Some photos from the road....

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Somewhere in Iowa....

I always imagined Iowa as a boring state.  Kind of like South Dakota, except that no one's ever actually MET someone from South Dakota, so technically it wins the most boring state contest.  I have met some Iowans and they were actually friendly.  Even though i don't care for their football program.   I think it may be that i'm jealous that a "Hawkeye" sounds more ferocious than a duck.  On the other hand, who wants their team mascot to be a body PART? Why not pick the whole animal?   Shouldn't it be the Iowa Hawks?  Oh well.  At least it wasn't the Iowa Hawk Guts.

Anyway, i don't really have a theme for tonight's blog, even after a full 11-hour shift of driving through Illinois and Iowa.  So i thought i'd just go with random thoughts from the road -- something i will probably do from time to time:

Iowa's countryside, on I-80 at least, looks a lot like the Willamette Valley.  Except that it doesn't have the hills in the distance.  Same with Illinois.  Same with Ohio.  Actually, it may be fair and reasonable to say that all of the rural US of A looks a lot like the Willamette Valley.  Which means that Oregon, of all states, is the best representation of the entire country.  With the second best football team in the country.  And the most beautiful women.  And the best looking men, if you're into that.  Which i'm not -- and which is a blessing when you're running with a bunch of truck drivers.  Except some truck drivers, i'm sure.....  Which is ok.  Anyway....

You'd be surprised how many days you can actually wear a pair of socks when everyone is doing it.

Country music actually sounds BETTER when you are a trucker.  Jazz sounds worse.

The showers are really nice at Flying J and Pilot truck  stops.  The towels are even warm and the hot water never ends.

My trainer driver never eats or goes to the bathroom.  All he does is talk  on the phone in a different language i don't recognize.   No wonder he is actually coming up on the "2 million miles driven" mark.

Truck stops have EXCELLENT coffee.   But the food isn't really good, so you're better off sticking with hostess productl

If you've been reading my previous posts, truckers can be rude over the CB radio.

Driving in the rain or the fog totally sucks.

The sleeping berths in an 18 wheeler are actually very comfortable.  And you get so used to the motion of the truck that it's hard to sleep when you are parked.

I have met one truck stop waitress, and she couldn't have been nicer.

I have yet to see a truck stop hooker.  Or at least one that was obvious to me.

When you're on the road you likely remember your kids as being better behaved than they actually are.... (sorry Grace...:-)

It's REALLY hard to get good photos on the road when all you see is interstate and truck stops.

It's kind of sad when you have to ask your waitress what state you are in, and mean it seriously.

That's about it for tonight.  Hope everyone is well.

Stay safe....

KWA

The birth of the journey.....

I think it may be a good time to back up a step or two.  I imagine a few of my readers may be wondering, why in the world is Ken doing this -- has he lost his mind??  What possibly possesses a person to leave a six figure salary, a secure, prestigious job in favor of becoming what amounts to a blue collar laborer, the cliche country song topic: a truck driver.  Well, faithful few, that's the subject of today's blog, and i'm prepared to let it all hang out in an attempt to help those understand who may be perplexed (and perhaps even concerned) about my choices.

In short, what happened over the course of a two-year period was that i had something of an extended nervous breakdown.  It began with a general dissatisfaction with the job, feeling like there HAD to be something ELSE other than trying to argue  for issues that I rarely cared about, in an environment that can suck the marrow from your bones and the blood from your veins unless you happen to be one of the few who simply LIVES for politics and doing political battle. And to be sure, for those who are of the latter persuasion, i offer unending respect and appreciation for this necessary work.  It just came to be something that didn't fit my temperament.  I don't think it ever did.

Unable to find my way anymore in my accidental profession (and seeing that my performance was rapidly sliding to the point of being irrecoverable), and struggling with increasing mental health problems, inlcuding stress, panic, lethargy, indifference and even suicidal thoughts, I ultimately checked in at the Cedar Hills mental health treatment faciiity in Portland, OR.  It was here that i was, for the first time, diagnosed with major clinical depression, bi-polar tendencies, Attention Deficit Disorder and Type II Diabetes.  All to go along with my exceptionally high blood pressure.  And i had been drinking heavily during this entire two-year period, using alcohol to medicate my unmanageable symptoms.  Small wonder that i felt i was standing on the edge of the abyss and about to fall headlong into it.

I think i was in danger of "losing" my kids -- not in terms of custody, but in terms of being a father to them and being there when they needed me.  Also, my second marriage was now broken, possibly beyond repair, and it still is  I had done serious damage all the way around my small, seriously screwed up world.  I was about as self-absorbed in negativity as was possible for one person.  And people were falling away from me; friends for sure, but also including my family.

Well, I spent a week at Cedar Hills and seemed to get a lot of things straightened out in my head, not the least of which was the absolute clarity of thought that i needed to abandon my career for the sake of my sanity and my health.  I am now on a prescription drug regimen for my variety of ailments that is making a TRUE difference in how i feel and how i interact with the world.

To make a long part of this story shorter, i decided to pursue truck driving school because it was something that had always interested me and was a career path that allowed for lots of reflection.  It also was about as diametrically different from my previous job, which was very attractive.  My ultimate goal is to write a book about this mental health journey, and doing long-haul trucking seemed a perfect career metaphor for what was going on in my head.  So one thing led to another and i found myself on a bus to Salt Lake City, Utah, which is where my first blog post picks up.

