Orientation is over and I made it home. I didn't update while at orientation because I forgot the power pack for my laptop and my battery died quickly.
Anyhoo. Orientation went well. I am now an official employee of Swift Transportation, now when someone asks I can proudly say that I am not unemployed (like I had been for the past month). The shining moment was when they haded me my very own Comdata card. A Comdata card is basically my gas card, as well as an employee card of sorts. I can also have money transfered onto the card and use it like a debit card. Also, assuming I pass my back ground checks, I will be getting a fast pass into Canada. In a few weeks I'll be giving my fingerprints, and I'll have an interview with a customs official.
Although the best thing happened when I got home. I got my permanent Washington State CDL. And on the back is just about the best sentence ever "CDL-A Any vehicle or combination of vehicles except motorcycles" (emphasis added). Now I just have to get my motorcycle endorsement and I can drive anything with wheels (well to honest, I would still have to get a few endorsements for my CDL too). Not that I particularly want to drive a motorcycle, I just think it would be cool to say that I could drive anything with wheels.
The last bit of news is that I head out with my mentor for 6 weeks (although I'll probably be home some during that time) on Tuesday afternoon. I was hoping to head out sooner, but not much I can do about it but wait.
P.S. Also, I now have to start filling out a Driver's Daily Log as per federal law. So, yes, even though I don't get into a truck until Tuesday, I still have to have daily logs from the day I was hired. Exciting stuff.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Just Can't Get Away
Well, I'm back to the wonderful city of Lewiston to become an official trucker now...at least a hired trucker. Swift Orientation starts tomorrow morning and ends at noon on Wednesday.
What can't I get away from? Snow. There was nearly a foot of snow in Spokane, and more falling, when I left this morning. It took nearly 45 minutes just to leave the parking lot (although most of that time was spent putting on my chains just so I could get enough traction on the deep snow). Once I actually got going it wasn't too bad (although it wasn't great). The roads were sort of plowed, although since snow kept falling the roads were never clear. I was going 30-40 most of the time, at least until I got farther south and the roads got better. I helped a guy just outside of Spokane on Highway 195. He had stopped to help someone else, and then his battery was dead, so I gave him a jump. When I got to Colfax I stopped to stretch my legs and I ran into a guy who I gave a lift for about 6 miles, and then jumped his car (someone else, who didn't have cables) gave him a ride to Colfax so he could possibly find some other help). But I finally made it to Lewiston, the city that hardly ever receives snow, or at least if it does it doesn't stick or anything. And what is it doing in this wonderful city? It is snowing quite hard, and sticking to roads, sidewalks, grass, cars, etc. It isn't anywhere as bad as it was in Spokane, or at least yet, but if it keeps it up, it very well may become as bad. It just seems like no matter where I go, there goes snow.
What can't I get away from? Snow. There was nearly a foot of snow in Spokane, and more falling, when I left this morning. It took nearly 45 minutes just to leave the parking lot (although most of that time was spent putting on my chains just so I could get enough traction on the deep snow). Once I actually got going it wasn't too bad (although it wasn't great). The roads were sort of plowed, although since snow kept falling the roads were never clear. I was going 30-40 most of the time, at least until I got farther south and the roads got better. I helped a guy just outside of Spokane on Highway 195. He had stopped to help someone else, and then his battery was dead, so I gave him a jump. When I got to Colfax I stopped to stretch my legs and I ran into a guy who I gave a lift for about 6 miles, and then jumped his car (someone else, who didn't have cables) gave him a ride to Colfax so he could possibly find some other help). But I finally made it to Lewiston, the city that hardly ever receives snow, or at least if it does it doesn't stick or anything. And what is it doing in this wonderful city? It is snowing quite hard, and sticking to roads, sidewalks, grass, cars, etc. It isn't anywhere as bad as it was in Spokane, or at least yet, but if it keeps it up, it very well may become as bad. It just seems like no matter where I go, there goes snow.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
The Big Day
Well, today was the big day, where we did the state test for our CDL.....and I passed! Yes, I am now a proud holder of a CDL, although it is still from Washington, so there is still some shame mixed with that pride. I missed 5 points on the road section of the test. You can miss 20 before you fail, so I did pretty good. I was rather nervous, but I didn't make any major mistakes, touched a couple lines I'm not supposed to, and shifted in the middle of a couple of my turns, but I didn't really grind any of my gears, even while down shifting (if you had to do it in one of these trucks, you would understand how hard it really is).
