Training Update

Thursday 18th
Day one was a little rough for me.  The adjustment to living in a truck with someone I don't really know, and driving all over tarnation, and not getting to go home at the end of the day, was all hard for me.  I spent the day observing, and learning, and getting to know my trainer (who is great, by the way).  She drove us from Pacific, WA to Hermiston, OR.  By the end of the day, I was so exhausted and a little disoriented, and just wanted to go home.

Friday 19th
Was much better!  Woke up at a truck stop near Hermiston, and drove all day to...somewhere in Utah...Willard maybe?  Anyway, that day, I drove for the first time.  I was quite nervous, and my trainer had me make a lap around the parking lot before we headed out.  Once I got going, I did pretty good-still nervous of course, it is 50,000 lbs. of vehicle I'm guiding down the road, after all!  I lasted for across most of the state of Idaho, about 200 miles, before I got too sleepy, and my trainer had to take over.  I felt much better about the whole endeavor, once I was driving, and not just watching and trying to remember everything I was being told.  I think driving a huge tractor with a 53' trailer for 200 miles is a big accomplishment.  I mean, it was for me. :)

Saturday 20th
I started out the driving, and made it 300 miles (about 5 hours), and then my trainer took over.  We made it to our drop site in Nebraska by 10:00pm.  I also did some backing/parking in truck stops, fueled the truck, and did a ton of paperwork, so I feel like I'm starting to get the hang of things (just barely). :) Got to see lots of cool scenery, red rocks and cliffs, rolling sage brush hills, and lots of flatness.

This whole thing is just a big roller coaster.  Those of you who know me, know that I'm not great at flexibility and transitions, and that's all this job is!  So I'm struggling to adjust to my new lifestyle, especially living with someone that I don't really know.  She is very nice and helpful, and a really good trainer, but I'm having issues with the lack of alone time and space.  Hopefully I'll settle in soon, because I still have 3.5 weeks left. :)  Despite all of the challenges and exhaustion, I also have times when I feel so empowered and proud, cause I'm actually doing this!  I am driving a truck across the country, and learning how to back, and park, and trip plan, and work the qualcomm, and inspect the truck, and...I'm awesome, really! :)

-Amanda