June 9, 2015
Day Two
Let me start by saying Tuesday mornings I am usually wiped out! Working nights starting Thursdays catches up to me by Tuesday. Dang it for getting old!!
As with day one, we started out doing a pre-trip of the truck, and then back into the driver’s seat. Big change today! Holy Houston…trailers are really LONG!! Yes, we went straight to backing with a trailer on day two!! This is not a school that has you sitting in a classroom with a chalkboard and books. Here, the classroom is a seat and a steering wheel. The books are gauges, a windshield, a clutch pedal, and a gear shifter. Very much ‘hands on’ learning!! I love it!!
Just like passenger vehicles have makes and models, there are ‘big truck’ makes and models as well. We have been driving a Peterbuilt daycab, a Kenworth and a Volvo, which have sleepers attached (condos, lol). I have had fun with the Pete because it is an automatic and the turning radius and recovery makes it super easy to drive. Out of the other two, which are standard shift..(I am struggling to say this being an American Patriot and from Michigan) I favored the Volvo.
Back to today’s events with a friendly reminder of me being wiped out. Today was more learning, but with a tired mind and an emotional meter on low reserve and add to that the pressure of being the only female student in a group of a dozen guys, challenged my coping abilities. Mind you I am striving for perfection, not to mention I have a very competitive spirit…of course a friendly one. Nevertheless I am still after being the best…2nd to Grant! This was another great day despite the frustrations. Frustration of not being perfect due to over-thinking what I was doing instead of just doing what I knew. Remembering to keep my head straight and my focus forward was a challenge, especially being tired, but hearing in my head “you can accomplish anything you set your mind to” (spoken by and trained to repeat by my mom) got me through with success. “Thanks Mom”!!
While I am sitting here writing this, in our local tavern (Murphy’s), a truck turned left onto Nevada. My attention was quickly drawn to the truck as I watched it going through the movements of shifting and it made me smile… OMG! I’m geeking out trucker style…time to go home…I’m exhausted. ~Hooper