It's really all a grand experiment in self-discovery for me.  And while many will view the choice as extremely selfish, especially with two children at home, i am at peace with the decision.  And i am trusting that this is, in fact, where i'm supposed to be and that it will play out positively.  It certainly can't be worse than the path i had been on previously.

And even if it proves to have been a mistake, at least it was proactive.  It represented taking ACTION rather than feeling sorry for myself because things weren't what i wanted.  Because by not doing anything, we are choosing to do something.  And that choice was unacceptable.

Anyway, that's the condensed version.  While opening ourselves up is always a risk, i am confident the risk is worth taking in order to provide others with perspective on my decisions.  And for those of you thus far invested in my story, i felt it was only fair to offer this context.  Here's keeping my fingers crossed for good things.... For all of us.

Stay safe....

KWA

Route 66

Two things:  First, i LOVE driving these trucks.  It is so cool it's ridiculous.  Second, driving these trucks scares the living crap out of me!  They just take up a LOT of space, and there isn't much margin for error.

Especially last night....  it was a foggy night and with road construction there wasn't an inch of shoulder for miles between my wheels and the concrete barrier.  And because we were fully loaded i was usually going slower than most of the other trucks, which kept whizzing by my left side.  It was so stressful that my neck still is sore this morning.  The worst part, though, was when we were getting off one highway and onto another, and i killed the engine on the on ramp/off ramp.  "What's the problem up there England", came a voice from the CB.  "Uh oh, this is not good", said another.  "C'mon England" from another.   Needless to say, the commentary and questions did not help me do a better job when i started to panic.  I finally got it lurched to a start and up the ramp, but by then the damage was done to my confidence and it took me a good hour to shake off that mishap.

Dropped our load this morning at a regional Costco distribution facility in New Jersey.  En route, we covered California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania.  It's surreal driving past road signs for Route 66, Bakersfield, Flagstaff, Albuquerque, Amarillo, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, etc.....    These are places you read about in the newspaper, but you never actually see, except occasionally as you are flying over them.  So it's pretty neat to drive past those well-known places within mere miles of real people with real lives and interesting stories who live there.

We've got an empty trailer behind us and not sure where we're going next.  Let's have an adventure.

Stay safe....

KWA

Day 21 -- Behind the wheel, for real....

Greetings from somewhere in Texas, eastbound on Interstate 40 -- the land of barbecue and ZZ Top.

After pulling my first 11-hour driving shift, i can now say that i'm a truck  driver!

(I drove from about noon yesterday until 11 pm.  I am now required to rest for 10 hours before the US DOT permits me to drive again).

And i'm here to tell ya, people, it ain't easy! EVERYthing is a challenge on these rigs, from learning to shift a 9-speed transmission to simply keeping the truck in the proper lane when every whisper of wind wants to push you into the neighboring lane.

The first embarrassing moment came when i stalled the truck immediately upon trying to leave our truck stop parking space.  I popped the clutch, and THUD!. We lurched to a violent stop, spilling my coffee and getting the attention of my truck mates.. And when an 18-wheeler stalls it does so with such drama and noise.

I took a deep breath, fired the engine up again and lumbered out of the San Joaquin Valley  Flying J truck stop, turning south to connect with Interstate 40 via Bakersfield and Barstow.

My next "exciting" incident happened about 20 minutes later, when we were headed southwest on Highway 99, a two lane highway with a speed limit of 55 mph.  CR England policy is to go 5 mph under the speed limit, but i was going the allowable 55.  I had a line of a few cars and at least two trucks behind me.  Suddenly, the CB radio, which has been silent the entire trip, chirped to life: "Hey England!  Let's speed it up!  What's your problem?"  And another voice chimed in, "Yeah England!  Let's move it!" Needless to say, that shook me. I began to sweat and wasn't sure what to do.  But quick as a snap, Fabrice/Mike grabbed the CB radio and offered an explanation to our speed that started with "F" and ended with "you".   We didn't hear another word out of the other truckers.  Fabrice/Mike just smiled at me and said "don't worry about it.  Shake it off."

Driving professionally is an interesting activity, and it borders on the Zen.  It requires absolute focus on the activity in front of you.  Time and space are measured from one shift of the transmission to another, and for as long as the stopping distance of an 80,000 lb truck/trailer combination (about 420 feet when traveling 55 mph) .  This is good for me, as i have always had a tendency to live in the past or the future, but rarely in the moment.  Right now, this is helping me to let go of things that need to be let go of (or that were already gone), and to hold on to the things that need to be held close -- children, and health.

Driving forces me to be fully in the moment.  There is no yesterday, because it is already over and done.  There is no tomorrow because it has not yet come.  There is only now, and to drive safely requires every bit of energy and concentration. Someone told me recently that i need to quit looking back to what was and instead spend my energy on what IS right now and to invest my energy in creating the "me" that  i want to be.  And then let things fall where they may.  I'm realizing that was very good advice, and my current vocation provides me with an ideal opportunity to do so.  Although it will and does come at a cost.  I really miss the kids, for example.  Grace just sang a solo with her Leslie Middle School choir and i missed it.   I also miss playing music.  Not playing is something i miss terribly.  But that's the exchange for this lifestyle/profession, however.  I hope it proves worth it....

So with that philosophy in mind, i resolve to release the past, both the good and the bad, the loves and the losses, and not let either be a determinant in what i am to become, daily growing and changing.  After all, i'm not getting any younger and life is speeding by faster than the vehicles with which i share this stretch of Texas highway.

Photos

Top: Palm trees at San Joaquin Valley rest area

Left: Mike-Just-Mike, my fellow Phase 1 student.

