Newest of the new.

[zman3k]

Well, I passed 4 of 5 tests. I failed the written pre-trip test, and all the questions I missed dealt with 5th wheels on class A vehicles. It's kinda frustrating b/c those questions have very little to do with the type of driving I'm going to be doing, but as the French say, "C'est la vie."

I talked to the boss guy about my tests and he said not to worry too much, I'll get it, and I'm going to be set-up with an appointment to go pee in a cup, whilst being watched, on Monday. As an aside, this will be the first time in my life that I've ever been drug tested, also I have never not applied to a job b/c it required drug tests as a condition to employment.

-Zak

 

[brentwb2]

Z-man, i have the same background as you. When i graduated from college at 23, I went to a local trucking company to get my experience. After i met my wife, she developed an interest in trucking and we bought one. Fed Ex Custom Critical (FDCC) allowed me to train her and we had a great time out there. We have friends who started with FDCC with a straight truck, and now I realize that if we had it to do all over again....we would have driven a straight truck. If you look very closely at FDCC's requirements, you must have experience OR pass a driving test at a school of their choice. Realistically, you and your significant other could pay the money to take the road test on a straight truck and then go directly to FDCC with NO experience. Look into it. Knowing what I know now about Custom Critical, I would bypass all of the preliminary stuff (T/T training and driving a bus) and jump directly into team driving with your wife.

 

[zman3k]

Actually, the driving the bus thing fits in pretty well with my current life schedule. I still have a semester of college left, graduating in December. Although, the 9 month commitment leaves me 5 months after my graduation before I can head into to other aspects of driving. Admittedly, I've wanted to drive a bus since I was a little kid, so this is fulfilling a life-long dream of sorts. However, since my girlfriend will not have had formal training, and the like, I will most likely train her in the spring after I have graduated and hopefully we can hit the road in May sometime.

-Zak

 

[terryandrene]

Zak:

If you and/or Holly can get up to Dallas on 24, 25 or 26 August, you can get those internal juices flowing at the Great America Trucking Show. Check them out here:

http://www.gatsonline.com/

Not only will there be expedite carrier recruiters there, but you should be able to meet a few expediters to talk with, particularly if you prearrange on EO as the show time nears.

Terry

 

[zman3k]

Terry,

We've already booked the date and as soon as we get some money we're going book a hotel, we are quite excited about the show, can't wait to see what is going on.

We found out about the show about following your advice by visiting the nearest truck stop, which happens to be a TA in New Braunfels, and picked up all available free literature, and we do have a subscription of ExpediteNOW that will be delivered to our new apartment.

-Zak and Holly

 

[zman3k]

So, I got my first taste of the big driving with a 26' U-Haul. :9

We ordered a 17' truck, they didn't have a 17' truck, they didn't have a 17' truck so they were going to give us a 24' truck. Well, the 24' truck didn't have any gas, so they gave us the 26' truck. That thing is a beast, and San Marcos being the city it is, barely able to cope with the buses that the university runs, the first major turn I had to make, I run over a curb, but it was better than the alternative, which was hitting a car. Bear in mind the U-Haul dealer was smack dab in the middle of a semi-residential area with narrow roads. I guess it's a good prelude to Wednesday where I will have all day to learn how to drive an air brake equipped bus.

-Zak

 

[zman3k]

Today, I drove a bus for the very first time. 'Twas quite an experience. Tomorrow I go out for some trips around the DPS Test route and tomorrow afternoon, I get to try my luck....err....skills at the DPS Test for real, and then a check ride with the boss, and then I actually have a job. Anyway, I'm worried sick about the DPS test, but I'm going to have a nice relaxing evening and hope my nerves don't get to me tomorrow. x(

-Zak

 

[TeamCaffee]

You can do it!!! You have a great attitude and the want so what more do you need? Wish you luck on the nerves I always have a hard time with that and Bob stays as cool as a cucumber!! We both usually do all right so it just takes all kinds.

 

[cheri1122]

Like Linder, I tend to get nervous too, for the skills part, & deep breathing helps, really. Just keep reminding yourself that you know the stuff, just show the stuff - they've seen nervous before, lol. Good luck!

