[devildice]

Originally Posted by dewercs2

Received my travel confirmation to show up at Arrow next monday. I leave this Friday from Banning, CA. on the "Dog". It should be an adventure riding on the 4th of July! Just another step in getting back to work.

Our son will be at a Baseball tournament in Irvine, Ca., so he'll miss me leaving but hopefully the scouts like him good enough to keep him in mind when scholarships come up for college.

I must say that I have yet to receive an unemployment check from the state. When I did my phone interview the lady with a heavy Japanese accent kept asking how much I made an hour and when I said I was paid by cents per mile, that I drove, she didn't understand. I had to reaaallllyyy slllooooww down for her to pickup that most drivers in big trucks get paid by how many miles in a day they drive.

When I tried to explain that my previous company required us to buy our truck and trailer or lease it from them. She had a hard time understanding me again... :roll: :lol: :lol: She kept asking didn't I have the money and how much was the cost of the truck. I told her I would have to make payments and the truck 2005 or 2006 KW flattop was maybe worth 75k to 85K. with a 10k buy out at the end of the lease. I would also be responsible for maintenance, tires, fuel, tarps, my health benefits and taxes.

Who knows.... I'll make sure I'm hired by arrow and then let the state know I've got a job.....

See ya soon DD..... somewhere.....

Glad to see you one step closer to driving again. Good luck and keep us posted on how it goes.

[broncrider1]

where ya at, how ya been and how's tricks?

dont tell me you turned into one of those "lazy" drivers?

[devildice]

Originally Posted by broncrider1

where ya at, how ya been and how's tricks?

dont tell me you turned into one of those "lazy" drivers?

I'll give you 3 guesses where I'm at and how I'm doing and the first 2 don't count!

[broncrider1]

hows that shiney dash comin along?

i figured only bein half done would drive ya nuts

[dewercs2]

Alright... I'm in Lovely Tusla at the Days Inn. It has been an eye opender to see how different it is to go from a small company with 2 or 3 guys in orientation.

The group of guys i'm with number about 25-30 people. I paid an extra 14.00 to get my own room. At times people seem to be a little disorganzied but they get it turned around rather quickly.

When I started this trek back to the road I have always had a little apprehension about trying to do this again. The first time I was in the seat I had to take a deep breath and just relax. I did not have any flash backs but could feel that I was driving a little cautiously. I did miss 2 gears at one point and then later I did take a curve in 6th but was going slow.

I was told that arrow takes curves in 5th or lower gear.

We did our load securement training today and somethings are differnt from Davis.

I have found out that I will have to purchase EZ-Pass if I want to get through the scales quicker. A couple other things have surprised me and I will update you on that stuff at a later time.

DD I will have to ask you in a PM about that lease purchase info as I listened to Arrows program and It seemed ok but then again I don't know much about lease purchase.

I did sign up with the pre paid legal plan today for 2.98 a month. Someone was suppose to be there today but we were out at load securement training so we ran a little long. I started to wonder if I should sign up or not since all the problems GFI and GFI'w had with them a couple years ago.

[devildice]

Originally Posted by dewercs2

Alright... I'm in Lovely Tusla at the Days Inn. It has been an eye opender to see how different it is to go from a small company with 2 or 3 guys in orientation.

The group of guys i'm with number about 25-30 people. I paid an extra 14.00 to get my own room. At times people seem to be a little disorganzied but they get it turned around rather quickly.

When I started this trek back to the road I have always had a little apprehension about trying to do this again. The first time I was in the seat I had to take a deep breath and just relax. I did not have any flash backs but could feel that I was driving a little cautiously. I did miss 2 gears at one point and then later I did take a curve in 6th but was going slow.

I was told that arrow takes curves in 5th or lower gear.

We did our load securement training today and somethings are differnt from Davis.

I have found out that I will have to purchase EZ-Pass if I want to get through the scales quicker. A couple other things have surprised me and I will update you on that stuff at a later time.

DD I will have to ask you in a PM about that lease purchase info as I listened to Arrows program and It seemed ok but then again I don't know much about lease purchase.

I did sign up with the pre paid legal plan today for 2.98 a month. Someone was suppose to be there today but we were out at load securement training so we ran a little long. I started to wonder if I should sign up or not since all the problems GFI and GFI'w had with them a couple years ago.