Bottom: A stretch of Arizona highway, taken during my driving shift (shhh!)

Stay safe my friends....      


      KWA

Day 20 -- Finally on the road!

Greetings from somewhere in north-central Nevada!  Yes, faithful few, i'm actually off and running down the highway.  My trainer picked me up in Salt Lake City at about 11:30 am today, and with little time for goodbyes, we hotfooted it out of the yard and on our way to Sacramento, California.  Next stop after that, 3,000 miles to New Jersey!

Turns out my fears about an overbearing, obnoxious trainer were entirely unfounded.  His name is Fabrice, but he goes by Mike -- go figure. He is of mixed nationality, as his father was French and his mother Haitian.  He speaks English, French, Spanish, Creole, and Portuguese.  His accent is a little hard to understand, but i'm sure i'll get used to it.  His English is good.  He has been training Phase 1 drivers (that's what i am) for eight years, and describes himself as very patient with student drivers.  I couldn't have been more pleased to hear that!

An unexpected wrinkle is that Fabrice/Mike has a second student with him who he picked up in Indiana, so it appears that our truck will be more crowded than i thought.  The other student is also named Mike, but just Mike.  He's a former welder from Kentucky who graduated England's truck school about a week ahead of me.

I haven't driven yet, and don't expect to until tomorrow morning.  England's policy is that students not drive between the hours of 1-4 am, as this is the time when most accidents happen.  Mike-just-Mike drove from Salt Lake City and continues to drive now.  He'll go until his 10-hour shift is up, and then Fabrice/Mike will take over for the night shift.  I will then take over for the first day shift tomorrow.  So for now i'm making a little small talk, but not much (don't want to be overbearing), working on the computer and listening to music on the ipod.  Probably will try to rest in a couple of hours.  And yes, we sleep in bunks on the truck (there are two) while one of us drives.

The weather has been nice, except for a small snow flurry leaving Utah.  I'm REALLY looking forward to seeing the entire country this way, as the only times i have travelled out of Oregon has been by plane (for the most part).  Being on the ground and seeing the terrain first hand is going to be pretty cool.

Lots of time to spend thinking.  No one on the truck is overly chatty, so i'll have plenty of time to identify, examine and polish my own thoughts.  Wonder what i'll find?  In my "old life" (as i will call my time working professionally up until truck driving school), there was rarely time for self-reflection.  Every minute was consumed by work, kids, socializing and other home responsibilities (i mention the latter item loosely, as i'm sure certain persons close to me will confirm that i was a bit lax in this area over the past couple years).  Ok let's be honest, it was work, kids and socializing, with the biggest emphasis on socilaizing....:-)  And consequently not much time was spent looking at the old man in the mirror and examining what i was doing and why i was doing it; really thinking things through.  What a gift to be able to do that now.

The compensation ain't much -- i get paid about $63 per day.  I'll be making that wage throughout my Phase 1 and 2 training, all of which will take about three months.   So....  i'm making about $1,900 per month, gross, for three months.  After my training is done i will begin making a rate per mile, which i think is about $0.23.  The amount of money you make becomes a direct function of how much you hustle out there and how many miles you cover.  By most accounts, solo drivers make between $40-70,000 per year.

The interesting thing is that trainer drivers (my Fabrice/Mike) make double that, and almost all of them in excess of $100,000.  So you can really do well if you cover a lot of miles as a trainer.  That may be a route to consider.

Looking forward to reporting how tomorrow goes.

Stay safe....

KWA

Day 19 -- More waiting....

I'm feeling anxious. My trainer gets into town tonight and i have all day to contemplate whether or not i'm really ready to go out on the road and be responsible for handling an 18-wheeler for 10 hours at a stretch.  Of course, we wouldn't be sent out on the highways if we weren't basically ready, but i'm still nervous about it.  The past two weeks have gone by in a blur and i can count on one hand the entire number of hours actually spent behind the wheel.

I have to remind myself that in a lot of ways it's not THAT different from driving a large U-Haul, except that it's even bigger, requires double-clutching and can kill people a lot faster. I intend to let my trainer know that as recently as three weeks ago i had not even set foot in the cab of a semi, much less driven one.  And if he's not prepared to be patient and help me get fully up to speed, then perhaps i'll need a different trainer.  The reason i need to have that conversation is that i've heard lots of horror stories about trainers and student drivers.  Fact is, trainers make TWICE as much money as regular drivers, so a lot of them are in it strictly for the money.  And a lot of them don't exhibit any patience toward their student drivers.  They have the ability to make the experience 30 days and 15,000 miles of pure misery.

On the other hand, i've heard about really great trainers who appreciate that the students allow them to make so much more money that they go out of their way to make sure the student has a good experience.  I'm really hoping i get one from the latter category rather than the former.

Anyway, we're looking at playing more cards, shooting more pool, more BS'ing each other and saying goodbye as people drift off one-by-one with their trainers.

Hope everyone is staying safe.

Keep the shiny side up and the dirty side down....

KWA

Day 18 -- Waiting for my trainer....

For most of us, today was spent cooling our heels waiting for our trainer drivers.  A couple people were sent home today, at least one because they ultimately could not pass their driving tests.  The instructors here are pretty lenient, and have given those who are struggling a lot of chances to take and retake the tests.  But at some point, they and the student need to face the reality that the person just isn't going to get it and it's time to cut everyone's losses.

So all told, we lost about 15 people out of a class of about 56.  Some here on the last day, and others earlier that were mostly due to inaccuracies on their applications (such as leaving off a traffic accident), failed drug tests, or quitting due to bad attitudes.