I'm coming home tomorrow, leaving here at noon. I will be returning on Sunday to attend orientation on Monday as an official Swift Truck driver. Here's hoping it all works out.
I'm coming home tomorrow, leaving here at noon. I will be returning on Sunday to attend orientation on Monday as an official Swift Truck driver. Here's hoping it all works out.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Some Excitement Today
So we were sitting in our class room at about 6 in the morning, waiting for the sun to come up as we could get out to the trucks, when we heard and felt this big boom. About a mile away there was this explosion at some place nearby. Not exactly sure what it was, but our instructor called the firefighters as we watched smoke billow up into the sky. Within a few minutes the firefighters were there, along with a few police cars and paramedics. After watching them for a while, and after the sun came up, we continued with our class.
On that front we only have one more day until we test (in case you don't know what day today is, I will be testing on Tuesday), and then leaving this place on Wednesday (due to Idaho education requirements, we have to have a certain amount of time at the school and all, so I can't leave until Wednesday). That is of course assuming that I pass my test on Tuesday. I'm not too worried about it, but something could happen, like running over a curb (instant fail) or something. In which case I would have to retest later in the week. Assuming I pass Tuesday, I will be returning to the wonderful city of Lewiston on Sunday in order to attend Orientation as I officially become a Swift employee, and then shortly after that I will be going out with my mentor. Don't know exactly when I will be going with my mentor, since they don't set it up until they actually know I'll be at the orientation (and have my CDL and all).
Well that is about all, I will update all of you on Tuesday when I know about my test. Other than that this whole schooling thing is pretty much over. So after Tuesday I guess I will continue my updates during orientation, and then after that I will update when I can when I am on the road with my mentor for six weeks (when I'll be able to see and experience the life of a trucker first hand).
On that front we only have one more day until we test (in case you don't know what day today is, I will be testing on Tuesday), and then leaving this place on Wednesday (due to Idaho education requirements, we have to have a certain amount of time at the school and all, so I can't leave until Wednesday). That is of course assuming that I pass my test on Tuesday. I'm not too worried about it, but something could happen, like running over a curb (instant fail) or something. In which case I would have to retest later in the week. Assuming I pass Tuesday, I will be returning to the wonderful city of Lewiston on Sunday in order to attend Orientation as I officially become a Swift employee, and then shortly after that I will be going out with my mentor. Don't know exactly when I will be going with my mentor, since they don't set it up until they actually know I'll be at the orientation (and have my CDL and all).
Well that is about all, I will update all of you on Tuesday when I know about my test. Other than that this whole schooling thing is pretty much over. So after Tuesday I guess I will continue my updates during orientation, and then after that I will update when I can when I am on the road with my mentor for six weeks (when I'll be able to see and experience the life of a trucker first hand).
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
On the Road
So I went on the road in a tractor with a 53' trailer today for the first time. It was scary, especially when the instructor told me to go up a steep curvy hill, and then go back down it. This was after I had been driving for about 30 min. Oh, the road was also narrow, lacked guard rails, and the road on one side went pretty much straight down. It wasn't so bad until the first time he told me to shift up, then shift back down, and I missed the gear and I was grinding and accelerating due to stupid gravity, and the instructor shouted out "If you don't find a gear, we're all gonna die!" He was of course joking, but it was no less stressful. Given the fact that I am writing this, I obviously found the gear and survived. After missing and grinding many gears, and killing the truck 5 times at stop signs and signals (hint: when trying to start, it is important to make sure that the hi/low selector is on low, so that you are in 1st gear, not 5th).
