Question:
Having just completed my 1st week of CDL school (AIT in PHX), I just wanted to let you all know that I've gained a significant amount of respect and admiration for all professional Big-Rig driver's! My hat's off to all of you!!
I also want to thank all you old pros who post here, as I spent about 3 months reading everything I could about this profession before I decided to go for it, and of all the sites I visited, the info on TN was not only the best, but very helpful in my decision!
There are 7 students in my class... ideal for learning... lots of time for questions and discussions about what we're learning. Great instructor, very experienced (started driving in 1962), and really cares about our progress. All of us passed the CDL exam today and got our learner permit. One more week of 'ground school' then we get to start learning how to drive these magnificant machines!
I've been accepted by Werner... and will begin my OJT (externship) with them on 2/17 following graduation from AIT on 2/14. Hard to believe that 3 weeks from this coming Monday I'll be out there in the real world... I'm stoked!
Personal opinion... I'm very glad I decided to go to a private school to get my CDL... I can't imagine learning (really learning) all this stuff within a couple of weeks... a good acquaintence of mine who drove for 40+ years told me that the most important aspect of this profession was a good foundation, and now I can totally appreciate what he told me... Now I can recommend the same.
Well, that's it for this installment... everyone stay safe out there, and I'll see ya soon!

Answer:
Sounds like you're enjoying this and feeling good about it.
Since you've read so much here, I'll skip all the "just wait till you get out there" stuff.
School is (should be) fun. Just remember, you're PAYING these folks to make you feel confident, etc. They want you to graduate feeling like this is all going to work out and you got a good education.
The fact is, 90% of what you need to know you'll learn after you report for orientation, and a good portion of that you'll learn on your own after you've finished Werner's training program.
Enjoy all this confidence building and positive reinforcement while it lasts. Cause it'll virtually disappear once you become "truck number XXXXX".
(I'm being a little negative here on purpose - to make a point to other newbies reading this. You'll do fine, and Werner's Phoenix terminal is a good place to start your orientation. You'll like "Jim" the safety manager in charge of orientation. He's a good man and takes care of his newhires. Was just talking to a a couple of them yesterday....he was sending them on Greyhound to Long Island to pickup their first trucks -- abandoned by their previous drivers..... )

Answer:
"Since you've read so much here, I'll skip all the "just wait till you get out there" stuff."
From lurking here the last four months (picking up as much as I could), I'm somewhat aware of the (shall I say) challenges I'll be facing once I get out there in the 'real world'. Believe me, I've thought about some of the horror stories I've read here... but I've also been around long enough to know that there's two sides to every story, and the truth is usually somewhere toward the middle... so you have to take in everything with a little bit of reservation... (grain of salt so to speak).
"School is (should be) fun. Just remember, you're PAYING these folks to make you feel confident, etc. They want you to graduate feeling like this is all going to work out and you got a good education."
I realize this, which to be perfectly frank is the major reason I decided to go the private CDL school route, as I believe it will enhance my chance for success.
"The fact is, 90% of what you need to know you'll learn after you report for orientation, and a good portion of that you'll learn on your own after you've finished Werner's training program."
I fully understand... it's like when I learned how to SCUBA dive... getting certified was ONLY the VERY beginning... I didn't know my *** from a hot rock until after about 35-40 dives... that's when I began to relax a little and enjoy it. I know it's going to take several months before I know my *** from a hot rock in this game... and several years before I will have experienced most of the things that come along... and this may be somewhat optimistic with the randomity of what this job entails... I would not be at all surprised if there's still things you've never experienced before that you still run into once in a while.
I think the best philosophy is to never totally drop your guard, for that's when it will jump up and bite you big time.
I was an Air Traffic Controller for 15 years (class of '81... distinction of being fired by the President of the U.S.), and I practiced that philosophy religiously, and it served me very well... "an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of regret" pretty well sums it up!
"Enjoy all this confidence building and positive reinforcement while it lasts. Cause it'll virtually disappear once you become "truck number XXXXX"."
I realize once I'm out there and 'part of the machine' that there won't be much if any personal recognition from the company... but that's okay, the satisfaction I'll get from doing the very best job I can is all the personal satisfaction I need. That's pretty much the way it was when I was a controller... you could rock along and do a magnificent job, and the only time you'd hear from management was when something didn't go perfectly... WELCOME TO PLANET EARTH!
"(I'm being a little negative here on purpose - to make a point to other newbies reading this. You'll do fine, and Werner's Phoenix terminal is a good place to start your orientation. You'll like "Jim" the safety manager in charge of orientation. He's a good man and takes care of his newhires. Was just talking to a couple of them yesterday....he was sending them on Greyhound to Long Island to pickup their first trucks -- abandoned by their previous drivers.....)"
LOL... Well, as has been said many a time here on TN, this game ain't for everyone... and as far as I'm concerned, if someone doesn't want to be out there doing this, then I don't want theme out there either. I think your heart has to (and should) be in this 100% to do well, and if it isn't, you're not going to do a good job, because you've got to care about the quality of job you do. From what I've picked up so far, this profession could sure stand some professionalism, which in the long run would result in better compensation and working conditions.
From what I've picked up so far, this is a VERY demanding profession that requires everything you can give it, and if someone isn't giving it their all, then its best they get out of it.
I sincerely appreciate the 'advice' and recommendations! Feel free to pass along whatever you wish, as I know from reading your posts, that you're one of the main contributors here, and I value whatever you care to share.
Until next time... be safe out there!

