Jim Palmer Trucking In-House Training In Montana

Learning update etc: As matter of fact, driving safely, not hitting anything is priority. As my coach says; " rule #1 is don't kill coach"

Secondary to above mentioned is TRIP PLANNING coupled with the ability to be super flexible I.e. building "plan B C D" into the works.

As is life, there are controlled variables and uncontrolled variables. I have learned that the "uncontrolled" variables in trucking are fast and furious (other then shipper/receiver performance) which can be slow and furious...lol....

PLAN PLAN PLAN........PERIOD!!

Use all avalible resources and then some. Check and double check.

Last but no least: Manage your time effectively. As I've noted in past posts; I'm lucky to have a coach that's an HOS Ninja....I'm slowly getting it...lol..

Be safe!

Nice work on the licensure! Driving alone while the coach is sleeping feels dirty doesn't it? Haha stay safe out there!

(For those who don't know I am the one other trainee in EscapeArtist's "class")

Hey there "Creeper"......go to hear from ya. I need your contacts. Not sure if or how TT has IM??

Nice work on the licensure! Driving alone while the coach is sleeping feels dirty doesn't it? Haha stay safe out there!

(For those who don't know I am the one other trainee in EscapeArtist's "class")

Been a bit since last update:

26++ states, I think, and a ton of driving, sliding tandems , Qualcomm , shippers, receivers, 4 wheelers, pre trips, post trips, pouring rain city drives, western mountain passes, FM's, dispatchers, road assist, APU's , weight stations, the DOT Blitz, rotten onions, Hersheys candy, Bud Beer, good truck stops, horrible truck stops, finding a stop with 10 min left on clock, alley backs, straight backs etc etc etc etc.....lolol...oh, a TRAINING MACHINE for a coach...

I'm sitting in motel room with my wife and the 2 little ones on a quick break!!

Great company!!....only 6k miles to go until solo. With me and "The Machine" that's about 5.5 days of driving.

I'm going to enjoy the next couple days bopping around in pool with kids then back to the above mentioned items!!!

Shipper:

The customer who is shipping the freight. This is where the driver will pick up a load and then deliver it to the receiver or consignee.

Tandems:

Tandem Axles

A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".

Tandem:

Tandem Axles

A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".

Qualcomm:

Omnitracs (a.k.a. Qualcomm) is a satellite-based messaging system with built-in GPS capabilities built by Qualcomm. It has a small computer screen and keyboard and is tied into the truck’s computer. It allows trucking companies to track where the driver is at, monitor the truck, and send and receive messages with the driver – similar to email.

DOT:

Department Of Transportation

A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.

State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.

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.

Fm:

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.

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

APU's:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

Nice progress! Unfortunately we got skunked last week on miles thanks to several shippers not being ready, and having incomplete/cancelled loads. Oh well this week should make up for it - currently heading to Georgia from the PNW!

Great info. Thank you.

Was able to chat with a real old timer here at company terminal for repairs...In between a run of bad jokes was able to dig a few "golden nuggets" of winter driving advice.... Laughing at the jokes was well worth the wait...

A few thousand miles to go until solo. Of course learning everyday. The uncontrollable variable is of course the caliber and style of trainer. As I've mentioned within past posts, I have a good one. That being said, our personalities vary widely. Frankly we don't always get along in that sense. No doubt its difficult to be incapslulated with any person in the context of driver training. There are continued stressors affecting both parties.

Communication is the deal and knowing and realizing its a team venture. I'm here to learn, to become a professional.....

Having fun is just the icing at the cake.

Be safe!

Last night in trainers truck (top bunkin' it)... Its been a virtual whirlwind. 40+ states 30,000+ miles with NYC and Long Island tossed in for fun.

The pace at times has been heavy duty but worth the time and effort.

The basic skill set has been provided and its time to take the next step.

Tomorrow I venture into solo operations.

A tad exhausted but not too worse for wear...lol....

Congratulations on making it this far into your journey, and best of luck on the next step. I begin with Jim Palmer next week, and can't wait.