The instructor I have (along with two other people) has about 2 million accident free miles (out of about 2 million miles), is an older gentleman, and enjoys mocking us as we drive down the road. One of his favorites is shouting out "We're gonna die" when we can't find a gear, or asking "Why is your trailer off the road". As I was going down the mountain he would say "Why are you in such a low gear son?" And then when I up shifted he would ask "Don't you think that's too high a gear for this turn?" So I would have to down shift again. And no, down shifting in one of these trucks while going down hill is not easy, it is actually quite difficult. Hence all the grinding of gears. It is even more difficult when you have an old man next to you mocking you and calling you names, which is the point. He wants to make sure you can do it while flustered.
In Other news I lost my room mate. He went home due to health reasons, his cold turned into an infection in his lungs, so he went home yesterday, and will be back soon. While I was sad to see him go, I was glad to have the room to my self, and having the room to myself the rest of my time here....or so I thought. I came home from school to find that I have a new room mate, so I only got it to myself for one day. Oh well.
The instructor I have (along with two other people) has about 2 million accident free miles (out of about 2 million miles), is an older gentleman, and enjoys mocking us as we drive down the road. One of his favorites is shouting out "We're gonna die" when we can't find a gear, or asking "Why is your trailer off the road". As I was going down the mountain he would say "Why are you in such a low gear son?" And then when I up shifted he would ask "Don't you think that's too high a gear for this turn?" So I would have to down shift again. And no, down shifting in one of these trucks while going down hill is not easy, it is actually quite difficult. Hence all the grinding of gears. It is even more difficult when you have an old man next to you mocking you and calling you names, which is the point. He wants to make sure you can do it while flustered.
In Other news I lost my room mate. He went home due to health reasons, his cold turned into an infection in his lungs, so he went home yesterday, and will be back soon. While I was sad to see him go, I was glad to have the room to my self, and having the room to myself the rest of my time here....or so I thought. I came home from school to find that I have a new room mate, so I only got it to myself for one day. Oh well.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Some Bad News...
Yes, this is even worse than becoming a resident of Idaho. After talking and listening with many of the instructors and fellow students I have come to the conclusion that I will probably have to become a redneck in order to actually be a trucker. I know this will be quite a switch for me, but I really have very little choice. I have to fit in, right? So once I start making money I'll be getting an old pick-up truck, at least 25 different guns, a couple dogs to roam around the neighborhood, and some broken down cars to litter my lawn. Oh, I'll probably have to loose a few teeth too, and start buying some chew tobacco so I can start spitting properly too. Other than this disturbing revelation, everything is going about the same. I'm feeling a lot better, although I still have a cough, but that's getting better too. We haven't lost anyone else (yet) although we have our skills test and pre-trip inspection tests Monday and Tuesday, not for our license but for the school, so that they know what we are doing enough to go on the road (which will be happening on Tuesday or Wednesday).
We've met most of the road instructors so far and they all seem pretty good. The least experienced and youngest has over 1 million miles of experience and over a decade of driving. Most of the instructors have 25-30 years of experience and a couple million miles of experience. And, given that we are in Lewiston, a very hilly area, we are going to be getting quite a bit of experience going up and down hills, and most of the instructors apparently like trying to scare us by telling us to go go down these steep hills in neutral, or high gears or something, and then supposedly we will learn how to handle such situations when we're on our own. So hopefully I'll be learning a lot when on the road.
Only a week and a half left (assuming I past all tests and everything, I'll be graduating on the 23rd) before I become a bone fide truck driver....or at least until I get my CDL.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
The Range
I know, it's been a few days since the last update. I was going to post last night but I fell deathly ill last night at went to bed pretty much as soon as I got back from Swift. And no, I'm not the only one who has gotten sick, in fact most of the class has gotten sick so far, so yeah, the past couple of days have sucked.
