Hey thanks R8ers that should be quite helpful. I don't dread driving but taking the permit test kind of has me freaked out. I'm not much for one to study either lol. I keep telling myself I'm going to do it, but I am cursed with procrastination syndrome.

Wait.... Truck driving championship?

Your tires and mirrors are the best friends you have in freezing conditions...

If the pavement looks wet and you don't see tire spray... You are probably getting ready to crash.. Tire spray = Traction..

Your mirrors will freeze over first... Keep the heated mirrors off... When the mirrors freeze the bridges are next...

Also when your wipers are freezing up, pull your sunvisors down, this will trap more warm air against the windshield... (Does not work in extreme cold of course)

Yes sir it is a big deal and people take it very serious TDC... It is based around safety 100% ... No cowboy shit.. True pro drivers exercising safety for themselves and the public.

HAZMAT is the hardest part but you won't get a great paying job without it.

So no trucker bomb accuracy games or meth multitasking categories?

The most I want to do is haul grain aka corn or wheat. I don't need to make a huge mount of money to live comfortably. I want it as easy as possible. I love the cush job I have now, but it just doesn't pay enough for me & my daughter to pay all the bills. My place is cheap enough that it wouldn't take much tho to get ahead in life if the truck driving works out even if I do it seasonally. I just recognize what I'm doing now isn't paying the bills.

Cost 5 bucks extra to get it on your license in my state, just a little more studying...

I am licensed to drive anything but a school bus, I have a tanker license and I have never pulled one but who knows, it may be needed one day.
Truck driving is not the cush job people think it is, longhaul is looking through a windshield 10 hours a day... It works on the brain..

Get the best money you can, make yourself marketable, It's harder to get a good job now for a rookie, too many experienced drivers to choose from.

Not with these dudes... Cowboy truckers in the 70's left a a bad stigma on the industry that still exist today.


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Passed all driving tests today.

Good news buddy.

Thanks

so what's next ?

Congrats
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Showers in gas stations
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well done :toast:

I'll never fly again :D

:D

I'm mulling over a few carriers.

The next 2 months will not be fun but I'll be employed.

Thanks.

Not looking forward to training. That could go on for 8 weeks.

I should be assigned to a tractor by late April.

Congrats

Just get you a pair of jogging pants and not wash them but every couple of weeks and you will fit in well.

LMAO

Congrats Dave. Haven't got anywhere with it yet. Kind of glad now with the snow we just had. I'm waiting to see if I can take a CDL driving school in Hays and just do that.


If my freaking fracking tax monies comes in I'd be better off knowing what I want and can do.

Thanks.

Is it a Roadmaster school?

My Instructors didn't have anything kind to say about them.

The school I went to will allow you to continue past 160 hrs in order for you to pass all required tests. No extra charge.

lol I don't have any idea. Just a school to get the CDL I think in three weeks cost about $300 from what I was told by a friend.

$300?

Yeah, you better look into that.

Most are around $5000.

I think if I ever got laid of again I would definitely consider it.

So you ran 208,000 miles a year?

It's was always my understanding that you could only legally log 135-140k a year?

Just curious, as that's a lot of miles since it works out to 4000 miles a week 52 weeks a year.

The most I ever run was 15k a month. I think I was more stressed over running 3 logbooks vs. ever being tired. I had a lot of light loads that month. A restored fire engine ladder from Boston to Seattle & in turn took back a "core" ladder so right there that was like 6k miles. I averaged 6.6 MPG on those trips', of course that was back in '91 & it absolutely sucked in the Midwest both times due to snow slick roads.
I was never intimidated by inclement weather as long as I was heavy & the load wasn't high catching wind.

So, day 3 with a trainer. We're in California.

If he tries to bend you over the tank say no :thumb:

Has he showed you how to beat a drug test yet ?

LMAOLMAOLMAO

Heh, I'm twice his size.

LMAOLMAOLMAO

How the hell do you know how big he is? What has been going on in the cab of that truck? Are by chance in San Fransisco?

Funny.

I'm in Fontana.

Drove thru downtown Houston during rush hour yesterday.

**** me.

How's it going so far?

Who are you driving for?

Not bad.

Werner.

Maybe not the best company, but I need the experience.

So what do you think this far?

That it will be better when I'm on my own.

My trainer only stops at Petros and rest areas.

Ever eat at an Iron Skillet?

I'd rather have McDonald's.

Iron Skillet is about the same as McDonald's. McDonald's is cheaper. Keep us in the loop on how it is going.

Prior to the log book changes a few years ago, we could run 120hrs in 14days with 1, 48hr period off. And an auto reset crossing the border ;)
Our lawys up here were a lot different than the US HOS.
But either way, being an independent, I ran "loose leaf" as opposed to books. Show a weigh master a clip board wiuth 7 sheets and the 1 your working on, and they'll close it up and hand it back to ya.

