On the Yard

Got to go out on the yard today. Helper Sam, the trainer, set up the cones. They we took the yard tractor down to the truck stop and filled it with gas. During this time the guy in class with me was at DMV taking the tests to get his CDL permit. Sam ran me around the course a couple of times and then said he had to take a trailer to the Ashland City terminal and that he'd be back later. Dustin (the other student) was coming out on the yard just as he took off. We didn't see him again for the rest of the day. We just ran ourselves around the course. I was mostly back in form by noon. dustin's never driven a truck before so he spent most of the day trying to get straight line backing down. It didn't bother me that Sam wasn't there all day but I'd probably have been a little pissed if I was Dustin. I helped him out where I could and by the end of the day he was doing a pretty good job but I'm not a trainer.

Got to talk to several of the drivers and I'm encouraged by what I heard. The miles are good (avg 3000/wk), the company backs the drivers up when necessary, there isn't an idling policy, and the equipment is good. One of the guys I talked to started with no experience in NOvember and was assigned to a 2005 Century class Freightliner. They have Eaton 10 speeds & 500hp Detroit 60 Series, walk-in double bunk condo sleepers... pretty choice rides. More later...