New Year - New Career~

 Butch left for Springfield, MO on Sunday.  

1-2-2022 Butch ready to go~

Our New Year's toast - was the title of this post.  Butch is excited to take his driving skills to the next level.  We'd discussed over-the-road driving, since learning just over a year ago, a friend had entered the field.  Roxi was very helpful in explaining the hiring process & her experiences.

After submitting all the required pre-employment paperwork & drug tests, Butch was accepted by CFI trucking & was registered for trucking school. 

1-1-2022 Unhappy Nika~

 Nika was very unhappy Saturday morning, when she saw the bags coming out of the closet.  She's never happy when I pack up to leave, but this was the first time in a long while, Butch has packed.  He used duffle bags from our horse camping days.  We'd driven up to Council Bluffs to pick up the rental car on Friday.  

His destination~

Monday was his first day of class at Truck Dynasty Driving Academy for CFI.  There were only seven students out of the twelve who were registered.  Butch was only one of two who had their Class A Commerical Driver's License.

Truck Dynasty~

Yesterday Butch was moved up a class ahead of his original group & was excited to have a go at driving the tractor/trailers.  He aced his first backing maneuver!  Today, they'll be working on parallel parking.  Butch's instructor mentioned - the truck was "Not a School Bus!" :-)

I still hadn't quite prepared myself - for my husband leaving. It was hard to see him drive away, even as happy as we are to have this next chapter begin.  I turned to my shovel...  I shoveled all the driveway, walks & even along the curb where the snowplow had piled the snow from the road. 

Training at the academy usually lasts three-weeks.  Following that is a two-day company orientation at CFI headquarters in Joplin.   Next, going on-the-road for three weeks or 7,000 miles driving with an experienced driver (finisher).  If everything goes according to plan, Butch will have his own company Kenworth T-680 & be heading home to outfit it the end of February.  I'll be able to go along!  I'm not sure how much I'll want to go along, but maybe I'll try a road trip.