Basic Training: Day 14… The End

Friday:

It seems like only a few days ago (well, I guess it was), yet a month’s worth of work and anxiety has gone by since that first Saturday.  But here we are… graduation day!

I came in early and had breakfast with a couple of the guys.  A few of them were doing some last minute studying and seemed to be worried about the final test, but most were really ‘up’ and anxious to get the day going.  Those who already had CDLs would be headed home as soon as today was over, as well as those who lived close enough that the travel wouldn’t eat up their whole weekend.

At 7 sharp we were in the classroom and Dennis handed out our test booklets.  The test consisted of 50 multiple choice and true/false questions, all taken word for word from the ‘check for learning’ tests we’d been taking for the last two weeks.  There was also a simple one day driving scenario for which we had to fill out an HOS log.  To say the final exam was simple would be a huge understatement; it was simply a matter of filling out the answer sheet for credit.

Dennis graded the exams and announced that everyone had passed.  By this morning we were down to 34 of the original 45 students, and there are a few that have yet to pass their driving test.  They will be coming in this weekend to get a little extra help and practice.

The rest of the day consisted of a series of speakers from the SNI management coming in to offer their congratulations and give us a presentation from their respective departments.  They included Art from the Training Dept; Richard, our TOM (team operations manager); Dick, the Linehaul Services and Driver Services manager for the OC; and Ann, the regional Loss Prevention manager.  Jill was our last presenter, and was there to discuss our Guaranteed TAH (time at home) program.  It was pretty fast paced, and a short lunch break was wedged in between speakers.

Once through all that Dennis and Richard handed out our Training Certificates as we applauded and congratulated each other.  The class presented a token gift and thank you card to Dennis for his excellent performance over the past two weeks.

And that was it; we spent a few minutes saying goodbyes individually, then drifted off to enjoy a long awaited weekend off.  It was a good day, and I look forward to the next phase of training (after my long awaited weekend off).

Basic Training: Day 13… Aaaaalmost there

Thursday:

Class was interesting today; advanced trip planning.  One of the things I wondered about (and admittedly fretted over) was how a driver could possibly give a reasonable estimate of when he’d deliver a load to a destination three days away.  Well, as with other planning duties Schneider has a flowsheet and form for the whole thing.

OK… OK… before any of you current drivers hurt yourselves laughing, I know their ‘plan’ paints a nice rosy picture of the perfect trip.  BUT, it is a good starting place, and even leaves plenty of room to adjust some variables once you get a little experience.  And the geek in me can’t wait to write yet another form/flowsheet into an Excel spreadsheet.

After that was a rather long video from the benefits dept., and distribution of our first benefit packages.  At the end of class Dennis gave us a little pep talk about tomorrow’s final exam, and a somewhat thinly veiled plea for us to ‘behave’ in front of the management folks that will speak at our graduation tomorrow.

I had a bite of supper in the cafeteria and met Jeff for my last night of driving with him.  We did the usual; he checked and signed off on my log, I did a 4 point check and enroute on the rig, and we were off.  I noticed that once we got in the cab Jeff was digging around in the storage bins and putting things in his bag, and when I asked he said he was heading home first thing in the morning for a long weekend home.  Sensing an opportunity, I mentioned to him that I needed to study for tomorrow’s final (at 7am) and wouldn’t be offended if we cut tonight’s driving a little short.

So, off we went.  He directed me to a couple of very tight right turns that each required a buttonhook maneuver, and since I had no problem at all with them we were headed back to the OC nice and early.  Instead of the usual routine of uncoupling the trailer and parking the truck, Jeff had me just pull into one of the fuel isles and we stepped into the cafeteria to do his final paperwork.

As mentioned earlier, I have a LOT of respect for Jeff.  It’s rare to find a true professional that has both the desire and talent to share what they know in such a calm and patient manner.  I sincerely hope my time with him will remain with me for years to come.

Basic Training: Day 12… Progress!

Wednesday:

First a quick administrative comment.  You may have noticed that the day of the week doesn’t  always match the published date of the entries.  That’s because while I’m on the evening shift I update this blog the next morning before heading to class.

Back to the classroom today as we started our last few chapters before graduation.  The first was quite interesting as it is our satellite link to SNI; the StarServ system.  Often referred to as the “Qualcomm”, which is actually the name of the company that developed the system, it consists of a ‘radome’ type satellite antenna, a transceiver unit, and a small terminal.