But on the bright side we got to the range on Tuesday afternoon. What is the range you ask? It is where we get to actually drive the trucks and practice for our skills test, which is part of the driving test for a CDL. Basically the skills include being able to pull forward straight for 100 feet, back up straight for 100 feet, make a right hand turn, and finally an alley dock. I'll admit, I was a little scared the first time I got behind that driver's wheel. It's a big son of a gun. And driving it is quite different than driving a car. First of all, we have a 53 foot trailer behind us that pivots. But that's not the only difference, there are smaller things that take some getting used to also. Such as the clutch and shifting. No, I'm not talking about double clutching, that's what we're learning next week. What I mean is that we don't even have to touch the accelerator (in fact, we're not supposed to) while we shift into 2nd gear, or reverse, or 1st gear or low gear (2nd gear is the highest allowed on the range). Another thing I keep catching myself on is the lack of a rear view mirror. While I'm backing I keep looking up there, only to find nothing. I'm doing pretty well on everything but the alley docking, I am still struggling on that one, but I have time to get that down.
On a more serious note I was informed by one of my class mates (the oldest guy in the group) that Barack Obama (a Democratic candidate for president who came in first in Iowa and second in New Hampshire) is in fact the anti-Christ. How does he know? Well apparently it is found in some prophesy some where. As if being the anti-Christ wasn't enough, Obama also has a father of Arabic descent. I just want to inform you all of this most disturbing of information.
But on the bright side we got to the range on Tuesday afternoon. What is the range you ask? It is where we get to actually drive the trucks and practice for our skills test, which is part of the driving test for a CDL. Basically the skills include being able to pull forward straight for 100 feet, back up straight for 100 feet, make a right hand turn, and finally an alley dock. I'll admit, I was a little scared the first time I got behind that driver's wheel. It's a big son of a gun. And driving it is quite different than driving a car. First of all, we have a 53 foot trailer behind us that pivots. But that's not the only difference, there are smaller things that take some getting used to also. Such as the clutch and shifting. No, I'm not talking about double clutching, that's what we're learning next week. What I mean is that we don't even have to touch the accelerator (in fact, we're not supposed to) while we shift into 2nd gear, or reverse, or 1st gear or low gear (2nd gear is the highest allowed on the range). Another thing I keep catching myself on is the lack of a rear view mirror. While I'm backing I keep looking up there, only to find nothing. I'm doing pretty well on everything but the alley docking, I am still struggling on that one, but I have time to get that down.
On a more serious note I was informed by one of my class mates (the oldest guy in the group) that Barack Obama (a Democratic candidate for president who came in first in Iowa and second in New Hampshire) is in fact the anti-Christ. How does he know? Well apparently it is found in some prophesy some where. As if being the anti-Christ wasn't enough, Obama also has a father of Arabic descent. I just want to inform you all of this most disturbing of information.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Another One Bites the Dust
and no, it wasn't me.
We had our DMV written tests for general knowledge, air brakes, and combinations for our CDL permit. Yes, I passed all three tests. There were two guys who failed one test (by one question) so they are going to have to retake those tests later in the week (although they will be able to go out on the range with us). One guy failed two tests, and he decided that he was going to go home. And then one guy wasn't able to test, since he wasn't doing well enough in the class as a whole (you have to have 80% in the school in order to even test), so he will be staying for another week in the class to try to bring up his grade (although most of the class agrees that he probably won't make it all the way through the school). The rest of us passed, although we did not receive our permits today since there was some connection problem with the federal DMV, and the CDL stuff is all federal.
The rest of the day was spent learning about log books. What are log books you ask? They are apparently one of a truck driver's worst nightmare. There's all of these rules about how much we can drive, how much we can work in a day while still being able to drive, how long our breaks must be, how much we can work in a week, etc. etc. etc. We were also learning, as well as last Friday, about some of the other laws and regulations regarding trucks. It was interesting to learn that any traffic violation is, or can be considered, a misdemeanor, instead of simply a traffic infraction. For instance, if I was caught speeding in my car I could be given a ticket, but not arrested. If I speed in my truck it can be considered a misdemeanor, and I could be given a ticket, but if I "Piss in the officer's Wheaties" (as the cop on the video put it) then he would be in his right to haul me off to jail. And as far as log books go, I basically have to keep a log book for the rest of the time I am working as a trucker, even if I have a week off. And if I get caught with violations on that, depending on the state I am in, I could get thousands of dollars worth of fines, depending on the number of violations. It gets even worse if I am found to have lie on my log (and there are many ways they can find that out, one of which is by GPS, which is in every Swift Truck. I know I have gone on for a while about this, I guess I was just struck by the amount of regulations regarding this industry. The one good point is that apparently most city cops leave trucks alone because they don't know anything about truck regulations, and they know it.
