Exactly one month ago, on March 19th, I got an email from a guy named Kendall who had stumbled across my blog and wanted some information about trucking.
It seems, for over a year now, he and his fiance Michelle had been tossing around the idea of being OTR truckers. They're both pretty young, only twenty-three years old, but have been together already for four years. They had received mixed messages about the industry and although they didn't want to put their money into something that might flop, they were both very aware that any business had its risks. They are both college educated (Michelle has a BS in Psychology and he works for a high tech communications company) and since Kendall had the foresight to invest in real esate when he was younger, they had enough money put aside to allow them to indulge in this adventure.
I responded to his email with one of my own, probably longer than he anticipated getting, and spilled all of my thoughts about trucking. Ed made sure that I didn't make it sound too rosy and insisted I include some of the situations company drivers have to deal with, to give them an accurate depiction of what they'd be getting into. Since Ed had been a company driver in the past, I included whatever he told me to, hopefully giving them a little from both sides.
After that intial email, I started corresponding with Kendall's fiance, Michelle. We've been sharing quite a bit about each other and that feeling I have when I just know that I like someone, was immediate. She's down to earth, kind, positive and smart. And y'all know how much I like smart people! Fast forward to last week...I got an email from Michelle telling me that they made a decision to go to trucking school and would be staring on May 12th!! Their class meets Monday through Friday, from 8 to 4:30. They'll be done on June 30th.
I'm so excited for them and just know that with their attitudes and the way they get along with each other, this will be a great adventure for them. They are already doing CDL practice tests and Kendall even has them practicing backing in a local mall parking by using a trailer on the back of his pickup truck. He's already pretty good at it and Michelle is getting the hang of which way to turn the wheel to put your trailer where you want it to go.
Michelle told me she was planning on starting her own blog to keep her friends and family apprised of what they were doing and I suggested she start now, to document their time in training also. And she did.
So now I will introduce you to Plum Trucker. Please visit her blog and be sure to follow her too. I'm doing it already and looking forward to seeing the transition from training to trucker. Since my school was very short, I can't wait to follow their progress. If you like what you find over there, put them on your blog roll too!
And as Michelle stated in her very first blog post...it's sure to be one PLUM CRAZY RIDE!!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
1 YEAR AGO: May I Take A Message?
2 YEARS AGO: Doing The Speed Limit In Your Sleep
3 YEARS AGO: Now I Can Go Back To Watching The Show
4 YEARS AGO: Ten Of Life’s Simplest Pleasures
It seems, for over a year now, he and his fiance Michelle had been tossing around the idea of being OTR truckers. They're both pretty young, only twenty-three years old, but have been together already for four years. They had received mixed messages about the industry and although they didn't want to put their money into something that might flop, they were both very aware that any business had its risks. They are both college educated (Michelle has a BS in Psychology and he works for a high tech communications company) and since Kendall had the foresight to invest in real esate when he was younger, they had enough money put aside to allow them to indulge in this adventure.
I responded to his email with one of my own, probably longer than he anticipated getting, and spilled all of my thoughts about trucking. Ed made sure that I didn't make it sound too rosy and insisted I include some of the situations company drivers have to deal with, to give them an accurate depiction of what they'd be getting into. Since Ed had been a company driver in the past, I included whatever he told me to, hopefully giving them a little from both sides.
After that intial email, I started corresponding with Kendall's fiance, Michelle. We've been sharing quite a bit about each other and that feeling I have when I just know that I like someone, was immediate. She's down to earth, kind, positive and smart. And y'all know how much I like smart people! Fast forward to last week...I got an email from Michelle telling me that they made a decision to go to trucking school and would be staring on May 12th!! Their class meets Monday through Friday, from 8 to 4:30. They'll be done on June 30th.
I'm so excited for them and just know that with their attitudes and the way they get along with each other, this will be a great adventure for them. They are already doing CDL practice tests and Kendall even has them practicing backing in a local mall parking by using a trailer on the back of his pickup truck. He's already pretty good at it and Michelle is getting the hang of which way to turn the wheel to put your trailer where you want it to go.
Michelle told me she was planning on starting her own blog to keep her friends and family apprised of what they were doing and I suggested she start now, to document their time in training also. And she did.
So now I will introduce you to Plum Trucker. Please visit her blog and be sure to follow her too. I'm doing it already and looking forward to seeing the transition from training to trucker. Since my school was very short, I can't wait to follow their progress. If you like what you find over there, put them on your blog roll too!
And as Michelle stated in her very first blog post...it's sure to be one PLUM CRAZY RIDE!!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
1 YEAR AGO: May I Take A Message?
2 YEARS AGO: Doing The Speed Limit In Your Sleep
3 YEARS AGO: Now I Can Go Back To Watching The Show
4 YEARS AGO: Ten Of Life’s Simplest Pleasures
5 comments:
Congratulations! I met a guy that has been talking to Prime(?) and thinks he will have a few trucks of his own on the road this year. He asked me what I thought about it and I told him to read what you and Ed say about being an owner operator. To be honest I don't think this guy can fix a taillight and have warmed him that he has to be a bit handy to make money. I hope the young kids are successful real soon.
Holy Smokes!! I am live and in color on The Daily Rant. WOW... Salena, what a nice post. Thank you. The Daily Rant is the mecca of trucking blogs. I feel like a new music group on Ed Sullivan! I am so excited! Thank you again :)
Some Fantastic Plum Adventures are already taking place. Come and see me :)
Hi Salena! I'm Kendall's mom. Just wanted to thank you for your support and advise to them. They are both very common sense people and Kendall has grown up with an exceptionally mechanically inclined dad who can fix or make anything. The fruit didnt fall far from the tree so I think they will do fine. Thanks again for your help I know they really appreciate it. BTW she is also a "Plum Nut".
You just made that blog a new fan outta me, Salena. Thanks for turning me on to it. I cant wait to hear their stories from the road.
really nice introduction for kendall & michelle! they're fortunate to have you & eddie to mentor them as they start this "literal" adventure & of course it's a given that all of us will help in any way we can.
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