Basically it’s purpose is to give us an effecient way to communicate with SNI while on the road.  Messages sent to the driver can include load assignments and directions, while much of the driver’s input is in the form of replies that keep the dispatchers current with the truck and load status.  Gone are the days where we had to hunt for pay phones and stop to make calls.

Once we read over the material and had a basic introduction to the system, Dennis sent messages to our live terminals in the classroom.  The first few we went over together to get a feel for using the system, and the last was for us to read and interpret on our own.

The other subject today, while not as interesting, was just as important; Cargo Claims and Theft Prevention.  We saw a couple of videos and heard from Dennis on how best to prevent both.

With class over for the day it was on to driving.  Jeff met me as usual in the Cafeteria where, as he’s done each day, he checked and signed off on my HOS log and associated paperwork.  Once at the truck I did a 4 point check and Enroute Inspection and we were off.

There wasn’t much Interstate driving tonight as we concentrated on handling the truck through different amounts of traffic and around varying degrees of tight corners.  A few narrow, curving country roads were also on the menu, as well as a number of railroad crossings.

I noticed fairly early that while Jeff was as friendly as ever, he wasn’t directing my driving beyond telling me where to turn.  That was fine with me as I needed to know that I was able to handle the rig without detailed direction, and it also helped me relax and feel a little more confident.

And that extra bit of confidence was welcome, as I was quite pleased with my driving tonight.  I’m still scratching gears here and there, and had one incident of forgetting the range switch (that I quickly corrected), but overall it was quite a bit smoother than ever before.  And just in time, because we’re supposed to have our final driving test with Jeff tomorrow.

At least that’s what I thought.  Once we had returned to the OC and I had dropped the trailer I asked Jeff “Would I have passed my driving test tonight?” He smiled and said “You DID pass your driving test tonight.” Turns out he doesn’t normally tell his students when they’re being tested. It’s his way to help prevent unnecessary nervousness.  Like I’ve said before, this guy’s a true professional.

So we walked back to the cafeteria, he filled out my final evaluation and other necessary paperwork, offered his congratulations, and another day ended.  Funny, but I didn’t feel nearly as tired as usual on the way home tonight…

Basic Training: Day 11… What a difference a day makes

Tuesday:

In at 12:30 and off to the hill for sims and lab for the last time.  We participated in “getting lost” scenarios as a group on the sims, with one student in the driver’s seat and the rest of us gathered around to watch.  It was mostly common sense stuff, but the point of the lesson was you must be certain where you’re taking your rig before you go.  In a car we’re used to being able to drive down any road and turn around at will if needed, something a tractor/trailer driver simply cannot do.

The lab portion was a demonstration on sliding the 5th wheel and trailer tandoms.  It’s a driver’s responsibility to insure that his rig and load stays under 80,000 pounds, but the gross weight is only part of the story.  That gross weight limit is a total for each set of axles, which have their own individual limits.  The front tires (steer axle) are limited to 12,000 pounds, the tractor’s rear tires (drive axles) and the trailer tires (trailer tandem) can each carry 34,000 pounds.

It is possible for an otherwise legal gross load to be distributed in such a way that one or two of the axles are over their individual limit.  That’s where sliding the 5th wheel and/or trailer tandem is done to shift small portions of the weight between axles, thus making the entire rig legal.  While weight is the most obvious reason for these adjustments, there are also handling characteristics of the rig to consider.

After the demo we practiced our Pre Trip Inspection as a group until it was time to go.  A Pre Trip is required, as the name implies, at the beginning of each trip or driving day.  It is a thorough examination of the engine compartment, exterior surfaces, drive line, suspension, 5th wheel, and brake systems on the tractor.  Additionally the trailer is likewise inspected, adding a check of the trailer seal and padlock.  Each state requires a correct Pre Trip inspection during the testing for a commercial driver’s license (CDL).  Up to this point we’ve been learning to do a Schneider Pre Trip, which is a bit more thorough than most states require.  Next week we’ll concentrate more on the requirements for the particular state in which we’ll be testing.

That took me to dinner time, and the most exciting part of this particular day.  No, not dinner…the truck driving.  I had a long serious talk with Brain earlier in the day, and we agreed that tonight I would concentrate harder than ever to correct the little problems I’ve been having.  To my complete surprise, and for the first time in quite a while, Brain listened!

Driving tonight was a plesure; I was bumping my RPM up correctly for downshifting, leading the trailer tandems perfectly (well, almost) around corners, throwing that dang preselect switch when necessary, and kept my speed right where it needed to be without poking down the road and holding up traffic.  Best of all, I didn’t change gears while crossing any of the half dozen railroad tracks Jeff led me across.