Most of us spent today playing cards (above).  The game was "Rummy 500", a turbo charged game of Gin Rummy.  It was pretty fun and a good way to kill 3-5 hours.

Also killed a little time by volunteering to be interviewed on video as a potential commercial for the CR England truck driving school.  In exchange we got a free t-shirt and a complimentary lunch at the company grill.

About 11:30 am i was notified that i was assigned a trainer driver.  I called him only to discover that he clearly does not speak much english.  His name is Fabrice, and i have no idea where he's from -- he sounds middle eastern.  He's on his way to Utah now, and will be here tomorrow evening.  From there, we hit the road.  Hopefully we'll hit it off.  He's been a trainer driver for about seven years, so he's experienced.

For the rest of tonight, we're just chillin' and hanging out.  A lot of us will be leaving tomorrow, hoping that we meet again somewhere on down the highway.  Some good friendships have been made, and it's been fun  to learn where everyone has come from -- our class has folks from Washington, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Missouri, Georgia, New York, California, Idaho, Utah, Maine, and Minnesota.  There's a few odd balls in the group, but for the most part everyone gets along really well and has become good friends.  It will be sad when we all go separate ways.  The cool thing about this industry, though, is that you're continuously moving around the country and it's easy to stay in touch via CB radio.  So it's pretty common to cross paths.

So as the holding pattern continues, here's hoping everyone back home is doing well.

Stay safe....

KWA

Day 17 -- Graduation Day!!

After two weeks of 11-hour days without a day off, we finally graduated today, becoming full-fledged employees of CR England Global Transportation!

Remember when i said that i had never worked for an organization with more than 10 people?  Here's a minor sense of scale of this company:

• CR England has been in business for over 90 years.  Starting with one produce truck in 1920, it now has over 3,700 trucks in its fleet.
• It generated $1.5 billion in revenues in 2010.
• It is the largest refrigerated carrier in the world, including operations in Mexico, China and Canada.
• It employs over 7,000 people worldwide.
• It receives over 3,200 applications a week from people wanting to drive for the company.
• It goes through about 6 million gallons of fuel a week.
• It's average length of freight hauls is 1,600 miles -- the most in the "reefer" industry.
• It serves some of the biggest business names in the world, including Hershey, Campbell's Soup and WalMart.

Part of the adventure is simply going to be working for such a large corporation.  I can't wait to get on the road.

Speaking of going on the road, many of you may be wondering, "what's next?"  The next step is tomorrow morning, when we find out the trainer driver to whom we have been assigned for our Phase 1 training.  Phase 1 trainers know they are getting drivers fresh out of school.  It is their job to teach us the ropes, so to speak.  This phase is a minimum of 30 days and requires us to cover at least 15,000 miles.  So presumably, tomorrow afternoon we shake hands with our new driving trainers, load our gear and get out on the open road.

Be assured, i will be continuing the blog throughout this entire odyssey.  I'm hoping that i will have sufficiently interesting adventures and experiences to warrant your continued interest, dear readers.  I'm definitely excited about where the next step will take me.

School has been great, and i've met some wonderful, very real people.  I anticipate keeping in touch with a small handful of them as we go our own ways.

I've definitely missed the kids -- and unfortunately have not been able to talk to Grace and Abby as much as i had hoped.  It will be fun to get back into a schedule that allows for touching base with them on a regular basis.  So to Grace and Abby, if you are reading, i love you and miss you.  I'll be talking to you soon. <3 dad.

To everyone at home who has been following the blog, i offer a sincere "thank you".   There's no point in doing a blog if people  aren't reading it, and the feedback i've received has been uplifting, encouraging and appreciated.

To the usual "martini monday" crowd, i sure miss seeing you all and look forward to getting back soon and enjoying a cocktail with you (school has been so busy i haven't had time or opportunity to have ANYthing to drink, and i've lost 10 lbs.  What a miracle diet! Who knew?).

Hope this finds you all well.  I'll post again tomorrow when i learn where the second stage of my adventure will take me.

Stay safe....

KWA

Day 14 -- It's Official!

Easily passed the driving test this morning.  I am now a fully licensed truck driver in the State of Utah!!!

Stay safe....

KWA

Day 13 -- Drive test tomorrow

Good evening all.  Today was our last day in the truck with Sgt. Carter, and it actually went really well.  I think it just took me gaining an appreciation for his fairly bizarre style.  Once i got that, it wasn't so bad.  And he was actually pretty friendly.  We actually even had musical tastes in common, so we had something to talk about when we weren't driving.  Lesson learned -- Just because someone comes off as a jerk doesn't mean you can't learn to appreciate him.

His latest joke:  How many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb?  Only one.  But the light bulb has to WANT to change.

Also learned some interesting trivia from him about Salt Lake -- it is seven times more salty than the ocean, it is 55 miles across and it is no more than 30 feet deep in its deepest spot.

Oh, and another thing: he believes dragons are real.  As in, really real.  Wow.  I'll just leave that one alone.

Tomorrow is our big Drive Test.  It's the same as your standard driving test for a regular driver's license, but we have to do it in an 18-wheeler.  If we pass we are hired tomorrow by CR England and we graduate on Monday.  The next step is to go on the  road with a "trainer driver" for 30 days, making runs throughout the country.  The trainer driver is an experienced driver who chooses to take student drivers on the  road with them to show them how the whole thing "really" works.   Much of a driver's success depends on having a good trainer driver during the critical early period when habits are learned and you either learn to do it the right way or the wrong way.  I'm told that your trainer driver is usually from your home state so that you can spend days at home at the same time.

