Hi folks,
Sorry I haven't updated in awhile.
Arrived in Downey, CA late sunday afternoon with wife and kid. I got checked into hotel and actually paid 30 bucks extra to have my own room. We got into the room and first thing wife and kid do is plop on bed and raved about room being so big and bed being so comfortable. So after we drop all my stuff off we ran over to Subways and grabbed some grub to bring back to the room. After wife and kid left I started to fill out the packet I was handed at the front desk and told to complete. While doing so the earthquake hit. I opened my door and saw the pool water sloshing back and forth and some french tourists hopping out of the jacuzzi. Everyone had came out of thier rooms and were standing on the balcony. I stayed in the room with the door open. Figured let the damn balcony fall but not the building. Later that night they said it was a 5.0... Shook the 2nd story pretty good.
Monday:
Awoke and headed to the lobby to catch the shuttle. Nobody was talking to eachother so I asked about the earthquake. Some guys were saying they didn't know that an we had an earthquake last night. I estimated the group for the shuttle to be about 20.
Arrived at South Gate terminal near the 710 and Firestone. Lined up and met the first lady who asked for names and ID. We were then told to go into the orientation room. This room had about 30 computer monitors and chairs. I grabbed a chair and looked around. The room eventualy filled to about 40 people. We were told to look into the computer via our names and review our applications. I did so and was done with the computer when the word came out that all people done with their application review to hold their hand up. We were then told to give up our seats so the next person could review. I stood at the back of the room with about 10 guys. We stood there for a few minutes when more JB Hunt guys came in with tables, chairs and several fans.
I grabbed a seat and we began the orientation. about 20 minutes later I had my ID back too. We were told that there were approximately 60 people scheduled for this orientation and the current count was 48 showed. Also found out that the earthquake had been dropped to a 4.7 and that it was centered only 11 miles away.
Some of those 48 would be moving to the DCS (Dedicated Contract Services) orientation later in the process. We were given names and phone numbers for our investigator and that we needed to call this person several times a day until we were told we were cleared. My self and 4 other guys were told to head upstairs to the clinic to begin the medical process. Other people would be going offsite to another location.
The medical part was ok... did the whiz quiz and blood pressure check. What I wasn't expecting was the hair sample test. When I came back into the reception room I was hearing that some guys might not pass that test. We were then hustled over to the room next door to do the lifting, bending and stair test. I past no problem. By noon we were back downstairs and heading to the lunch JB Hunt was providing. (Subways)..
After lunch we came back to the orientaion room and were told that several things had opened for JB hunt and that they were in need of more regional drivers. I also heard that they had just been awarded the National Whirlpool account and they were going to be needing drivers for that account in Hemet. When I heard that I raised my hand and said I live in Hemet and what was this job requirement.
I was told that basiclly you pick up and deliver Whirlpool appliances to customers homes And was I interested.
:hellno: Nope... Not going to move stuff into people's houses I already knew what a pain in the A#$ that was from my Home Depot days. Also heard JB Hunt is part owners of the railroad and that was a main reason the OTR guys were being eliminated and brought to regional spots. We were released at 4pm. Hmmm interesting..... bus was down to about 15 people... We were brought back to the hotel and were told that we would need to vacate our rooms in the morning and we would be shuttled over to another hotel tuesday afternoon.
Tuesday.
I moved all my stuff out and took it down to the lobby at 6am. I had 3 bags and about 15 shirts on hangers since I was told to bring 14 days worth of clothing.... Some guys had been told the same thing others had not.
Tuesday on the shuttle another head count... hmmmm 14. We arrived at the terminal and were told we need to make sure we are calling the investigator. I called several times and was told call back later.
midmorning we had the drive test around the block. While I walked towards a truck I heard some say that one guy had already been dropped after hitting a curb. I jumped in the truck, a newer Freightliner day cab. I told the instructor that I was coming off of flatbed and that I towed a 48ft skateboard. He laughed and said don't worry just don't hit anything. I took off and just couldn't find my timing for shifting. The dang clutch felt so nice and I didn't have to fight the gear shift, it was so smooth.... So after I had returned he handed me the test results page and had dinged me for hand placement. I was driving with one hand and the other on the shifter and for being out of gear once. I laughed at that and told him I sure felt like I was out of gear more then that. He said don't worry about it, you didn't panic and got back into a gear pretty quickly. I was then told to head over to the backing test.... YIKES.... So I watched how it was done and jumped into another Freightliner, told the instructor, only have pulled 48 ft skateboard. He said no problem get it into the hole without hitting the trailers next to you and you can have 3 pull up before you fail.
