I’m finished with the first two weeks with my Millis driving trainer. He’s a good driver and is serious about safety. I like that. He is a Marine and so is no nonsense. I like that to. We are getting along fine on a professional level but are very different culturally otherwise. By the time five or six weeks have gone by we will be very tired of each other but I’m sure that’s normal.

We are driving a KW T600 so it’s a little crowded in there. We have been all over Georgia and have been to North and South Carolina, Alabama and through Indiana and Illinois on the way to and from Wisconsin. Our freight is mostly glass, beer, tissue paper and Wal-Mart stuff.

So far the biggest challenges driving have been Atlanta traffic, particularly last Friday on the connector during concert and Braves game traffic, and of course Chicago. I know now why the terrorist haven’t attacked places like Chicago. I don’t think you can tear it up much worse than it already is.

Since I’m with a regional driver he doesn’t go out much. He is used to fairly strident living conditions; fast food at truck stops, no satellite radio and basically no supplies on board. So far we have showered every other day and fueled mostly at Millis terminals.

Things I have been impressed with are the variety of different trucks and freight concentrated at truck stops at night and the skill of some of the drivers I’ve seen on the road. Things that worry me include the negative and down right hostile attitude of some truckers and the lack of skill or carelessness of a lot of drivers. I see why the driving profession is so scrutinized. It seems like hostility has replaced courtesy.

All in all I’m doing well and hope to get into my own truck by the end of five weeks but if it takes longer then I’ll stick it out. I’m told it will be a KW T2000, probably an 05 or 06. Cool.