Since I've been home I've been trying to line up a trucking job that has a more predicable schedule. Susan and I decided that what I was heading for at Werner (and it would be the same for rookie drivers with most companies) -- i.e., 7-14 days out and two at home with no way to know which two days or when they would come up-- was not going to work for us. So I've been answering ads.
One of those came from an outfit called Relay Express that's based in Cincinnati and has an office in Romulus. I interviewed for a job that would have had me driving parts of 6 days/week, initially on a dedicated route between Chicago and Romulus. They thought me too inexperienced for that, but gave me a chance at a job delivering Trane heating and air conditioning units in an area covering southeast Michigan and the Thumb. The pay was marginal for my needs, but I agreed to go out with a trainer last Wednesday & Thursday, reporting at 4:30am each day. I think I could have managed the freight, which the driver unloads, but the trainer didn't agree. I think he thought I would injure myself and he's probably right. I'm glad I tried it, though. The trainer was a piece of work. Late 50's with tattoos covering both arms. He used to be in a biker club and I'm sorry to say he fit the stereotype: a foul-mouthed misogynist and racial bigot, his speech was heavily riddled with MFs. So it was unpleasant much of the time, but definitely an educational experience of a kind.
I've also applied to NTB, Inc. for another over-the-road job. The difference between it and Werner is that they promise 5 days out and the same 2 days home each week. I hope to have an interview with NTB this coming week.
In the meantime, a couple of my Trainco classmates -- Lumpy and Craig --have completed their training and are getting their own trucks to head out as solo drivers. The others are in training as far as I know. Lumpy calls regularly with news.
I remain optimistic that I'll find the right fit. I miss the driving and the "open road."
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Monday, July 7, 2008
Taking a Break
Werner has an option during training that allows a student to take a week's break at home half-way through training and I decided to take advantage of that. So I'm back home in Ann Arbor. This gives me a chance to reflect on my experience and, frankly, to decide if I want to continue.
To be continued.
To be continued.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
July 3
Rex extended his home stay at least one more day, so I have some time to write. I did a quick tote and I've driven over 6000 miles since June 16 through parts of at least 17 states from South Carolina to California east to west and Louisiana to Ohio south to north. My shifting is improving day-by-day, though I still have problems downshifting going up a steep grade. I've learned how to move the trailer tandem axles (yes, they move) to balance load weight. I can "drop" a trailer and "hook" up to a different one (the transaction is called "drop & hook"). I'm getting familiar with the paperwork truckers have to do and there's lots of it. With about three weeks left in the training I still have a lot to learn, but Rex and I agree that I'll be able to do the job when I get my own truck.
Here are some random takes and observations.
During one of our longer layovers, at a truck stop near Little Rock, I took a walk to get away from the roar of idling diesels and found quiet less than a quarter mile away along a paved road next to a farm field. The road dead-ended in a way that led me to think it might have been part of an aborted sub-division. On the side opposite the field, the road was bounded by a thick stand of trees and shrubs that masked the sounds of the truck stop almost completely. I could hear birds and frogs and even the breeze, such as it was, blowing through the foliage. I found a shady spot to stand and make a few calls. It was a very welcome respite on a very hot day. Trucks are just noisy beasts.
At that same truck stop, I encountered a forlorn looking woman I judged to be in her late thirties or early forties who was asking male truckers if they were headed to Oklahoma. A sad character, she seemed to me like she had leaked off the pages of a Lucinda Williams song.
For several days last week, we ended up on what they call in this business a dedicated run, carrying Proctor & Gamble products between Alexandria, Louisiana and Lima, Ohio. We made that 945-mile run four times! I saw some beautiful countryside in Louisiana and Arkansas on U.S. 82 and other blue highways before getting onto the Interstate system again.
As of last Saturday, I am no longer a "rookie" driver, but a full student! That is to say, I can now drive between midnight and 6am. Rex took advantage of that Monday as I started a 7-hour stint at 11pm and drove though the night mostly on U.S. 285 through the Texas panhandle heading for a delivery in Albuquerque. I was OK until just before dawn when I got pretty drowsy. Unfortunately there was NO place to pull over, so I applied heavy will power and made it OK. Rex says everybody has trouble around that time. Not much comfort.
Once we leave El Paso, we'll be truly driving as as team, making long hauls and switching off with one of us driving while the other one sleeps. That will be interrupted periodically with longer stops, but it will be a heavy dose of driving. Since I find I can sleep pretty well while the truck is rolling and I can pile up those required driving hours more quickly this way, I'm OK with it. However, that will be all the team driving I ever expect to do.
It's been 95 in El Paso the last two days, a fairly dry heat. Apparently, they're in the rainy season, though, with the real heat still to come. I can attest to the season as I was marooned in a Wal Mart near my hotel yesterday during some very heavy thunder storms.
More as I can.
Here are some random takes and observations.
During one of our longer layovers, at a truck stop near Little Rock, I took a walk to get away from the roar of idling diesels and found quiet less than a quarter mile away along a paved road next to a farm field. The road dead-ended in a way that led me to think it might have been part of an aborted sub-division. On the side opposite the field, the road was bounded by a thick stand of trees and shrubs that masked the sounds of the truck stop almost completely. I could hear birds and frogs and even the breeze, such as it was, blowing through the foliage. I found a shady spot to stand and make a few calls. It was a very welcome respite on a very hot day. Trucks are just noisy beasts.
At that same truck stop, I encountered a forlorn looking woman I judged to be in her late thirties or early forties who was asking male truckers if they were headed to Oklahoma. A sad character, she seemed to me like she had leaked off the pages of a Lucinda Williams song.