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MOREEEE times than i'd like to think about. Coffee, leads to pills, leads to Coke......Especially if your a guy like me who was a "runner".... Halifax to Toronto in 16hrs flat, swap trailers, Be in Houstan 27hrs later. 3 hour nap unloading, back up to Denton TX (SE Dallas), drop and hook, be in Calgary 28 hours later . My last truck had 3 x 150 gal fuel tanks ...I could run anywhere between 24 and 2800 miles between fill ups. Makes `doing a paper shuffell`mighty easy.

You could have done a helluva lot worse....

Get your time in, keep your cdl clean and you can move on to some money and sleep in your own bed at night. :thumb:

Really suprised you figured out how to cross the border.

Back in the eairly 90`s when they first started comming out they were great.... $11.99 all you can eat sirloin. Even the buffett food was good. Always prefered TA food but the Petro or Flying J trk stops.

These days I hear it kinda sucks. From what I saw driving to edmonton back in 2010 I can only imagine how some of those places that were absolute SHIT HOLES like the Petro in Trenton NJ, or the flying J in Lakeland FL turned into

YEP!!!
Back when I was in it was a freaken free for all.

Werner has some dedicated accounts I'm gonna look into.

Home Depot accounts allow drivers to be home weekends. All drop and hook.

Well, at least you aren't with Swift (Sure Wish I Finished Training).

Channel 19 is good for comedy sometimes, as well -


"What do you call three Mexicans in space?

ASTRONAUTS, you ****ing racist!"


Good luck out there, Dave. Keep the rubber side down and between the lines.

Lot of people don't know this but they don't actually paint the word Swift on the right side of their trailors. They figured out no one ever saw the right side of a Swift trailor and saved themselves some money.

SWIFT stands for

See
What
I
F***ed up
Today

So
What
If
Fifty eight
Tops out for me

Some
Way
I'll
Figure
This shit out

Backwards is


Two
bundle of stickss
In a
White
Sleeper

Poor
reeruned
Imbred
Men who wreck
Eventually

Sure
Wish
I
Finished
Training

:)

You got a KW? Nice.

I bet that long ol bitch rides nice.

Not bad. So far, this is about the easiest job I've ever had.

I'm learning how to sleep at different times of the day.

Good. Don't get lax though. It's still a profoundly dangerous profession you have. Just a couple weeks ago, a truck pulled out on the highway and collided with another truck. The driver of the oncoming truck died and the driver that pulled out was burned pretty badly. It was ****ing serious. The picture is 2 miles from my shop. Stay safe brother.

http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/628...5261613331.jpg

You might try melatonin to help you sleep.

http://canigivemydog.com/wp-content/...-melatonin.jpg

Did you go lease? Because that's a nice ****ing truck for a mileage driver. Who are you with again?

how do you like it so far?

happy for ya. T609 here.

Yikes!

Thanks. Yeah, I'm still a little slow about driving until I become more comfortable with it.

Yep, I caved. :) More potential earnings.

Trans Am. Went with Werner initially, but the trainer was a complete dick. Then my mother was ill. Took a few weeks off and decided to go with TA.

Not bad.

As long as I get the miles. :)

Thanks

Guess Dave inspired me a bit to go ahead and get my permit to drive CDL.

I passed my test today had to take the Air Breaks part more times than I wanted too but at least I don't feel too stupid now for passing it.


Looks like we got ourselves a convoy.

Am stoked and a bit nervous but only nervous to pass the driving test they say pretty sticklers about things like the pre trip inspection.

Guess now I need get behind the wheel and grind them gears.

Congrats.

Congrats. You got this!

Come to Trans Am and you won't grind a single gear. All automatics. :)

Dude, this is going to be a good thing for you I think. Do you have someone your daughter can stay with while you're on the road?

I understand. Just make connections inside dispatch. Get on your managers good side. I've heard and seen some horror stories come out of the lease route.

She will be fine, she can always go to her moms if she needs too but she is ok at home I do work nights now so don't think it's that big of a deal small enough of a town.

I may not drive much overnights I'm wanting to haul grain trucks to the coops and hope to stay local that way.

Right now I just got to find someone that can take the time to give me lessons. There is a local company here that may hire me & train me when I get ahold of the guy.

:thumb: Thanks for the congrats guys. This is just the beginning.



Keep Crazy Coffee off my tail I don't need no smokeys giving me any tickets.

Automatic trucks? Wow must be nice! I've seen Trans Am trucks on the interstate but not sure if a company is around here.

Their main terminal is in Olathe.