I felt more confident and relaxed as the night wore on, which I’m sure helped me stay on track.  I think tonight was really that turning point I’ve been looking for and expecting.  Frankly, it’s about time.  Of course Jeff noticed and commented on my improvement over last night.  After all, we only drive with him two more times before graduation on Friday.  I imagine he felt it was ‘about time’ as well.

That was it for another day.  I dropped the trailer when we got back to the OC, and Jeff turned his tractor in to maintenance to have a few minor items fixed overnight.  I’m looking forward to driving tomorrow…

Basic Training: Day 10… Another driving day

Monday: 

Back on the evening shift today, so at 12:30 I met up with Jeff and my driving training partners Joe & Mandy.  Today’s schedule calls for us to drive all day, so this morning Mandy drove and Joe was in the ‘back seat’ (sitting on the edge of the sleeper bunk).  When I came in I joined Mandy in the back seat while Joe drove for a few hours.  While we were riding Jeff gave me my first evaluation.  It was pretty good, but as I’ve been saying there are a few points I need to improve on.

Joe only drove for a couple of hours, then Jeff had him pull over and I jumped in the driver’s seat.  He didn’t get his full half-day behind the wheel, and I assume it’s because he was doing so well and Jeff felt I could use the practice.  Besides, it was a treat to drive in daylight for a change.

Generally I did OK, but not as well as I wanted to.  There are still the stupid mistakes, like forgetting to throw the preselector switch when shifting to the lower range gears.  I also ‘kissed’ a curb or two on right turns, but in my defense this is the first time I’ve driven when I could actually see the curb.  Up until now it has been dark and Jeff mostly directed me around them.  Then there’s the biggie; changing gears while crossing a Railroad Crossing.  I know it’s not allowed, in fact it will immediately fail you on the CDL driving test.  But for some reason I was completely ignoring crossings tonight.  Jeff was good natured about it and we had several good chuckles, however it is quite serious and I will HAVE to start recognizing those crossings.

Anyway, I spend a couple of hours driving around town before heading back to the OC around 5:00.  After uncoupling the trailer, we went off duty and headed for the cafeteria to grab a little dinner.  While I ate Jeff took an experienced newhire out for their check ride.

At around 6:00 Jeff was back and we headed out.  First I had to couple the trailer and do an Enroute Equipment Check, then we were out on the road.  We spent some time driving part of the same route that Joe did earlier, then we headed a little further out of town.  After a while Jeff directed me onto I-85 North, and we just drove and talked for about 30 miles.  Driving the Interstate was a welcome change of pace, as I find it much less stressful than constantly maneuvering through traffic, shifting, and turning.  Jeff said he thought I needed a break, and it was welcomed.

We stopped at a truck stop for a quick break, then headed back to the OC via I-85.  While riding Jeff went over in detail exactly what to expect during the CDL tests next week.  Some of Schneider’s driving instructors are certified examiners for the State of North Carolina, so I’ll be taking my tests at the training facility where we’ve been practicing.  We also talked about what he has planned for our last three days of driving exercises, which include more in-town driving through traffic, and progressively tighter turns.

Once back at the OC I uncoupled the trailer and parked the truck, and that was that for another day.

Basic Training: Days 7-9 … “Back it up, driver”

Sorry folks, but I’m getting a little behind on my posts. Here’s what happened the last few days.

Friday:

We’re back in the classroom for a little while this afternoon to see a video about Schneider’s Skid Pad training.  What I wouldn’t give to have a crack at that!  An older cabover went through a number of skid scenarios while cameras shot the driver’s actions and the truck’s reactions from several angles.  The tires on the truck were striped so their speed and direction were easy to see.

A skid in a tractor / trailer rig would have to be one of the scariest things a driver could face, so the chance to actually experience it in a controlled environment must have been the ultimate training tool.  Unfortunately we were told that  the skid pad was closed down a while back.  Now we practice the maneuvers on a simulator.

Speaking of the sims that’s where I spent the next hour or two, practicing skid recovery and driving on snow and ice covered roads.  These things are quite interesting and include a lot of realism, but they’re a far cry from actually simulating the real thing.  The biggest problem I have on them comes from the steering wheel having no feel of feedback from the road. It’s often difficult to tell where you’re steering based on watching the screen, and there are no stops at the far left or right; the wheel just continues to spin.  But like I said before, they’re demonstrating a concept here instead of actual driving experience.

