I keep saying I'm a newbie...rookie, and I am. Since I started driving a couple of years ago this is my first Christmas being out on the road...not at home with family and friends.

It's not bad, then again I'm with my honey. Even with that I can put myself in the place of all the other drivers here who aren't with someone, who are just here. We are all just here.

I've had some weird curiosity as to the feelings of those other drivers out here - alone - on this one night that seems to bring the holiest feelings, and even to those who aren't religious...this night, and the oncoming day of togetherness.

From what I've gathered, most out here don't feel Christmas is any more than any other day. Maybe they say that to guard themselves, maybe they truly mean it...who knows.

I talked with a couple of ol' timer drivers, those who were driving when I was in grade school. They said they're so used to being out here on holidays, it doesn't bother them much. I used to say the same thing working in the hospitals on the holidays. I know there's still a time during the day...or the night...when you would give anything to be at home.

But we aren't because this is our job...someone has to do it...someone has to be out here. ...

... and so, here we are. The world works together or it doesn't work.

Merry Christmas to you all...wherever you may be and may peace be with you.

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Well I think Bud already mentioned Mike and I bought a truck together, yep...can't wait til that black carpet turns "Bud White"...lol. We're thinkin' we got a pretty good deal on it, taking over payments for 14 months, new motor last year, very clean truck, set up for heavy haul, it'll work.

I'm now aclamated to the oh-so-fun parts of buying a truck. Between the purchase agreements, insurance, company leasing requirements and documents, and lets not forget the sleep inducing visit to the IRS for that 2290 (I swear that woman got a rush out of reading the ENTIRE handbook for obtaining a 2290, the IRS workers are right up there with postal workers I'm sure....all for an 8 x 5 expensive piece of paper) Phew, all the faxing, emailing, office stuff that I got into truck driving to get away from stuff was done. 

I headed out to Salt Lake City to get the truck wondering all along the way...hmm, I wonder if it smells (I brought extra strength Fabreeze just in case), I wonder if I'll have a problem driving an 18 speed since I've never driven one, I wonder if I'll get that good feeling with the truck or if I'll have that "Oh crap, this is Hades in real time" feel.  Well I got into the truck and loved it from the start. Like TruckDawgBud mentioned, it's a W900 and all my worries were set aside. This truck felt right. Beautiful to look at, even better to sleep in the first night. No funky smells, no bad anything, just the right stuff.

I had a power-only load set up to get me out of the area for the next day. The guy we bought if from told me it needed some fuel, just a couple of inches in the tanks. I took off from his place getting on the Interstate heading 8 miles down the road for fuel...well, guess those couple of inches weren't enough, lost all power less that a mile from his place on the on ramp. (If any of ya'll saw a black W9 at the 269 SB I15 on ramp Monday, it was me.)  Pat, the guy we bought the truck from had his son bring fuel and Mike talked us through priming the filter, etc to get my baby rolling again...2 hrs later, I was on the road...well, at least the road for some fuel.

I went to pick up my load the next morning, (by the way, someone needs to tell Utah they can name roads, they don't have to all be numbers). It was a new trailer from Utility, and of course someone, somewhere screwed up the paperwork so I sat there until after noon. They cleared me finally, went to find my trailer, backed our new truck under it then remembered from wayyyyy back when (okay, not that far back, but when I started driving a couple of years ago), that these boxes are left high. Mike and I have been pulling step deck and most recently RGN/DD. I got out, checked my height and dollied the trailer down. Backed on up, hmmm, oops, not enough, over the 5th wheel. Stupid boxes, RGN's are right where you left them...lol.

So anyway, a couple of days later, I'm in Laredo ready to off this trailer, see my honey's face in the morning when he sees our "new" truck, catch another load, and head down the road in a sweet running truck. I say running because it runs, no driving it, it just runs smooth, like it doesn't need me or anyone else. I'm thinkin' we made a good decision buyin' her....but I suppose  TruckDawgBud will be the ultimate say-so...lol.

