Monthly Archives: January 2009

CDL Training – My Third Day of Truck Driving School!

Posted on January 22, 2009 by TruckerMike

Another day of truck driving school down, one day closer to getting into the truck! Today was a fun, but challenging day. The information keeps building and building and our instructor is really pushing us to remember everything. After all, our CDL permit test is this Friday. Only two days away! While it’s a bit stressful trying to learn so much information in such a short period of time, I feel it’s well within my abilities. And the things I’m learning are things I’m truly interested in, so it makes things much more bearable. Continue reading →

Posted in Truck Driving School Day-By-Day, Week 1 | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Economic Hard Times and The Politics of Change

Posted on January 21, 2009 by Pappy

I’ve have been unemployed before so it’s not like a new thing to me. The trouble is, before, there were always jobs to go to. It was just a matter of a time, a few days, maybe a week, some times the same day I’d be behind the wheel with another company. Today…well, today, it would seem, things are a bit different. I have been through 5 recessions…not depressions. There is a difference between recessions and depressions…. Continue reading →

Posted in The Economy and Politics | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Golden Rules Of Trucking Safety: Speed and Following Distance

Posted on January 21, 2009 by TruckerMike

In day two of truck driving school they covered defensive driving techniques, including excessive speed and following distance. There is nothing more important to your safety than maintaining the proper speed and following distance. Continue reading →

Posted in Safe Driving Tips, Truck Driving School Day-By-Day, Week 1 | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

CDL Training – My Second Day of Truck Driving School!

Posted on January 21, 2009 by TruckerMike

Hello once again everyone! On day one of my CDL training, I told you my class went through pages 1 to 34 in the Illinois CDL Study Guide. Today, we went over pages 34 to 61. Before we got started, our instructor gave … Continue reading →

Posted in Career Help, Tips, Advice, Truck Driving School Day-By-Day, Week 1 | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Day Shift

Posted on January 20, 2009 by Rhonda

This is my story that was published in the 1986-87 Winter issue of Bus World. My employer gave me pictures to send in and they were put with my article. It was given the title “Day Shift” by Bus World. Continue reading →

Posted in Bus Driving, Great Stories | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

The Structure Of CDL Schooling: Four Weeks To My CDL

Posted on January 20, 2009 by TruckerMike

In my previous article, “My First Day Of Truck Driving School!”, I talked about my first day of CDL training and my impressions of the school, the teachers, and the owner. Now I’ll tell you a little bit about how the schooling is structured and how they plan on getting us from ground zero to being a licensed CDL driver with our first truck driving job in just four weeks! Continue reading →

Posted in Career Help, Tips, Advice, Truck Driving School Day-By-Day, Week 1 | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

CDL Training – My First Day Of Truck Driving School!

Posted on January 20, 2009 by TruckerMike

Well, after a long wait, the day has finally come! I had my first day of CDL training today! During my training, I plan on writing every single day, or nearly every day, to let you know how things are going on a day by day basis. Some posts will be long, and others will just be a “check in” if nothing too exciting happened. But I’ll be sure to keep you all up to date so check out my blog daily!
Continue reading →

Posted in Career Help, Tips, Advice, Truck Driving School Day-By-Day, Week 1 | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Trucker’s CB Radios: Fire on the Wire!!!

Posted on January 18, 2009 by Pappy

Yep, with that bad boy radio, which cost as much as a used BMW, I could talk to the other side of the world if the skip was right. If the skip wasn’t running right I could at least give the Communist Operators in Cuba the devil…with a bit of a kicker driving a foot warmer. Continue reading →

Posted in Career Help, Tips, Advice | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Trailers: Some Common Problems, Fixes, and Items To Carry With You

Posted on January 18, 2009 by Rhonda

We all drive our personal vehicles, and yet most of us are not mechanics.  Well, the same applies to those who drive big rigs! But there are some common problems that you’ll come across when dealing with your trailer that you can easily fix, or avoid altogether. There are a few things that you should always carry with you in the truck, and we’ll cover some of them here too. You’ll learn a lot during your training, and the rest will come with more time behind the wheel. Continue reading →

Posted in Career Help, Tips, Advice | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Three Days In A Truck

Posted on January 17, 2009 by Rhonda

I get to leave my desk job this beautiful Friday in September and help out on a delivery to Texas.  When I have the truck ready, I leave for the next town to the shipper. I get over 42,000 pounds of … Continue reading →

Posted in Great Stories | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Mom’s First Ride In A Semi

Posted on January 15, 2009 by Rhonda

I get to take my mom to Dallas today and this will be the first time she’s ever been in a semi! I never thought she would want to do this. I’m a little nervous about having a passenger with … Continue reading →

Posted in Great Stories | 3 Comments

Submit Your Trucking Articles To TruckingTruth!

Posted on January 14, 2009 by Brett Aquila

At TruckingTruth, we’re doing everything we can to help people who are new to the trucking industry, or considering becoming a truck driver, understand the lifestyle, the challenges, the benefits, and even the downside of becoming a truck driver. We … Continue reading →

Posted in Submit Your Articles | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Truck Driving Jobs Increase From Dec ’08 To Jan ’09

Posted on January 13, 2009 by Brett Aquila

At TruckingTruth, we list thousands of truck driving jobs nationwide. Not only have we seen a noticeable increase from December of 2008 to January of 2009, but there has been a couple of other developments that are of interest to … Continue reading →

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The DOT Physical for Truck Drivers

Posted on January 13, 2009 by TruckerMike

I just had my DOT physical today and thought I’d write a quick post to let you know what it’s like. Most CDL training schools and all truck driving companies (by federal law) will require you to pass a DOT physical before you start, and then again every two years. For those of you who want to know what’s involved with the DOT physical, here’s the scoop. Continue reading →

Posted in Career Help, Tips, Advice | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Women In Trucking: Tips For Safety and Comfort

Posted on January 12, 2009 by Rhonda

For the women who are thinking about entering the trucking world, do not let anyone tell you that you can not succeed in this business.  You can read about Lillie Drennan who was the first woman truck driver in 1929 … Continue reading →

Posted in Career Help, Tips, Advice, Women In Trucking | 2 Comments