Category Archives: Great Stories

On The Road In Training With Ringo Part 2

Posted on March 31, 2010 by Rick Huffman

The first couple of weeks on the road driving flatbed were hard, because my body was not conditioned to this pace, this type of work, or these long hours. I lost most of the feeling in the tips of my fingers, and I had aches in places where I would have sworn I didn’t have muscles. Continue reading →

Posted in Becoming A Truck Driver, Great Stories, On The Road In Training, Stories of the Road, truck driving lifestyle | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

On The Road In Training With Ringo

Posted on March 29, 2010 by Rick Huffman

My first time out on the road in training I had a patient, entertaining, and unique character for a trainer – Ringo – an imposing, grizzly bear of a man with a beard like Dan Haggerty. His patience and entertaining stories made for a very unique experience. Since we were running southeast regional, we would get to go home on weekends, but the “trucker’s weekend” was not something I’d been prepared for. Continue reading →

Posted in Becoming A Truck Driver, Great Stories, On The Road In Training, Stories of the Road | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Truck Driving School Part IV – Taking The CDL Exam

Posted on March 25, 2010 by Rick Huffman

Finally, the time to take the road test arrived. We would go, in small groups, to the testing facility in Hartselle, Alabama over the next five days. I would test on the second day, and Alan would test on the fourth. Everyone was nervous, and most of us failed the first attempt. Continue reading →

Posted in Advice and Opinions, Becoming A Truck Driver, Great Stories, Passing The CDL Test, Week 3 | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Trucking School Part III – Boot Camp

Posted on March 25, 2010 by Rick Huffman

Almost everyone is abysmal at 45° angle backing to start with, and I was no exception. However, I was not the only one having difficulty. Alan even resorted to mathematical solutions to crack this puzzle, but it didn’t seem to help either of us. But a couple of great instructors stepped in and helped get us going in the right direction. Continue reading →

Posted in Advice and Opinions, Becoming A Truck Driver, Great Stories, Week 2 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Attending Truck Driving School Part II – First Day On The Yard

Posted on March 15, 2010 by Rick Huffman

Alan and I were both nervous, yet excited about the new challenge before us. We’d be spending the first couple of days in the yard, learning straight-line backing and 45° angle backing. Here we go – my first attempt at backing up a truck. Continue reading →

Posted in Becoming A Truck Driver, Great Stories, Truck Driving School Day-By-Day, Week 1 | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Attending Truck Driving School Part I

Posted on March 10, 2010 by Rick Huffman

Priceville, Alabama was where my trucking adventure began. A Super 8 motel room would be my home for the next three weeks while I attended CDL school. I did not know what to expect on the first day, but I met a wide range of personalities in the other students. It was incredible to see the diversity. Continue reading →

Posted in Becoming A Truck Driver, Great Stories, Truck Driving School Day-By-Day, Week 1 | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Becoming An American Trucker

Posted on March 8, 2010 by Rick Huffman

I was probably one of the most unlikely candidates to become a truck driver that the world has ever seen. I had spent the past 20 years of my life working in television broadcasting in various roles. While it had been exciting and challenging at first, the years had eroded my role into a thankless and suffocating rut. I seriously needed a change…a new experience. This is the beginning of my story – the life of an American Trucker. Continue reading →

Posted in Becoming A Truck Driver, Great Stories | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Not Much Help For The Drivers

Posted on March 7, 2010 by Steve Rubens

The Qualcomm system at most companies have directions to customers listed, but a lot of the time the directions are wrong. Unfortunately, even when dispatchers and customers know the directions are wrong nobody seems to care enough to do anything about it. Here’s an example of the mess it can cause. Continue reading →

Posted in Advice and Opinions, Cathy and Steve's Story, Great Stories, Stories of the Road | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Truck Driving Down Donner Pass

Posted on March 4, 2010 by TruckerMike

Until recently, I had never actually been on Donner’s Pass in California. Donners Pass is usually touted as one of the more dangerous areas for truck drivers and is the site of many fatal accidents. It’s quite an experience! I had the pleasure of going through it at night. I would have liked to take it during the day so I could see some of the scenery around me, but I’m sure I’ll get that chance in the future. I was still able to make some key observations though… Continue reading →

Posted in Great Stories, Stories of the Road | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Our Trucking Adventure Begins

Posted on March 1, 2010 by Cathy Rubens

Hello readers. My name is Cathy Rubens. My husband Steve and I started our trucking adventure in October of 2008. These writing will be done in the form of flashbacks, with some things from the past and some things from the present. Steve and I will be writing about the events and happening from our respective points of view. The flashbacks will be stories of happenings and musings from events as remembered by us. Continue reading →

Posted in Becoming A Truck Driver, Cathy and Steve's Story, Choosing A Truck Driving School, Great Stories | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Randy’s Home Time During Training – Part 1

Posted on January 26, 2010 by rbradyjohnsen

I LOVE “normal” life.  We got lots of errands done, I sold some stuff on Craigslist and Randy had a little pinstriping job – we made more money today than his last paycheck.  ;)   He keeps saying how nice it is to be home, and I keep telling him how nice it is to have him here.  Home will soon be somewhere else, and we’re going to start moving tomorrow. Continue reading →

Posted in Great Stories, On The Road In Training, Rhonda & Randy's Story, truck driving lifestyle | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Inside Trucking Part 3: Life On The Road

Posted on January 20, 2010 by Rhonda

With all the fuel that drivers purchase, it’s wise to get the driver payback cards from the truck stops that offer them. Its free, and it’s a way of saying thank you to the professional driver. For each gallon of … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice and Opinions, Career Help, Tips, Advice, Great Stories, Stories of the Road, truck driving lifestyle, Women In Trucking | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Truck Driving in Winter Weather

Posted on January 19, 2010 by TruckerMike

Before I became a truck driver, there was nothing better than a good snow storm in the winter. Sliding around in my 4-wheeler, sledding, snowball fights, snowmen, hearing the scrape of the snowplow as is passes by, and the beautiful sight it leaves. That was then, and this is now! Continue reading →

Posted in Advice and Opinions, Career Help, Tips, Advice, First Solo Months On The Road, Great Stories, Safe Driving Tips | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Randy’s Phase 1 CDL Training – Part 9 – He’s Done!

Posted on January 6, 2010 by rbradyjohnsen

I talked to Randy sooo much today.  We discussed EVERYTHING about trucking, the school, our experience so far, every aspect of our future, and how we’ve both been sort of “cracking under the pressure” lately. Continue reading →

Posted in Advice and Opinions, Becoming A Truck Driver, Great Stories, Rhonda & Randy's Story | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Another Night Of Driving And A Very Close Call

Posted on December 18, 2009 by Rhonda

Even when you’re just cruising along, minding your own business, and doing everything right, you never know when someone is going to do something incredibly dangerous right in front of you, and this was one of those times. Continue reading →

Posted in Great Stories, Stories of the Road, Women In Trucking | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments