I was so tired this morning when I got into the passenger's seat of the truck, I could barely keep my eyes open. I was just sitting there thinking about an entire day of working feeling like this. I couldn't fathom how I was going to make it .
Never-the-less, the trainer came with the trailer we loaded yesterday and we went straight to the plant that I was to do my "final" on . It wasn't a big deal. I have this stuff memorized. This guy is a good trainer and I wished I could have been with him last week instead of with all of these other people. The other people are good at what they do, but they aren't training minded. This guy understands what newbies need to hear, he trains drivers constantly.
He focused my attention on some things that were important. Such as opening the customer tank valve before opening any other valves when offloading (pump or air off). And even more so, when done pumping off, you do not close the customer valve with the pump still running. Shut the pump off first. You still have air pressure being dumping into the fill line with a separate air hose, the pump doesn't need to be on. After you shut the pump off, THEN you can close the tank, shut off the air pressure and start dismantling everything.
Apparently I don't have to load the trailer. I just have to offload. Loading is actually quite a bit easier than offloading, I was loading a truck this morning after we did the "final". He passed me on the final, said I had a good mind and easily learned and adapted to this type of trailer set up and forcefully told the big wig management at the office the same thing.
It was good to hear this, because I was having my doubts. I tried my best to pay attention the last 9 days of truck training and anything I missed, I paid double the attention the next time we were doing it. I just got through writing a complete set of notes for everything from offloading to loading to steam outs and washouts. There is a lot of information to remember. It's not rocket science, but you need to remember all of this stuff. I know I will forget something and now I have complete notes on my phone from start to finish on everything that I was trained on.
Anyway, it is over. Training is done. As I said this morning, I was going to be done today regardless of the verdict. I was going to go home regardless of whether I passed or failed. I had no idea whether this guy was going to pass me or not, he wasn't letting on at all. Probably learned behavior after going through hoards of students and some are great and some suck.
I feel like a giant weight has been lifted off of my shoulders, I can't say how horrible this experience has been, solely attributable to the lack of sleep. We got back to the yard and I started the process of getting out of here. Fuel card, tablet - has HOS and load info on it both for the company and DOT (troopers and such), more books, assigned the pink Peterbilt, went over and did a thorough inspection of that thing. It's old school and it's bad @$$. It's got a huge Caterpillar engine that they just overhauled on the top end, they obviously put new tires on it, new shocks, new airbags and other things.
No oil or air leaks. Driver door a bit hard to shut. No mattress - I asked them to put one in please and the western states manager said he'd get them to do that. They are allegedly fixing and loading a 48 foot flatbed trailer with loaded containers for me to haul back. I didn't ask them what is in it, my mind is floating around in sleeplessness space right now.
After everything was done that I know of and chit chat and such over with, I came back here, to this hell-house and tried to take a nap. It lasted probably 30 minutes before people started making excessive noise downstairs. People came from the RV park and stopped right in front of where my window is, albeit 2 stories, and talking loudly. Someone else had gone into the laundry room. I was amazed I even got the 30 minutes worth considering all of that noise. It helped. I don't feel quite as cruddy as I did before I took the nap.
I"m basically out of food. I have some eggs left, ate a disgusting frozen dinner (I bought it, I didn't realize it was going to be gross) and only ate it because I was hungry. I do have some lunch meat left to make sandwiches. But I think a trip to the food truck across the way is in order with a celebratory meal. They have great food there, just a bit pricey.
I just can't tell ya how happy I am that I won't have to get up at 2:45, 3:00 or 3:30 am tomorrow morning. I don't even think this truck is going to be ready to go until tomorrow morning anyway, plus I am out of hours for today. Well, until 10:00 pm anyway, then I get my full 14 back. I will NOT be leaving tonight even IF the thing is ready. I can see getting up around 7:00 am, take a shower, get my stuff packed, get it over there and leaving then. But the way I feel right now? No way would I even think about leaving tonight.
So that's it. I no longer have this burden of training on my shoulders, now it's just time to go home,. Well, right now, it's time to relax and chill because the western region manager said he made a request to have that trailer ready to go no later than 5:00 pm tomorrow.
I've got - or should have - a paycheck coming on the 7th. Well probably the 6th since the 7th is Saturday. At least that's the way they described it. That will start to getting my finances headed in the right direction. I had to transfer from one account to 2 others today for having otherwise bounced payments that would incur fees as of tonight. It's just because the money I had coming in was going to one account and I had to wait until it hit the bank before I could transfer anything. I'm safe there, for now. James went and collected rents as well from a few lots and that money will be waiting to be deposited when I get home, but, with what I already have plus a paycheck I'm going to be fine until then.
I do have a $1,800 electric bill coming up, so yes, I need to get as much money in the business account as I can before then. I'm not going to worry about it. I'll have the money and then some.
These New Jersey people apparently think they can skirt paying anything. I'm willing to throw them out if they don't pay another full month's rent. James can come collect it. I don't need them in there using my facilities and just not paying anything. They get money, they have had money since the 28th and they have offered nothing.
So, I texted them.
I don't have anything else right now.
