My husband is now in Indiana. The one truck that they were going to do a swap with is now fixed so they are waiting to hear from dispatch tomorrow. They are hoping to somehow be able to swap and pick up another load as the delivery is not due until August 1st and they are only a day out.

My husband drove about 470 miles today and could have done more but they are early.


May Trucking Company does not pay practical miles they pay Mcnallys. I believe that layover pay is $80.00 after 24 hours.

Goin Fer It's Wife

They got their swap. They met a truck driver at Peru Indiana this morning and then drove down to Indianapolis Indiana and are now waiting to be loaded.

The next load they will have two stops one in Federalburg Indiana and the second stop in Chester New York.

They will be glad to get on the road again instead of having to wait until tomorrow to delivery the Ohio load.

And so my husband's adventure continues!

Goin Fer It's Wife

My husband is now in Maryland. He is about 30 miles from the drop that will occur at 5:00 in the morning. He only drove 280 miles to get there today.

Then after the drop is made they will go to New York to drop the second part of the shipment.

Yesterday my husband only drove 293 miles he could have done more but the trainer had him float the gears and while he had some of that in school he did not master it. So it was trail and error but he glad to be learning that.
Today he felt that he got the it much easier.

Yesterday they turned in the paper work for the work week. My husband will be getting only $500.00 a week while training but we did figure out with the miles he drove and the layover pay.

From Thursday (first day out) Thur Sunday he drove 1667 miles and one day layover.

For that four day period his pay if he was not in training would have been

1667 *.32 = 533.44
Layover pay = 80.00

Total 4 day pay : $ 613.44

Goin Fer It's Wife

If it's important to you, maybe try and keep his miles driven close to that number each week, so he's not working a lot for free.

Just a thought.

I used to train new drivers at a local job and they only made minimum wage during training. I told them to sit in the passenger seat and learn the paperwork. They always agreed that driving 105,000 pounds at minimum wage was not a good deal for them.

I let them drive once empty and if they could handle it, they were back in the passenger seat. :P

Well $500.00 a week is not real bad for training pay. Although if he was out on his own he would be making more. Hopefully in a couple more weeks.

He is learning how to float gears and it will help him to build stamina for when he is on his own. He knew during training he would be driving more than what he is getting paid for but then the company also pays the trainer. As long as they do not keep him out just to do the team thing then we are okay with it. But so far May Trucking seems to be on the up and up and a good company.

The $100.00 a month tuition reimbursement will also make up for some of that free driving time.

He is a super dedicated person that will go all out for the company. That is the way he has always been. If Watkins Sheperds paid his tuition he would have more than likely stayed there longer than he should so that was really a blessing in disguise.

Let me ask you this question getting at least 2,500 miles a week is not an unrealistic expectation is it?

Do you know whether or not the dry van division slows down at all. If it does do you know if the company will allow him to transfer between the two divisions? Just curious!

Goin Fer It's Wife

I would expect 2500 miles a week running 11 western.

I would also expect a slow down with dry freight. I don't know how easy it is to switch to reefer from dry.

Thank you so much for your kind wishes. I am glad to see that bozo Da Stink did not have you leave the board. I am glad he is gone.

Goin Fer It's Wife

That is good news to here about the 2500 miles. I do not know if he will get that this week or not I will update the thread.

I am going to have him check into the switching thing so we know.

Take Care,
Goin Fer It's Wife

I could not get into Class a Drivers on August 2nd and have been busy with plumbing and kids so I am updating this thread now.

August 2

My husband and his trainer dropped the load in Maryland they then proceeded and arrived in New York. It was 103 degrees there. Then the refer broke down. They had to go and get the refer jump started they could not get the load unloaded early because of the receiving at the drop did not open until 5 p.m.

Once they were unloaded they went and took the trailer to a shop for repair and picked up another at the shippers with a dry load this time

My husband bypassed his stop and he said his trainer taught him some new moves backing and turning in the truck.

His trainer also made a wrong turnoff today. Not the best of days

They will be going to Oregon with this new load.

August 3rd

Well they headed out with their new load and my husband only ended up driving 327 miles as it was the driving nightmare this day. Two separate accidents on the different freeways. One of them they completely shut down the freeway for a while. His trainer took over after he finished.
They are team driving at this point.

August 4th

Today went much smoother for my husband no broken refers and no big accidents on the highway. He drove 565 miles today. He finished driving in North Platt Nebraska their final destination on this leg is Saint Helens, Oregon. His trainer will drive on from there.

My husband is glad that with all of the knowledge and different things that is learning from his trainer that he did not go with Watkins Sheperds.


One thing is there are good days and bad days with any and every job you just have to take it as it comes and can only pray that there are more good days were things go right than bad days.

Until the update tomorrow night! :)

Goin For It's Wife