 

[zman3k]

Well, I didn't take the DPS test today, and I'm somewhat relieved about that, so I got in another 8 hours of driving, and I'll have another 5 or 6 tomorrow, so come Monday, I might actually take the test, if I can get a slot.

The San Marcos DPS License office services Hays county which has at least 4 school districts, all of which are now in the middle of their hiring drives and, ipso facto, if you want to take the skills test you better be at the DPS office about 90 min in advance of the office opening or your SoL. Now, in Texas DPS we have licensing and weight officers who are perfectly qualified to do skills testing. Now, I'm not saying you should get a whole army of them down here to do that, that would be bedlam, but if you could get one, you could double the number of tests that could be given in a day (from 4-5 to 8-10). Either that, or the company I work for contract with a third party DOT/DPS approved tester and do that; although, there may be a conflict of interests. But anyway, Monday is go time, and with the extra time under my belt I feel much better about doing the skills test.

Au revoir,
Zak

 

[ATeam]

Ha! You don't even have your CDL yet and you are already complaining about the authorities. That puts you on par with ever other driver out there. You're showing great potential! :7

 

[zman3k]

So....driving isn't so much about driving as it is about pissing and moaning about authority? Sounds like every other job I've had. Also, if you think I'm complaining about authority, you should hear my trainer on that topic.

But like I said, or think I said, I'm glad I didn't have to take the test on Friday, I got drive all day Friday and Saturday, which included doing the Austin route training, so I have more confidence in my driving ability and will be able to be marginally calmer on Monday when I have to take my skills test.

-Zak

 

[RichM]

It doesn't sound to me that you were complaining,just relaying the facts as they are. Good luck and I am sure you will do fine.

 

[zman3k]

I am now an official holder of a Class B - CDL, and the extra scrutiny that entails.

The tester almost iced me on the Air Brake test b/c I totally blanked on things that I knew. I know I knew them b/c on Saturday I wrote a bloody essay about the air brake test, but he was cool and let me start over, and after the test he knew that I knew it but I was just nervous. Also my prior escapades with hitting curbs has left me really making VERY wide right turns, and he was wondering about my vision, and I told him I was just over compensating. All in all, he liked the way I drove, I just need to remember not blank out on the air brake test and practice narrowing my right turns a little bit; although, in route training, the really wide right turns, 9 times out of 10, are a necessity to make it on the streets of San Marcos.

-Zak

 

[TeamCaffee]

CONGRATULATIONS [B/] Good job and hope all keeps going well for you!!

 

[ATeam]

Congratulations! That has to feel good, and it should. Your CDL will bring you opportunities that will never enter the minds of many of your college classmates. Whether you pursue driving opportunities or not, you will find your CDL to be an asset in your life.

 

[zman3k]

Thank you all for the kind words of congratulations, I certainly appreciate it. Now all I have to is get Holly her CDL in a few months so we can start really looking into expedite driving. Right now, we're kind of passively looking at what company to work with (ie find an owner with a truck leased out to said company.) The couple of mornings I was waiting at DPS, I saw some expedite straight trucks heading south on I-35 through San Marcos, a couple of FedEx-CCs, a Landstar and EGL, and a couple of PII tractors. Needless to say we have looked at those companies, and we are trying to find some reading material on them. I'm kinda partial to Landstar b/c I like their MO, and Holly is interested in FedEx-CC so that's where our searches are leaning heavily right now.

-Zak

 

[zman3k]

Well, today was my first day of real driving, a bus, that is. I can certainly see how this can take some acclamitization, more so when all you're doing is driving glorified circles. Also starting at 0655 and stopping from 0910 to 1320 then driving 1320-2105 doesn't help much either, I'd rather drive one long solid block, maybe I can hand off my early MWF route to someone who is even more rookie than me. I think that's going to be too much on top of a full time school load (32 hours driving, 12 hours of class....intermittent studying). Maybe I should start deducting school and studying as line 4 time, of course on a good week, school would only deduct 20 from my 70/wk.

Well that's all for now, maybe I'll some of you crazy expediters in Dallas this weekend, and by this weekend I mean probably Saturday only b/c no one has volunteered to take my afternoon routes on Friday, and by Dallas I mean the GATS show at the Convention Center named for the city.

-Zak