For several days last week, we ended up on what they call in this business a dedicated run, carrying Proctor & Gamble products between Alexandria, Louisiana and Lima, Ohio. We made that 945-mile run four times! I saw some beautiful countryside in Louisiana and Arkansas on U.S. 82 and other blue highways before getting onto the Interstate system again.
As of last Saturday, I am no longer a "rookie" driver, but a full student! That is to say, I can now drive between midnight and 6am. Rex took advantage of that Monday as I started a 7-hour stint at 11pm and drove though the night mostly on U.S. 285 through the Texas panhandle heading for a delivery in Albuquerque. I was OK until just before dawn when I got pretty drowsy. Unfortunately there was NO place to pull over, so I applied heavy will power and made it OK. Rex says everybody has trouble around that time. Not much comfort.
Once we leave El Paso, we'll be truly driving as as team, making long hauls and switching off with one of us driving while the other one sleeps. That will be interrupted periodically with longer stops, but it will be a heavy dose of driving. Since I find I can sleep pretty well while the truck is rolling and I can pile up those required driving hours more quickly this way, I'm OK with it. However, that will be all the team driving I ever expect to do.
It's been 95 in El Paso the last two days, a fairly dry heat. Apparently, they're in the rainy season, though, with the real heat still to come. I can attest to the season as I was marooned in a Wal Mart near my hotel yesterday during some very heavy thunder storms.
More as I can.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Quick Update
I'm writing this from El Paso TX where my trainer, Rex, lives. He's taking a few hours of home time. As for me, I'm comfortable in a Comfort Inn (at Werner's expense) having caught up on some personal financial business, done laundry and some shopping to restock for the road.
In the two-and-a-half weeks since Rex picked me up in Indianapolis, I've done nearly half of the 275 driving hours I need to complete my training for Werner driving several thousand miles around the country. Notwithstanding a bout with homesickness earlier this week, I'm holding up well and looking forward to finishing the training probably by the last week in July, if not before. There are stories to tell, but they'll have to wait for a later post.
In the two-and-a-half weeks since Rex picked me up in Indianapolis, I've done nearly half of the 275 driving hours I need to complete my training for Werner driving several thousand miles around the country. Notwithstanding a bout with homesickness earlier this week, I'm holding up well and looking forward to finishing the training probably by the last week in July, if not before. There are stories to tell, but they'll have to wait for a later post.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
On the road-Week 1
It's been 1 week since Rex picked me up in Indianapolis, and this is the first time I've had the time to post something. I'm at a truck stop in Amarillo Tx doing laundry and giving Rex a chance to get to sleep before I go back to the truck. Since Monday morning I've done little except drive, sleep and eat. From Indianapolis we drove to a town not far from Columbia SC to deliver 20 tons of dehydrated potatoes to a pet food processor. Since then we've been to Youngstown, Ohio, Kansas City, MO, Calexico, CA, Los Angeles, and now we're on the way to Memphis, where we drop part of the load we're carrying, then take the rest to Louisiana. The driving is going well, the shifting only fairly well (I struggled with down shifting in school and it's still a challenge). I've driven in heavy urban traffic and up and down mountains (the Smokies the first day!) and on the freeways through some spectacular country in Tennessee,New Mexico and California. I am pretty intimidated maneuvering in the big truck stops, which all seem to be crowded. I need a lot of backing practice, but it's only the first week.
I seem to be relaxed when on the highway, but my body is telling me that I'm undergoing high stress overall. I should say, my intestines are telling me. I'm trying to eat well, but it's been difficult finding good food at the stops we make and until today, we've been going, going, so there hasn't been time to shop. So I'm living on bottled smoothies, the occasional banana, granola bars, and sandwiches. With my appetite being low, I'm sure I'm losing weight. I'm also letting my beard grow for the duration of this training. I've had two showers in the last seven days and it's too much of a hassle to keep up with shaving. Many, many of the drivers I see at the truck stops are morbidly obese. That's not going to be me.
Thursday I had my first "walk away" moment, as in I just wanted to walk away and go home. It was an accumulation of stress and frustration that had me close to tears, but I weathered it. One of my friends said that he'd have been worried if I hadn't had such a moment.
One good thing--I've been able to sleep pretty well whether the truck is moving or not. A couple of times I've awakened to find that we're parked in a Wal Mart lot. The first one had several other trucks and a couple of NASCAR nomad RV's parked there as well.
I need to get off the computer now 'cause I'm posting on a paid WiFi connection that I need to save some time on.
I'll post again as soon as I can.
I seem to be relaxed when on the highway, but my body is telling me that I'm undergoing high stress overall. I should say, my intestines are telling me. I'm trying to eat well, but it's been difficult finding good food at the stops we make and until today, we've been going, going, so there hasn't been time to shop. So I'm living on bottled smoothies, the occasional banana, granola bars, and sandwiches. With my appetite being low, I'm sure I'm losing weight. I'm also letting my beard grow for the duration of this training. I've had two showers in the last seven days and it's too much of a hassle to keep up with shaving. Many, many of the drivers I see at the truck stops are morbidly obese. That's not going to be me.
Thursday I had my first "walk away" moment, as in I just wanted to walk away and go home. It was an accumulation of stress and frustration that had me close to tears, but I weathered it. One of my friends said that he'd have been worried if I hadn't had such a moment.
One good thing--I've been able to sleep pretty well whether the truck is moving or not. A couple of times I've awakened to find that we're parked in a Wal Mart lot. The first one had several other trucks and a couple of NASCAR nomad RV's parked there as well.
I need to get off the computer now 'cause I'm posting on a paid WiFi connection that I need to save some time on.
I'll post again as soon as I can.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Heading Out
We finished orientation yesterday and got our company badges, so I am now officially an employee of Werner Enterprises. We finished in time for me to watch Tiger Woods' indescribable accomplishments on the back nine at Torrey Pines in the U.S. Open, bad knee notwithstanding.