The rest of the afternoon session was spent on demonstrations and practice on lifting, using a pallet jack, opening and closing the trailer doors, and climbing in and out of the trailer.  Naturally SNI has a specific way to perform each function, which reminds me a lot of my BellSouth days.

Jeff and I met up at the usual time (~17:30) and hit the truck.  The trailer was already coupled today, so I just practiced a 4 point check and an Enroute Inspection.  Our first stop was on the driving range to introduce me to backing, concentrating on straight line and 45* docking maneuvers.

I’ve backed a variety of trailers in the past and felt I was somewhat proficient at it, and fortunately much of what I already knew applied to big rigs.  Straight line backing is a breeze as long as you remember to make SMALL adjustments to the wheel and steer back to center once the trailer starts to react.

We practiced just as I’ll have to for the NC DOT test; the tractor/trailer is positioned straight between two rows of orange cones, leaving roughly two feet of clearance on each side.  There’s a line on the ground at the back of the space, and two lines ~18″ apart at the front.  The driver first pulls forward until the back of the trailer is past the two front lines.  You then reverse straight through the cones until the front of the tractor is behind the back line.  Lastly you pull forward again and stop the rig when the front of the tractor is between the two front lines (not easy to do).

The 45* docking maneuver is a bit trickier; the same basics as backing anything else apply of course, but the trailer moves quite a ways before it reacts to your input.  It will take a bit of practice to get used to when and where to make those critical steering adjustments to put the trailer right where you want it.  Jeff showed me a couple of key reference points to observe to make the maneuver go more smoothly, but it still requires an experienced eye and a practiced touch.

I was able to practice backing a few times, then we hit the road.  Tonight we stayed in town and Jeff directed me around a number of local streets with different types of turns.  At one point he reminded me to “watch the signs” (refering to the yellow warning signs on the side of the road), and a short time later had me heading south on North Tryon St. toward a low clearance railroad bridge.  Sure enough there was a flashing yellow light over a sign that warned of the bridge, followed closely by a ‘truck route’ sign directing trucks to turn right at the next intersection.

Since I’m from Charlotte and have known about this notorious ‘truck eater’ for years, I had no trouble recognizing the warnings and taking the correct road.  I guess Jeff forgot that I was a local because he seemed a little surprised when I confessed that I knew exactly what we were headed for as soon as he had me turn onto North Tryon.  He’ll probably come up with another ‘trap’ in a few days, so I’ll have to stay on my toes.

That was about all of the driving for tonight.  Once back at the OC Jeff went over my schedule for the next few days (we won’t be together again until Monday) and gave me a bit of feedback on my progress.  He said I was doing OK but I think my shifting still needs work, especially ‘bump & run’ and gear recovery.

Next week will be a bit different in the truck; Jeff will ride along and tell me where to turn, but otherwise he will remain quiet and let me do the driving on my own.  Up to this point he has been directing speed changes and setup for turns.  I am a little nervous about that since I only have a total of 7 hours behind the wheel to date, and some of that has been on the slow speed range.

I also start receiving formal driving evaluations on Monday, starting with tonight’s performance.  Things do move fast here …

Before I forget, thanks to those of you who have sent comments to the blog.  I appreciate your views and support.

Saturday:

I had to be back in at 07:00 this morning; there’s no evening shift on the weekends.  Actually I came in a little early to beat the hotel bus crowd and grab a little breakfast at the cafeteria.  A new class starts today, as they do each Saturday here.  It seemed a little odd to see all those ‘new guys’ standing around looking like frightened deer.  Was it just a week ago that I stood in the same place looking like they do?  Seems like a month has past since then…

We gathered in our classroom and did the usual; half the class went up the hill to the lab, and my half stayed put.  By the way, we’re now down to 39 students from a starting count of 45.  I guess 6 decided that trucking wasn’t for them.

The morning was spent on our introduction to map reading.  Nothing terribly hard here, except maybe for finding those tiny little characters on the map.  I do have a small magnifying glass and have made good use of it.  Once Dennis presented the general introduction he walked us through creating routes to and from various destinations.

While I thought I already knew how to read a map, and I do, there’s much more for a truck driver to know than just following lines on paper.  Finding the most direct roads to take you to your destination is just the beginning.  Each route you select in each state must be checked for low clearance points, truck restrictions, and those subtle little clues that indicate a problem (like high density city environments, mountain roads, etc.).  It can be somewhat time consuming, but it’s time well spent if you can avoid problems and/or delays on the road.

