Don't Think Too Hard

• Road atlas mileage charts
• Wandering around one of the largest health care facilities in Wisconsin
• An iced mocha coffee from a deceptive tool shed
• 54F in central Wisconsin on Thanksgiving Weekend
• Improvising when purposefully given spotty data
• Watching violent Anime you've seen 10 times already
• "Recall Scott Walker" human sign posts
• Pulp Fiction

I never expected to witness all this in one day, and I bet you wouldn't either.  Today's mission started with a general expectation list:  Eat, shower, coffee, homework, entertainment.  It was easy up until the coffee part, the local place I was going to check out across the street had closed that location to focus on their only other one, located in the Marshfield Clinic attached to the gargantuan St. Joseph's Hospital.  Once inside one of the 15+ entrances finding it wasn't an easy task, and it turns out they were closed for the weekend.  I used my license plates to make my way out of the massive (and busy) parking lot, and found my way to the ominous strange looking tool shed in the bank parking lot across from the hotel.  I had never heard of an "Espresso Hut", sorry.  Turns out its pretty cool.  Fast, cheap, and tasty.

Okay, so about that truck driving thing...

Week 2 is gone, and with the Thanksgiving Eve CDL test canceled (so we found out Tuesday afternoon), we finally have a date.  Thursday, 12/1 is what it all comes down to.  I had a nearly textbook-perfect run yesterday, in my 3+ hours behind the wheel.  It was also a landmark day because it was the first time we went out on a 65mph highway.  I didn't even know it was on the agenda, all of a sudden Dale's like "Turn right at the next light".  It was fun as hell, I remember just 10 days ago when just grazing 30 on the range felt fast.  I enjoyed it while I could because the rest of the fleet is governed at 63 on the pedal, 59 on cruise control.  Feels plenty fast for me, and I knew I had to get used to it eventually.  It was nice to finally feel what its really going to be like out there.  Feels like I've been waiting forever.

Homework is no longer rules of the road.  We've moved on to what I call "Road Trips 201".  I could have taught a 100 level course for rookies, but truck driving trip planning is a straightforward yet head-spinning thing that has to be done day in and day out.  I can't do x total miles / 65 = ETA like I used to.  Now its total miles / 45mph = ETA.  Which is good because you feel good when you come in under xD  fuel stops, breaks, inspections, and to top it all off: FMCSR telling you when to sleep.

Lucky for me I'm familiar with highway time management concepts already.  These specific exercises are just building on that.  The "spotty data" is when we're given cities that aren't listed on the mileage charts.  Then you go to the city index, which lists in crystal clear 5pt font every known population cluster in North America and their coordinates.  Then find the nearest city that IS listed on the charts, and guesstimate from there.

See, we weren't told that when it was assigned.  We were suppose to think outside the box on our own (which I did anyway).  I haven't used Google maps yet and I'm VERY proud of myself.

With enough of that done for today, its Pulp Fiction time.  I haven't seen a Tarantino move yet that I didn't like, so hopefully this will be no different.  I have a ton of laundry to do tomorrow, and it very much does
"Look like a bitch"

Black Friday 2011 - Don't shoot the driver

With the exception of this

Not really a post about trucking specifically, but truckers need consumer products and toys just like anybody else.  Oh yea, and we DELIVER it all.  It looks like this might be the second Black Friday in a row that I'll miss out, though this time it's by choice. There (mostly) doesn't seem to be much that strikes me in all the leaked ads.  As for everybody else, I present this:

BFADS.NET

This site was our primary tool back in 2008 when some friends from college and I split into teams to get stuff we had our sights on.  Employees from retailers get their hands on the ads and post them on the site.  Do retailers like it?  No.  Do the elite strike teams and lone wolves of Black Friday like it?  You bet we do!

New stuff is added and sometimes forcibly (C&D) removed pretty much every few hours right up to Friday, and stuff is even posted for Cyber Monday.  The ones that get pulled from BFA are obviously made available on Thursday, but this will give you an edge over the competition.  Good hunting everybody!

Flawless Cowboy

Today we ran a lot like yesterday, albeit a few inconsistencies on my part.  The good news is, I can do a pre-trip inspection and operational check almost completely from memory.  The bad news was, for some miraculous reason I suddenly couldn't double clutch worth a damn on the first morning ride around town.  After repeated attempts things just snowballed.  After and hour when I popped over the curb making that 70 degree left I nailed yesterday, I was about ready to park it for the morning.  But I putted along single shifting or not; I didn't drive way the hell out here to quit, even if its only for an hour.  I came back to the truck from lunch early and just sat and ran through the motions.  Once we started again I took a few spins around the range, and like flicking on a switch I was good to go, almost perfect every gear.

Things get tense when you have a new skill almost down to a science and suddenly the next day you're just not feeling it anymore.  I'm not the only one it happens to here, in fact almost every student gets that domino effect when they miss a move on the road.  I've been good about putting mistakes in my rear view up until now, but today I couldn't get over how I could do it perfect yesterday, but drew a blank every time this morning.  We were all told repeatedly on day 1 that we were going to be our own worst critics here, but I totally forgot that today.