The photo at left is of Jason (left) and Dennis, two of my truck buddies for the past three days. They're both from Georgia.  The picture was taken at a TA truck stop in Lakepoint, Utah, just a few miles outside of Salt Lake City, and where we did some practice driving.

I'm getting really sick of my room.  As i previously reported, it's a small room about 10 x 10, with two metal frame bunkbeds.  There is NO room for suitcases or other stuff, so you when you're done sleeping you put all your stuff on your bunk.  One  of my roommates (a fairly young kid) is a total slob, so his crap is everywhere -- banana peels, candy wrappers, pennies (sales tax here leaves you with a lot of pennies) and even his lap top is left in the middle of the floor where it serves as a perfect target when i'm jumping down from my bunk.  I'm sleeping pretty well though.  Probably because we work fairly hard all day.  It takes a lot of mental effort to keep your head in the game with something that is so large and potentially dangerous.

Anyway, better get rest before the test.

Stay safe....

KWA

Day 12 -- Storms never last....

It has come to my attention that my loyal few readers have been concerned about my fate as a result of having a run-in with my jerk of a drive instructor, who i call Sgt. Carter (left), and were further worried when i failed to post on the blog yesterday.  Thanks for the concern!  And I'm pleased to report that the relationship with Sgt. Carter appears to have been mended.

After our VERY rocky first day together, we have had no further trouble and the relationship is now actually pretty good.  I won't say that he's my favorite person, but at least we are communicating in a civil manner and even joking a little bit.  He still tends to be a little excitable and loud in his drill sergeant manner, which can be read as thoroughly obnoxious if you let it.  However, i have decided to have a sense of humor towards him, which seems to be working.

My other three truck mates are now having more difficulty than i, but they are not taking a light-hearted approach to the man.  I've also continued to try as hard as i can to do well and have started to figure out what he likes to see in his students (e.g., constant communication about road hazards and calling out things you do wrong before he does).  Seems to be working like a charm.

He's even taken to telling really bad jokes:  What happened to the dyslexic satan worshipper?   He sold his soul to Santa.

Groan.  And he has a million of 'em....hah cha cha!

Tomorrow is our last day in the truck with our drive instructor, and even though Sgt. Carter and i are communicating better, i still will be glad to get off his truck (photo right).  Friday is our driving test with a different instructor.  If we pass our driving test we are hired Monday as full employees of CR England.  Really hoping i do as well as i think i can on Friday....

Because in the midst of all the drama, we have actually been DRIVING AN 18-WHEELER!  I've taken it out on the highways surrounding Salt Lake City, including merging with traffic, taking city corners and other maneuvers that i would not have predicted i could do three weeks ago.  It's a little overwhelming when i think about it, but it's pretty straight forward when you learn how to do  it.   The biggest trick is to go slow and be deliberate about every single thing you do in the truck.  We're the professional drivers (almost), so we need to be the ones watching out for everyone else, even when another driver is being a horse's ass.  

One part that has been fun is that our class is getting to know each other better and we are becoming friends. The other three guys on my truck are all black guys from the south.  I have to admit, it has taken me a little bit to get so that i understand what they are saying the first time they say it.  We're having a ball, and they are absolutely great guys.  We also have a bit of the "us against him" thing going on ....  All three of them have driven trucks before, so i'm the real rookie on our rig.

Warm thoughts to everyone back home.

Stay safe....

KWA

Day 10 -- Things get briefly ugly....

Well, today may have been the most frustrating day i've had yet.  Today was our day to get out and actually drive on the roads -- learning to shift, to turn corners, to merge onto highways, etc.  Our class was broken into groups of four, and each group was assigned to a drive instructor.  And that's where it all went bad....

Let's call him Sgt. Carter.  If you're of the proper age to remember the TV show Gomer Pyle, and remember Sgt. Vince Carter, Gomer's drill sergeant, you have something of an idea as to what this guy looked like -- crew cut, round face, gravelly voice, boxy shape. A total marine but wearing a black CR England fleece jacket.  He also had these piercing ice blue eyes.  Think a nasty Paul Newman and you're getting even closer.

Anyway, he must have decided right off the bat that he didn't like me AT ALL.  Shortly into our time together i asked him a question that he apparently did not like, and it sent him into a tirade, and he dressed me down in front of the rest of the group in a way that was beyond unprofessional.  When he asked if i understood what he was telling me (something about how to double-clutch the gear shift) i sort of looked at him in shocked disbelief that he was being so obnoxious, and he thundered: "It's a simple yes or no question!  Yes or no!  That's it!  If you don't want our relationship to be a problem i expect you to be able to answer a simple yes or no question.  Am i clear?"  My response?  "yes sir."

I can't say i've been treated like that in at least 25 years, the last time being basic training at Fort Knox Kentucky as part of the U of O's ROTC program.  And even then i was treated with more basic respect than from this idiot.

And believe me it didn't get better.  I found out later from one of the other guys on the truck that he doesn't think i have a good attitude and that he doubts i'll "make it" out of school.

Needless to say, it's kind of thrown me off my game for the day as i've groped for a solution to the situation and tried to figure out how to handle it.  I finally decided to mention something to the head instructor (which i did) and to then just see how things go with him tomorrow.  But i certainly will not allow him to abuse me tomorrow, if he is so inclined.  If so, i intend to set him straight in a professional but firm manner.

It's all too bad because he is the first bad apple of all of the really fantastic instructors we have had.