I jumped in.... backed in... no problems, He dinged me for not looking at my right mirror often and said looked like I knew what I was doing. :thumbsup:
turned the sheet in, grabbed a soda and had to relax.
Back into the orientation room and did some policy review until 5pm back to the hotel to grab out stuff and head to another hotel. Group has been dropped down to around 10 or 11.
We were placed in a budget type hotel but I again had my own room.
Wednesday:
Ride back to the first hotel drop my stuff off in the office and we ride back to the terminal. In the morning we view a video about the Smith System Driving program and review about what the benfits are. We are told to take a break so I call the investigator and told I'm cleared. Heading back to the orientation room and get the hey were being split up and get into a rental van to practice the Smith System on the road. Next couple hours we drive along Firestone Blvd in South Gate and then into a shopping mall. The system was interesting to use and Im using it when I drive.
We got back to the terminal and told to go upstairs and see the doctor to get the medical done. I see the Doc and go over my info and told that I need a medical release from the doctor that had released me from the rollover. The Doc hands me a form and tells me to go downstairs and talk to the Safety Manager. I speak to Safety and he tells me unfortunately I will have to come back next week and re do all the orientation since I don't have a release. I tell him give me a few minutes and I call the doctors office and have the realese faxed to me. I come back into his office and show him the release. He says great head back upstairs. The Doctor goes over the fax and says I'm good and clears me. Back downstairs and watch as several guys come in a say they have to come back next week due to not being cleared medically. At 445pm we are told that we have graduated from this orientation class. We started with 48 and have been cut down to 28 including the DCS drivers who had been split from us during the orientation. We all walked out to the shuttle and we did a head count 9 people left. During this time I had gotten to know a couple of the guys one of which had lived in Hemet and I had coach his son during his son's freshman baseball season in high school. This guy told me that he was driving back to Lake Elsinore now and If I wanted I could hitch a ride with him and have my wife meet me there.
I came home wednesday night and was to call JB hunt in the morning to get a truck assignment. I called in the morning and spoke to the DM and was asked if I could get to San Bernadino to grab a truck by 1030am. I told her not a problem but that I had plans for a family event on saturday. The DM said oh that shouldn't be a problem to get you home then.
I had my wife drive me to the terminal and we found the truck. The truck was cleaned out but still had some hair on the floor and stuff on the matresses and floor. I tried to get new matresses and was told they didn't have any. I then went over the truck to notate any prior damage. By the time I was done it was almost 2pm. The driver mgr told me that she needed me to roll and that she was sorry the truck was dirty and that she would give me 50bucks towards cleaning it myself. I looked at the run on the quallcom which listed the run to go and pick up a trailer an take it to Az. I had 3 drops with a final in Yuma. I stopped cleaning, hooked to a trailer and ran to AZ.
Ran the load and finaled at 430pm Friday in Yuma. While running this load I would hear the turbo whine up and drop every 15 seconds. I would also see a puff of black smoke every 6-7 seconds.
I didn't have a load as of Friday so I ran over to the Loves to scan my paperwork in. I sat on the QC and was talking to everyone and heard that I would maybe get a load on sat to head me back to CA. The morning came and went and by 1pm I received a QC to dead head over to Phoenix and try and get loaded and head home. I went to the shipper and was told that it was a live load at 730am sunday morning. I went back to the terminal, ran the truck through the truck wash and cleaned up the interior to my liking.
Woke up and ran over to the shipper was loaded and ran west on the 10. As I past mm8 my left inside trailer tire blew. I ran it slowed down and ran over to Exit 5 and jumped on the QC. I was told to head over to Flying J at exit 1 to get a new tire. JB hunt has a tire rack on the tractors so when I pulled in I told the tire guy to grab the tire on the truck rack. When he did so, it had a blown out sidewall, so a new tire was taken off the shelf and put onto the trailer. The tire that had been pulled off was placed onto the back deck of the tractor. I tied it down and secured the end. I took off and kept running west....
I stopped once to check the tires and check the tire on the deck everything looked good. When I got down past the Pilot near Palm Springs I heard a popped and felt a thump. I looked in the mirrors and didn't see anything. I checked my dash and saw the air guage dropping. I dove for the shoulder just past the get on ramp for hwy 62 (29palms) Found that the strap end had wrappped around the drive shaft and tore the 1/4in service line and a line to the cab airbag. The tire was laying on the deck loose.
Called road service again and told them what had happen. A road call was made and I sat on the 10 for a couple hours. When I was repaired I just went to the house.
Made the delivery on tuesday morning in Carson. When I was empty I put the call in that I was headed to the terminal in South Gate and then was told to head to San Bernadino. I turned the truck in with a list of items that needed to be repaired. As of tonight the truck is not ready. So I sit here at home waiting for a call about the truck.
