Swift Orientation, Memphis, TN

... I do have a few questions about the physicals, but I'll look around the forums ...

Anyhow, just wished to share with you that I'm glad you started your journal as you were beginning school, you gave me a little insight there, as well.

TierHog, physicals: my biggest worry has been hypertension/high blood pressure. This has earned me a one-year medical card, even with medication.

As for my diary, that's why I'm doing it. Partly to show what it's like, partly to show how. Some of the stuff you learn gets used.

... I do have a few questions about the physicals, but I'll look around the forums ...

Anyhow, just wished to share with you that I'm glad you started your journal as you were beginning school, you gave me a little insight there, as well.

TierHog, physicals: my biggest worry has been hypertension/high blood pressure. This has earned me a one-year medical card, even with medication.

As for my diary, that's why I'm doing it. Partly to show what it's like, partly to show how. Some of the stuff you learn gets used.

Actually - FMCSA regs mandate that even if your BP is in the "normal range" (less than 140/90) but controlled by meds - that a 1 year card should be issued so you condition can continue to be monitored. 49 CFR 391.41 (b)(6).

I should have my BP down without meds by the time I renew in May. Going to a different clinic, because the one I renewed at last year "should have given me" a 1 year card - as I was 135/95 unmedicated.

Like your blog there Errol. Keep up the great work (driving & blogging)...

Rick

We started this week with a Sunday trip. Starting in Little Rock just before noon, we drove 3 hours to return to Crossett and pick up the load that wasn't ready Friday. Crossett to a Memphis distribution center, no problem. An uneventful Sunday, but a 5 hour drive. Then in the evening, at the Swift terminal in Memphis, we were assigned a trailer that had three stops in it! That's very unusual for this assigned route. But it wasn't the usual paper goods, either. We had four John Deere tractors loaded in a dry van , not on a flat bed, for three stops. The three stops were all in southern Louisiana, the first in Houma - seven hours away - and out in the Mississippi River Delta - Bayou country! It was late Sunday night and Carlos' turn to drive. I got into the sleeper and snoozed till Monday morning.

I woke up and we were on narrow Houma streets during morning rush hour. Slow, cramped, a tight left turn got us lined up to drive through a tunnel underneath the Intracoastal Waterway. We had enough height clearance, only the CB antennas on the truck scraped the ceiling of the tunnel all the way through!

The first stop (all three are local JD Dealers.) had done this before. They had a portable ramp they pulled out, chained it to the back if the trailer, and simply backed the tractor out. Quick, easy.

The next stop was in Donaldsonville, an hour north. Carlos was still working his drive time, so he drove to D'ville. This of load was with an earthen ramp that came up about 10" short of the trailer tailgate. The tractor driver "enjoyed" that quick drop/thump!

We started this week with a Sunday trip. Starting in Little Rock just before noon, we drove 3 hours to return to Crossett and pick up the load that wasn't ready Friday. Crossett to a Memphis distribution center, no problem. An uneventful Sunday, but a 5 hour drive. Then in the evening, at the Swift terminal in Memphis, we were assigned a trailer that had three stops in it! That's very unusual for this assigned route. But it wasn't the usual paper goods, either. We had four John Deere tractors loaded in a dry van , not on a flat bed, for three stops. The three stops were all in southern Louisiana, the first in Houma - seven hours away - and out in the Mississippi River Delta - Bayou country! It was late Sunday night and Carlos' turn to drive. I got into the sleeper and snoozed till Monday morning.

I woke up and we were on narrow Houma streets during morning rush hour. Slow, cramped, a tight left turn got us lined up to drive through a tunnel underneath the Intracoastal Waterway. We had enough height clearance, only the CB antennas on the truck scraped the ceiling of the tunnel all the way through!

The first stop (all three are local JD Dealers.) had done this before. They had a portable ramp they pulled out, chained it to the back if the trailer, and simply backed the tractor out. Quick, easy.

The next stop was in Donaldsonville, an hour north. Carlos was still working his drive time, so he drove to D'ville. This of load was with an earthen ramp that came up about 10" short of the trailer tailgate. The tractor driver "enjoyed" that quick drop/thump!

I love to read all of your updates and I am so pleased to read them, knowing that you are out there, on the road, doing well. I hope to be able to add my name to the list of people that have their CDL and are getting a life of financial security for themselves and their family.

I love to read all of your updates and I am so pleased to read them, knowing that you are out there, on the road, doing well. I hope to be able to add my name to the list of people that have their CDL and are getting a life of financial security for themselves and their family.

Thank you, Pepper. Here's a teaser: this load has three stops, I've described two. I just haven had time yet to write about the third one (New Iberia) the"scariest" day so far!

Houma: check. Donaldsonville: check. Next stop: New Iberia.

The trip from D'ville to N. I. turned into one of the scariest trips in my short truck driving career (6 weeks so far).

There is no direct route between these two towns. The Atchafalaya Swamp gets on the way. So, the (ahem) shortest route is to go north to Baton Rouge, west on I-10 about 40 miles, then south from Breaux Bridge on LA-31.

There's no problem with most of the trip, we enjoyed the beautiful Bayou Teche landscape. We entered the town of St Martinville, passing the Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site. (Evangeline! Yeah, that poem we had to read in high school!)

Rolled into the old part of town - OH NO! a right turn from a really narrow 2-lane street onto another narrow 2-lane street! With a light pole right on the corner! And I have 63 feet of trailer!

In traffic, no room to slide left, no room to pull farther into oncoming traffic after the turn. That light pole moving closer to the curb (I thought). I put a big smile on my face and looked at the lady wanting to turn left in front of me. Pointing to my right turn path and indicatiing her car was in the way, she backed up! She must have seen this before. Yes, even the driver behind her backed up! I hope the backing up is a local tradition.

