Free stuff (12/26/2022)
Everybody likes free stuff, right?
Every now and then I do a search for free software. May be something pops up that can be useful for me.
Most times however the search results are somewhat misleading. They show up with the notion: ‘free download’. If you don’t know any better you would think that’s a great deal.
Look further and you’ll notice that the actual download is free, but you have to pay to use the software.
That’s like physical stores saying that entering and looking around is free, silly isn’t it?
Another annoyance is that some software developers offer a free version. Great, but soon you will see that in this version so many options are disabled that it is basically unusable. Or every two minutes popup tells you that you should upgrade to the full version.
I walked away (11/27/2022)
Over the past few years, we drove by the store many times, and it was always closed.
Through the window of the old, and somewhat sad looking building we could see some of the items this resale store had in stock. A visit could be interesting since we like vintage items in general
Much to our surprise, the store was open yesterday and of course we had to take the opportunity to check it out.
The first thing I noticed when I entered was the absence of a counter and a register. A guy was sitting outside at one of two entrances, and I assumed that he was the man in charge.
This place was packed with items of all kinds, and none of it had a price on it. That was annoying to say the least. It meant that if I wanted to know how much an item was I had to see the man in the chair and ask him.
The Importance of Training II (10/24/2022)
In a previous article I wrote about my experience with Michael, the trainer I was assigned to when I started trucking.
After I had finished the first leg of the training program I had to go out for four weeks with a fellow rookie. The idea was that we could learn from each other and give each other support. A system that can work well but also has its weak points.
I was paired up with a guy who had been out for a week already, but he and his partner didn’t get along very well so the driver manager had to find another partner for him. We stayed together for the full four weeks, but it wasn’t easy. Jorge was a good driver, and he certainly knew his stuff, but our personalities clashed.
We had some arguments, but we managed to get over those and we parted ways as good colleagues. About a year later or so he became an owner-operator, and I was glad to see that he was doing well.
The Importance of Training I (9/26/2022)
Good training is always important and a huge asset for those who are starting a new job. This is especially true for new truck drivers. It is often said that at the trucking school you learn how to drive a truck but once you’re on the road you learn how to be a trucker driver.
Companies that hire graduates train them until they are qualified to venture out by themselves. This means that they will spend time working alongside an experienced driver who is supposed to teach them all they need to know to be a safe and responsible trucker.
The success of that approach of course depends on how good the trainer is and his degree of motivation to do the job right. I had heard some horrible stories from trainees who were basically taught little or nothing by someone who clearly was in it for the extra money only.
The company I started working for had a simple program. Four weeks on board with a trainer and then four weeks with another trainee.
