Profile For Davy A.

I'd recommend reading our diaries in CDL Diaries here, start one of your own. Get active in the forum here and ask us. Long term members here are top tier drivers. Many of us came up through this very community and it shows in our performance.

If you haven't already gotten into it,

• Truck Driver's Career Guide
• Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
• High Road CDL Training Program
• CDL Practice Tests

Paid CDL Training ProgramsTruck Driver's Career GuideBecoming A Truck Driver: The Raw Truth About Truck Driving

Also I'd ask Old School about his book as well. Having am open minded, and soaking up the knowledge in this community saved my career and helped me thrive many times over.

That bike looks awesome. I'm glad you remembered to get out and ride it!

I rode dirt bikes many years ago, and street bikes more recently but still many years ago. My favorite dirt bike was a Yamaha 400 thumper, yellow and black, heavy too, over 400 lbs I think. I used to ride some trails that had a half mile stretch of gravel road on one of the boundaries. Sometimes guys would come out with their newer, lighter dirt bikes and kick my butt on the twisties and jumps, but then when we got back to the gravel road I'd fly past them at 85 only to have them pass me soon again. I bent a few brake and clutch levers on saplings trying to keep up lol.

I haven't ridden now for over 30 years, but sometimes I have these awesome dreams where I open my garage and there are three or four different motorcycles sitting there and I can ride whichever one I want. I go riding for a while, then pick a different one. Then I wake up haha.

I hope you keep riding!

That's a yamaha dt400. Legendary two stroke. I had a dt100 and a dt250 when I was a kid

If you're using it to practice, a good basis is Weight and Weather, they determine your route which then determines your rate of travel which then determines your stopping point.

For example, a 44k lb load, 79k gross) going from Cheyenne wy to Cedar Rapids IA, no thunder storms but winds gusting to 38 mph. Meaning you'll be ok to take I80 inspite of the winds.

Trip is 750 miles, mostly flat interstate. You might average 55 mph with stops, etc. Set your target at 550 miles, or 10 hours of driving/on duty as you have full clocks. The second day will be 250 miles to reciever.

That means you need to have 3 or 4 places to shutdown around Omaha NE, being 500 miles from Cheyenne. If need be, you can push it a little bit, but safely shut down for the night around the 500 miles mark.

Correct, its not an immigration issue, its a national security issue and a wages issue and a safety issue.

You came here seeking truth. You got truth, and you didn't like it.

None of us are making a judgement on the drug itself. It, and any other drugs that cause impairment are prohibited and for good reasons. We're just as vehemently opposed to alcohol as well in regards to its use by cdl holders. And for the same reasons. The laws are much stricter for a cdl holder about alcohol use.

You dont have a valid argument for use of narcotics by commercial drivers. Peroid. In fact, supposing for a minute that thc was prescribed in the same manner that opiates were and were mainstream used similarly, a driver wouldn't be able to return to work until he tested clean. You fail to grasp that even some over the counter medication can be grounds for out of service and loss of career.

You're barking up the wrong tree, in the wrong neighborhood.

OS put it well. A lot of times with the ABS lights, its just a simple connection issue with the pigtail. For sure always make sure a trailer is safe to run, but in time, you'll learn to prioritize issues to address and that a lot of simple issues on a trailer you can take care of or fix to at least complete the load and then get fixed.

I blew a trailer tire 2 miles from the reciever on a load the other day. I asked the reciever if I could drop it there and have our repair guy fix it on-site after its unloaded. They agreed. I called my dispatcher and breakdown and let them know.

You'll get comfortable making decisions that carry weight, but for sure, it can be confusing in the beginning.

I think the guidance needs to be stronger at the federal level, its a start, but its not enough. I'd like to see a blitz week on this, with weight stations and ports of entry specifically targeting this issue. States that fail to comply in enforcement should loose their federal funding for highways.

Not only is it a safety issue, its also a wage issue. I'm guessing that the lobbying groups for the large carriers and shippers, retailers and manufacturers alike are fighting this and actively pouring money into stalling it.