To sum up, week 1 is behind me, and I'm on par with all expectations.  If we end up testing on Wednesday, I'm ready.  As promised, here is my first warranted self-importance shot with a special appearance by my favorite motivation dispenser.  Like a BOSS.

Dancin' in the Streets. With steel.

A few things happened today- I ended up being the first one to the yard at 06:50 so I got the pleasure of freezing my way 200 yards from the parking area to the building to get the keys and start the day's pre-trip.  After that it turns out that the trainees with CDL's are already going to be in another truck working on advanced stuff, so we were down a driver today, which means I got some sweet 2:1 time behind the wheel.  But that makes each break you get between driving a lot shorter! It was decided we'd head out to a new challenge a day ahead of schedule.

With me starting out we made our way downtown, which was a little nerve racking.  For those of you from home imagine the most congested commercial parts of the Fellsway you know.  My worst fear at the moment is traffic lights.  Say a light is turning yellow and I have to make a nanosecond decision to either roll through because I can't stop safely in time, or if I think I can- I have to downshift damn quick without missing a gear.  The first run through didn't go so well for me, but luckily a signal was out due to construction and we had to take an impromptu route which was easier than going deeper into 2-lane-divided-yellow-light-ville.  After lunch I had a chance to do it again, and I did almost everything with barely a hiccup from the gears, including a 70 degree left turn at a 4-way intersection.  First try. 

The only curb I ran over today was the one leaving the yard. xD

We're making progress, and I'm pretty much 100% confident in the exterior pre-trip inspection.  I almost got it all from memory this morning, even before coffee! 

While taking a break at one of the gas stations in town we pulled up next to a much bigger show truck.  The cab was almost twice as long as ours, I'd sooner call it an "apartment" than a "sleeper".  We talked to the driver a bit and he told us about the features and it turns out its a '99, almost as old as my car xD  It had an APU with a 100 gal tank to run all the gear while the engine is off.  Auxiliary Power Units are either big batteries or a generator to run AC power to your toys so you don't have to idle the engine.  It was about then I started again fantasizing about all the fun I could have while on the road.  There is a nice place in the canopy for a LCD TV above the bed, a mini-fridge, a microwave, xbox, even a lava lamp if you wanted it.

Unfortunately, our company doesn't really do APU's anymore because they cost an arm and a leg for maintenance every year.  Someday I'll get a new computer for use on the road with a little more juice than this one.  Truckers can really benefit from having tablet PC's, they're small, light, and with wifi in tons of truck stops they'd be great for even occasional web use.

I'm not sure whats up for tomorrow, but I hope we get to do some more backing.  I did the 45 degree one today and it was pass-worthy on the first try!  I have to work on the road part some more but I always have a lot of fun learning the tight tricks in the range like that.  Its pretty sad that I can feel the front corners better on a Freightliner Century S than I can in Dad's F-150.

Play day 1 and 2 off, Keyboard Day 3

With day and 2 already behind me with hardly time for a facebook status update you can imagine RDTC is hardcore fast.  Between the 7-5 day and reading homework at night time here is certainly well spent.  Looking forward to having Saturday and Sunday off, I got up early to make this post because its the only way I can make time for it. 

This is how fast it is:  We drove in the lot on day one, and today we drive on the streets.
Driving laps around the range can only be used to practice so many situations.  The only way to learn to do some things is to just.. do it.

Luckily the trainers here are great.  Dale has about 35 years of behind the wheel experience, and he's a fun guy to be around.  Without a good trainer I don't know how I would have picked this up so fast.  I was kind of a wreck with shifting on Monday afternoon, but yesterday morning something just "clicked" and I'm ready for the back roads today.  I even backed straight about 150 yards pretty well on the first try.

This whole trip is big.  Like more than moving 2800 miles for college big.  I'm getting this feeling of accomplishing things and conquering obstacles that I've either forgotten in the last 2 years, or have never felt at all.
Time to pack lunch if I want to eat well today, I'm sure after being on the real road I'll need it.  I'll need to get coffee on the way for my hands.  Its 28 degrees out today and that's about the high.  50 was nice yesterday but thats probably the end of that.

Rock on-

Arrival DLC

I arrived in Marshfield today, within half an hour of my target.  Trufax about driving to the midwest:

• It takes a LONG time to traverse Pennsylvania.
• If you visit Cleveland and only see the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, you saw enough, move on.  (Thanks again for the treat, Jake!)
• Taking I-80/90 through Ohio and Indiana is expensive.  (see below)
• Illinois and Indiana must think they're cool for having their own transponders, the "I-PASS" and "i-ZOOM", respectively. (which apparently work 100% with EZ-Pass at the same rates anyway)  What are Idaho and Iowa suppose to use when they decide not to be free?
• There are virtually no miles of Interstate within 100 miles of Chicago that are not tolled.
• If you drive on the weekend, you might get lucky and not have to brake for construction once.
• Live fast, toll hard.
• Finally, UPS and Fed Ex drivers are the worst CDL holders on the planet.  I was cruising 65-70 and they all passed me like I was standing still.  ...poorly.