That reminds me, I need to take pics before the white very shag carpet comes back onboard. I'll let you all know how it's going, so far just a lot of warm and fuzzy's but keeping an eye on things. 

Oh, and I thought up until now I held the title for the worst crowded T/S backer....I guess after sitting here for a couple of hours watching I feel better, it gets hard sometimes for other people too. Phew.

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Well I've got my first 3 months in of training hauling over-dimensional loads. The company we're driving with says I'm now "certified" for OD but I'm thinkin' I should be just plain certified crazy...lol.

I'm constantly amazed every time I see the next load we're picking up, and even more amazed driving down the road seeing those beasts in my mirrors. I was very apprehensive at first of course, still being a rookie pretty much at driving period. Luckily I've got a co-driver and best friend who has taken great care at making sure I learn every part of it, keeping us, the load, and others out there safe.

There are some incidents where I'm wondering why I'm doing this crazy stuff. We got out of route one day in Texas and Mike was looking at the map trying to get us back on route. He decided we could just click down the road we were on a few miles and it would wind us back on route. Well yes indeed it did, only thing there was a one-lane bridge popped up with nowhere to turn around. We crept through, he kept assuring me I had PLENTY of room. We got to the other side and once I quit sweating so much let him know that a couple of inches to spare on both sides was not my idea of "plenty of room", lol.  He just smiled, told me I did just fine and we went on along our way.

The first few weeks I kept reporting back to our friends what I'd hauled so far, and I'd finish with..."and I still haven't hit anything!". I can't say that now since I've dinged a sign (no choice, it was the sign or the idiot 4wheeler who cut into me), a few cones which couldn't be helped (at first I felt bad but all the drivers have filled me in on the point system...lol), and one tapped bumper of a bobtail that snuck in behind me (no damage, just a scuff and yes it was my fault for listening to someone telling me I could back up...GOAL!)

I've already had my fun at the coops with permits having some freaky thing wrong with them, I've learned to scour over them 2 or 3 times for any tiny little error there might be. Mike laughed at me at one scale house in MS. It showed open, I pulled in, went to the scales on the right for OD even though it gave me the bypass arrow, as I've been taught I'm supposed to do. I sat on the scale and no lights came up. There were the usual DOT vehicles parked there so I went around, parked, got my paperwork and headed in. The door was locked so I figured it was the wrong door so I went to the other one. It was locked also. Hmm, I went back to the first one and was peering in the windows. I could see lights on and stuff but didn't see anyone so I started knocking on the door. No answer. I went back to the truck and told Mike. I guess they'd gone to lunch. Mike was laughing saying I was probably the only driver who bangs on the scale house door to let me in.

The first time I saw how to separate an RGN I made the statement I never wanted to do that, it just looked like such an ordeal to these newbies eyes. Well now I'm proud to say I detach that puppy pretty quickly and sadly (this goes back to the certified thing above), I kinda have fun with it. I have to confess though I haven't taken to driving the equipment up on the trailer. Mike is always asking me if I want to load some huge escavator or something, I just look at him and remind him it'd probably be best if I learn to drive the beast on the ground first...lol.

I had a time with an escort one day. We needed one in front in addition to our rear escort just through Alabama. We met up with her, a Grandma about 70 or so in a black pickup. No sooner had we met then she was off. I don't think I've ever seen a Grandma fly down the road like she was. She told us later she'd been doing escort for 25 years or so. Made me wonder what she did up until she was in her 40's. We figured now we know what Nascar drivers do when they retire.

That's some for now, I'll post again in a few months and let you know if I've hit anything...lol. Be safe you all!

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I'm sure everyone has heard the talk before, the grumbling and groaning. "Damn rookie drivers, ruining the highways" and "The industry has gone to hell 'cause of all these new drivers out here who don't know what they're doing." Well I'll tell you straight up, I'm a fairly new driver, less than a year but not neccesarily the type that they rant about.

