6/25 – 6/29

Another week finished. I’ll just condense it all down to one post.

The guy that bailed out last Friday came back this Monday and stood around for an hour then bailed again. He won’t be back. Another fellow, an older guy who was a driver some years back had car problems and will reschedule. They will let him return because he was already a good driver. Then a young fellow, after two days of backing, just got worse. He just couldn’t do it. I’ll say right here, this is a short three week course. If you can’t catch on quickly you will be holding back the class and the pressure gets turned up making it harder to learn. I’m sorry for him because he really wanted it bad and would have been a good employee. Everyone says, some are natural and born for truck driving, some can learn and some just won’t ever be able to do it. The class is down to three now.

I was able to get the backing down on the first day. We only did straight backs, ally dock and parallel parking that whole day because of the guy who couldn’t get it. We did the off sets and blind side parallel the next day but to me it’s all the same. Just get used to the reaction time to steering, set it up to get straight and keep your foot off of the clutch.

We did a lot of riding around Georgia again, now with a trailer. We drove lots of narrow twisty highways and some good grades, (going to Alabama to get a tater) which required the jake brake. We also drove in some good rain. I’m still not shifting well. I didn’t think that would be my problem but it is. Greg says I’m thinking about it to much and I’ve learned he knows what he is talking about. Still, he says we are the easiest class he has had in a while and that includes me so I’m sure I’ll be OK.

I go back Monday but we have the 4th off so the week is shortened by one day. Unless I do something stupid, graduation is Friday. Then the following Monday I sign on with Millis and start orientation. I’m not sure why but that takes three days. I asked to be picked up by a trainer on the following Sunday, the 15th. It will be another seven days after that before I get a paid. It's been a long dry spell.

Talking to the drivers that I have met there in Cartersville and from what Greg says there are three options for me. One is to drive dedicated on the Budweiser account. The other two are to drive OTR or regional which is basically the south east. Drivers tell me that the miles are about the same for OTR and regional but OTR has longer runs so you have to hustle a little more with regional. I’m most interested in regional because it’s easier to get home time.