So much for driving a 18 wheeler....

No, I'm not driving a 10 wheel dump truck, I'm driving a 10 wheel 18 wheeler... Sounds wierd, but CFI along with a bunch of other companies are now running "Super Singles" in which 1 tire takes the place of two. For example, instead of my tractor having 10 tire/wheels it only has 6 and my trailer only has 4 instead of 8. It saves weight since your eliminating the extra weight from wheels are tires. I've heard good and bad, so I'll have to make a decision for myself.

We rolled into the Lancaster (dallas) Texas terminal yesterday after renting a 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix and driving out from Phoenix. The ride was nice, especially because of the 80mph speed limit... We were FLYING! I drove the whole way while gary, who I had orientation with told me about his 1 million miles of safe driving... It's almost as if he told me them 1 mile at a time... He never shut up! haha.

I was assigned at 2006 Kenworth T600 with a Cummins ISX and 13spd tranny. I can compare this truck to a BMW and the freightliner I drove at Gordon to a Honda. This truck is NICE!!!

I was lucky enough to get a short load going to Conroe, TX (200 miles) delivering at 5am tomorrow morning and then the last drop in Houston (40 miles) at 8am. It's not the longest run but it let me get used to how the truck handles and how it shifts. I have lots more to learn but this is a start!






These are Super Singles.



The front wheels are coated with the "Dura Brite" Finish which will make them shine as if they were polished with just some water. The rears and tanks on the other hand are going to take some work to get all shiny...




Real nice newer style dash...



mmm, 13 speed mmm...



Trucker Chris signing out!

I'm off to Dallas!

Yup, thats right. I was officially hired by Conway Trucking last night. I got the OK from Joplin, MO HQ's and will be sent to the Lancaster, TX (dallas) terminal today. It's about a 15hr or so drive from phoenix and Conway is getting me a fullsize rental car for the drive. We are paid half our normal paid miles for the drive. Any little bit helps!

We went through a TON of paper work and were given a "Conway Bible", which is a binder full of Conway info such as benefits, procedures, and policy's. Compared to GTI, Conway requires a TON more paper work but one of the plus's is that we get to choose our own route between destinations. We don't have to follow a routing plan like at gordon, so I can stay on the interstate or run the back roads, it's all up to me!

I will talk more about everything in the coming weeks as I was overloaded with paperwork and procedures this week. Conway has a "real" open door policy. It's not like other carriers where when you want to talk to your fleet manager and are asked to stand behind the glass window and speak to him/her through it. Conway let's you walk into the "control center" which closely resembles the space shuttle control room and walk right up to your fleet manager, sit down, and shoot the shit with them. You can even pick up a headset and listen to the crap that they have to deal with from other drivers. On back of one of the notebooks we received at orientation is a list of HOME, yes I said, HOME phone numbers of the CEO and other head honcho's... Pretty cool I thought.


Until next time, keep the rubber side down and the shiny side up!
Chris

This is the hotel that Orientation was held at. Brand new and very nice.




The court yard in the middle of the hotel with a nice pool.I went swimming a couple times and it was nice too cool off after a long day of signing your life away.



Even though there is a Waffle House, Jack in the Box, Arbys and Burger King across the street, this is where I blew most of my money... On junk haha.

Day 1 of Orientation....

I flew into Phoenix,AZ yesterday evening and realized why I drive trucks and not fly airplanes. I have logged around 300 flights since I was born and flying was always fun and exciting. This trip was a whole different story and I realized that I need to have my feet planted on the ground at all times. I don't know if it's because I've gotten older and watched a lot more of those crash documentary's on TV or 9/11, but flying isn't for me anymore. Anyways, the flight was uneventful and smooth most of the way. It was cool to fly over Tahoe and realize how many mountains there are left for me to go snowmobiling next winter!

Orientation for Conway Truckload is 5 days and everyone from the west coast gets bussed in or flown in to Phoenix. The hotel is brand new which is very nice and with the exception of the Physical and driving test, everything is done in the Conference room. I'm only the 2nd class to be taught here in Phoenix so there are still some stuff to work out but the instructor dean is great and so far so good.

We filled out some paperwork and then was whisked away to the Clinic for a new health card and physical. From there we went to the Flying J and had lunch at the buffet and then over to the Conway LTL yard for a driving test. The loop is about 15-20 minutes long and varies between interstate driving and numerous turns in the city. All I have to say is that I have to get used to the 13spd tranny. I've only driven 10 speeds since I've had my CDL and it's whole 'nother ball game.

Conway has a fleet of 3 year old and newer Kenworth T600's and T2000's (pictured above). The T2000's are for Trainers and drivers who have driven more than a million miles. They are also adding KW T660's which are a newer version of the T600 and Freightliner Cascadia's for the teams. Eventually the trucks will all be white instead of the current red.

The T600's are real small inside. I'm used to the storage and room of a Freightliner but this truck is teeny inside. It doesn't have a lot of storage which is a minus and the layout is a bit weird but I will get used to it. The seat does go back pretty far which is good for me and overall, I'm excited to get into a truck and start rolling.


I found out today that the 4 of us in class will be given 2 rental cars and be told to go to El Paso, TX or Joplin, MO (1200 miles) to a terminal to pick up our trucks. There are currently no trucks except for one orientation truck in Phoenix which is a shocker but I'll be fine.

I'll be back tomorrow with another update

Trucker Chris

It's official!!!

I just got off the phone with a recruiter from Conway Truckload. I am one of Conways newest truckload drivers!!!! I will going to orientation in Phoenix, AZ on march 24th. From there, I'll sign all my paperwork, learn how conway does all their stuff and I'll be assigned a truck! Stay tuned as I will be updating with new truck photos and stories about my time on the road.

I have a lot of new idea's to make this blog a lot better than my older Gordon one. So you will have to come back and see what my plans are!

Chris