We're still very deep into a recession despite what the media says. Corporations are going to have raise wages and have better conditions if they hope to capture any of Gen Z for blue collar trades. The kids simply will not work for low wages.

Notice that the big Corporations are also saying there's a shortage of operators and freight handlers and industrial mechanics. There's just a shortage of people willing to work for low wages is what it means. Any time there's a claimed shortage it equates to companies not trading enough value for people's time or skills that took time to build.

Well this the third damn time I've had this typed out. For some reason the form just resets if you take too long making a post.

Its been great for what I sought. Basically in a nutshell. 120k miles dispatched. North of 94k income, few grand in benefits. No nanny state equipment on the trucks, or minimal. No cameras, governed at 70, coast as fast as you want.trucks are set to performance mode, not economy. No idle restrictions, no fuel restrictions.

Not uncommon to go 6 to 8 weeks without talking to my DM. Just get your loads and run em, minimal messages. No routes, fuel solutions or crapola.

Very cut and dry company. You're out for 12, in for 2, no exceptions. Should be able to average 500 to 550 miles a day while managing your clock on recaps. Keep the door shut, your mouth shut and run it.

Loads are extremely accurately scheduled, the company runs like a Swiss clock most of the time. Its good pay, no nonsense trucking.

Long and short, if you're a self sufficient high performing driver, you'll do well here. You have to have solid fundamentals, know how to trip plan, manage your clocks including be familiar with split berth and know when and where to shut down at. You have to communicate here.

I wouldn't recommend this for a new driver for sure, its fast paced and results driven, while its accurate, its also dynamic and you have to make heavy decisions with little or no input. You have to be on your A game here but if you are, its lucrative and flows very well.

It would be very easy to get yourself in trouble with the truck as well. There's absolutely no one standing over your shoulder telling you to slow down, not tailgate, nor take a route that's above your skill level, its expected that you will drive professionally and make sound choices, if you fail to, you will immediately find the consequences.

Hummer has met and exceeded my needs and expectations. But my needs are changing so that may entail another chapter in my career, that's moving from planning and development phases to execution soon.

In the meantime, I'd recommend them for experienced drivers with clean driving records and history if searching for a high paying no nonsense regional/otr gig with standard home time.

Knight has no contract whatsoever. You're an employee before you start school. Your cdl costs will be paid if you stay a year though. Many choose to stay longer. Large companies have abundant resources, terminals, access to different divisions and dedicated routes, there are many perks that dont necessarily show up as pay.

They have a very short training peroid of just two weeks if you complete their top gun course and are suitable to go solo that quick. You then do 30000 solo miles under the guidance of a Driver development manager. There is good points and bad points to it.

Swift is also a great place to launch a career. The cpm alone doesn't dictate your income. Many of us made significantly higher income on lower cpm. I started at .44 and made 74k or somewhere north my first year with Knight.

What determines your income is your performance and your work ethic. I would concentrate more on being the safest, most reliable and easy to work with driver. In addition, ancillary pay often changes things. What's important is your year long effective rate. For instance, im at 64 cpm, but my effective rate is 71 cpm, due to bonuses, ancillary pay, etc.

I would also recommend drafting up some letters or document that your working for your family right now or somethingof the sort. Having employment gaps is a big sticking point, most carrierswont be able to hire you if you have them. Its a federal requirement that carriers have to jump through. Your going to need to account for your time on paper

Well, since you asked us...yes, we refer to setting the brakes as... you guessed it..."Setting the brakes". Its understood what it means. Shouldn't have to explain what it entails.

Exactly as andhe said, you shouldn't be on the phone while driving, let alone video with your old lady. I'd give you the boot as well.

So far, the only actionable issues you mentioned was his lack of hygiene. The racist language is he said/she said. Even if he does use racist language, its in private, in his truck. Don't like it? Don't listen to it.

It was stated simply above, prime gives you a method to change trainers, use it. Although you said you've already been through other trainers. This indicates that your attitude is probably the issue. You're the only common part in the equation.

You come off as sounding very entitled and nit picking in your post. I'd really recommend you look inward and find a way to just get through your training. It will help build your character.