Snow? in MY Wisconsin?

I've often complained about the Ohio Turnpike and the Indiana Toll Road and how costs a more than half a tank of gas just for tolls, but this was the first time I took a close look at them both in the day and night.  The money is obviously well managed because every mile of road seems to be in smooth, pristine condition; from the gravel on the sides to the lines, even the reflectors never seem to be missing.  I guess I don't feel so ripped off now.

This is with good reason I'm sure, because its one of the most dangerous stretches of highway in the country.  I was surprised that Ohio has raised the speed limit to 70 since I last passed through there in July.  Though Indiana and Illinois are also 70, they restrict CV's to 65.  It's a no brainer which trucks are governed, I'm actually glad mine will be.  Driving the speed limit through there in my Escort was a little hairy at night, there's no need to be going that fast in truck.  Though its mostly straight and level, there's just something about it that plays tricks with your eyes if it doesn't have your undivided focus.  I think its a combination of the angle of oncoming traffic, the reflector poles, and the fact that there is ZERO light pollution between interchanges.  Corn fields don't have much luminary output.  If the moon isn't there to help then your visibility is only as good as your headlights, which don't go as far as you think.

As seen in Mesa, Arizona.

I stopped in Joliet, IL last night, cutting this trip pretty accurately into thirds.  Roughly 1,155 miles is by far the longest solo trip (driving) I've ever been on.  As weird as it was cruising alone the whole time, I guess I better get used to it.   Tomorrow we start by finding out if I can lift 30 pounds over my head without my heart exploding.  I'm pretty confident about that part but when I arrived in town I was nervous as hell about the REST of this whole thing.
<A little wisconsin-grown treat got me feeling better.  Thanks for the referral, Rollie.  It really hit the spot.

0700, I'll be there and ready to rock.

Better PACKED than sorry

It seems like packing for driver training in central Wisconsin during the winter resembles packing for deep sea diving.  I'm no stranger to cold weather, but I don't need the worst of winter hitting me when I have enough things to focus on. 

Wisconsin is notorious for having bad winters, but so far there hasn't been any accumulation in the Marshfield area, just a dusting every week or two.  Maybe I'm just paranoid, but I like to expect the worst that way I'm not easily surprised.

This pile of clothes and gear doesn't hold a candle to my bit for winter camping in North Conway this past February.  And that was just for a weekend.  Luckily this time don't have to haul it a mile on a sled up a mountain.  Well, I might be using a sled to get to HQ from the hotel if the weather goes to hell.  I'm really hoping I won't need those snow boots.

I also went to the bank and got a whole mess of 5's and singles for the tolls, looks like its going to be about $22 each way.  I can thank Ohio for about $15 of that.  Unfortunately my Escort doesn't have an amphibious kit, so I can't really cut across the lakes

< If this was Back to the Future, my Garmin would look something like this.

Remember, Remember That First Post in November

The Place:  Central New Jersey
The Day:  November 5

5 Days left...

It was 60 days ago I set in motion a series of events  that have turned my same old day-to-day I've had going for 2 years upside-down.  It was actually back in June that I began thinking of seriously doing this.  I would make one final push to get a job in the industry I worked hard to get a degree for, and if I got nothing back by September 30th, I was going to take my life in a new direction.  The deadline came and passed, and I set the ball rolling on this fallback plan that had been preparing for 4 months.

With my BA in Video Game Art & Design on my desk, I applied to be an over the road truck driver for Roehl Transport.  I shed no tears, and still have no regrets.

As any OTR Truck Driver would tell you, this isn't something you jump into without careful consideration, research, and planning.   It's not even a job, really.  It's a lifestyle.
You're away from home for weeks at a time, work long hours, take showers in truck stops, feed yourself, stay fit, motivated, and live every day like a road trip.  And all the while trying to forget that most people don't get rich doing the job.  If you're one of those tough enough to hack it, then it becomes a way of life and you can say you're happy and proud to go to work every day.

This my friends, is the right lane exit at the top of your screen.  It's the direction I'm going.

Some might say I'm throwing in the towel on my prior ambitions, but really only one person in my life has called me out on it.  Trust me, I know a LOT of people.  And I'm NOT calling it quits.  I still young, I have my rig (PC), desk, programs, and a pen and paper.  I can still be a 3D Artist.

Being the introductory post I have to give a thanks to members of The Truckers Report for being an invaluable resource in this decision, both for myself as well as countless others in my boat.  A few members of my family and many family friends are now or have been truck drivers at some point, and I owe them a bunch of thanks as well.  If you're reading this, then you know who you are :)

To wrap it all up, next Friday I put an end the 31 day setback (some later post) and head out to Wisconsin to start the 3 week training course.  If I make the cut, I'm in.

You ever wonder what happens when a 23 year old computer nerd / road geek trades in his keyboard and Ford Escort for 18 wheels of steel and a new career?

Buckle up.  Welcome to First Time Freeway.