Life Over the Road – Driver Stories
Brian M.
WTS Graduate: 5/2006
Seeing the World from the Drivers Seat ……
I have done some traveling in the past but it was mostly to certain places. (Orlando FL, San Diego CA, and Florence OR) When I got behind the wheel of a truck and drove it across the country for the first time it was amazing. I saw many things in person that I’ve only seen on TV. I saw the Rock N Roll HOF, the Saint Luis Arch, the Mississippi River, and many baseball and football stadiums. It amazed me how small the country seems when you start driving east from California.
Vincent B
San Diego Campus Instructor (Previous) (CVTA Master Instructor), 41 Years Experience O.T.R
Good Meets and Good Eats…….
My name Is Vincent AKA: Vinny I was a master instructor for Western Truck School in San Diego, Ca. I have 41 years experience driving over the road; I was able to meet a ton of new people from different cities/ states and made lots of new friends along the way.
One of my most memorable moments was the first time I went into Main, once you get through the tough part of the mountains which is a really rough terrain you will go around a long curve and time just pauses it’s absolutely beautiful the scene looks like a Norman Rockwell painting. It seemed as if time never touched that place.
The time I spend as an Over the Road Commercial Driver was always enjoyable and exciting, like I said I met a ton of new people and I have to say the FOOD was just incredible. I was able to try all kinds of food during my travels. So some of my favorite memories were from the people I have met along the way and food that I was able to try. I have great memories from being an O.T.R driver and enjoyed the time I dedicated behind the wheel. I would definitely recommend this as a career choice to someone given they have the opportunity to do so.
Go For It!!
Timothy F.
Turlock Campus Lead Instructor (Previous) (CVTA Master Instructor), Driving Since 1975
Picture Perfect Countryside………
I am happy to share my story as a Commercial Truck Driver; I spent 34 years driving over the road. I have pretty much been everywhere except Main, Hawaii and New Hampshire. I was able to see the country side, capture some amazing pictures and try some wonderful food. I really wish we would have had smart phones years ago because the pictures I would have been able to capture and share would have been breathtaking.
Don’t always listen to what people say or let what they say scare you, up-state New York is really beautiful it has some great people and food. Also, Ontario Canada has some wonderful people as well. But keep in mind if you will be traveling into Quebec you may want to bring along a French Language quick reference guide. I realized while I was in Quebec that my Bill of Lading was in English and everything else was in French. I actually had to have the local police give me directions to my destination, I was completely lost.
My time on the road was a great experience one I will never forget, I had some good eats, experienced some good truck stops, and feel like either it was just good luck or the way of the road but I tend to think I was in the right place at the right time. I really do not have any bad experiences that stand out which seems far fetch but it’s true. I am now and have been a Training Coordinator at Western Truck School in Turlock, Ca. for the past 5 years. I love what I do and I really love preparing these new graduates for the amazing experience that awaits them.
Don S.
West Sacramento Campus Lead Instructor (Previous) (CVTA Master Instructor) & Local Driver Since 1974
Two Million Miles under my Belt…..
When I started in the trucking industry in 1974 they didn’t have truck driving schools. So being determined I had to find a job that had all three types of vehicles Class A, Class C and Class B. The purpose of this was to gain experience operating all of the vehicles so I could obtain the necessary License to further my career. Once I found that job my employer helped me to get my Class A license. This opened allot of doors for me and from that point on I was always able to find work. I spent 30 years driving local in the food service industry delivering food and supplies to both schools and restaurants and enjoyed every minute of it. In my 30 years of driving I have managed to drive 2 million miles accident and ticket free. Ten years ago I came to work for Western Truck School as an instructor and have worked at both the corporate level and the campus level. My goal here is to help each and every student get as much out of their schooling as possible and to help them to be a success at their new careers.