Question:
JoeTruckDriver suggested I start this thread to chronicle my adventures during training as a new truck driver. Perhaps someone will benefit from this, at least it will be fun. Since I don't have a laptop, my wife will be posting here under my name whenever I get a chance to email or talk to her.
I leave in about 3 hours to go to the Werner terminal in Atlanta to start orientation tomorrow morning. I've been looking forward to this for some time. My wife and I have been praying that this is what we should do and are both satisfied that this is what God's calling me to do. It's also something I've dreamed of and always knew I would one day do. I love my wife and our little girl and the older kids with all my heart and will miss them and be thinking of them every day.
Well, here goes.
Semper Fi,
Wayne

Answer:
Good Luck and remember........Improvise, Adapt and Overcome! -->
Use that philosophy to get you through the bad days.
*******************************
"I've always been different with one foot over the line.
Winding up somewhere, one step ahead or behind.
It ain't been so easy, but I guess I shouldn't complain.
I've always been crazy, but it's kept me from going insane." (from Waylon Jennings)


Answer:
Congratulations!
Glad to hear you are going to start driving. Remember what Hoss said, it is very true. How you handle the bad days will determine your outlook on the job. One of the things that you posted sticks out to me. The fact that you wanted to do this job. I was talking to Hoss on the phone the other day about this subject. I made the choice to start driving because I wanted to drive. It gets frustrating for me when this occupation is associated with individuals that could not get a better job, etc. I for one am proud of what I do. Granted it is not brain surgery, or finding the cure to cancer. But with every load I make, I have a feeling of satisfaction. I know every time I drive on I75 in Detroit, that I hauled in the diaphrams for the overpass. The list can go on and on, but it is true, If you eat it, wear it, sit on it, use it, or live in it, it was brought to you by a truck.
I can still remember something that my senior drill istructor told me. He said when the day comes that you look in the mirror and are not satisfied with what you are doing it is time to change. He was refering to the Marines at the time, but it applies in every aspect of life. Life is too short to spend any ammount of time miserable. Have fun with the job. I hope you have a cell phone with free nights and weekends, this will help with staying in touch with your family while you are out on the road. The hardest part of starting out is the first 2-3 months, it gets better after that.
Be safe,
Buzzdog

Answer:
Atlanta is a very big, busy terminal for Werner. I have been there many times. There are always lots of people hanging around the lounge and patio areas - some drivers and some trainees. Don't get too caught up in the negative conversations and other company scuttlebutt they constantly talk about. I can tell you it is mostly BS. Listen to too much, and you will lose your positive attitude. Many of those other folks will never finish training. Just keep your head up high and move on toward your goal. Good luck.

Answer:
MarineVet,
Good luck with your new start. I hope everything goes well for you. If you have ever deployed you will probably have little troubles adjusting. Same for the home front. If you don't have a cell phone, get one. Get lots of minutes.
Remember to keep your safety distance, always check your mirrors, watch your blind spots, listen to your trainer, and try to remember the other thousand things you will be taught.
Again, Good luck and
Semper Fi.
HiLndr
Admit nothing.
Deny everything.
Make counter accusations.
When all else fails, blame someone else.
_________________
HiLndr
Admit nothing.
Deny everything.
Make counter accusations.
When all else fails, blame someone else.