Pulling around the corner, I watched that light pole get closer to my tandems. I could still see daylight between, so I carefully pulled forward (Thank You, driver lady!), brushed the curb with my tire, and escaped.

Whew! I continued through the town, breathing again - no damage done! Oh. Left turn now. A tight one, on narrow old-town streets! Left turns are a bit easier - more room to maneuver, a bit more wiggle room to pull out and start the turn, some well used space along that right curb. Those local car drivers knew. Escape #2.

Not done yet: one more old-town right turn. Tight as the first, including the traditional corner pole. Cars this time stopped early to give me room. Trailer - pole space seemed paper thin, but space is space here. Made it.

St Martinville is a nice town, except for two rights and a left!

The JD dealer here has a built-up dirt ramp to off load trailers. Done! Now for the next dispatch. Head for Zachary, LA. Sigh. Back through St Martinville. Only this time, it's two Lefts and a Right! Well, I already had a bit of practice.

Children, be sure you practice your left and right curb turns! These turns can get you, just as sure as the boogey man will jump out from behind a tree for you!

I got to thinking about "real life" situations in trucking: in shifting maybe you'll grind a gear or two. Work the clutch and the accelerator - you'll get back into gear. If you're backing up, you'll probably simply pull up to re-aim the trailer.

But if you are forced to pull into a tight right turn on narrow streets, you have little recovery room. Can't back up out of it, can't pull wide to get the tandems past that corner. A real possibility to damage property and your trailer. You need to bring up all your skill and patience. Watch your lane position as you come up to the corner, even blocking an extra lane if you can. Pay as much attention to that shrinking space between any object on the corner and the side of your trailer - watch that gap! And, yes, good luck.

After the tractors were delivered, we were back to our usual work with a load from Zachary, LA, to Memphis. I picked up the load, but my hours ran out that evening. Carlos drove to Memphis and on to Dyersburg. I took the wheel to drive the 130 mile dead head from D'burg to Indianola. I continued with the Indianola pick-up bound for Campti (240 miles away). We left Dyersburg around 5pm, picked up the trailer in D'burg, and kept rolling for Campti. The complete trip was about 450 miles. Needless to say, my drive time (enhanced with a 30 minute break) ran out in Campti.

The road to Campti includes 47 miles on a curvy two lane road. This road reminds me of a first person maze video game, expecially at night. You get surprises like a sudden stop sign (with flashing red lights), a sudden intersection with flashing yellow lights (no stop sign. Hint: this intersection you just drive through, no stop, no turn.) A few other things pop up on this 1 hour 10 minute maze.

From Wednesday to now (Thursday afternoon) there really hasn't been to much to write about, just team driving day and night.

Now at the Zachary we are in line with six trucks ahead of us waiting for our pick ups. From here we head for Little Rock, and the start of my last weekend during road training.

Our week-end began a day early, on Friday. So our week started mid morning on Sunday.

Driving team style for almost a month, now (with those weekend breaks) had become routine. Being mostly non-stop, the days almost become meaningless, except to put the correct "fraction" - "2/15" - on our paperwork.

Also since it's all pick up - drive - deliver - pick up - drive, not much new to report. Except last night I surprised myself.

Before noon Carlos picked me up at the motel (I hope for the last time!) and we headed for Crossett - 3 hours south. This load, I believe, is the longest run I've made on this dedicated route: Crossett, AR, to Temple, TX, booking almost 400 miles. That's a bit more than 8 1/2 hours driving.

Arrived around midnight, but the place won't open till 7am, and receiving starts at 8. I was in the sleeper by now anyway, so Carlos got some z-time "on duty" on the driver seat.

Deadhead from Temple to Dallas for a return load, which we hauled to Monticello, arriving Monday night about 9. We often make a delivery here, then a pickup. But the activities in this operation take almost two hours: scale in, a live unload, scale out, turn around with the empty trailer, go to the inspection dock, find a home for the empty then looking for our assigned trailer load to take, hook & leave: 1-1/2 - 2 hours. You have to watch your duty time so you don't get caught "inside" with no time left!

Here's my surprise, and I hope it happens to you: as a new driver, I really didn't like the idea of backing that long trailer anywhere. Monticello is where you need to make a 270° turn right in front of the dock to back in properly.

Another truck was in dock #2 and I needed to back into #1. Carlos said I could wait, since no one was behind us. "No", I said, "let me figure this 'problem' out then back in." What did I just say?! Instead of waiting to back in the "old/easy" way, I was going to take this as a backing challenge! With a few extra pull-ups, it happened - I moved into dock #1 with another truck blocking my usual approach. Ta-dah!

Now back to the usual daily grind. Monticello to West Monroe (our home away from home) for a load going to Zachary, LA. We knew we would again arrive early in the morning, to wait for the office to open. We waited. Office opened. "I'm sorry, that order isn't even scheduled for production till this afternoon" the shipping clerk informs us.

A Qualcomm message to dispatch gets us a new load, ready to go, heading for Baton Rouge. Today is Mardi Gras, and we're headed for Louisiana. Who knows what will happen?

Had a chance to catch up on your adventure! Good stuff. Not gonna lie I am getting a little anxious! Behave and be safe lol

Had a chance to catch up on your adventure! Good stuff. Not gonna lie I am getting a little anxious! Behave and be safe lol

Be anxious, Mikki, because this is a new adventure for you. Don't worry though, because many others have taken this path and are successful. There are about 20 million CDL-A drivers out there, and most had to put up with the frustration and the new things, just like you. Enjoy the ride.