Profile For Kevin B.

I'm not a driver but I really enjoy keeping up with most of the postings and it's influencing me about possibly changing careers. But that being said, it was reported by FOX a truck stop in Vivian SD was loaded up on truckers who were sitting out the snow. Snow drifts taller then the height of the various trucks were burying the drivers in their trucks and as you'd imagine all the highways were closed. As long as you got supplies and you've got fuel for your APU and it keeps working I guess you'd be able to ride things out...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/buried-in-snow-semi-truck-drivers-spend-days-trapped-at-south-dakota-fuel-stop/ar-AA15xpw2

I'm not a driver yet but can I guess? If confronted with this, that the arms are more or less up but the lights and bells are going I'd sit there for a couple of minutes to see if the train does in fact come by. If it doesn't then I might figure that the signal is possibly being triggered by a train or other vehicle down the way out of my sight distance and give it a couple more minutes. OR perhaps the signal is malfunctioning... If I can't readily see down the track in either direction from my cab and wish to still proceed, I might physically get out of the tractor cab and if safe to do so step into the intersection and proceed to look both ways??? If I see a train or something in the distance then I'd stay put, but if I didn't I might chalk it up to a malfunction and quickly try to cross.

Did I pass teach???

Well yeah... The deal that had been reached was only tentative and still needed to get voted on which the Feds got put off until after the midterms so they could tout it as a feather in their cap. I mean they've failed at enough things, they didn't need to add this to their pile so they got it put off. But I think the unions have the railroads over a barrel and will get what they want.

I used to have just a slew of those Transformers when I was a kid growing up in the 80's... My brother did Star Wars, I did TF. I can remember leaving them behind when I moved out of my family's house as my family broke up and I got my first apartment. My brother kept the house and cleared everything out when he wanted to move a bunch of roommates in. I'll forever kick myself when he asked me what to do with all them and I nonchalantly told him to get rid of them, the one time he listened to me. Some of the ones I had are collectors items now. Never had Prime, but a mint G1 Prime with accessories can go for a several hundred bucks at auction.

Nice!!! Way to go man, congratulations...

Not sure if this is appropriate, but this happened in Allen, TX north of Dallas yesterday. There's dashcam footage included with the video. But couldn't help but say a prayer as this trucker didn't make it out and isn't coming home to whatever kind of family he may have had...

https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/one-dead-semi-truck-flies-off-us-75-overpass-collin-county-allen-texas/287-7c55fff0-d5e1-4022-b177-eb07f7601fdb

I'd say he didn't pull into the pumps straight as has been previously mentioned. I've known for a while but have seen it in turns, that the tractor and the trailer axle turn on two separate and unique radiuses. The tractor will turn on an outside radius while the trailer axle will turn on an inside radius. Because it's articulated it doesn't have a single turn radius like your car does. His tractor was straight, he got his fuel and pulled through but the trailer wasn't straight and he smacked the pump as it straightened out.

Wow! Just wow! I'm not in a truck, may be by the end of the year we'll see, but right now I'm just a lurker. But I took time to clean up my employee breakroom and shoot some pictures of the mess some employees had left behind just yesterday... Sent a snarky text along with the pics talking about taking pride in one's workplace. You're truck in addition to being your home is also your workplace. You should take pride in both. This is why truckers have a bad reputation...

While admittedly I'm largely a lurker, I do enjoy reading the posts and have been very informed by the variety. That being said, I just learned from a coworker that where we're located in the Dallas/Ft Worth area they're planning a large highway closure for this weekend as part of an ongoing project to provide highways 360 and 30 with a proper interchange.

As quoted, "Work continues placing steel girders for future connector ramps within the interchange. The addition of the steel girders is changing the look of the interchange bringing the future direct connectors in view. Placing steel girders and concrete bridge beams requires road closures for motorist safety. Upcoming major highway closures are:

SH 360 Northbound and Southbound – Closed between Avenue J and Six Flags Drive Friday, Aug. 19, 8 p.m. through Monday, Aug. 22. 5 a.m. Southbound traffic will exit Avenue J/Lamar Boulevard and re-enter from the Six Flags Drive entrance ramp. Northbound traffic will exit Six Flags Drive and re-enter from the Brown Boulevard/Avenue K entrance ramp.

The City of Arlington has partnered with Waze to give drivers the best experience possible to get around town. Drivers can download Waze for free at www.waze.com/get for iOS and Android and see real-time traffic, find optimal routes, avoid road closures and more."

And the URL of a handy article from the City of Arlington, TX is - https://www.arlingtontx.gov/news/my_arlington_t_x/news_stories/i30_update_2022

So drivers passing through the Dallas/Ft Worth mid-cities this weekend should use caution and possibly an alternative route!

KB

Thanks everyone, I really needed to hear all your responses. I should really practice what I preach, because I pretty much think to myself that one should live their life as they care to so long as they aren't bringing harm to others, to themselves and being able to provide for themself. I don't think I'd want anyone else living in my house as a renter or a B&B. But yeah, after having given it a lot of thought I'd arrived at treating my house as an investment. Considering it's due to be paid off in 2045, when I'd be seventy-three I figured if trucking can be as profitable as you're led to believe (assuming you're willing to put in the work obviously), then why not work at paying it off as quickly as possible so you can enjoy it and not be making mortgage payments into your elder years? And for the query about how much I make that someone touched on... I work in hospitality for now, I had been making $33k annually as an Executive Auditor overnight which I enjoyed but left my financially wanting. After getting laid off I got a new job making $40k as a Front Office Manager at another hotel, which I don't enjoy and am already looking to make a change.