Loving Trucking
Topic 17653 | Page 1
Hey Jeremy, congrats on the new trucking career and on landing what appears to be a really good deal for you!
I can't give any feedback on being a driver as I am just a lurker on T.T. I could talk about a motorcycle or plane but sorry, not a CDL class A.
Keep safe, keep proving yourself and keep being an example.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
solo northeast regional
Whoa! That's a tough gig, man. Really tough gig. Especially with winter coming on hard now. But if you're happy and making good money as a rookie right out of training running the Northeast in winter then you're one tough hombre who's really cut out for this sort of thing!
Are you running a dedicated account with one customer or you just stay in the Northeast running loads for all different customers?
Regional:
Regional Route
Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.
I bounce around alot ffrom maine to maryland and im currently in chicago I grew up in the adirondaks logging drivin class b log truck and construction so the weather is in my dna lol
I grew up in the adirondacks
Interesting! I'm contemplating a move to the Adirondacks. There are no mountains to climb here in Western New York. We have deep ravines, but the walls are just crumbly, razor sharp slate and shale. I can surely find a little ice to climb here and there in this area, but not rock.
I'm going to make a few recon trips there over the next few months to check things out and I'm planning on taking the camper there for an extended stay this spring/summer when the weather breaks.
Got a cabin or some land you're not using? I'd be happy to put some rent money in your pocket.
DAC:
Drive-A-Check Report
A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).
It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.
Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.
Brett check out the Cathedral ledges in North Conway NH.
Brett check out the Cathedral ledges in North Conway NH.
Nice! Thanks for that. I'll most certainly check it out.
I do most of my playing on state land but i know my way around the southern adirondacks pretty well im an avid hunter fisherman kayaker and all around nature boy.had some sketchy weather coming back from chicago that dang lake effect can be messy slow steady and safe is working well for me solid 2200-2800 miles a week.i have a question for you and i have my own opinion on this but just picking your brain.there are alot of companies calling and emailing me and i see them out there at all my stops and they certainly are driving better equipment than i am so the question is would you consider looking into a shift in jobs that have newer equipment more drop and hook and more cpm with bonuses and accessorials orrrr would you at least devote 1 yr to the company that gave you the opportunity to get out there and run even though the cpm is kinda low .32 and every truck ive been in has over a million miles my truck has broke multiple times as a matter of fact it is currently getting the rear end replaced.i have no agreements or contracts but i do apreciate and respect them for seeing something in me and im not complaining about them cause im happy but i see that there are opportunities out there
Ps if ya need any advice or direction in southern adks get ahold of me be glad to help
CPM:
Cents Per Mile
Drivers are often paid by the mile and it's given in cents per mile, or cpm.
Drop And Hook:
Drop and hook means the driver will drop one trailer and hook to another one.
In order to speed up the pickup and delivery process a driver may be instructed to drop their empty trailer and hook to one that is already loaded, or drop their loaded trailer and hook to one that is already empty. That way the driver will not have to wait for a trailer to be loaded or unloaded.
DAC:
Drive-A-Check Report
A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).
It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.
Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.
the question is would you consider looking into a shift in jobs that have newer equipment more drop and hook and more cpm with bonuses and accessorials orrrr would you at least devote 1 yr to the company that gave you the opportunity to get out there and run even though the cpm is kinda low .32 and every truck ive been in has over a million miles my truck has broke multiple times as a matter of fact it is currently getting the rear end replaced.i have no agreements or contracts but i do apreciate and respect them for seeing something in me and im not complaining about them cause im happy but i see that there are opportunities out there
Jeremy, you started this post so well...
Hey everyone one month into my solo northeast regional carreer with a company that handed me the keys to go out there and make a living.i love it ive been tested and very succesful im making fat paychecks and im home every weekend
Then you quickly moved over into the "greener grass syndrome" that seems to strike so many new drivers out here. It's like a plague that hits a driver and quickly kills all the joy in his present situation.
This is my two cents on the subject. Stick where you are for one full year. This accomplishes several things...
- It establishes you with some experience, and you get past that very valuable first full year's learning curve.
- It shows that you are a stable individual who isn't swayed so easily by every little puff of a promise for some more money.
- It teaches you the value of commitment to a goal.
- It speaks volumes to your next employer of both your safe driving record and your commitment.
I run the Northeast a lot myself in fact I am there almost every week. I'm going to tell you that when yo go to looking for a different job that alone will be impressive to them. I was sitting with my dispatcher recently in Louisiana when he was on the phone with someone in our corporate office in Phoenix. He was trying to get me an increase in pay, and he wanted me to hear his conversation with them. They were reluctant to give the increase he was asking for until he mentioned, "this driver runs all the Northeast loads I can feed him and he never complains, he just gets it done and he knows how to work his logs like magic." That was the clincher - they agreed to pay me more because of my willingness to run those Northeast loads!
I think you are in a tough position, but a good one for now. Be careful, be safe and productive, but be determined to stick it out for one year. You will be glad you did! You will be a better driver for it!
Regional:
Regional Route
Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.
Dispatcher:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.CPM:
Cents Per Mile
Drivers are often paid by the mile and it's given in cents per mile, or cpm.
Drop And Hook:
Drop and hook means the driver will drop one trailer and hook to another one.
In order to speed up the pickup and delivery process a driver may be instructed to drop their empty trailer and hook to one that is already loaded, or drop their loaded trailer and hook to one that is already empty. That way the driver will not have to wait for a trailer to be loaded or unloaded.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.New Reply:
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Hey everyone one month into my solo northeast regional carreer with a company that handed me the keys to go out there and make a living.i love it ive been tested and very succesful im making fat paychecks and im home every weekend guess i just wanted to see how everyone elses experiences have been. Jeremy from upstate ny
Regional:
Regional Route
Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.