I am glad to see that you are yet one more step closer to getting back on the road. It sure as been a long time and I hope everything works out for the best.

As far as the LP goes, I am not sure I can be of much help since the only info I can give you will be 2nd hand from the guys here that did go that route, but I'll try to pass along what I do know. I am sure you are just curious about it and not intending on doing it anytime soon, but if or when the time comes for you to cross over, the best advice I can give would be to stay away from any LP and just go buy your own. And before you even think about doing that, do a ton of research to ensure it would be the right move for you and your family. I do not know for a fact, but have heard that dealerships are damn nearly giving away trucks so to speak because of the economy. Sounds like it's a killer buyers market right now.

Anyways, glad you're on your way back to driving. Be safe and keep us posted. BOL!!!

[dewercs2]

DD, Im at home....

I went to Pheonix and was assigned a 05 Frightliner columbia. The interior was dirty and smelled of smoke. Before I arrived it was sent out with a driver to make a delivery in City of Industry here in L.A. I was told the driver would be back late friday night or early sat morning.

The company put me up in a hotel and I arrived at the terminal at 8am. After waiting for an update I was told the truck wouldn't be here until around 12pm. The driver showed up at 3:00pm and when I finally got to look in the truck it stank of cigarettes and was filthy. This driver told me that the mattress was new and that he had pulled the plastic off it when he went to sleep friday night.

So after pre trip the tractor and trailer and re doing all the straps on the load (valmont poles or electrical poles) Off I went. I got as far maybe 60 miles. I was just plain tired. I might add that I looked at the brakes but had no tools to adjust and will have to do so later this morning before I leave.

and this qualcom thing.... Ok I'm kinda know computers but this thing... I need to re read the qualcom guide. Its just new to me and I'm afraid that Im not sending everything Im suppose to be doing....

I'll add more later... got to get some sleep...

pb

[devildice]

Originally Posted by dewercs2

DD, Im at home....

I went to Pheonix and was assigned a 05 Frightliner columbia. The interior was dirty and smelled of smoke. Before I arrived it was sent out with a driver to make a delivery in City of Industry here in L.A. I was told the driver would be back late friday night or early sat morning.

The company put me up in a hotel and I arrived at the terminal at 8am. After waiting for an update I was told the truck wouldn't be here until around 12pm. The driver showed up at 3:00pm and when I finally got to look in the truck it stank of cigarettes and was filthy. This driver told me that the mattress was new and that he had pulled the plastic off it when he went to sleep friday night.

So after pre trip the tractor and trailer and re doing all the straps on the load (valmont poles or electrical poles) Off I went. I got as far maybe 60 miles. I was just plain tired. I might add that I looked at the brakes but had no tools to adjust and will have to do so later this morning before I leave.

and this qualcom thing.... Ok I'm kinda know computers but this thing... I need to re read the qualcom guide. Its just new to me and I'm afraid that Im not sending everything Im suppose to be doing....

I'll add more later... got to get some sleep...

pb

sorry to hear that the truck wasn't in the best of shape for you, but at least you got one and are getting back into the swing of things. I was rolling :lol: when you said you got about 60 miles before shutting down.........(laughing with you not at you) guess it'll take a few days to get your stamina back.

I'm at your favorite truck stop.......Ontario TA :sad: . Got to make 4 drops here in the L.A. area tomorrow and then back here :cry: to await another load. Hopefully I will get lucky and get a decent load offered to me before the day is over.

One thing about Ontario, it's like a circus, there are all kinds of walks of life trying to sell you everything from sneakers to dvd's to........well you know. Almost reminds me of my Navy days and being in a foreign port :lol: :lol:

[broncrider1]

ummmmm......

hows the weather in yer (current) neck of the woods?
got a mailbox yet?

[devildice]

Originally Posted by broncrider1

ummmmm......

hows the weather in yer (current) neck of the woods?
got a mailbox yet?

Weather has been nice actually.....and the mailbox is on its way, had to speacial order it :wink: . My "luck" up until now has been pretty good when coming into Washington, but after this stint, this will be the LAST time I come here.