Secondly, my bad on no post yesterday. I really intended to but I visited home one more time before heading out on the road for five weeks and when I got back to Fontana on Monday I had to go to an orientation, went back to the hotel and slept for twelve hours. So let's jump right into it.
The yard: the actual behind-the-wheel training portion is done by a different company called Truck Driving Academy (inspired name...) which operates a truck yard right across the street from the Central Refrigerated terminal. Because they are so close and are way experienced they are licensed to actually give you your behind the wheel test the same as if you are at the DMV. This was rad because not only do you already know the guys doing your test but since they were the ones that trained you, you can blame them for anything you do wrong (joke... sort of). The first few days were so bloody hot they are almost a blur. It's mostly just walking around the truck learning all of the parts of the outside inspection. The first time actually driving the truck was horrifying. It's so astoundingly huge and you can easily EASILY crush damn near anything. I had never driven a stick shift (which I lied about to the trainers) and these trucks are double clutch. I stalled that thing SO many times before I figured out what I was doing. Once I got going and on the road the only thing I could concentrate on was the double clutch and the terrified faces of the cars when I'm making a right turn and in huge letters on the truck it says "STUDENT DRIVER". If nothing else comes of this those looks alone were worth it. Luckily during the entire time out in the yard I didn't hit anything. Although my roommate did and it was such a bummer (enter dumb hick ape). My actual test had me so nervous, and of course I got the strictest tester in the yard. You know when you do something right and you look for assurance that it was done correctly by even a slight smile or nod or anything? Yeah, none of that. I had no idea if anything I said was correct or if I was doing well. There was one time where I know I messed up pretty bad and was sure that was the end of the test and I would have to retest the next day, which would have been a huge bummer because then I wouldn't get to go back to Fresno for the weekend and visit my family one more time. On the way back into the yard after the test the tester got me out of the driver's seat and drove back in on his own. He didn't say a word to me and it stressed me out so much. We got out of the truck and he told me to follow him to his car where we could talk. Completely straight faced. He lit up a cigarette, took a looooong drag and said "so were you a safe driver?"... shit. I don't know. Isn't that your job to know?! In the end, I passed. He just definitely wanted me to remember my mistakes thus the dramatics and with that I got my Class A license.
As I said before I met a few rad dudes in the hotel. We all went out to a cheap Chinese buffet and looked like the most sloppily put together group of people. There was a black dude from South Central L.A., a Hmong dude from Fresno, a white guy from San Diego, a retired cholo from L.A. and a punk rock Puerto Rican (that's me). Pretty unlikely A-Team. We also went to see Iron Man 3 (which kind of sucked, but you're not here for my witty movie reviews).
The question I got the most after my last entry was how I came to trucking. Honestly, I surprised myself when I made the decision. Back in January my buddy's dad was looking for drivers for the company he worked for, needless to say he didn't hire me but that got the hamster running. Thinking about it; what other job was going to let me rarely interact with humans, listen to music all day, see the country, not stress about covering tattoos and pay me more money than I ever thought I would make? If any of you have a better idea, well then I'm all ears.
Another question a buddy asked is how I paid for the schooling part of it (he knows I'm as broke as a bad joke somebody's uncle told at a wedding reception in 1972). How it works with this company is that they front you the tuition, put you through the training and you pay them back the loan once you're actually out on the road. You can pay it off however fast or slow as you want, it's a three thousand dollar tuition, but if you stay with the company for one year they drop it down to fifteen hundred. I don't know if I will stay the full year, which I will prorated on for the tuition, because I will probably actively seek a local job as oppose to one that runs all 48 states. But time will tell. I will enjoy the runs but missing my family and Veronica will be overwhelming after a while, I'm sure. I can bring a dog onto the truck, and I am strongly considering that to keep my sanity and because I've been wanting a dog for a LONG time now.
So that brings me to now. Sitting back in an Econolodge, listening to Dillinger Four while my roommate watches the news. From here on out I can promise that the entries won't be as dry (I feel bad for anyone who reads this whole thing) and there will be way more to talk about than school and yard. Starting on Thursday or Friday I will be heading out with a trainer for four or five weeks running loads and learning all about the do's and don'ts of lot lizards, Flying J showers, crystal meth and not killing myself in the snow. Looking forward to it.
We will try to make this a daily thing, even if it's only a picture. Keep checking back and I will keep blowing you digital kisses.
Bear out.
I'm enjoying these. Keep em coming.
ReplyDelete