Dennis gave us our homework assignments and we broke for lunch ~11:30, then hopped on the bus and headed to the lab.  Today there were practice stations set up for us to rotate through; Straight Line Backing, 45* Dock Backing, Slow Speed Maneuvering, and Pre Trip Inspection.

The straight line backing practice was just like last night w/ Jeff, and I had no problem with it.  I went through the course 5 times then headed to the Pre Trip Inspection area to practice while waiting to be called for the next driving station.

Next was the slow speed maneuvering station, led by an instructor that seemed to have a bit of a drill seargent complex.  On this course there were two tractor/trailers parked parallel to each other and spaced one tractor’s width apart, plus ~6″ on each side.  You approached the parked trucks from the rear at a 90* angle, then turned your truck so that you could line up your rig to pass safely between the two.  Once you’ve gone forward between the trucks and the back of your trailer cleared them, you reversed back through the same way you came.  The key here again was to watch carefully and make SMALL steering adjustments when necessary, remembering to recenter the wheel after each correction.

By the way, all of the backing and maneuvering exercises must be performed with the truck idling in either 1st gear or reverse, with both of your feet flat on the floorboard.  You are not allowed to stop or ride the clutch to slow yourself down.  The rig is moving slowly, but it doesn’t feel slow enough at times and you’re very tempted to hit those pedals.  It was back to the Pre Trip Inspection station once I finished with Drill Seargent Attitude, and after spending a little while there it was on to the 45* Backing exercise.

At this station there are six lined ‘parking spaces’, ~15′ long and spaced ~100′ apart, that represent loading docks.  You approach the first one at a 90* angle with the ‘dock’ on the driver side of the rig.  At the approapriate spot you spin the wheel to the right, pull out until the tractor is parallel with the space, then turn back left until the rig is once again straight.  This puts you at roughly a 45* angle to the slot you need to put the trailer in.

Now you reverse with the wheel turned hard to the right, and at the ‘right time’ you spin the wheel back to the left and guide the trailer perfectly into the slot stopping the trailer at the back of the space.  Then you pull out and head to the next space to the left.  After the third one you swing around to catch the three on the back side of the course, then start all over again.

Sounds easy, huh?  Maybe with enough practice it will be, but it ain’t right now.  The driving instructor at one of the ‘docks’ gave me a different reference point to watch than the one Jeff had, and it seemed to help a bit.  I was pleased that after missing the slot and having to pull up, my previous backing experience helped me make the right corrections to complete the dock.  A couple of times during the exercise I was able to hit it without a pull up.

It was a long afternoon and I was ready when the bus took us back to the OC.  This would be a perfect time to get home and open a cold beer, but that’ll have to wait until training is finished.

Sunday:

Today we’re all back in the classroom together for the first time since last Sunday.  I suppose it was nice in a way to get a break from the trucks, but as fast as things progress here I do miss the chance for a few hours of much needed practice.

We started with Dennis reading us through the chapter on Hazardous Materials, followed by a “Check for Learning” (Schneiders way of saying ‘test’).  Maybe the hurried pace of the past week is catching up with me, ’cause I had to struggle to stay awake and pay attention. Afterward we filled out the necessary paperwork to obtain our Schneider HazMat Certification Card, which is required along with a HazMat Endorsement on your CDL to haul any hazardous loads.

After a quick break we saw a presentation and video on “Operation Lifesaver – Truck Safety at Railroad Crossings”.  The video included several pictures of train vs. truck accidents, and one very riveting video of an actual accident caught on tape.  It was an eye opener; I had no problem staying awake for this one.

The last thing before lunch was a quick presentation on Intermodal Operations and the J1 form, all having to do with picking up and delivering rail containers and how to properly inspect for and document any trailer damage.  We all agreed to shorten our lunch ‘hour’ in order to get out a little earlier this afternoon.

After reviewing our map reading homework the afternoon was spent on Trip Planning.  I found this quite interesting as I had been wondering how you determine whether you can meet a delivery date/time given all the different driving time rules we have to observe.  Schneider has made the process pretty easy by providing a flow chart and form that leads you step-by-step to your estimated delivery time.  Here again my previous map reading and time management skills have proven very useful, as I found the planning process very easy to understand.