Answer:
Thanks, brothers. A lot of what I learned in the Corps has carried me through life since then and I'm sure this will be the same. Jack, you were right about the Atlanta terminal. Lots of disgruntled drivers doing most of the talking and hanging round the "liars table". Some good drivers, too. They're the ones that don't talk much. I met a few of those, by being quiet and listening.
I met a trainer at lunch yeterday, that only has 10 days left with his present student and lives about 60 miles from me. We got to talking and hit it off real well. My wife had called the night before to tell me that the washig machine and both lawn mowers had chosen the time of my leaving to break down. Long story short, Phil (the trainer) and I talked to the training co-ordinator and arranged for him to be my trainer, when he's done with his present student. So, I took 2 weeks leave of absence and Phil will pick me up at my home on his way to Atlanta on the 6th. He said he usually stays out for 2 weeks at a time and puts his students up in a motel near his home when he takes home time, but since we live so close together, I could figure on being home every weekend, if that were okay. He runs a dedicated account and I figure since that's what I want and will already know a lot of the people at the docks, I can probably get on that acount also.
Orientation was a breeze. The training co-ordinator was a former Marine and the Doctor was a FMF Navy Corpsman. They have a lot (42) of Safety classes on the computer for drivers to take, whenever they are in the terminal. They wanted us to take 2 of them during orientation. I managed to take 10 of them. It was mosty a lot of waiting. As any Marine knows, "Hurry up and wait" is kind of a mantra in the Corps. Patience is something that seems to be needed lot in this industry and something I have in spades. I'll keep this thread going once I actually start training on the 6th.
Things you'l need when you go to orientation. Money for food, if you're frugal and can handle a lot of Ravioli type canned food, that doesn't need cooking, you can get by with $50 at orientation. Otherwise, figure on a hundred. Bring your CDL, Social Security card, truck driving school diploma, receipt for that school if you paid cash or finance contract for reimbursement, notepad and pen, clothes for a week, you may have to wait several days after orientation for a trainer. Bring your own bedding for the truck, you'll be on the top bunk. Bring work gloves and winter coat if after September. Don't take tv's, vcr's, radios, tapes, cd players, or anything more than bare necessities, there's not a lot of room in the truck.
Semper Fi,
Wayne

Answer:
Sounds like you're doing well. You have a luxury that most people don't being able to meet your trainer ahead of time and afford to take a two-week leave of absence to get the trainer you want. Most of us had the "luck of the draw." Understand that this will probably not be your only trainer, especially since he's on a dedicated account. He will be your first trainer, and at the time you take your week off, or around halfway if you don't take the week off, you will be assigned to an OTR trainer to give you some 48-state practice.
Your ability to handle problems at home from afar will make you a successful driver. You just might be able to get home every weekend in your job, but I doubt this will always be the case. The company, Werner, has to have openings on a dedicated account, and I believe those openings are filled by interested drivers with seniority first. There are also a number of other factors that come into play with dedicated accounts. All I can say is that it is great getting home regularly, but in your line of work, that may not always be easy.
I agree with everything you say about what to bring to orientation. You are right, and everyone should know about not bringing too much of the unnecessary stuff like electronics and videos that will only take up space in the truck. If you do not want to carry your own bedding sheets and stuff, you can carry a roll-up sleeping bag. Here's the advantage to this: When the trainer is driving, you will not be allowed to sleep on the top bunk (and as a trainee, you will most likely have to sleep on the top bunk). That way, with the bedroll, it is easy to just move your bedding down to the bottom bunk and not have to move trainer's bed sheets. Believe me, it is a blessing if you are really tired. These roll-up sleeping bags are not very expensive, can buy one while you are home waiting for your trainer.
If your training will go through the winter months, take two pairs of gloves, some waterproof boots, a hat, long underwear, ear coverings, and a heavy-duty jacket. Take extra pairs of socks for this as well. Sometimes winter hits especially early in places like Wyoming.
In truck driving, your patience for waiting is very valuable. You will wait all the time, which sounds OK, but when you only get paid to move, it can be stressful. Better get used to waiting now, there will be much more ahead.