After a good night's sleep I waited to hear from my trainer. Several of the guys were picked up last night and a couple this morning. My trainer, Rex, finally called about noon and he will pick me up at the hotel around 2:30 this afternoon. If my information from the Omaha office is right, we'll be heading for South Carolina.
I'm very excited and ready for this next step. I talked with my Trainco classmate, Craig, this morning. He is in Chicago where their truck is broken down, waiting for road service. He said he's been doing most of the driving, which is what I want, and he's having a ball so far. The more driving, the sooner the 275 hours is done.
My next post will finally be from...THE ROAD!
After a good night's sleep I waited to hear from my trainer. Several of the guys were picked up last night and a couple this morning. My trainer, Rex, finally called about noon and he will pick me up at the hotel around 2:30 this afternoon. If my information from the Omaha office is right, we'll be heading for South Carolina.
I'm very excited and ready for this next step. I talked with my Trainco classmate, Craig, this morning. He is in Chicago where their truck is broken down, waiting for road service. He said he's been doing most of the driving, which is what I want, and he's having a ball so far. The more driving, the sooner the 275 hours is done.
My next post will finally be from...THE ROAD!
Friday, June 13, 2008
Orientation...so far
I'm at a Ramada Inn in the suburbs of Indianapolis, sharing a room with a second roommate in two nights. Last night's colleague had finished his training period and picked up his assigned tractor this morning. I had asked for and was assured I'd have a single room, but there's an amateur swing dance convention in the hotel this weekend. Overbooked, the desk clerk said. An early chance to be flexible in this new life, I thought.
Werner pays lodging and transportation for orientation (actually, until your trainer arrives on the scene). The room is OK, but there's only one small towel per person (I rate hotel rooms by the number and thickness of the towels). We have to be ready for a shuttle at 6am and the hotel doesn't provide breakfast until 6:30, so we get a bag breakfast of a very small container of juice and a muffin. No coffee. I did get some at noon. All told, not an impressive show, but I Know the company runs a lot of people through this program here and at several other sites around the country, and a lot of us don't stay. If you're wondering...I'm still determined.
I dodged one bullet when I decided to rent a car to drive here instead of taking advantage of the free bus ticket. One guy who did take advantage said a group of just-released prisoners were put on his bus. Another fellow orientator's bus arrived at 8pm but wasn't picked up by the hotel shuttle until 11pm. Whew.
Werner pays lodging and transportation for orientation (actually, until your trainer arrives on the scene). The room is OK, but there's only one small towel per person (I rate hotel rooms by the number and thickness of the towels). We have to be ready for a shuttle at 6am and the hotel doesn't provide breakfast until 6:30, so we get a bag breakfast of a very small container of juice and a muffin. No coffee. I did get some at noon. All told, not an impressive show, but I Know the company runs a lot of people through this program here and at several other sites around the country, and a lot of us don't stay. If you're wondering...I'm still determined.
I dodged one bullet when I decided to rent a car to drive here instead of taking advantage of the free bus ticket. One guy who did take advantage said a group of just-released prisoners were put on his bus. Another fellow orientator's bus arrived at 8pm but wasn't picked up by the hotel shuttle until 11pm. Whew.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Decision Made
I've decided to sign on with Werner Enterprises. Their trucks are various shades of blue with blue and gold lettering. It's a very large company based in Omaha. It had come down to Werner and U.S. Xpress and the nod went to Werner because they have more extensive driver training and more choices of regions, including a Midwest region that specifically excludes the Northeast. I'm from the Northeast and I love it there, but not as a destination for a delivery in an 80,000 pound, 65-foot truck!
I will be leaving by bus on Thursday June 12 for a 3-day orientation either in Springfield, Ohio or Indianapolis (whichever has the shorter bus ride!). Following the orientation I'll be assigned to a trainer and we will head out on the road for my OJT in his truck for 4-6 weeks. It's possible I'll get home once during that time, but I'm not counting on it. My trainer and I will get to know each other pretty well pretty fast. I've been told that I can ask for another trainer if the relationship doesn't gel. Our instructors at Trainco made it very clear that this training period may not be a lot of fun, but to stick it out. I fully intend to do that.
Tom, one of my two classmates who stumbled on their first CDL test, passed the second time around and is off this Sunday to orientation with U.S. Xpress. Craig, who also passed his re-test, started his orientation with Werner today in Indianapolis. Lumpy is headed for training with the flatbed company, Maverick, tomorrow. I talked with Lalo today and he is still in the decision-making process. That leaves just Greg and "Biker" Ed whose decisions I haven't heard about ("Special" Ed, the FBI agent doesn't need a job, of course).
Speaking of "Biker" Ed, I owe you a story about him. Ed has driven straight trucks for a number of years, occasionally making deliveries and pick-ups over the border into Canada. He does not intend to return to that country anytime soon. Here's why.
Several years ago he was sent to deliver some "prototype" dog food, developed by an Ohio-based firm, to a pet food company in Ontario. When he tried to clear customs, the officials found that the bill of lading did not list all of the ingredients in the dog food. They told Ed that he could go no further until the information was provided. He contacted the company and they faxed a list of ingredients comprising, Ed said, approximately 99% of the total. Well, surprise, that didn't satisfy the inspectors. So Ed called the company back. By this time, he had already spent about four hours at the border and he was getting edgy. Apparently the second call led to a much longer delay. Maybe the company didn't really know what they had put in the dog food. In any case, the time was dragging on and Ed had to either hang out in the inspection office or make many, many visits to find out if a new fax had come. Now Ed is a big guy and he is definitely not the patient sort. Somehow, the vibes he was giving off in the office were picked up by a Canadian driver who began to make disparaging comments about Ed's U.S. countrymen. Mind you, he wasn't exactly directing these comments at Ed, but he was a loud-mouth, according to Ed, saying things that one could best sum up as describing Americans as wusses. Ed, being a good Christian man, tried his best to ignore the guy, but on the umpteenth check in the office after a wait that had stretched to about 10 hours, old Ed had had enough and he decked the loud-mouth. Ed said before he knew what had happened he was pinned face down on the floor and handcuffs were being applied to his wrists. The Mounties had pounced. Ed was dragged off to a room where he was questioned by the officers.