Well, that's about it, tomorrow is more about log books, and we will start learning about our "pre-trip inspection" which means we learn to check the truck and make sure it is safe to drive. And then on Wednesday we actually start driving.
We had our DMV written tests for general knowledge, air brakes, and combinations for our CDL permit. Yes, I passed all three tests. There were two guys who failed one test (by one question) so they are going to have to retake those tests later in the week (although they will be able to go out on the range with us). One guy failed two tests, and he decided that he was going to go home. And then one guy wasn't able to test, since he wasn't doing well enough in the class as a whole (you have to have 80% in the school in order to even test), so he will be staying for another week in the class to try to bring up his grade (although most of the class agrees that he probably won't make it all the way through the school). The rest of us passed, although we did not receive our permits today since there was some connection problem with the federal DMV, and the CDL stuff is all federal.
The rest of the day was spent learning about log books. What are log books you ask? They are apparently one of a truck driver's worst nightmare. There's all of these rules about how much we can drive, how much we can work in a day while still being able to drive, how long our breaks must be, how much we can work in a week, etc. etc. etc. We were also learning, as well as last Friday, about some of the other laws and regulations regarding trucks. It was interesting to learn that any traffic violation is, or can be considered, a misdemeanor, instead of simply a traffic infraction. For instance, if I was caught speeding in my car I could be given a ticket, but not arrested. If I speed in my truck it can be considered a misdemeanor, and I could be given a ticket, but if I "Piss in the officer's Wheaties" (as the cop on the video put it) then he would be in his right to haul me off to jail. And as far as log books go, I basically have to keep a log book for the rest of the time I am working as a trucker, even if I have a week off. And if I get caught with violations on that, depending on the state I am in, I could get thousands of dollars worth of fines, depending on the number of violations. It gets even worse if I am found to have lie on my log (and there are many ways they can find that out, one of which is by GPS, which is in every Swift Truck. I know I have gone on for a while about this, I guess I was just struck by the amount of regulations regarding this industry. The one good point is that apparently most city cops leave trucks alone because they don't know anything about truck regulations, and they know it.
Well, that's about it, tomorrow is more about log books, and we will start learning about our "pre-trip inspection" which means we learn to check the truck and make sure it is safe to drive. And then on Wednesday we actually start driving.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
First Week Over...
Well, it is finally the weekend, which means that I got to sleep in, which amounted to me waking up at 6:30 instead of 3:30, which was great. It also means that I have an entire day in Lewiston to do....something. I've already gone out and explored the city, as well as Clarkston. Nothing much to report on that, although it was nice to see the area in the day light instead of when it is dark (when we leave the hotel it is dark, and by the time we leave school the sun is already setting). So, I figured I would give everyone a better idea of the diverse group that is here going through school.
When I say diverse, I of course mean mainly white (there is only one non-white, my roommate), all but two males, and all straight. But other than that, we are quite diverse. We have a couple of guys from Montana, a couple more from Idaho, a married couple from Missouri, a couple of people from Portland, and a couple of guys from Alaska, and a few people from Spokane. Surprisingly enough I am the only person from Spokane. And then there is of course my roommate from Costa Rica (I know, I said he was from somewhere else in my first post, I made a mistake, my bad). My roommate currently working on getting his citizenship, although it is kind of a long process. Despite all of our differences, we are all supportive of each other, even on the first day.
We heard some good news on Friday, the first two weeks of training (when we are on the road with a mentor) we will be getting an extra $100 a week, so that was nice to hear. Other than that, we are all pretty much trying to study and not get too nervous about our written tests on Monday.