Answer:
I have a suggestion for an item you WILL want to bring with you when you go out on the road for training: Go to Wal-mart and buy a package of expandable foam earplugs from the sporting goods section. You will want them when the trainer is driving and you are trying to sleep in the bunk (which isn't always easy.) They won't do anything to help the vibration but they will almost entirely eliminate the noise.
I went to Werner right out of school, and I found them a good company. No major complaint. I no longer work for them, but would have no hesitation recommending them.
Here's an earplug story: My 2nd trainer had mentioned he had trouble sleping when a student was driving due to the noise. We were in Egan, MN and had stopped at a Wal-mart so he could get his high blood pressure medicine. I told him about the earplugs and he bought some. Then we got back into the truck and headed for Denver. I drove for about an hour and then it was his turn. He drove until we got to North Platte, NE and I took over.
"Wake me up when you get to I-25 in Denver and I'll help you find the consignee."
About 3:00 AM I got into Denver on I-25 and started trying to wake him up. I hollered at him, reached behind me and smacked the cab curtain, let the Jake's come on, etc.
Nothing. I just could not get him to wake up. Then I though "He has high blood pressure. I hope he didn't have a heart attack or a stroke. I better check on him."
So I pulled over onto the shoulder and made an emergency stop, four way flashers going and all. I had just undone my seat belt and was getting out of the seat when the cab curtain separates and he sticks his head out.
"What's the matter? Why did you stop on the road?"
I plopped back down in the seat and said "Oh, thank God! You're alive!"
"Well, yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"
I told him what had happened and he laughed. "Boy, these earplugs work GOOD! I haven't slept so well for a long time!"
Just a suggestion to help ya sleep.
Safe roads! -->
I've always been crazy, but it's kept me from going insane.
Waylon Jennings

Answer:
Patience is the key. "Hurry up and wait", is a sort of mantra in the Corps and apparently in trucking too. Turns out the trainer I met dumped his retread student after just a couple days, due to some racial reasons the student had. He'd lost my number and couldn't contact me and the people at the terminal were the holiday weekend shift and didn't help much. He ended up gettting assigned a new student. I finally reached him Thursday, as I knew that was his anniversary and he planned to be home. We now have the training department working on getting his student with another trainer. As it stands now, I'll be leaving next Monday. Why be so picky about trainers? Like I said, we hit it off, he's a former Marine and he lives near my home. I checked out his truck and he keeps it neat and professional. He's also got a long standing record of good training, has been a Werner trainer for three years and comes with a good recommendation from the training co-ordinator (another Marine, yeah, we tend to stick together). We plan to come home just about every weekend, so I'll be able to do the whole training straight through and collect that $500 bonus, too.
In the meantime, I've been able to be home for my wife's and both daughter's birthdays, finish harvesting the garden and doing the winterization maintenance on all the vehicles (five). Plus, I'll be here for my Marine Corps League Detachment meeting Saturday and a couple of presentations this week, we're doing. Our detachment replaces worn flags at county schools and we do veterans funerals, among other things. I'm the Past Commandant of the detachment and Junior Vice Commandant for the state.
I plan to post here every week, when I come home and let you know what happens in the life of a newbie, what challenges other newbies might expect and mybe some tips to make the adjustment easier for others.
Semper Fi,
Wayne

Answer:
Good luck, it sounds like it is working out well for you. One thing is that since the trainer you are starting with is not an OTR driver, Werner might request that you go with a different trainer (who drives OTR) for your second half of training. From my experience, Werner seems to do that to give students more driving experience in the 48 states. I could be wrong, but just be aware that you may not have the same trainer the whole time.

Answer:
Good luck, Gunny; I'm sure it'll be a breeze for you.
While you're on the road, think about leaving your Werner "policy manual" (or whatever they call it) with your wife for her to peruse. I think you'll find that there's a lot of useful info in there that was skipped over/omitted in orientation and, if you're at all like me, the book will rot under your bunk long before you ever read it yourself.
BOL

Answer:
Jack, the trainer is on a dedicated account, yes. But he also drives 48 states, from time to time, to train. If push comes to shove, though, I'm flexible. What's important is the ability to initialy get home often, to ease th family into it. If the final few weeks are OTR, great. That'll give me some winter mountain training.
Semper Fi,
Wayne

Answer:
I will be reading what is posted and maybe learn something along the way
Sounds as if you are learning about trucking and it’s relation to the military SNAFU I am glad you are getting hooked up with your first choice of a trainer after all. Keep the updates coming, good luck.
Seek to know God and Jesus who was presented as the sacrifice of full payment for sin.
Do the VI maintain your following distance maintain your lane position observe the speed limit observe the things around you and keep good records
Safe driving to you.
Joe


Answer:
Good luck to you, and keep the posts coming.
Semper Fi