Eventually, as the loud-mouth chose not to press charges, Ed was released with a summons to appear in court at some specified date. I don't remember whether Ed ever made his delivery or had to return the dog food to its developers, but he did go back out on the road. He contacted the Canadian court pleading guilty and sent them funds to cover the fine and costs. However, he was told, during a trip to California, that he would have to appear in court. I can't do it, Ed said, my work won't allow it. Not the response the Canadians wanted to hear. Twice Ed sent the money and twice it was returned. He gave it up and vowed to steer clear of Canada from then on, figuring there's a warrant waiting for him.
I will be leaving by bus on Thursday June 12 for a 3-day orientation either in Springfield, Ohio or Indianapolis (whichever has the shorter bus ride!). Following the orientation I'll be assigned to a trainer and we will head out on the road for my OJT in his truck for 4-6 weeks. It's possible I'll get home once during that time, but I'm not counting on it. My trainer and I will get to know each other pretty well pretty fast. I've been told that I can ask for another trainer if the relationship doesn't gel. Our instructors at Trainco made it very clear that this training period may not be a lot of fun, but to stick it out. I fully intend to do that.
Tom, one of my two classmates who stumbled on their first CDL test, passed the second time around and is off this Sunday to orientation with U.S. Xpress. Craig, who also passed his re-test, started his orientation with Werner today in Indianapolis. Lumpy is headed for training with the flatbed company, Maverick, tomorrow. I talked with Lalo today and he is still in the decision-making process. That leaves just Greg and "Biker" Ed whose decisions I haven't heard about ("Special" Ed, the FBI agent doesn't need a job, of course).
Speaking of "Biker" Ed, I owe you a story about him. Ed has driven straight trucks for a number of years, occasionally making deliveries and pick-ups over the border into Canada. He does not intend to return to that country anytime soon. Here's why.
Several years ago he was sent to deliver some "prototype" dog food, developed by an Ohio-based firm, to a pet food company in Ontario. When he tried to clear customs, the officials found that the bill of lading did not list all of the ingredients in the dog food. They told Ed that he could go no further until the information was provided. He contacted the company and they faxed a list of ingredients comprising, Ed said, approximately 99% of the total. Well, surprise, that didn't satisfy the inspectors. So Ed called the company back. By this time, he had already spent about four hours at the border and he was getting edgy. Apparently the second call led to a much longer delay. Maybe the company didn't really know what they had put in the dog food. In any case, the time was dragging on and Ed had to either hang out in the inspection office or make many, many visits to find out if a new fax had come. Now Ed is a big guy and he is definitely not the patient sort. Somehow, the vibes he was giving off in the office were picked up by a Canadian driver who began to make disparaging comments about Ed's U.S. countrymen. Mind you, he wasn't exactly directing these comments at Ed, but he was a loud-mouth, according to Ed, saying things that one could best sum up as describing Americans as wusses. Ed, being a good Christian man, tried his best to ignore the guy, but on the umpteenth check in the office after a wait that had stretched to about 10 hours, old Ed had had enough and he decked the loud-mouth. Ed said before he knew what had happened he was pinned face down on the floor and handcuffs were being applied to his wrists. The Mounties had pounced. Ed was dragged off to a room where he was questioned by the officers.
Eventually, as the loud-mouth chose not to press charges, Ed was released with a summons to appear in court at some specified date. I don't remember whether Ed ever made his delivery or had to return the dog food to its developers, but he did go back out on the road. He contacted the Canadian court pleading guilty and sent them funds to cover the fine and costs. However, he was told, during a trip to California, that he would have to appear in court. I can't do it, Ed said, my work won't allow it. Not the response the Canadians wanted to hear. Twice Ed sent the money and twice it was returned. He gave it up and vowed to steer clear of Canada from then on, figuring there's a warrant waiting for him.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Graduation & The Test
5 pm Thursday May 22, the graduation ceremony for us eight trucking students. Craig's wife and two teenage sons were there, Lalo (aka Eduardo Martinez) had his mom, brother, sister-in-law and wife in attendance, and "Biker" Ed, one of our three Eds (also including "Special" Ed, the FBI agent, and Lalo), who rode a beautiful Harley to class each day, his fiance. The rest of us were stag. A nice group to hear the final exhortations from our instructors: "Slow down and watch your mirrors!" Apparently when students stop back who have had reportable (mostly minor) accidents the cause is either "I was going too fast" or "I forgot to check my mirrors." The most dangerous time, they say, is after about six months of driving, when you can get a little cocky. Everybody got a certificate and a class picture (I'll try scanning it).
Earlier that day "Biker" Ed and Lumpy (real name Clarence, so maybe Lumpy isn't so bad), passed their CDL tests. Craig and I were scheduled for Friday morning. I felt pretty comfortable about my chances when I left school Thursday, but, of course, that didn't last. I kept thinking about the right turn, which is the first of the four driving skills you must demonstrate before you take the road portion of the test. You get a total of 9 points to work with on the four skills. The problem is that if you hit the cone on the right turn you use up 6 points right off. If you miss it by too much, you can get as many as 5 points off. I was notable during the practice sessions for several times getting no more than 9 points total after hitting the cone. Skill two is a bumper stop--stopping at a line you can't see from the cab before the truck's bumper crosses it. It's not that hard really. There's a cone next to it and as soon as you see it in the vent window you stop. I routinely zeroed it. Skill three is straight-line backing--showing you can back the tractor and trailer in a straight line for 60 feet using just the large driver's side mirror. Again, not very difficult once you learn to sight along the trailer and make the proper steering adjustments. An easy zero. Skill four is the 90 degree alley dock backing maneuver. So if you hit the cone and get six points for the right turn, you have just three to work with on the alley dock. In practice, I usually managed to get no more than three points, but I surely didn't want it to come to that in the real test. So my anxiety level was up there Thursday night and when I woke up Friday morning I was dreading that right turn.
