Questions from a Wannabe

Well, I have done it! I have taken and passed all my state certification for my CDL. My training was great and enjoyed all the instructors. Especially Jane who was our trainer on the backing range. She made and explained everything thouroughly and made it a great learning experience. Harry was the in truck/on road instructor and again a very personable guy. He has been in the industry for over 40 years which I admire. On our first day of driving and just learning the gears I developed what he called the trucker "kick". I was bumping the throttle on my upshifts just within the first hour of road driving. He asked if I had ever driven a large truck before, to which I replied "no." He said the trucker kick is something that some, not most, of truckers have a hard time developing. I found it very easy to do, since this is what I was taught when down shifting, except the down shift is a much higher rev. Anyway, three days after graduating I passed my state exams and afterward the inspector said I was his only passing driver of the day. Made me feel proud! Since then I have been looking for a job that fits well with me and not trying to leap into anything too quickly. I have been waiting on a reply from a local fruit distributer that a frind of mine works for. It is all dedicated routes and the pay seems more than fair. I have also been looking into some other companies that offer dedicated routes so I can balance my home/work time. I do know I will be on the road for an extended perid of time for training, but I would really like to be home a couple of days a week to see the wife and work on the yard/garden and maybe take a day trip on the bikes once in a while. I know it has been a while since I have written, but I would like to thank all of you on this site that have lent me a hand. Answering questions I know all of you have seen and answered before. I will keep posting from time to time and I have kept up on visiting and reading this site often. I will keep my status as a Future Truck Driver until I have a job and some experience under my belt. Thanks again and god Bless!!!! Roadhard

Category: General