I’d been timing the drive to trucking school by checking on the maps app how long it would take me if I departed at different times of the morning. I left an hour early. Traffic was OK. I arrived at just about 7am. Class commences at 7:00
Everyone was already in class. I felt like I was late. One of the last seats left was right in front. Luckily, I do prefer A front seat in a classroom. I greeted everyone as walked in and sat my butt right in front. I was the only female in my trucking school class! Surprising? Not quite! Someone from the company came in and welcomed us to the school.
Turns out the school is not owned by the company. They contract those services out to the driving school people. Those would then people we would be dealing with during our period at the school. The guy talked to us about safety on the road, things like trucks being easily blown by the wind and flipping over on the freeways. He talked to us about elevation and how some heights can damage the product: such as marshmallows deflating or chips exploding, depending on the elevation. It’s important to be alert on the road, lest you end up broken down in the middle of nowhere and not knowing how to direct help to yourself! After scaring the beJesus out of us, he walked right out
An older lady with a ponytail Swapped places with above mentioned guy. She was going to be our instructor. There were 27 of us in the class. She did the roll call (register), and asked us to introduce ourselves. One guy is a manager or promoter of ladies in the Adult something world. Basically, he’s a pimp. He had sunglasses on most of the time. They looked like bedazzled women’s sunglasses.
Not long after everyone was settled in, a lady walked in. She was to be the second female in our trucking school class. She looks African. Turns out her family is from somewhere. Sorry, I forget. I think they’re Jamaican.
Instructor lady collected out Driver licenses. Mine had to be accompanied by a bunch of immigration papers. She seemed well versed in what was going on with regards, thank goodness! copies of all our documents, were made. We then got started with the tests. They do drug testing. You also commit to a random drug screening at the company’s discretion when you sign on. I have a story about that for you later! They also do a hair test to check for drug usage up to about three months ago, so watch out if you know you will be applying to become a trucker soon. Hair test entails them chopping off a chunk of hair from the root anywhere in your head.
They have a doctor and nurse and all kinds of people in there for registration day. The doctor will talk to you and do his own screening. You will be required to do an eye test, hearing test, etc. They measure the neck. If it’s, I believe 13 inches or more, you will be told to do a sleep apnea test. Sleep apnea is those people who snore super loud as if they’re hurting themselves, they then stop breathing for a while while asleep, then start all over again. I’ve dated two guys who have it. Both here in the states. Both not fat. One of them in denial about it. Apparently, after the sleep test, you have to buy an expensive machine from the company that you will be hooked to when you’re sleeping. That machine should help your breathing. Some prospective drivers left just after the neck part to go take care of that. One guy, who was sitting right behind me. Nice guy too, he had already started chatting with me. He had to go. He told us he wasn’t from around, he had brought enough money for the license and food. He wasn’t going to have the money for the sleep apnea machine. That was going to stall the process for him. I felt a bit sad for him but I also know there’s a good reason everything happens.
Some people didn’t pass the drug test, including the Audult entertainment guy.
We got school papers to get started with school work already. There’s no tome to play! Everything is jam packed! It’s like bootcamp, go! Go! Go! We studied quickly, and got started with an open book test.
Quick ten minute break!
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After break, more work, then 30 minute break.
I forgot my packed lunch at home, so I had to do with just the protein shake that happened to be in my handbag. I subsequently decided to fast that week. Not diet fasting but because I wanted something so bad. For some reason, when I do fast, whatever I fasted for materializes. Have you fasted for this reason and what were your results? I don’t fast often because for someone who is always watching my weight and food intake, the lines can be blurred easily. I’m not in the business pf lying to myself, so.
I had ribs, chicken wings and boiled eggs that I had pre-prepped for the week, so that’s what I would have for my dinners.
By the end of day 1, our class of 28 students had diminished tremendously. We ended up with 14. A whole 50% didn’t make it through. Two of out classmates had trucked before. One ended up with health problems and wasn’t able to continue. The other one, who hadn’t driven trucks since the late eighties, stayed the course.
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Happy Holidays everyone
Merry Christmas to those who celebrate
💕
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