I remained anxious Friday morning until I sat down for some quiet time during which I turned over the whole thing to my Higher Power and settled down a lot. I headed for Zingerman's Road House for coffee with a book that had nothing to do with trucking--a WW II memoir by the late CBS newsman, Eric Severeid. His descriptions of London during the blitz simply transported me there. By the time I started for the school and my test, I was as relaxed as I could have been. I left in time to get there by 10 am for my 11 am testing appointment.
In the previous post I mentioned that Craig had not made it past the alley docking. I have to admit that I considered that was a possibility based on his visible lack of confidence on Thursday. I figured if I got there around 10, and if the truck we had both picked to test in was in the yard, I might be able to test early. That was a little cold, I guess. Yet I was genuinely sorry to see the truck sitting there when I arrived in Taylor.
Sandy was my examiner. A pleasant, motherly sort of woman I judged to be in her early 50s. Nevertheless, she had a reputation of being a tough examiner, though not as tough as our instructor, Sharon, is supposed to be. In that regard, we were lucky she couldn't test us. After doing the 113 point inspection of the truck (I missed five points; you can miss as many as 23 and still pass), she carefully described the skills that I was to demonstrate. Using a tip Lumpy had given me the day before, I got 2 on the right turn. I then zeroed the bumper stop and the straight line backing. That meant I could get 7 points on the alley dock and still pass, but I got just 3 points for a total of 5 on the skills, and it was time to go out on the road. I had heard from Lumpy and "Biker"Ed that Sandy was good at putting them at ease during the road test. When you think about it, that makes good personal survival sense. She took me through the streets of Taylor, including a turn off Telegraph that's preceded by a merging lane that requires you to move the beast over three lanes to get to the corner. No problem. In fact, I did really well on the substantive parts of the road test, all the time carrying on a pretty lively conversation with my examiner. That could have been distracting, but she must have known what she was doing because it actually helped me keep focused on my driving without white knuckling the wheel. I was pleased at how at home I felt in the cab. You do sit well above the traffic, but somehow it doesn't seem to me that I'm all that high up as I look through the windshield. Of course, I'll have much more to say about what I see from the cab when I'm really on the road.
The next step is to get a job. I have three applications out: U.S. Xpress, Swift and Garner. The latter is a relatively small company based in Findlay, Ohio. Only 80 trucks. The other two have hundreds. I'm excited. Ready to roll!
Earlier that day "Biker" Ed and Lumpy (real name Clarence, so maybe Lumpy isn't so bad), passed their CDL tests. Craig and I were scheduled for Friday morning. I felt pretty comfortable about my chances when I left school Thursday, but, of course, that didn't last. I kept thinking about the right turn, which is the first of the four driving skills you must demonstrate before you take the road portion of the test. You get a total of 9 points to work with on the four skills. The problem is that if you hit the cone on the right turn you use up 6 points right off. If you miss it by too much, you can get as many as 5 points off. I was notable during the practice sessions for several times getting no more than 9 points total after hitting the cone. Skill two is a bumper stop--stopping at a line you can't see from the cab before the truck's bumper crosses it. It's not that hard really. There's a cone next to it and as soon as you see it in the vent window you stop. I routinely zeroed it. Skill three is straight-line backing--showing you can back the tractor and trailer in a straight line for 60 feet using just the large driver's side mirror. Again, not very difficult once you learn to sight along the trailer and make the proper steering adjustments. An easy zero. Skill four is the 90 degree alley dock backing maneuver. So if you hit the cone and get six points for the right turn, you have just three to work with on the alley dock. In practice, I usually managed to get no more than three points, but I surely didn't want it to come to that in the real test. So my anxiety level was up there Thursday night and when I woke up Friday morning I was dreading that right turn.
I remained anxious Friday morning until I sat down for some quiet time during which I turned over the whole thing to my Higher Power and settled down a lot. I headed for Zingerman's Road House for coffee with a book that had nothing to do with trucking--a WW II memoir by the late CBS newsman, Eric Severeid. His descriptions of London during the blitz simply transported me there. By the time I started for the school and my test, I was as relaxed as I could have been. I left in time to get there by 10 am for my 11 am testing appointment.
In the previous post I mentioned that Craig had not made it past the alley docking. I have to admit that I considered that was a possibility based on his visible lack of confidence on Thursday. I figured if I got there around 10, and if the truck we had both picked to test in was in the yard, I might be able to test early. That was a little cold, I guess. Yet I was genuinely sorry to see the truck sitting there when I arrived in Taylor.
