. I am dead center of the road running about 50. I grab cb and ask what have I been doing? I honestly could not remember prob 30 mins of the ride. I was told I was all over the road etc Somehow they got me dead center. Heck if I know. I got off at next TA right outside of Toelle, Utah. I went in got breakfast next thing you know I was in the beverage cooler. "Leave me alone" I told the employee who came to get me out of there. "I am hot and need to cool the f$&@ off." Next thing you know I am talking to a cop. And to this day I have to figure out how Stevens secured my truck before I was taken by cab to a medical center. Not even an hour had passed. I think the med center thought Stevens was going to pay the bill. 14,000$ for them to say Narcolepsy! I ended up in hotel in Salt Lake City all out of sorts. Steven offered me a bus ticket. Ended up on a plane home. Feeling rough and deflated. I had no idea what happened. To this day no idea. Similar things have happened since. Its all in my head I have been told. In 2014 I left for work on a Friday. Returned home Sunday. I had driven 30 miles and partied in Roanoke for two days. Still no memory of it. Bye Stevens. I want my belongings and Cooke Trucking up next

I left California heading east in I-80. I remember feeling a little off. Something not right. I made it across Nevada and decided to get some food at a TA and rest awhile. I had plenty of time on the load so if I chose to shut down for the day, no big deal. I ate and took a nap. Next thing I know I hear "Driver driver are you ok?" I came to(I guess) and was standing behind a Schneider truck six trucks down from mine. Trying to play it off I said "yea man whats up"? He proceeds to tell me I stepped down from my cab and just stood behind the pumpkin. Staring at the ground. I had no idea what was happening. He told me I should message disp and give them a heads up. He talked to me for a few and I went to bed. I got up a lil before dawn. Checked my truck/trailer and was getting ready to leave when the driver from nite before approached asking me if I was ok. He talked to me for a few and took off down the road. I went into truck stop for a few drinks etc then hit the road. A few hours down the road I hear over the CB "Stevens! Stevens! Wtf are you doing? Stevens!" I realize its me they are yelling at. I look in my mirrors and notice two trucks are flanking me. I am dead center of the road running about 50. I grab cb and ask what have I been doing? I honestly could not remember prob 30 mins of the ride. I was told I was all over the road etc Somehow they got me dead center. Heck if I know. I got off at next TA right outside of Toelle, Utah. I went in got breakfast next thing you know I was in the beverage cooler. "Leave me alone" I told the employee who came to get me out of there. "I am hot and need to cool the f$&@ off." Next thing you know I am talking to a cop. And to this day I have to figure out how Stevens secured my truck before I was taken by cab to a medical center. Not even an hour had passed. I think the med center thought Stevens was going to pay the bill. 14,000$ for them to say Narcolepsy! I ended up in hotel in Salt Lake City all out of sorts. Steven offered me a bus ticket. Ended up on a plane home. Feeling rough and deflated. I had no idea what happened. To this day no idea. Similar things have happened since. Its all in my head I have been told. In 2014 I left for work on a Friday. Returned home Sunday. I had driven 30 miles and partied in Roanoke for two days. Still no memory of it. Bye Stevens. I want my belongings and Cooke Trucking up next

Oh. Wow.

Snap. Dang.

PaulHarvey style, .. rest of the STORY?

~ Anne ~

So I go home. I realize Stevens had no desire to keep me on. So I wanted my belongings from the truck and they made it very difficult. I actually wrote up a little speech about what was going on and just wanted my stuff. About 20 seconds. I then for three days straight around 10pm called 40 plus extensions and gave my lil speech to their voicemail. I got a call from the truck manager telling me my stuff was on the way. I received a few of my things and a lot of someone elses things. Ha. Well I kind of fell into a depression for 60 days or so. Figured I needed a Dr's clearance so I brought the info from Utah Dr and new doc orders a week long sleep study. Joy. Looking thru the paperwork I notice he did not restrict me from driving. So I applied w Cooke Trucking out of Mt. Airy. 70 truck team operation. To this day still 70 trucks. I explained everything to them, even where dr did not restrict me. Drug test, physical and road test later I am hired. Cooke's equipment was ok. Freightshakers and nice Peterbilts. Furniture or Princess house to California. Produce or asian food back. Next up -Tony my trainer -wildfires -FREIGHTSHAKER

My time w Stevens ended on a bit of a sour note. I want to make it clear to anyone who is following or just looks in for a quick glance if they see Stevens tagged. They are a top notch company dedicated to safety and training. They are pretty straight forward about the industry, what they offer as pay/benefits, home time, miles, etc I do not know their starting pay rate at the moment, however it was .26-.28 cpm for many years. Drivers made ok money due to there length of haul,etc! In 2005 they did not push the lease program down your throat as I have heard they do now. I remember the contractor division as they called it giving us a presentation. The presenter was very adamant that we new drivers talk to other drivers in the division and drive at least 6 mo solo before deciding. I see Stevens trucks on the road today and I kind of smile w nostalgia. Cooke Trucking up next.