Well, I think that is about all the news I can think of, so I guess I'll sign off and update you all when I know more (such as when I have my CDL permit.....or I fail it)
When I say diverse, I of course mean mainly white (there is only one non-white, my roommate), all but two males, and all straight. But other than that, we are quite diverse. We have a couple of guys from Montana, a couple more from Idaho, a married couple from Missouri, a couple of people from Portland, and a couple of guys from Alaska, and a few people from Spokane. Surprisingly enough I am the only person from Spokane. And then there is of course my roommate from Costa Rica (I know, I said he was from somewhere else in my first post, I made a mistake, my bad). My roommate currently working on getting his citizenship, although it is kind of a long process. Despite all of our differences, we are all supportive of each other, even on the first day.
We heard some good news on Friday, the first two weeks of training (when we are on the road with a mentor) we will be getting an extra $100 a week, so that was nice to hear. Other than that, we are all pretty much trying to study and not get too nervous about our written tests on Monday.
Well, I think that is about all the news I can think of, so I guess I'll sign off and update you all when I know more (such as when I have my CDL permit.....or I fail it)
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Two Days In...
Well, I've only been here two days so far, although it seems like it's been a lot longer than that. In that time I have been physically tested (lifting weights, stretching, etc.) and poked and prodded by a doctor, and perhaps most significant (and sad) is that I am no longer a resident on the great state of Washington, no, I am now a resident of the "great" state of Idaho. The reason for this abomination is that since the school is in Idaho, I will be getting my CDL in Idaho, and in order to do that I have to be a resident, and have a driver's license from Idaho. So, we all had to take a written test this morning at the DMV, and now in my wallet is a driver's license from Idaho, instead of Washington. I look forward to going back home and getting my good ol' Washington license back (With CDL endorsement of course). Other than that everything is going well, there are 15 people left. We started with 19 on Wednesday, but lost two due to health reasons on their physical tests, and then we lost one due to a family emergency at home, and another one who decided that this whole thing was not for them. So hopefully we will slow down this rapid decrease in people. We will be taking writing tests for or CDL on Monday, in order to get our permits so that we can start driving the tractor (trucker speak for the cab with the engine)
Getting up at 3:30 AM and staying in class until 4 PM is getting a little old, but at least we get to sleep some on the weekend (while we study).
That's about it for now, hope all is going well with everyone!
Getting up at 3:30 AM and staying in class until 4 PM is getting a little old, but at least we get to sleep some on the weekend (while we study).
That's about it for now, hope all is going well with everyone!
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Well, I made it..
I know, two posts in one day, but I thought I would just do a quick little update. I made it to Lewiston at about 4 PM today, checked in and made it to my room. The hotel is fairly nice. It's not fancy or anything by any means, it's sort of like a Super 8 or something, clean and comfortable enough. I do have a room mate, although we have seperate beds. He is from Porto Rico, and told me his life story within the first hour of meeting him. Should be a fun 3 weeks. Well, probably should be off, school starts at 5 AM tomorrow.
It Begins
Well, the day has finally arrived. This afternoon (Tuesday, January 1st) I will be driving to Lewiston, Idaho to check into the hotel, and then I start Swift Academy tomorrow morning at 5 AM. Despite all of my reading and researching, I am still not completely sure what to expect. My emotions are ranging from excitement to nervousness, but I guess I don't have a lot of choice but to hope it all works out.
So this is the first entry on this blog, hopefully I will be keeping this thing fairly up to date about my goings ons, just so that I don't have to try to maintain e-mail or phone conversations with everyone to keep them up to date, not that I don't want to talk to you individually, this just seems an easier way, at least for the big stuff. I don't know how often I will be updating this thing, but probably once to twice a week...maybe.
Well, that's about it for all, so I guess I will leave you with the imortal words of truckers everywhere "Keep on Trucking".
So this is the first entry on this blog, hopefully I will be keeping this thing fairly up to date about my goings ons, just so that I don't have to try to maintain e-mail or phone conversations with everyone to keep them up to date, not that I don't want to talk to you individually, this just seems an easier way, at least for the big stuff. I don't know how often I will be updating this thing, but probably once to twice a week...maybe.
Well, that's about it for all, so I guess I will leave you with the imortal words of truckers everywhere "Keep on Trucking".
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