Sandy was my examiner. A pleasant, motherly sort of woman I judged to be in her early 50s. Nevertheless, she had a reputation of being a tough examiner, though not as tough as our instructor, Sharon, is supposed to be. In that regard, we were lucky she couldn't test us. After doing the 113 point inspection of the truck (I missed five points; you can miss as many as 23 and still pass), she carefully described the skills that I was to demonstrate. Using a tip Lumpy had given me the day before, I got 2 on the right turn. I then zeroed the bumper stop and the straight line backing. That meant I could get 7 points on the alley dock and still pass, but I got just 3 points for a total of 5 on the skills, and it was time to go out on the road. I had heard from Lumpy and "Biker"Ed that Sandy was good at putting them at ease during the road test. When you think about it, that makes good personal survival sense. She took me through the streets of Taylor, including a turn off Telegraph that's preceded by a merging lane that requires you to move the beast over three lanes to get to the corner. No problem. In fact, I did really well on the substantive parts of the road test, all the time carrying on a pretty lively conversation with my examiner. That could have been distracting, but she must have known what she was doing because it actually helped me keep focused on my driving without white knuckling the wheel. I was pleased at how at home I felt in the cab. You do sit well above the traffic, but somehow it doesn't seem to me that I'm all that high up as I look through the windshield. Of course, I'll have much more to say about what I see from the cab when I'm really on the road.
The next step is to get a job. I have three applications out: U.S. Xpress, Swift and Garner. The latter is a relatively small company based in Findlay, Ohio. Only 80 trucks. The other two have hundreds. I'm excited. Ready to roll!
Friday, May 23, 2008
I DID IT!
I PASSED!!
I took my CDL test this morning and passed it.
I immediately hied myself to the SOS office and now have a CDL/A license with endorsements for tankers, multiple trailers and hazmat. It really feels good. I'll post details about the test after a long weekend at our Lake Huron house.
One sad note: my classmate, Craig, scheduled to test before me this morning, didn't make it through the skills portion (right turn, straight line backing and 90 degree docking. It was the last one that got him.) Fortunately, our instructor, Sharon, was there. She told him to get away for the weekend and she'd work with him next week (no charge) to get him ready for a re-test. It's too bad, because, he's good at everything else. I'll be thinking about the last four of my mates (two others passed yesterday) who are testing tomorrow.
The road awaits!!
Monday, May 19, 2008
Saturday, May 17, 2008
The Third Week
Time seems to be moving fast now. I ended my third week at the school on Thursday by doing a pretty good 90 degree alley dock backing maneuver, then driving the full rig (with my instructor in the right seat and a couple of classmates sitting on the sleeper bed/couch) twenty miles down I-75 to Monroe. There I pulled into a truck stop and into a fuel bay between two other trucks. I felt right at home diving that truck. A little nervous, but I would have been worried if I hadn't been. What a BLAST!
We have next week to hone our skills before taking our CDL tests. I'm scheduled for 11am Friday. Now, thinking about that raises my blood pressure.
My classmates have turned out to be a really great bunch. We all seem to like each other and there's a lot of friendly joshing all around. No assholes in the bunch. Nobody even acting like one. The school is surely a bonding experience. We're all concerned about one of the guys who is very tight, thinking too much; easily gets down on himself. We give him all the encouragement and moral support we can. Actually, that goes on among us all because we are all crushing our share of cones now and then. And worse.
As good as the week ended, it started out rocky for your reporter. I had just finished a backing maneuver in the lot, and had gotten the truck rolling when one of the instructors called out something to me. I stepped on the brake, but not the clutch (I had just gotten out of a smaller truck with automatic transmission--not a very good excuse) and immediately the engine lugged and the truck bucked a couple of times before I could react). My head in my hand, I thought, "Shit!, I've broken the fucking truck." Sure enough, the ring gear in the diff lost a couple of teeth. But...the instructor didn't freak out or shame me. He said, "Hey, don't worry about it. Shit happens. These are old trucks. Shake it off, man." My classmates were equally supportive (VERY glad it hadn't been them). I was still shaken and a little hangdog, but I eventually came out of it, mostly because I started getting good-natured ribbing from my mates that continued all week (and will continue, I'm sure). In fact, I was out on the road with another truck on Tuesday, when the driver's side convex mirror that had been a bit loose finally loosened enough from vibration and started swinging below its normal position. I tried to swear the other guys in the truck to secrecy, but that didn't go anywhere. A fresh round of crap ensued, of course. It was really funny.
Wednesday of this week, we had a "career day" at the Western Branch of WCCC, where we heard from seven recruiters who all want us to come to work for their companies. I particularly liked U.S. Xpress. You've seen the trucks...red tractors with red lettering on white trailers. There was one of the four flatbed companies we heard from that I also liked--big new shiny black Peterbilt tractors with leather seats and all the bells and whistles. The thing with that kind of work, though, is that the driver is fully responsible for tarping and tying down the loads. The tarps weigh 80-100 pounds. In my road warrior haze I thought, "I can do that." But, when I talked to my instructor about it, she said, "No offense, Joel, but maybe you shouldn't take that on at this point in your life." Nicely put. However, later in the day as we were tooling down I-75, she asked me if I'd mind wearing a suit in a job. My mind had fun with that image for a second. Then she said she rarely suggests this opportunity to students, but she thought it might work for me. Apparently Park West Galleries has a fleet of trucks that haul vans with art exhibits in them. The driver parks it then, kind of like James Bond who pulls off a jump suit to reveal a finely tailored tux, he puts on a suit and becomes the greeter. Perfect for me, or what?! That's all I know about it. She will give me an app on Monday. I don't want to think about it too much.
OK, I've found the digital camera. I promise pictures not later than Tuesday.
We have next week to hone our skills before taking our CDL tests. I'm scheduled for 11am Friday. Now, thinking about that raises my blood pressure.
My classmates have turned out to be a really great bunch. We all seem to like each other and there's a lot of friendly joshing all around. No assholes in the bunch. Nobody even acting like one. The school is surely a bonding experience. We're all concerned about one of the guys who is very tight, thinking too much; easily gets down on himself. We give him all the encouragement and moral support we can. Actually, that goes on among us all because we are all crushing our share of cones now and then. And worse.
