"RAMBLIN MAN"..("RAMBLE ON")..(216)

To Even Get To Be A Big Rig Truck Driver?................Let Me Tell You ....................That There Are Dues That Most Drivers Have Had To Pay To Be Able To Get To That First Time That He Or She Are On Their First "Solo Trip"

1)Youve Decided That You Want To Be A Truck Driver....Ok...1st Thing You Have To Do Is Go To The Registry Or DMV And Get A Book To Study Because There Are 3 Written Tests That You Must Take In Order To Get A Driving Permit.....You Take The Tests At The Registry,,(About 10 Bucks A Test)...And When You Finally Pass Those Tests? You Are Given Your Permit

2) Now That You Have Your Permit?....You Have To Get Enrolled In A School...These Schools Can Be A 6 To 1 Year Period.....When It Is Time? The State Or In Some Cases The School... Will Give You The Driving Test...Youre Allowed Up To 25 Points For Mistakes....If You Go Over? Youve Failed... And Have To Take The Driving Test Once Again.........And Eventually?.....Youve Passed

3) Now You Have A CDL (Commercial Drivers License)....But That License Is Basically Worthless...Why?
Because You Have No Experience...Now?...You Have To Contact A Major Truck Company That Will Take You On As A Trainee...Such As Werner...Western Express...Schneider..Swift Transportation And So On...For Me?..It Was A Bus Ride From Providence Rhode Island To Werner Enterprises In Pennsylvania...And Thats Where One Starts To...... "Pay Their Dues"

3) When You Arrive At The Company That Takes You On?....You Go Through A 4 Or 5 Day Orientation
After That?...You Are Going To Wait For A Trainer To Come And Get You.....And Youll Have To Go With That Trainer And Do What He/She Says.. Live In His/Her Truck For About 6 To 8 Weeks...And During That Time? Youll Be Trying To Sleep While He/She Is Driving... As He Or She Has Their Radio Going...(Never Mind That Youre Trying To Sleep In A Vehicle That Is Constantly In Motion) Some People Cant Do It And Quit Because Its Hard For 2 People To Live In A Truck....And The Truck Is "His/Her Truck".....(I Honestly Dont Know How I Made It Through All Of That Hell)

4)Finally?...The End Of Living In That Hell Comes To An End...And The Trainer Usually Passes You... And You Then Get Dropped Off At The Company's Nearest Terminal.....Now? You Have To Wait For A Truck To Be Available

5) You Finally Get A Truck...And Are Sent Out On Your First "Solo Run"
This Is Where You Begin To Add Up Your Days Of Having Experience..(And The New Driver Has No Idea What He/She Is In For)...(And Some Of Them Quit When They Realize It)..And Before You Can Try To Go Somewhere Else To Work? Youve Got To Accumulate Around 6 Months Of Driving Experience

So...This Is What Just About All Big Rig Drivers Had To Go Through In Their Lives To Get To Where They Are Today
Like Ringo Starrs Song Says...("It Dont Come Easy")