Almost lost in all of that was the fact that i actually drove an 18-wheeler out on the highways and roads of Salt Lake City!  Wow.  I never thought that would happen.

Other developments?  A couple of the girls (one black, the other Puerto Rican) decided they wanted to braid my hair into cornrows.  Because i don't give a lot of thought to my hair, i agreed.  The attached picture shows the work in progress.  Guessing it won't last more than a day or two.  Hopefully long enough though to bug my drive instructor..... :-)

Stay safe....

KWA

Day 9 -- Passed with flying colors!!

Good evening all, and happy Sunday!  Well, i guess i didn't need to stress so much about the backing test, as i passed it today with a nearly perfect score!  I had one minor mistake at the very end of the test that cost me a point, but other than that it went off without a hitch.  It was a huge relief.  Thanks to all for the the words of encouragement. I feel like an actual truck driver!  Well, almost. :-)

We spent the rest of our Sunday practicing "pre-trip inspections", on which we will be tested tomorrow (the photo below is of some of my classmates practicing their "pre-trips").  The pre-trips are a thorough inspection of the entire truck and trailer, from engine compartment, to the brakes, steering and suspension systems, to everything else that determines whether or not you can safely operate the vehicle.  It's a list of over 100 items that you need to specifically call out and inspect that they are "properly mounted and secured, and not cracked bent or broken" (yes, you have to say that with every single part you inspect).

We also are going to start taking the trucks out on the road tomorrow.  We're going to a vacant frontage road where we will learn how to shift, including double-clutching.  Later in the week we actually go on the real streets of Salt Lake City.  Hope to God they've trained us well enough!

One thing with which i've been particularly impressed is the emphasis on safety by the school instructors.  There are two things they stress every single day -- doing your job safely and with the utmost professionalism. I don't know how many times i've heard them say, "you are going to be professional drivers.  Make sure you act like professional drivers.  You hold yourself to a higher standard."  And while i expected the curriculum to include safety issues, they emphasize safety with every topic they cover.  It's really quite remarkable, and should make people feel good that some companies truly DO put safety first....

To think it was a just a week ago today that i came here as a fresh-faced rookie not knowing what to expect.  And now i'm the grizzled and wily veteran who can show the ropes to the new recruits -- a new class of prospective drivers comes in every single Sunday!

Have a great week everyone.

Stay safe....

KWA

Day 8 -- Improvement

Good evening all.  Picture on the left is the "backing range" at the CR England facility in Salt Lake City, UT.  It's where we've spent the last two days (including all day today -- Saturday) and where we will spend all day tomorrow. These are only two of the nine trucks that my class used for backing practice.  The picture was snapped in between snow flurries (it was too wet to stick).

Thankfully, today was more successful for me than yesterday.  I finally was able to figure out the three maneuvers we are going to be tested on tomorrow.  The three maneuvers are: 1) a straight-line back, where you back a truck/trailer in a straight line for about 50 yards within a 12-foot wide lane.  You can't touch the lane lines.  2) parallel park the same truck/trailer. 3) Perform the "offset" parking maneuver i described yesterday.

We have to perform the three tests tomorrow with only a limited number of mistakes.  If we don't pass, we could theoretically be sent home (although they apparently do work with you to try to work out problems).  So needless to say, there's a fair amount of stress that most of us are carrying right now.  Some of the better drivers in our class tested today, but most of us kept practicing in the snow.  We're all pretty wet, sore and tired from today.

On Monday we work on learning to shift the gears, and then it's out on the road for real-world driving.

My roommates have been cycled in and out.  People are here at this facility for a whole variety of reasons -- it's not just students.  There's also regular CR England drivers here for random drug tests, disciplinary reasons, people buying/leasing trucks and countless other reasons.  It appears that the students are just a small percentage of the people who are here.

One of my first (and favorite) roommates was "Joe from Mexico".  About my age who was here to pick up a new truck.  He was hilarious, but also had a violent snoring problem.  It was the worst i've ever heard!  But apparently he said "I" am the only other person who has actually woken HIM up with snoring!  So i guess Nicole has legitimately had something to complain about.....:-)   I felt sorry for our other two roommates, who had to suffer through our snoring duels.  LOL.

Doing laundry right now for the first time since i got here.  Shhh, don't tell anyone, but i actually wore dirty socks today because i hadn't had time to get down to the laundry room.  I think i'll need to buy a couple more pairs before i actually hit the road in a truck.  And yes, i DID bring extra pairs of underwear, so THEY were clean.

Anyway, time to get a snack.

Stay safe....

KWA

Day 7 -- Discouragement....

Hello all.  Well, today was a discouraging day....

Found out this morning that i did not get into the "Flex Program" i described yesterday.  They took eight students as the first cut, and i was not one of them.  I have to admit i was shocked, as i thought i had exceeded the program's criteria.   At least three other guys who had hoped to make the program (but did not) and i were discussing it, and were surprised by the selection of a couple people who did NOT participate in class anywhere near to the degree that we did.  We finally concluded that they may have had TOO MANY qualified people and just pulled names out of a hat.  To be honest with you it really frustrated me because i had really broke my back to do well in all of the qualification areas.  Oh well.  Such is life.  It's not always fair!

Second disappointment:  We spent most of the day working on angled backing of the trucks.  The maneuver begins by starting in the left lane of two parallel lanes. It consists of several steps: first, you back the truck to a 45-degree angle with respect to the trailer.  Second, you back until the trailer and tractor straight.  Third, you straight-line back the trailer toward the right hand lane.  Fourth, you turn the tractor at an opposite 45-degree angle.  Fifth, you straighten the tractor out in line with the trailer.  Sixth, you back the trailer straight back into a loading space.