Answer:
Well..... ...now I'm beginning to wonder if you're TOO qualified, ready, willing and able!
I don't have anything to say - you're going to do just fine, obviously. Just enjoy this adventure. After a while, it gets boring....but of course, that's when your air traffic control experience would make you an excellent candidate for promotion to Freet Manager (dispatcher). The Western Division (western regional) is dispatched from the Phoenix terminal -- my dispatcher is there.
Are you planning on going just "western" after training, or doing 48-state?
Van, flatbed or reefer?

Answer:
'guy, if you can handle ATC, you'll do well as a trucker! I know that's one of the most mentally-demanding jobs out there. A person's disposition, how well they handle stress and extreme pressure, and how adept they are at making split-second decisions correctly, factor heavily in the selection process. I had a friend who was ATC at the same time you were.
Good luck to you, please keep us posted of your progress.
Good day!
de KJ5KX

Answer:
Originally posted by Shuffler:
Well..... ...now I'm beginning to wonder if you're TOO qualified, ready, willing and able!
I don't have anything to say - you're going to do just fine, obviously. Just enjoy this adventure. After a while, it gets boring....but of course, that's when your air traffic control experience would make you an excellent candidate for promotion to Freet Manager (dispatcher). The Western Division (western regional) is dispatched from the Phoenix terminal -- my dispatcher is there.
Are you planning on going just "western" after training, or doing 48-state? Van, flatbed or reefer?
Thanks for the confidence booster... I think I'm gonna do okay... and, when things aren't going all that well, I have my experience from Viet Nam to call upon. When things aren't going ideal, I think back about how (really) easy my current situation is to what I experienced over there, and suddenly, things become relatively simple. Like most everything, perspective makes a big difference.
I'll turn 56 in April, so I know I've still got a few good years in me - but I know there's going to come a day when I'm going to want to slow down, and I'm hoping I'll be able to find an interesting and meaningful position within the industry when that day comes... At this point I don't have a clue as to what I'll want to do, as I simply don't know enough about the industry yet. But whatever it is, it's going to have to be interesting and challenging! Heck, there's lots of 'jobs' I could do, but I'd be bored out of my skull in no time, and miserable as all get out... which is one of the main reasons I'm going into this, as I think it's going to be VERY challenging, and I thrive on overcoming challenges. And I most certainly consider this an adventure! I think the old adage... "it's the journey, not the destination that counts" (or words to that effect) is very appropriate on how I'm looking at this.
I haven't decided where I'll run after training. I'll probably move back to Texas within a year(Houston area) as that's home, plus it'll improve the bottom line a little, as Texas doesn't have state imcome tax. So if I move to Texas I'll be in Werner's SW Region (I assume you're familiar with their regional boundaries)... although I understand that I'd still probably get to visit the land of fruit and nuts once in a while... mostly LAX area.
At this point I'm leaning toward a flatbed, as I think it'll be more "interesting/challenging" even though I know that means tarping and all the related physical labor... but I 'understand' that overall, it's less hassle... as you don't have to deal with typical shippers/receivers... that you're treated with a little more respect... Any feed-back or advice in this area would be EXTREMELY appreciated!!
Well, that's ENUF for now... so until next time, be safe out there!

Answer:
Originally posted by FlimFlamMan:
'guy, if you can handle ATC, you'll do well as a trucker! I know that's one of the most mentally-demanding jobs out there. A person's disposition, how well they handle stress and extreme pressure, and how adept they are at making split-second decisions correctly, factor heavily in the selection process. I had a friend who was ATC at the same time you were.
Good luck to you, please keep us posted of your progress.
Good day!
__de KJ5KX__
Thanks... I think my (creator endowed) abilities will serve me well in this game... as they did when I was a controller. Although to be honest, I'm hoping this game will be a little less stressful... at DFW there was hours upon hours of insanity - punctuated by minutes of calm. It does wear you down after a while... although I loved it... and have missed it immensely - it's like nothing else I've ever done... or ever will I'm sure!
Say hi to your (ATC) friend for me... and tell him the "class of '81" is still kickin!
Be safe out there!

