[Malaki86]

Finally a chance to post on here - wow. Day 1 (Monday) started out fine. My trainer drove the truck from the shop in Shinnston, WV to Ambridge, PA where we were loading oil (it looks exactly like moonshine). We loaded up and I drove to Anmoore, WV where we unloaded. We were heading back to the yard and the boss called my trainer. He needed us to take a flatbed and go to Canonsburg, PA to pick up a load that went to a gas well north of St Clairsville, OH. That turned into a mess. It took over 3 hours to get loaded (couldn't find anyone working there), then 2 hours to unload just because they're slow. The rig was about 5 miles up a gravel road AFTER driving about 30 miles off the interstate on a narrow, twisting 2 lane road. Oh - did I tell you it was the first time I've ever driven a W-900 Kenworth? They definitely don't take turns as sharp as anything else I've driven. We finally made it back to the yard @ 2am. We started @ 6am. Ya - 20 hours...

Yesterday was better. When we finally went in around 11am, we went to Ambridge, PA for a load of oil going to a rig in Lodi, OH. After we emptied out, we ran empty back to the yard. I was still waaaaay too tired to drive, so the trainer did all the driving. That was only a 12hr day.

Today we went to pick up a load of drilling mud for Wheeling, WV. My truck is rated for 54,000lbs. When loaded it was 66,620lbs. Just a tad overweight... Made it home in less than 10 hours of leaving the house this morning.

Tomorrow I'll have a new trainer. I know I'll be driving my own truck, but he'll still be keeping an eye on me at the business end of the truck.

[Mr. Ford95]

Originally Posted by Malaki86

Oh - did I tell you it was the first time I've ever driven a W-900 Kenworth? They definitely don't take turns as sharp as anything else I've driven.

No they don't Mal. I tried one out with my brother's company and told him they could keep it cuz I would never drive it after that day. He told me the guy who normally drives it goes to DC all the time and has no issues..........I couldn't even get out of their yard without doing a 10 point turn onto the road and I had set up wide like I was told to do.

So are you enjoying the new work?

[Malaki86]

The work is a lot different. Getting to the rigs isn't bad in the tank truck since it's a straight truck (tri-axle). The only problem with that is that everyone wants you to run 50mph on a 30mph road. Plus, it's not all just "sitting" like in the big truck. Well, for the most part, anyway. It'll take some getting used to, but I think it'll work out. I just hope they don't think I'll work 20hr days any more (not gonna happen).

[Malaki86]

Short, pretty easy day today. 11hrs total, with 6.75hrs driving. Did my first completely solo run today with no problems. I'll be making 2 loads tomorrow solo. Loving the truck. Even WAY overloaded, it has plenty of power (except on the steepest of hills around here) and tops out at 75mph. That's scary after driving 62-65mph for the last 5 years - LOL.

Here's my ride:

[Malaki86]

Thought I'd get out of working today (saturday), but the boss was leaving the lot yesterday just as I was pulling in at the end of the day. Just a short run (131 miles total), BUT it's ALL on WV's finest 2 lane road - WV Route 20 from Shinnston to New Martinsville to a gas well. Back to the shop and done after that.

Ran 2 loads solo yesterday from Ambridge, PA to Clarksburg, WV. Almost ran out of fuel on the last trip back. Hate only having 1 tank on the truck. But, I have a fuel card now.

[Malaki86]

Ughhhh - today turned into a horrible day...

Started out by only taking 15 minutes to get loaded (normal for that). Then, it took the guy 2 hours to get the bills ready.

The drive up WV-20 was worse than I thought. Since my truck was only loaded @ 50%, it had a *LOT* of side-sloshing going on in the turns (which is all route 20 is). We stopped about 1/2 way to the delivery for lunch/breakfast, but I was too car-sick to eat anything more than 2 pieces of dry toast. I haven't been car-sick since I was 7 years old. It sucks.

It took roughly 2.5hrs to drive to the delivery site. When we got there, the guy training me proceeded to jump my ass because I didn't have a fitting in my toolbox that I needed to hook to the tank we were unloading into. Since I was feeling like absolute dog crap, I proceeded to yell at him twice as hard for being the dumb ass trainer who is too stupid to tell his trainee what equipment we need to carry. He told me to go to his truck to get his fitting. I told him he knew where his truck was and that his legs aren't broken.

After we finished unloading and was heading back to the shop, I told him I was taking a different route back (WV-7 & US-250). He said it would take an extra hour to go that way, but it was up to me and he was going the same way back as what we took on the way to the site. Even though the route I took back is about 20-30 miles further, I pulled into the yard as he was backing into his parking space.

Time for me to pass out now - I'm flat out exhausted, both mentally & physically.

[Mr. Ford95]

Welcome to local work Mal

[Malaki86]

LOL - i want to learn to speak spanish and move to southern texas. Doing this same work there would be graaaavy!!!

[golfhobo]

Originally Posted by Malaki86

LOL - i want to learn to speak spanish and move to southern texas. Doing this same work there would be graaaavy!!!

I think you mean (or should consider) Midland-Odessa Texas (which is NOT southern.) Lots of jobs available there... and the roads are straight and FLAT!

But, the hometime would suk if you continue to INSIST on living in West Virginia! :lol:

[Malaki86]

Nah - I'll buy me a used SR-71 at a military surplus sale. Only 1hr travel time per day.

And, I meant southern Texas. South of San Antonio is crazy now with the wells. Every truckstop between San Antonio and Laredo is jam packed with well service trucks (tankers & dumps).