I heard the talk even before I got my CDL while I was first learning with my permit under my boyfriend's guidance. Now almost a year later I'm starting to get an understanding as to how new drivers quickly can become those bottom-of-the-gene-pool life forms that have so many colorful names given to them by the veteran drivers. Just to clarify, I'm in no way giving excuses for bad drivers, just trying to give an insight into what a new driver in these day and times are facing.

The first setup for disaster is the one-two sucker punch of getting a CDL. Unless a person was raised in a trucking family of some sort, or otherwise had a lot of previous experience with big trucks, you have to go to some kind of CDL school. Thanks to our government's inattention to the high number of bogus, profiteering CDL mills combined with lackluster CDL testing by the States, the majority of "student drivers" come out of the school with little more education about big trucks other than figuring out how much it hurts if you fall out of the thing. Luckily I found one of the few, truly professional schools in the country that actually won't let you out the door or get your CDL until you've proven, and they're convinced you know what the hell you're doing. To bad there aren't regulations making that not just a luxury for CDL training schools, but a requirement - then a big part of the issue is whittled away.

Step two in the making of a ***** rookie driver; the job. Hmm, this part cracks me up. Okay, it doesn't really make me laugh, I was just trying to make things light & fun. Actually it makes me want to bang my head against a brick wall in frustration. The majority of companies that will even consider a student driver (which btw one is still considered a student driver even after having some months of OTR experience to many cos), are the bottom of the barrel companies to work for. They know these drivers don't know squat about what they're heading out to do and the training process usually consists of a trainer crawling in the bunk and telling them to wake them up after 2 weeks. We all know this and it sucks big time, but there aren't any regulations or laws concerning it so why should they put forth any effort? They'd rather just pay outrageous premiums to their insurers, ignore their sucky Safe Stat numbers, pay the drivers chump change and go along their merry way. I looked at some of the companies that hire student drivers, saw their safety ratings, heard the horror stories from other drivers, worked 1 week with one, and said oh hellllllll no.

I've been what I consider a lucky newbie driver. I had a boyfriend who picked me up and said lets team. I feel lucky in the sense that after the school I attended invested so much of their time to teach me correctly, my bf picked it up from there and continued my driving education, investing his own time, knowledge, and a few gray hairs to make sure I become a true professional driver.

So now here comes step three. I'm sitting here being in the minority of rookies who actually had people care about me doing things right, but I'm still in the same sinking boat. I have 2 choices right now - do my time with some disasterous company until I get at least 2 years verifiable in or we buy our own truck and get our own authority. We decided we would go for the owner/op thing. My boyfriend (more like common-law hubby any more) has enough company and o/o experience, along with several friends who feel like we are ready for this.

Now here's the kicker (along with more banging on the ol' brick wall). I found a good truck, got approved for financing and we're ready to go right? Wrong! I'm buying the truck in just my name because of a few financial indescretions we'll call it on my bf's part. Come to find out, I can buy the truck, I can tag the truck, I can get permits, I can get my own authority BUT...I can't insure the darn thing. There isn't a single insurance company out there that will insure an o/o truck where the driver has less than 2 yrs experience, even team driving with and experienced driver.

Well poop! Okay, plan B; we'll hold off on our own authority and be o/o's leased to a company then be insured by them. Nope, back to the original brick wall of no good company wants an inexperienced driver, even teaming with experienced. Sure, we've found some crap places that'll take us but we know the cpm will be low from the cheap crap freight they haul.

This whole industry just amazes me. There are veteran drivers leaving in droves and we constantly see advertising for drivers needed. But nobody seems willing to invest in molding a few new drivers into good experienced drivers. They want experienced drivers with good records, but I guess they think they will appear out of the sky on a sunny day without putting forth any effort to create them.

We're not giving up, we still have some options we're looking into, and a few more calls to make here and there. I'm just frustrated because I can't go pick up my truck and haul something! Heck of a deal wouldn't you say?

Oh, and sorry about the long diatribe, I get a tad wordy sometimes.

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