update from Wannabe
Posted on Fri, Feb 02 2007 @ 4:30 PM [EST]
[Comments] [Send Article] [Improper]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 Posted: General
Comments
Congrats to you on passing!!Be advised that those distributer jobs are a real pain in the backside. Even harder for a newbie. You have very tight delivery times and can be extremely hard to get into the places. Many of the areas can be very dangerous neighborhoods.My advice would be to start out with long haul to get the feel of things and then look for local jobs. Starting right out in shorthaul or regional can have you looking for new work in a hurry. The best way to get some home time is work for a place with a terminal nearby.
Comment By:
Roadhzrd on Sat, Feb 03 2007 @ 5:07 PM [EST]
Comment By:
Roadhzrd on Sat, Feb 03 2007 @ 5:07 PM [EST]
True..true ..true..120% on the money listen to roadhzrd he's chock full of good advice (NOT! being sarcastic) My first runs with a trainer happened to pick up dedicated FedEX runs out of the Oakland airport which was in the armpit of Oakland..It had 24-7 crack access..There were drug dealers all over the place near where we had to pick up. Man was...not was still is, that a rough place..Though I ran my ass off with Just in time deleveries I never made a late load...VM-out!
Comment By:
VM on Sun, Feb 04 2007 @ 3:01 AM [EST]
Comment By:
VM on Sun, Feb 04 2007 @ 3:01 AM [EST]
Comment By:
VM on Sat, Feb 03 2007 @ 3:13 AM [EST]