As good as the week ended, it started out rocky for your reporter. I had just finished a backing maneuver in the lot, and had gotten the truck rolling when one of the instructors called out something to me. I stepped on the brake, but not the clutch (I had just gotten out of a smaller truck with automatic transmission--not a very good excuse) and immediately the engine lugged and the truck bucked a couple of times before I could react). My head in my hand, I thought, "Shit!, I've broken the fucking truck." Sure enough, the ring gear in the diff lost a couple of teeth. But...the instructor didn't freak out or shame me. He said, "Hey, don't worry about it. Shit happens. These are old trucks. Shake it off, man." My classmates were equally supportive (VERY glad it hadn't been them). I was still shaken and a little hangdog, but I eventually came out of it, mostly because I started getting good-natured ribbing from my mates that continued all week (and will continue, I'm sure). In fact, I was out on the road with another truck on Tuesday, when the driver's side convex mirror that had been a bit loose finally loosened enough from vibration and started swinging below its normal position. I tried to swear the other guys in the truck to secrecy, but that didn't go anywhere. A fresh round of crap ensued, of course. It was really funny.
Wednesday of this week, we had a "career day" at the Western Branch of WCCC, where we heard from seven recruiters who all want us to come to work for their companies. I particularly liked U.S. Xpress. You've seen the trucks...red tractors with red lettering on white trailers. There was one of the four flatbed companies we heard from that I also liked--big new shiny black Peterbilt tractors with leather seats and all the bells and whistles. The thing with that kind of work, though, is that the driver is fully responsible for tarping and tying down the loads. The tarps weigh 80-100 pounds. In my road warrior haze I thought, "I can do that." But, when I talked to my instructor about it, she said, "No offense, Joel, but maybe you shouldn't take that on at this point in your life." Nicely put. However, later in the day as we were tooling down I-75, she asked me if I'd mind wearing a suit in a job. My mind had fun with that image for a second. Then she said she rarely suggests this opportunity to students, but she thought it might work for me. Apparently Park West Galleries has a fleet of trucks that haul vans with art exhibits in them. The driver parks it then, kind of like James Bond who pulls off a jump suit to reveal a finely tailored tux, he puts on a suit and becomes the greeter. Perfect for me, or what?! That's all I know about it. She will give me an app on Monday. I don't want to think about it too much.
OK, I've found the digital camera. I promise pictures not later than Tuesday.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Second Week
By the end of the second week last Friday I was feeling pretty good about my progress. The most important milestone was going out on the road last Wednesday with the tractor pulling a 53' trailer. My double clutch shifting had gotten quite good by that point so that I wasn't worrying about it. I did miss some shifts, but I was able to recover well by going back to the previous gear. There was a minimum of grinding generally. The instructor was impressed, especially considering the bad scene on Monday. So I was able to concentrate on the problem of turning the behemoth without hitting anything. Except for a curb coming out of the school lot, I didn't. I'm feeling more and more at home in the driver's seat. Traffic was moderately heavy on the streets we covered in the city of Taylor. Maybe it's because I've had experience on a road racing course, but I wasn't bothered by the traffic passing us. But, as the instructor says (the male instructor): "Hey, this ain't a race you guys...SLOW DOWN!"
The biggest challenge is still the 90 degree docking maneuver, i.e., backing into a narrow space starting with the truck at a 90 degree angle to the "dock." In the "real world" (as opposed to "cone college") we'll be able to pull up several times in such a situation, but for the skill test to get the CDL, you only get one pull-up, though you can stop as you back up to see what corrections you need to make as often as you want to. Everybody in the class is struggling with it.
This week on Wednesday, we have a career day at one of the WCCC campuses when we'll get recruiting pitches from 9 trucking companies.
The biggest challenge is still the 90 degree docking maneuver, i.e., backing into a narrow space starting with the truck at a 90 degree angle to the "dock." In the "real world" (as opposed to "cone college") we'll be able to pull up several times in such a situation, but for the skill test to get the CDL, you only get one pull-up, though you can stop as you back up to see what corrections you need to make as often as you want to. Everybody in the class is struggling with it.
This week on Wednesday, we have a career day at one of the WCCC campuses when we'll get recruiting pitches from 9 trucking companies.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Sixth Day
We had a half day today because of some instructor training. That means a half day on Friday as well. After yesterday, a day that left me thoroughly exhausted, I wouldn't mind a few more of these. I was exhausted and kind of depressed because I did not do well on the road in the morning, guessing where the gears were instead of thinking ahead. I got flustered and the other two guys who drove didn't do any better. We are bringing up the rear of the class progress-wise. (Of course, two of us are the oldest in the class and our younger colleague has never driven a manual transmission.) But that was then. Today we all applied serious focus, stayed calm, and did well enough that we will go out with the trailer hooked up tomorrow!
I haven't mentioned our instructor. SHE is in her forties, a single mom who raised her kids by hauling steel on flatbeds around the Detroit area for 10 years so she could be home every night. Sharon is a very good teacher, which is why we three made the progress we did today. She has a fog horn voice, which she uses effectively out on the lot (unfortunately, some of that comes from the fact that she smokes). But very calm and steady in the truck, even while we were grinding several pounds of meat with the transmission yesterday. She is assisted by a couple of men, one who has about the same level of experience as Sharon, but the other is in his mid-fifties and just retired from the road after 35 years. I think he's in withdrawal. Sad eyes.
I'll check in again tomorrow after the tractor pull. I won't promise when there'll be pictures, but there will be pictures.
I haven't mentioned our instructor. SHE is in her forties, a single mom who raised her kids by hauling steel on flatbeds around the Detroit area for 10 years so she could be home every night. Sharon is a very good teacher, which is why we three made the progress we did today. She has a fog horn voice, which she uses effectively out on the lot (unfortunately, some of that comes from the fact that she smokes). But very calm and steady in the truck, even while we were grinding several pounds of meat with the transmission yesterday. She is assisted by a couple of men, one who has about the same level of experience as Sharon, but the other is in his mid-fifties and just retired from the road after 35 years. I think he's in withdrawal. Sad eyes.