Cooke Trucking The Safety Director, DM , driver recruiting, compliance was on person. And one dispatcher day. One at night. My first dispatch I met Tony Brooks who was to train me for 30 days etc I was told to meet him at the yard 9:00 pm on a Sunday nite. Truck 60. I get there park, bring my belongings over to truck 60 and first thing I encounter when stepping into sleeper is a gallon jug half full of p$$& w a lil notch carved in the top so it would odorize the truck with its wonderful bouquet. I backed out of SB and was getting ready to bail on this all together. When Tony hops up into the truck introductions made, he realizes the smell, notices the jug, and 100% sees my disgust. Easy man he says this is not my assigned truck. We will get it next trip. He was on a 4 day break. And then calls dispatch out to the truck to show him the situation. Disp is livid. Knows exactly who was in T-60 before us. Told us to touch base once we were loaded for our return trip. Fast forward a few days and we meet up w the Tonys truck.Brand new Freightliner 50,000 mile maybe. We switch trucks. And it turns out the leavers of the jug full of yellow were the two we were switching trucks with. The one actually driving was cool for the most part, but he-she Toby was ready to fight. I could write a book about this dude, met him briefly one time after this. Piece of work. Wore leather hip waders w tassles down the back. Skin tight pants and western shirt. He was prob 275 with hair in two braids. Just to give you a pretty picture. Holding all his gear screaming at us. Tony bursting out laughing did not help. More to come.

Rewind once again. Tony wanted me to drive first, and gave me a few places to shut down if I felt the need where parking most likely wouldnt be an issue. Well this truck was the epitome of "Freightshaker". Any bump in the road the cabinets came flying open etc So I think we shut down for a quick nap before Nashville. Drivers usually switched in West Memphis if all went well. W Tony we had particular truck stops we used (fuel or not) because he had a girlfriend at each one. Some just to flirt some to go to truck while I showered, and well we will keep this PG-13. I was in sleeper when we hit Oklahoma feeling like a martini being shook, and starting to sweat, about time I was getting up to see where ac controls were Tony yells "Get the f$&@ up here dude, everything is on fire!" Wildfires were on both sides of I-40 and getting worse. Next thing you know we are stopped. Tumbleweeds of fire were everywhere. CB chatter was "come on drivers push thru protect the 4 wheelers its hot but we will live" I had to jump out of truck and get this poor woman in her 60s to drive not sit there. Tony lets me know he talked to other trucks around us and we would keep her protected, she finally moves. A female team driver in front of us rode shotgun w her until we were clear of the fire. I just teared up from this memory. Verklempt

Rewind once again. Tony wanted me to drive first, and gave me a few places to shut down if I felt the need where parking most likely wouldnt be an issue. Well this truck was the epitome of "Freightshaker". Any bump in the road the cabinets came flying open etc So I think we shut down for a quick nap before Nashville. Drivers usually switched in West Memphis if all went well. W Tony we had particular truck stops we used (fuel or not) because he had a girlfriend at each one. Some just to flirt some to go to truck while I showered, and well we will keep this PG-13. I was in sleeper when we hit Oklahoma feeling like a martini being shook, and starting to sweat, about time I was getting up to see where ac controls were Tony yells "Get the f$&@ up here dude, everything is on fire!" Wildfires were on both sides of I-40 and getting worse. Next thing you know we are stopped. Tumbleweeds of fire were everywhere. CB chatter was "come on drivers push thru protect the 4 wheelers its hot but we will live" I had to jump out of truck and get this poor woman in her 60s to drive not sit there. Tony lets me know he talked to other trucks around us and we would keep her protected, she finally moves. A female team driver in front of us rode shotgun w her until we were clear of the fire. I just teared up from this memory. Verklempt

Holy.Dang.Wow.

Back in the days where truckers banded together, and GAF'd.

I teared up, as well. Got a visual verisimilitude; bigtime. Bless that female teamie, that jumped in.

~ Anne ~