At the end of the day Dennis spent a little time going over next week’s schedule in detail.  We’ll be in the simulators/lab one more time, spend two half-days in class, and have one full and two half days of driving.  After that our driving instructor gives his final evaluation, and on Friday at 07:00 we have our final written exam.  It’s hard to believe I’ll be finished with basic in 5 days.

Basic Training: Day 6 … Over the river and through the woods…

Thursday: 

Today started a little early as we were told to assemble in a classroom at noon for a meeting.  There wasn’t much to it; they handed out our Rand McNalley Road Atlas and marketed to us a little about teaming.

Teaming (two drivers on one truck) is promote heavily at Schneider, and with good reason.  A team’s truck runs 24/7 with no 10 hour driver breaks, gaining the company twice the mileage per vehicle.  Some incentives are also offered to drivers who team, like a couple more cents per mile, extra day at home, newer equipment, etc.  On the down side you share a truck with your partner 24/7 for 2 – 3 weeks at a time, and the cab of the truck can get awfully small at times.  Personally I think I’ll go solo for now.  I’m open to teaming at some point, but not until I have a little experience.

After the meeting we split up as usual and I went to the simulators.  Our scenarios for today were slow speed maneuvering in tight quarters, snub braking while decending mountains, and driving mountains on ice and snow covered roads.  I don’t look forward to that out in the ‘real world’.

The rest of our lab time was watching a couple of videos on fuel conservation and risk loss prevention (safety), and a thorough look at a container frame.

About 17:30 it was back to the cafeteria to grab a quick bite to eat and meet Jeff for my evening of driving.  Like yesterday, he first looked over my log and paperwork and signed off on it (I did much better today).  Out at the truck after a 4 point check and an Enroute Inspection, he had me circle the lot and back up to the trailer in preparation for coupling.  He had me go through the proper steps to couple and test the trailer, and by ~7 we hit the road.

We jumped on I-85 South first thing and headed down to Hwy. 321 in Gaston Co., where we exited and headed south through town.  The roads narrowed as we approached Gastonia, and there were plenty of obstacles in the way of traffic, power poles close to the edge of the road, and other ‘targets’.

I got my first chance to really hold up traffic and deal with the mental stress.  It’s funny how we’re conditioned over the years to ‘keep up’ and ’stay out of the way’ when driving.  You try to do the same in a truck TO SOME DEGREE, however successfully (and safely) navigating that monster down the road does come first.

At one intersection in particular I had to make a right turn from a two lane road onto another two lane road with a left turn lane from the right (3 lanes total).  There was a traffic signal with turn arrows.  Simple physics demanded that I take not only ‘my’ lane but also the turn lane coming in the opposite direction in order to keep the trailer off the sidewalk.  Since two objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time, I obviously had to sit in my lane until (a) the left turn lane was clear of traffic, (b) there were no other vehicles approaching that lane, and (c) I had a green light or right turn arrow (Schneider does not allow trainees to make a right on red).

After sitting through two light cycles I was starting to think I’d have a better chance hitting the lottery, and of course there were headlights behind me as far as I could see.  But sure enough ‘the stars aligned’ and I had my shot, completing the turn with no problem.  There were however a number of cars that screamed past me in that first few blocks after the turn, and I doubt that any of them were thinking too kindly toward me.

Once out of town we headed west on country roads and crossed Crowder’s Mountain.  Well, we call it a mountain here, although folks from the west coast would probably laugh.  Anyway the route was all VERY narrow roads and sharp curves, and although I had no serious problems it kept me plenty busy.

After a few miles we were back to I-85 and I headed north toward the OC.  That interstate highway was certainly a welcome relief after spending the last hour threading the needle.  Jeff and I both relaxed a bit and shot the breeze while cruising down the road.  After crossing the Catawba River and coming back into Mecklenburg County I got a chance to go through my first weigh station.  Not that exciting, but I did pick up a few pointers from Jeff.

That’s about it for the evening; we parked the rig, I got my homework assignment and headed home.  I was fairly pleased with my driving tonight, although I still need to smooth out my shifting a bit more.

Bye for now…

Basic Training: Day 5 … Workin’ on the Night Shift

Wednesday:

This second shift thing is going to work out well for me; I can get up in the morning and have a relaxing cup of coffee w/ my wife, work on homework and my log after she goes to work, and update this blog while I’m fresh and rested.  At first I was a little concerned that getting up at the regular time would leave me too tired at the end of the day when I’ll be driving, but today proved to be no problem at all.