Answer:
azdesertguy,
Sounds like a good plan. If you ever want to move up into management (dispatch, safety supervisor, etc) you'll have an excellent resume, from Nam to ATC and hands-on trucking experience. Wish my dispatcher was that well-rounded!
Flatbed? You'll get more excercise and spend most of your time needing a shower and a laundromat. No joke. It takes more muscle and you get dirtier working flatbed, compared to vans. There's also more risk you'll pull your back, break bones falling off the load while tarping, and other physical risks. It's tough stuff sometimes, but better exercise than vans.
Yes -- you avoid a lot of the nonsense working with shippers and receivers if you work flatbed. But to me, the problems with shippers and receivers aren't all that bad. I think this is less tolerable for folks with less people experience. And frankly, if you wanted to get into management in trucking, the 'people challenges' you'll encounter with drivers will probably make shippers and receivers look like little angels.
But for someone who doesn't work well with others, takes things personally, and doesn't have many learned 'people skills', flatbed is a way to avoid some 'people' frustration. Trucking attracts lots of loners and folks who've never worked with 'customers' or had to fundtion as a service provider. These are the folks, I think, who are most bothered by diffidult customer interactions -- and they ARE difficult sometimes, usually due to complete inconsideration of the driver and his/her problems and point of view. When combined with the other inherent stress of the job, it's easy to let these occasionally unpleasant interractions put you over the edge.
I'd go with flatbed to work with your body more and have more hands-on experience with big, dirty tools and equipment -- not to avoid customers. But that's just my opnion, based on the vibes from your posts which indicate you're fairly people savvy and sophiscated compared with some of us out here.
Werner has a lot of drivers living in Texas and a lot of loads coming over the border that run through Texas, so it's a good place to live to get in and out of your hometime productively -- lots of load opportunities they can pick from to keep you rolling. We also have a HUGE terminal in Dallas. Werner just bought several square blocks of property there, including several large buildings and public roads the city sold them. They also own a motel on this property....it's quite a little city they've set-up, commensurate to the sheer volume we've got running through Texas. I'm not sure which 'region' this would be if you wanted to go regional instead of 48. "Western regional", what I run, is kinda' flexible, I guess. It doesn't technically include Texas -- just the 11 states west of Texas -- but I frequently run into east Texas/Oklahoma, or down to El Paso or Laredo to pick-up a load coming across the border. There are so many regional combinations now, I can't keep up with them. But chances are excellent you can just run either the midwest, or southwest, or southeast -- they all overlap into Texas.
In the meantime, Phoenix is also an excellent plact to get in and out of hometime productively, since we have a terminal there.
Interesting fact: Close to 50% of our loads are NOT delivered by the original driver. So when I talk about getting in and out of home "productively", I mean the opportunity to run a load to Phoenix (for example) and drop it there for another driver to finish while you go home. Same thing coming back out -- picking up a load that's been left there at the terminal waiting for you to finish and deliver...maybe in Denver or Salt Lake.
Surprisingly, Los Angeles does NOT dominate our western regional loads. We also work a lot of customers in Denver, Phoenix, Salt Lake, Portland, Seattle....
.
[This message was edited by Shuffler on January 28, 2003 at 23:01.]

Answer:
Congratulations azdesertguy. I'm glad you found a school that you are happy with. So many schools don't deliver on their promises. It sounds like you did your homework and it paid off.
Werner is a good company. Just remember like everything else there will be good sides and bad sides. Focus on the good sides and hang with them for at least a year.
See ya on the road.
Originally posted by azdesertguy:
Having just completed my 1st week of CDL school (AIT in PHX), I just wanted to let you all know that I've gained a significant amount of respect and admiration for all professional Big-Rig driver's! My hat's off to all of you!!
I also want to thank all you old pros who post here, as I spent about 3 months reading everything I could about this profession before I decided to go for it, and of all the sites I visited, the info on TN was not only the best, but very helpful in my decision!
There are 7 students in my class... ideal for learning... lots of time for questions and discussions about what we're learning. Great instructor, very experienced (started driving in 1962), and really cares about our progress. All of us passed the CDL exam today and got our learner permit. One more week of 'ground school' then we get to start learning how to drive these magnificant machines!
I've been accepted by Werner... and will begin my OJT (externship) with them on 2/17 following graduation from AIT on 2/14. Hard to believe that 3 weeks from this coming Monday I'll be out there in the real world... I'm stoked!
Personal opinion... I'm very glad I decided to go to a private school to get my CDL... I can't imagine learning (really learning) all this stuff within a couple of weeks... a good acquaintence of mine who drove for 40+ years told me that the most important aspect of this profession was a good foundation, and now I can totally appreciate what he told me... Now I can recommend the same.