Day 304 (Meandering Across Alabama)

We got our start today (late this morning) from Olive Branch, MS, which is just outside Memphis. Doyle and I topped off the fuel - and I got some coffee (Pilot coffee, with LOTS of creamer) - and began to make our way on this leg. On the way here to Birmingham, I received a very pleasant call from my "little sister" Kelli (for more about her, you can see my post for Day 18). We talked for a bit. She told me that she has, since our last conversation, moved. She's still in Nebraska, just 20 miles from where she had lived before.

As we make our way through the rest of Alabama and into Florida, I've seen that Doyle handles the truck quite well. When we made a stop here in Birbingham, I had him back into a parking spot. I guided him through his set-up, and found he is very good at straight backing. This may seem like a simple task, but in a truck with a 53' trailer... it's not as simple as it seems. So far he has been doing pretty good; good handling & lane control, frequent use of signals, professional courtesy, etc. This may not be as daunting as I had first thought (seeing as my previous students had some experience with a commercial vehicle of some sort). He says he's still nervous (or as I pointed out, he's as nervous as a pregnant nun in The Vatican), but so far he's doing well. When he first said he was nervous, I told him, "good... that means you will be extra cautious." More updates to come.

More coffee to be had, as well!