My day started with lab and simulators.  During the lab session we got our first demo of a Pre Trip Inspection, complete with emphasis on which items were DMV requirements.  The North Carolina DMV lists 109 items on the PTI test, while Schneider requires over 300 items be checked.  This is turning out to be a common theme; SNI often surpasses the official regulators on safety requirements.  I like that.

After that it was on to the ‘dark room’ and those simulators.  I guess the idea here is to teach us concepts and practice our decision making while driving this large vehicle, because they don’t simulate the mechanics of driving all that well.  I find it hard to judge how close the sides of the cab are to obstacles in the sim, where a quick look out the window is sufficient in the actual truck.  Depth perception is really difficult on the sim.

Another problem is motion sickness.  Many of us got woozy after 15-20 minutes in front of those large screens.  After the sim session I went outside and felt pretty bad for a half hour or so, but the fresh air helped ease the effects.

At around 17:30 it was back to the OC to meet up with Jeff, and  I grabbed a quick sandwich at the cafeteria while waiting.  We started our evening with him checking my log; I thought I was doing pretty well at keeping it up, but he found several careless errors.  It seems that I need to be a bit more careful with the paperwork.

We started with an exercise in coupling the trailer.  He had me line up the tractor and get it in position several times as practice.  Then we went through the procedure for checking that all was set for coupling.  Once hooked up and checked, he led me through an In Route Inspection, the one we’re required to do daily while (you guessed it) in route to our destination.

Once ready to roll we left the OC with Jeff driving and demonstrating how to handle the tractor with a trailer behind.  By the way, yesterday’s driving was bobtail.  He went through how to set up for turns, how to take curves and adjust for trailer ‘off-tracking’, and setting up your gearing for upcoming maneuvers.  As he did yesterday, he pulled over in the same industrial park and had me get behind the wheel.

Now here’s the part of the evening shift I’m not entirely fond of; by the time I started driving it was almost dark.  But I have to admit that while it seemed more difficult and a little more stressful dragging that huge box around in traffic without the aid of sunlight, it will probably prove to be more beneficial training in the long run.

We didn’t spend any time driving in circles, but headed right out into traffic.  It didn’t seem all that bad, probably since I’ve had past experience with RV trailers and the motorhome.  While neither of those compare to a tractor trailer in size, the concept of lane management and compensation for off tracking is the same.

Where I need a lot of work is getting smoother with the shifting.  That transmission ain’t cutting me no slack at all; if I don’t have it right, it don’t shift– and that’s that.  Going up and down through the gears is a piece of cake, but it gets a little hairy when I have to ‘bump and run’ or recover a gear.  I’ve memorized the gear speeds but that information doesn’t come to mind fast enough yet, and the window of opportunity ain’t that big.  Once you miss it you have to start thinking all over again, and … well you see where this is going.

All in all it wasn’t a bad evening of driving.  I didn’t have any trouble with turns or lane management, and I have to remind myself that being a bit rough on shifting after only a couple of hours behind the wheel isn’t all that bad.  I will need to see a lot of improvement tomorrow though; that new guy excuse only lasts so long.

Jeff continues to be patient and friendly.  He’s all business when it comes to teaching, but loosens up nicely when the situation allows.

See you tomorrow…

Basic Training: Day 4…HERE we go!

Tuesday:

Today I met the most patient man on earth!  His name is Jeff, and he will be my driving instructor for the remainder of the basic course.  Seriously, I am quite impressed with how calmly he sits in the passenger seat and gives direction calmly as we hurl that huge truck toward a variety of potential disasters.  Don’t know if he’s drugged, but I would have to be.

Our class schedule for today simply listed ‘driving’ for the entire day, and the classroom and lab instructors were just about as vague about what to expect.  We were told to be in by 6:45 this morning to meet our new trainers, and at exactly that time they walked in and started calling out names.  It was a little creepy in the way it reminded me of my basic training days in the Army.

In addition to me Jeff called Joe and Mandy, a husband & wife who plan to team together.  The first thing we did was go into a “one-on-one” room at the facility to introduce ourselves to each other and discuss the rest of our training.  Jeff seemed from the beginning to be quite down to earth, serious about his profession, yet relaxed enough to share a good sense of humor.

Once we walked out to his truck we demonstrated to him that we knew how to do a 4 point check.  We then all climbed in and he went over the interior with us.  Next he fired it up and off we went for a demo ride.  As he drove he was constantly calling out exactly what he was doing, as well as noting all the things he observed on the road that called for his attention.  This very much reminded me of the defensive driving exercises I used to do back with BellSouth.

