On My Way To Being a Semi Truck Driver!

In October 2010 I was invited to attend Peterbilt Ride and Drive Event at the PACCAR Technical Center. I had no idea at the time that I too would be able to drive the trucks and when I found out I had to stop my self from screaming like a school girl in front of a rock star. I pounced on that offering like I was starving and been offered a cheese burger and hoped right into a Peterbilt model 587. To those of you who know nothing about Peterbilt Semi Trucks that means I climbed up into the largest and newest class 8 truck that Peterbilt has on the market. It was giant and spacious inside and every bit awesome! The 587 was a stick however and even with wonderful guidance by the driver sitting next to me, in the passenger seat, I still needed help with the stick. With his help, though, I roared around that track at 65 miles per hour hauling 80 ton trailer. Later I asked what 80 tons really mean, having nothing to gauge that amount of wait to and was informed that my house probably didn't weight 80 tons. Rock on super star! I climbed (you literally have to climb in and out) of the truck just tickled pink, positive that I should have been a cross country truck driver when I finished college for a couple years, and that I needed to drive another truck ASAP. I followed the Peterbilt Model 587 with, I think, a Peterbilt model 386, another class 8 truck, and went back to being responsible in the Peterbilt customer tent, manning the PACCAR Financial booth.

In March 2011 I was invited up to the Technical Center again for a Kenworth Ride and Drive event and again pounced on the opportunity to drive these marvelous trucks. I drove a T660 (Class 8/ Heavy Duty again) and the Kenworth Hybrid T270 (medium duty) and sadly missed the opportunity to drive the largest Kenworth class 8, the fab T700. In July 2011 PACCAR Financial had their own Ride and Drive event to celebrate their 50th anniversary and I held out for the T700. I got to drive it, again a manual, with help from the driver. Sadly this time and because there were employees driving on the track, we couldn't go up on the side of the track (think race cars) and pass the people in front of us, so I couldn't open this bad boy up. It was kind of disappointing because the person driving the cherry picker in front of me was going about 45 miles an hour, sad when I knew I could be going, and would be going 6o if I was in front. I definitely think I missed a calling, but hey, would I be a graphic designer right now if I had...just too hard to know. Big trucks rock!