Swift Orientation To Begin On Tues The 26th

I finished Roadmaster a week ago (98.7 GPA), and used this last week to finish tying up loose ends. Storage, getting my car ready to sell, ect.

Now I'm ready to start my orientation in Ocala, FL. After my four weeks with a trainer are up I'll have my camera gear with me and start fulfilling my name as the Trucktagropher. While I generally focus on portraiture I'm looking forward to shooting some landscapes while out on the road. I'll share some of the highlights here.

I finished Roadmaster a week ago (98.7 GPA), and used this last week to finish tying up loose ends. Storage, getting my car ready to sell, ect.

Now I'm ready to start my orientation in Ocala, FL. After my four weeks with a trainer are up I'll have my camera gear with me and start fulfilling my name as the Trucktagropher. While I generally focus on portraiture I'm looking forward to shooting some landscapes while out on the road. I'll share some of the highlights here.

Congrats sir. Good luck on your training.

Thanks. I hope the four weeks goes by quickly.

Well, Orientation is over and yet I'm not on a truck. Seems they are having a shortage of Mentors. Most of the previous class is also still waiting on being assigned a Mentor. I went ahead and came home. They told me to call back on Tuesday to see if I have one yet. This is already starting to leave a bad taste in my mouth...I just want to get out and learn, and they just seem to keep scheduling large Orientation classes that they can't handle putting on the road.

I'm here to work/learn...not sit at home.

Well, a tiny silver lining...my Hazmat CDL arrived today. Less than a week (turned in the paperwork on Monday) to get it back.

Hey , congrats on the schooling. Regarding the Mentor, just remember that right now is the busiest for trucking and due to the shortage of drivers they are taking in, feast or famine mentality. The waiting game is part of the testing if you think of it, I'd just keep checking in to show that your are still interested and Waiting. Gods speed to you and them..

Hey welcome aboard Trucktographer!

Patience is everything right now. You're a former marine so you can handle anything this industry throws at you in your sleep. What you'll have to watch out for is driving yourself insane with frustration.

This upcoming training period and the first few months running solo will be a huge rollercoaster ride. You're going to be in a lot of stressful situations, you'll be stuck with a stranger for weeks that you might not get along with, and you're going to be in a lot of situations where you're not really sure what to do. On top of that you're brand new so nobody at your company knows you - most importantly your dispatcher. So there's no way to know what they're going to give you once they cut you loose running solo. It's the busy season so they might run you to death. You're brand new so they might not give you the miles you're looking for. There's no way to know right now.

But what you do know right now is that it's imperative to stay positive and patient. Let the process continue to play out and just roll with it. Have all the fun you can and keep learning. Getting your career underway is one h*ll of a process. You will experience about every emotion there is at the very ends of the spectrum. And much of that is done intentionally. These companies will push you. Many trainers will push you. They want to see if you can handle the stress and frustration you'll be facing every day out there so they might make things worse than they need to be sometimes just to see what you'll do.

So just roll with it and things will work out great. Do whatever it takes to get through the upcoming training period and you'll be all set.

Finally got in contact with someone above the Coordinator in Ocala that was able to get me a Mentor. He is just starting a few days of home time, so Monday we head out. I prefer that, so there is less chance of being picked up and then one load out being dropped off while my trainer takes a few days off.

Now to find out how the road will be.

Finally got in contact with someone above the Coordinator in Ocala that was able to get me a Mentor. He is just starting a few days of home time, so Monday we head out. I prefer that, so there is less chance of being picked up and then one load out being dropped off while my trainer takes a few days off.

Now to find out how the road will be.

congrats