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