Wow - I can't believe I finally got here - to the end result. Well there first part of my 'end result'! lol Finishing truck driving school!! Woooohoooo!
After failing my skills last Monday (5/17) and then 3 others from my group did too (I guess you can say - we stick together!!) We went back to the school and practiced on Tuesday with Andrew - who is a great kid and yes I say kid, he is 23, but has a HUGE heart and genuinely cares for his students! He taught me alot about driving and that is where I'm most comfortable! He even said to me that if he had to drive with me anywhere, he would totally feel comfortable sleeping in the sleeper while I was driving! That was huge to me!! So thank you Andrew for that! On Wednesday I went back to school with my new found friend and partner in crime - Barb, she is a great woman and we have alot in common and we instantly clicked! She is also going to be teaming with her hubby but with Werner. But the both of us went back and Wednesday because Juan who is another AWESOME instructor there wanted to work with us in his truck, because he said his truck is alot easier to do skills in. At first I was like - yea, OK whatever! But WOW!! HUGE HUGE difference between the two instructors! Don't get me wrong - there both good - but they teach totally different. Juan teaches visually, with markers and such and that is me!! I'm a very visual person. Give me a mark, tell me to go here or there and I got it. So on my alley docking, he shows me his way. All I can say is WOW!! It was a huge difference to me! There were times when I got it with Andrew, but never had that AH-HA moment. But after maybe 3 times doing it with Juan's way - I had the biggest Ah-Ha moment ever with my ally docking!!! It felt sooo good! We then had Thursday and Friday off and came back Monday and Tuesday and practiced more with Juan. I felt good - I actually felt ready to go to the DMV on Wednesday!
I wake up Wednesday morning - feeling really good, not nervous or having a panic attack (which I'm good at! lol) Drove down to the school to meet Barb and Juan had us do the skills in the yard before we drove over to the DMV. I nailed it - so my confidence was growing! haha So we get to the DMV and pay our $30 to take ours skills test again and then wait! They're down to 4 testers because other 4 are off having to be tested themselves by Federal because in July there are BIG changes coming to be able to get your Class A. So Albert - our tester - comes over to us to get things started. Johnny went first because he had to to his Air-Brake and walk around test. Then Steven went next and did his skills - he passed! I went next and I was walking to the truck, I was thinking... Ok girl your in the Dunes and your backing up your toy hauler.... I nailed it!! No pull-ups on my alley dock. I missed 1 point out of 10 possible. And it wasn't on the alley docking - it was on my right turn because I went too wide. But hey - I will take it! Then Barb and Johnny did there skills and they also nailed it! Not one of us did 1 pull up on the alley docking! One of the other testers - Kenny - came up to us and said Barb and I were putting all these guys waiting to take there skills to shame! hahaha SWEEET!
Next came our drive test, Steven went first and he passed!! I went next, I was a little nervous, but kept telling myself - you love this part - you love to drive. So I get in the truck and I had to sign the next part of my test and Albert started talking about my tattoos and the skulls I have! Score!! That helped alot. So off we went, I was still a little nervous and yes I grinded a few gears in the beginning but things started to get smoother. I took my turns pretty good and the whole drive took about maybe 25-30 minutes! We got back to the DMV and Albert said I did really good! He even mentioned while I was driving that he could see I was a natural!! haha He told me I only missed 9 points out of 44!! We got out of the truck and I was so happy I asked if I could give him a hug! lol He had to test an independent and then take his lunch, so we had about and hour and half to kill. We went and got some lunch and then it was Barb's turn. Unfortunately she hit a curb on a right turn and that is an instant fail :( So now she will have to start all over, even taking her permit test over. But I have ALL the faith in the world in her and she can do this!! I mean, if I can get the alley docking skill, she can get the drive!
So I have put in my call to my Schneider recruiter for my phone interview and of course got his voicemail. So now I just wait for his call back and see what's next!
Much Love!
Muthatrucker