And i totally sucked at it.

I practiced it five times and never did get it right.  The move is part of our "backing test" scheduled for Sunday.  We drive all weekend long -- no time off.  We had the option of practicing tonight until 9 pm, but i was just too tired and too discouraged to go at it again.  Plus, it's been snowing all day and i'm starting to come down with a cold, so thought i'd be better off resting.  I took a nap before settling in to do today's blog.

The thought struck me today, I've NEVER worked as part of a large organization.  In all my work experience, i have never worked in an organization with more than 10 people.  From the newspaper, to the Port of St. Helens, to the Oregon Public Ports Association, to running my own lobbying business, i've always been part of very small organizations.  And now here i am in school with over 60 people going to work for the same company that employs about 3,700 DRIVERS ALONE.  Talk about being a small fish in a huge pond! It's interesting to be embarking on something where, frankly, you're just not a big deal.  In fact, you really don't matter and are expected to simply perform the responsibilities of a very, very small cog in an exceptionally large machine.  And further, you probably won't even be NOTICED unless you do something wrong.

I have to say, that's kind of freeing in a way.  You're not EXPECTED to do anything other than your job.  Your not paid to fight with people.  Your success doesn't come at the expense of someone else or some other organization.  Your success or failure isn't in the hands of others, who often have far more ego than sense.  The stress i felt with that world was almost more than i could handle.  Which is why this new direction has so much appeal.

It is, however, very much a "what have you done for me lately" sort of world i now live in.  Did you learn what you needed to learn TODAY? Did the freight arrive on time TODAY?  Did you drive safely and avoid an accident TODAY?  But that's somehow a fair trade, to me.

Time for bed.  We do more truck backing tomorrow, and i'm hoping a little rest will help me have more success.

Stay safe....

KWA

Day 6 -- In the Trucks!!

Good evening all.  Whew!  What a couple of days!

First big news, i guess, is that we took our Utah DMV Commercial Driver's License permit written test -- the first big hurdle of the school.  I passed first try, which made me very happy.  It was HIGH stress going in to the test, and we all were cramming for it like a college final.  If you don't pass the test in a reasonable number of tries they send you home....  There are three sections to the test: general knowledge, air brakes, and combination trailers.  You have to get a minimum of 80% on each section to pass.

Also, there is a thing they call the Flex Program, which is targeted at the top four students in the class (out of about 60 people).  People who get accepted to the Flex Program are assigned to a drive instructor for one-on-one training for the remainder of the school.  Regular students are assigned 4-5 per instructor.  Also, you start getting paid during school (which other students do not) and you actually go on local freight runs with your instructor.

To be qualified for the program you need to get 90% or better on all tests, have perfect attendance and pass your CDL permit test on the first try.  They also take into account intangibles, such as attitude and participation in class.  I'm working my rear off trying to qualify for that program, and so far i'm eligible!  I'll keep you all posted on how this develops.  We find out who made the first cut (the top 8) sometime tomorrow....

Today was an EVEN BIGGER DAY, as we actually got behind the wheels of the trucks this afternoon!  We started learning how to back the trucks.  They start with backing first because it's the hardest maneuver in a big rig.  We were put into groups of about 6-7 students per instructor and did nothing but "straight-line" backing from 4-8:30 pm.  It was complicated a bit by the weather, which dumped snow and sleet on us the entire time!  luckily, i packed the appropriate clothing (unlike many).

It was my first time setting foot in the cab of a big rig.  What a rush!

Needless to say, there was a wild variance in ability to back the trucks.  At certain points it would have looked from the sky like a game of pick-up-sticks, with trucks/trailers going every which way.  I did reasonably well -- not perfect, but certainly good enough to feel very satisfied.  And it was really cool to pull the air horn when you start to back up! :-)

Tomorrow we do more backing all day.  Hopefully the weather will be a little more pleasant.  Think i'm starting to come down with a cold.  And don't have any Emergen-C...

Had a bit of a scare today -- got called out of class and into the "office" because of an irregularity in my drug test.  Turns out one of my prescription medications is an amphetamine, which is a target of drug screens by trucking companies.  Appears that i'm ok because of my prescription, which i have with me.  Another guy was called out at the same time and he actually got sent home today because of his drug test results.  Very sad.  And a very nice guy too.

Time to get some rest, as we will have another long day (7 am until 9 pm).  Hope everyone is doing well.

Stay safe....

KWA

Day 4 - Prepping for a Big Day....

Good evening fellow travelers.  After a 12-hour day in the classroom it's going to be studying most of the night for tomorrow's DMV Commercial Driver's License permit -- the first big necessary hurdle to clear, because in two days we start moving trucks around.  We've been taking information in today like from a fire hose and there's still a lot of ground to cover. Yawn.  Time to bear down!

Stay safe....

KWA

Day 3 - Welcome to CR England Global Transportation!

Good evening fellow travelers, and greetings from sunny/cold Utah!  My first day at the CR England Utah-based training facility is now history.  The day was filled primarily with testing -- drug test, a federal DOT physical and two practice tests to get us ready for the DMV test on Wednesday.

I had been very concerned about my blood pressure, as the company requires blood pressure to be less than 140/90.  Mine has typically been higher than that, so i was THRILLED when the test came in at 128/88 (maybe the double dose of my BP meds helped....).  On the other hand, i was notified that because of my weight and other medical issues (diabetes, high BP), i was a candidate for sleep apnea.  So i have to either lose 20 lbs or take a test to rule out sleep apnea.  I like the latter better, but will also work on the former.

