Truck Driver Training Installment: Phase 2.0
HOLY CRAP today I would swear I was given a full frontal lobotomy. My brain is MUSH.
This morning at seven a.m. sharp we were herded into a closed training classroom for what was supposed to be a three hour course on the new load processing system we will be using (eventually) while out on the road. The system will be replacing the old 1980's mainframe system still currently in use by the company. It's a time consuming, brain muddling mess that as a re-hire is going to be harder to learn than if I were just some Joe Blow straight off the street newbie trucker.
Having lived in the old system for three years and three months, this new way of life, when it goes fully live and operational, will be a rough transition. I don't want to get myself into a position where I hate it before I have it. That would be like Jedi mind-tricking myself into hating it before I've given it a chance. After the FOUR and a HALF hour presentation and training session we endured this morning, what I can say about it is that there are a few perks to it that will improve a few areas of the overall job, eventually. It's a cumbersome system, with a lot of "tasks" to complete to be in compliance.
But, like with the introduction to the electronic logging system and the learning curve I had when we went live with that during my first round of employment here, it will just take a little getting used to before I am flowing along.
After the class ended on that note, we took a lunch break and then hit the classroom for some more "learning". We had a Check For Learning (CFL aka open book test) after learning about electronic and paper logging and then it was on to the next subject, trip planning.
In the trip planning lesson we are being taught the "old way" of load processing, since many of us will not be going live on the new system for some time. Lucky for me, I know the old system and was not left confused or befuddled at any point during the lesson. My classmates, however, we lost for the most part. After having spent over four hours learning the "new" system just that morning... we were being taught something completely different and of course, with the new system fresh in mind, the confusion for the others was bound to occur.
I think by the end of it they were seeing the slight similarities in the systems and could figure out what was what. But I tell you, the looks on some of their faces as he was explaining how to utilize the old system's macros and such was priceless. It was probably much like the ones on my own face as I sat in the morning class for the "new" system.
Near the end of the lesson the instructor handed out brand new Rand McNally Motor Carriers Atlases to each of us. One of the other students asked if they were ours to keep. And the instructor said yes. Now, I think it's super swell that the company would do such a courtesy to its drivers, but I was irritated at myself for jumping the gun and buying one myself before I came out for training.
So yes, we get to keep the Atlas we got today.
And yes, I hope I still have the receipt for the one I bought so I can take it back. I don't need two of the same thing!
Class was dismissed around 5 o'clock and I bolted for the door. I got back to the hotel and after a nice chat with my hubby on the phone I hopped into my jammies and started relaxing. Well... if blogging is relaxing. I've now cranked out two posts today, making up for having been too pooped last night to post for Phase 1.0.
So now... I will go. I have some homework and then I plan on hitting the hay a little earlier than the past two nights.
This morning at seven a.m. sharp we were herded into a closed training classroom for what was supposed to be a three hour course on the new load processing system we will be using (eventually) while out on the road. The system will be replacing the old 1980's mainframe system still currently in use by the company. It's a time consuming, brain muddling mess that as a re-hire is going to be harder to learn than if I were just some Joe Blow straight off the street newbie trucker.
Having lived in the old system for three years and three months, this new way of life, when it goes fully live and operational, will be a rough transition. I don't want to get myself into a position where I hate it before I have it. That would be like Jedi mind-tricking myself into hating it before I've given it a chance. After the FOUR and a HALF hour presentation and training session we endured this morning, what I can say about it is that there are a few perks to it that will improve a few areas of the overall job, eventually. It's a cumbersome system, with a lot of "tasks" to complete to be in compliance.
But, like with the introduction to the electronic logging system and the learning curve I had when we went live with that during my first round of employment here, it will just take a little getting used to before I am flowing along.
After the class ended on that note, we took a lunch break and then hit the classroom for some more "learning". We had a Check For Learning (CFL aka open book test) after learning about electronic and paper logging and then it was on to the next subject, trip planning.
In the trip planning lesson we are being taught the "old way" of load processing, since many of us will not be going live on the new system for some time. Lucky for me, I know the old system and was not left confused or befuddled at any point during the lesson. My classmates, however, we lost for the most part. After having spent over four hours learning the "new" system just that morning... we were being taught something completely different and of course, with the new system fresh in mind, the confusion for the others was bound to occur.
I think by the end of it they were seeing the slight similarities in the systems and could figure out what was what. But I tell you, the looks on some of their faces as he was explaining how to utilize the old system's macros and such was priceless. It was probably much like the ones on my own face as I sat in the morning class for the "new" system.
Near the end of the lesson the instructor handed out brand new Rand McNally Motor Carriers Atlases to each of us. One of the other students asked if they were ours to keep. And the instructor said yes. Now, I think it's super swell that the company would do such a courtesy to its drivers, but I was irritated at myself for jumping the gun and buying one myself before I came out for training.
So yes, we get to keep the Atlas we got today.
And yes, I hope I still have the receipt for the one I bought so I can take it back. I don't need two of the same thing!
Class was dismissed around 5 o'clock and I bolted for the door. I got back to the hotel and after a nice chat with my hubby on the phone I hopped into my jammies and started relaxing. Well... if blogging is relaxing. I've now cranked out two posts today, making up for having been too pooped last night to post for Phase 1.0.
So now... I will go. I have some homework and then I plan on hitting the hay a little earlier than the past two nights.
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