I'll check in again tomorrow after the tractor pull. I won't promise when there'll be pictures, but there will be pictures.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
The First Week
I'm late getting this going. The first week of truck driving school was pretty stressful, but a lot of fun and as much of a challenge as I imagined it would be. The school is in Taylor, about 25 miles from home. A fairly easy commute, actually. 94 to 275 South to Eureka Rd east. The school is on Eureka just past Telegraph. At 7:15am the traffic is very manageable. We're in school from 8am to 6pm Mon-Thursday with 40 minutes for lunch. There are 8 guys in the class. I'm the oldest (naturally), but there is one guy in his early 50's. The rest range from late 20s to mid 40s. One is an FBI agent. They're sending him through because they have some vehicles requiring a CDL (Commercial Driver's License). It's a good group. We're all helping each other when we can, including the all-important moral support. A couple of the guys have driven large trucks before, but the rest of us are novices. One of the experienced guys told me a great story about getting stuck at the Canadian border for 13 hours once because the bill of lading for the load of prototype dog food he was hauling didn't list 100% of its ingredients. He ended up losing it and punching out a loud mouth Canadian driver and things went down hill from there. He vows never to enter Canada again (maybe because there's an outstanding warrant waiting for him?) I'll spin the whole tale another time.
Man, these are big vehicles! The tractor is 20 plus feet long and the trailer is 53 feet. We spend most of our time out in a big parking lot maneuvering these things around. Some class time, of course, but no more then necessary. All of us were required to get our CDL student permit before classes started. That requires passing a number of written tests give at Sec of State offices. I took a total of six tests, including the one for a hazmat endorsement. Apparently other schools waste a week teaching you this stuff.
So last week we learned to back the truck in a straight line just using the side mirrors. It took a while, but eventually, you get a picture of what you need to see and it becomes pretty easy all of a sudden. The next maneuver is backing into a space. In this case it's an area marked off by cones. They do get run over. So far, the hardest is a 90 degree docking maneuver. I've backed little trailers before, but this transcends my experience. I got pretty frustrated late Thursday afternoon, and I wake up in the morning thinking about how the hell I'm going to see what I need to see (like the straight line backing), but I'll get it (by Gar).
And we have been out on the road! We had some double-clutching practice on the lot first and we only drove the tractor (the trailer gets added this week), but it was a rush (OK, pretty scary). Driving a tractor without a trailer is called "bobtailing" and it's more problematic than when the trailer is attached. The most advanced guy--Clarence aka Lumpy (our nickname for him)--got a shot driving with the trailer Thursday afternoon. He did great! I'll get my shot tomorrow or Tuesday. We drive around the area the Eureka Rd/Telegraph area and down towards the airport and back. We do create "trains" behind us and occasionally get the "number one sign" as they pass us. Hey, they shoulda left 5 minutes earlier!
This weekend, I started memorizing a 113 point pre-trip inspection you have to know to pass the CDL test. You have to walk around the truck and point out various parts and say what you should and shouldn't see, e.g., "All mirrors secure, clean, not cracked or broken." There are repeating patterns, so it's not too difficult to remember everything, especially with all the visual cues.
So far, the whole experience is fun and I'm trying to keep it that way by not to put too much pressure on myself.
I'll get to adding pictures and sound to this thing eventually. My theme song is gonna be an old country ballad called "Gimme Forty Acres and I'll Turn This Rig Around."
Cheers!
Joel
Man, these are big vehicles! The tractor is 20 plus feet long and the trailer is 53 feet. We spend most of our time out in a big parking lot maneuvering these things around. Some class time, of course, but no more then necessary. All of us were required to get our CDL student permit before classes started. That requires passing a number of written tests give at Sec of State offices. I took a total of six tests, including the one for a hazmat endorsement. Apparently other schools waste a week teaching you this stuff.
So last week we learned to back the truck in a straight line just using the side mirrors. It took a while, but eventually, you get a picture of what you need to see and it becomes pretty easy all of a sudden. The next maneuver is backing into a space. In this case it's an area marked off by cones. They do get run over. So far, the hardest is a 90 degree docking maneuver. I've backed little trailers before, but this transcends my experience. I got pretty frustrated late Thursday afternoon, and I wake up in the morning thinking about how the hell I'm going to see what I need to see (like the straight line backing), but I'll get it (by Gar).
And we have been out on the road! We had some double-clutching practice on the lot first and we only drove the tractor (the trailer gets added this week), but it was a rush (OK, pretty scary). Driving a tractor without a trailer is called "bobtailing" and it's more problematic than when the trailer is attached. The most advanced guy--Clarence aka Lumpy (our nickname for him)--got a shot driving with the trailer Thursday afternoon. He did great! I'll get my shot tomorrow or Tuesday. We drive around the area the Eureka Rd/Telegraph area and down towards the airport and back. We do create "trains" behind us and occasionally get the "number one sign" as they pass us. Hey, they shoulda left 5 minutes earlier!
This weekend, I started memorizing a 113 point pre-trip inspection you have to know to pass the CDL test. You have to walk around the truck and point out various parts and say what you should and shouldn't see, e.g., "All mirrors secure, clean, not cracked or broken." There are repeating patterns, so it's not too difficult to remember everything, especially with all the visual cues.
So far, the whole experience is fun and I'm trying to keep it that way by not to put too much pressure on myself.
I'll get to adding pictures and sound to this thing eventually. My theme song is gonna be an old country ballad called "Gimme Forty Acres and I'll Turn This Rig Around."
Cheers!
Joel
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