No issues to report from the urine test, or as they affectionally call it here, the "Whizz Quizz".

Also had to do a fairly easy physical ability test, which included lifting 30 lbs over our heads, pushing a 150-lb sled for about 20 feet, and a minute of stair-stepping to check our heart rates.  All in my test group (which was 60% women) did just fine.

The rest of the day was filling out paperwork and completing a couple open-book  tests in preparation for our DMV written test in two days.  The material isn't too difficult, but there is a lot of material to cover, which mostly focuses on how to safely drive, the use of air brakes, cargo loading, and vehicle inspections (QUITE detailed).

Crap, just discovered that i missed dinner -- the on-site restaurant closes at 7.  Is there ANY better demonstration of my commitment to my dear blog readers!

The facility here is flat-out amazing.   It's an entire campus fully dedicated to housing and instructing new and current CR England drivers.  Some of its features include a barbershop, a movie theater, a fairly large video game room, a TV room with EIGHT reclining overstuffed chairs, two pool tables, a full-service restaurant, a small grocery store/gift shop, a medical/chiropractic clinic, and likely many other services that i haven't yet discovered.

I hear a lot of my classmates (there were about 50 today) will wash out for a variety of reasons after the first day, and then even more after the first week.  We'll see.....   I certainly don't intend to be one of them!

Time to buy some yogurt and fruit for dinner and then maybe study a little more.

Safe travels everyone.

KWA

Day Two

The bus driver and i drove all night with not a wink of sleep.  Still going on sleep from Friday night, as a matter of fact....

By 6:30 am, as we pulled in to Baker City, the sun had shattered the sky like a baseball through a window, turning the grey-purple night clouds into wispy shards of golden light.  It was a spectacular morning that few on the bus were awake enough to notice.  Baker City was cold, with snow on the surrounding hilltops. The temperature perfectly matched the cold turkey sandwich that served as breakfast.  The hot coffee was a welcome addition.

To make a very long trip short, i finally arrived in Salt Lake City at 6 pm Sunday.  A handful of guys were there to catch the shuttle to the CR England facility, which was a short 10 minutes away, just outside of the downtown area. We registered and i was assigned a "room" -- one of four guys billeted to quarters that were actually SMALLER than my college dorm room was.  Enough room for two spare metal bunkbeds, and four small lockers for valuables.

Tomorrow we start at 6 am.  Apparently we take the written Commercial Drivers License test within the first couple days, so i should sign off and study a bit before turning in.

This is going to be an interesting three weeks....

Safe travels everyone.

Day One - Saturday, 4/2/11

And the journey begins....

More back story to come, but suffice to say for tonight's blog that i've started an epic adventure, busing my way from Salem, Oregon to Salt Lake City, Utah to attend truck driving school.  The object?  Become a long-haul truck driver for CR England, ferrying refrigerated freight throughout 48 states.  On the road for three weeks, home for three days, with the pattern repeating for the period of a year. I've left my job as a lobbyist behind, giving my clients to my lovely and exceptionally talented wife, who is providing far greater service to them than i ever did.  And i couldn't be prouder of her for it....

And so the grand adventure is under way.  At 8:11 pm the Dog pulled away from the Greyhound terminal in Salem.  I now sit in the Portland, Oregon terminal, 35 minutes into a two-hour layover.  Most of my friends have already asked why in the world i would choose to take the bus to Utah.  Well, the company pays for a bus ticket so the choice was simple.  Besides, what better way to begin such an adventure than rubbing elbows, shoulders and feet with fellow highway travelers.

The overhead lights (most of which were working...) lit a bumpy walk to the back of the coach as i jostled my new travel mates with the shoulder bag hung just high enough to hit the top of every single seat, and more than one shoulder/arm that happened to be perilously close to the aisle.  I took my seat near the back of the bus and next to a kid who had to be between the ages of 17-23, but i'm terrible at estimating the ages of anyone over 13, so i really can't tell how old he was.  He was busy listening to his ipod, which he did for the entire trip, so we never engaged in conversation.  Consequently, i was left alone with my thoughts, which was a good thing for this early stage of the journey.  I wanted to suck in and absorb every detail....

As the driver turned off the lights and backed out of the terminal, the buzz of strangers becoming acquainted filled the air. One 20-something female behind me complains, "i thought it was a good idea to sit in the back of the bus by the restroom, but NO, bad idea!  It smells like shit back here.  Why the hell don't people put down the toilet lid!"  In front of me a 60-something man with a strong eastern European accent chats up (flirts with?) a 30-something single mother who periodically interrupts her conversation with the man (which she clearly finds more interesting) to scold her 6 year old daughter to stop fidgeting.

Next to me a man who looks haggard and homeless is folded sideways into his seat (how he did that without encroaching on his pretty seat mate is beyond me).  He is asleep and belches loudly.  Nobody but me and his seat mate seem to notice.  She picks up her phone to call the friends who clearly are picking her up in Portland.

And i am absorbed in thought, feeling strangely more calm than i can remember feeling in years -- maybe ever.  And that strikes me as odd, since a new adventure should be filled with excitement and nervousness.  But instead, i am calm, steady and settled.  I take comfort in that, since they are feelings i have rarely experienced.  And in moments the journey continues, hopefully not uncomfortably, with another 18 hours on the bus before hitting Salt Lake City.

So join me as i see where this adventure leads.  I encourage comments and questions.  Best of luck everyone, and safe travels, wherever you may be headed.

KWA