We found ourselves in an industrial park in the NW part of the city; this particular one has several large complexes that have been closed in the last few years, and there’s not much traffic around.  As soon as we got there Jeff pulled to the curb and said “Who’s first?”.  While I was anxious, I hesitated just long enough for Mandy to hollar “I’ll go”.

From there until lunch time Joe and I sat on the sleeper bunk while she drove.  Jeff directed her around the industrial park while she ’settled in’ (along with a dozen other trucks there training), and then took her out on the city streets in traffic.  Yes, it was rough; we did a lot of bouncing around back there.  But all in all she didn’t do bad; no stalls, didn’t hit a thing, nobody got run off the road (that we know about), and she got us back to the OC and backed in the slot like a pro.

After lunch it was my turn; Joe is a former driver and wanted to go last.  WOW…that was scary as hell, nerve wracking, butt-cheak pinchin’, and the most fun I’d had in a long time.  I did OK… not great, not even that good, but OK.  As soon as my time was up I was ready to jump right back in the driver’s seat and go again.

I must be hard headed; all this time the instructors had been telling us how different driving a truck is than driving anything else.  OK, I agreed with that and knew I’d have a lot to learn.  But I guess subconsciously I was looking at it as just bigger and heavier, but otherwise not that different.  Today washed all those thoughts from my head in a hurry. 

Let me say right now that I have a whole new respect for Bobby (my son-in-law) and all the other truck drivers out there.  This is not an “any dummy can drive a truck” profession.  There’s a LOT to know and keep up with as you go down the road, and not just keeping your truck in the lane either.  Every gear shift has to be calculated for speed and RPM before selecting a gear, gauges must be monitored, and that big a** trailer behind you has to be kept in line.  NOT an easy job.

Anyway, we finished up our day with Joe taking the wheel.  He was also a bit rough at first, but smoothed out quite well by the end of the day.  Tomorrow we go on shifts.  Our days will be split with half being one-on-one driving with Jeff, and the other half in the simulators and slow-speed and backing practice on “the hill”.  One of us needed to take the ‘night’ shift (12:30 to 21:00) in order to get each of us our one-on-one driving time.  Jeff said he wanted me to take it; that was fine with the others and I don’t mind at all, but I do wonder what his reason was for wanting me on the last shift.  Maybe I’ll find out once we’re alone and driving.

I do have to throw in one short rant (haven’t had one in several days):  All three of the others in the truck with me smoke, and I don’t.  Jeff did bring that up in our initial meeting this morning, and gave me a chance to ask them not to in the truck, but I told them it would be OK.  This is stressful enough on us all without them going into some sort of kinipshin over needing a cigarette.  But it did get rough a few times, and I’m glad I’ll be alone w/ Jeff for most (all?) of the rest of driver training.

That’s it for now… I need to get some homework done.  See y’all later…

Basic Training: Day 3 …

Monday:

Today started off a little different; the class was split first thing and half went to “the hill” for a little hands-on truck trainin’.  I was in the half that stayed in the classroom for the morning.  By the way, we still have all 45 students we started with.

Since this is the first normal weekday we’ve been in class the Regional Training Manager, Richard Perry, was there to give us a little talk about Schneider and the Training Academy.  After that we reviewed our homework on HOS and the 70, 14, and 11 hour rules, followed by a test.

After a short break we moved on to Over The Road Driving Challenges, which was an assortment of subjects such as night driving, basic air and brake systems, mountain grades, accidents, etc.  While it was interesting material I have to admit that I was tired of the classroom and ready to get outside.

My chance came after lunch when we swapped places with the morning group.  Again our group was split, bringing the numbers down to 12 or so for each ’station’.  My first few hours were spent on the simulators, where we practiced the 4 kinds of shifting.  I was pleased with my performance, but I do need a LOT of practice before it becomes smooth.

After a couple hours on the sims we went outside to see demonstrations on ‘Three Points of Contact’ (how to get in and out of the truck), ‘Four Point Check’ (the minimum engine system check you can do), and coupling/uncoupling to/from a trailer.  Oh, one more thing; our seat settings were recorded.  The driver’s seat has about 9 different adjustments and each has an indicator that allows the seat to be ‘preset’ to your particular settings.

Tomorrow we’re scheduled to meet our driving trainers and spend the entire day driving.  I’m told there will be about 3 students to each truck, so it looks like we’ll get a bunch of driving in.  That’s all for now…